The Announcement
370 Words
The press conference was a circus.
Ava had planned hundreds of events, but she'd never been the subject of one. Cameras flashed like lightning. Reporters shouted questions like accusations. And Noah—Noah was a different person entirely.
He held her hand. He smiled—actually smiled, a devastating thing that transformed his face from handsome to heart-stopping. He called her "my wife" with a tenderness that made even Ava, who knew it was fake, feel a little dizzy.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he said, his voice carrying the easy authority of a man who commanded rooms for a living. "I know this seems sudden, but when you meet the right person, you just know. Ava and I... we knew."
Ava squeezed his hand, playing her part. "It was love at first sight," she added, batting her eyelashes for effect. "He walked into the bar where I was celebrating, and I thought, 'There he is. That's my person.'"
Noah's smile tightened almost imperceptibly. She'd embellished the story, added romance he hadn't scripted. But the reporters ate it up.
"Mr. Blackwood, is it true you fired your last three assistants for being late?"
"I have high standards," Noah said smoothly. "Ava meets them."
"Ms. Williams, how do you feel about marrying one of the most eligible bachelors in the world?"
"I feel like the luckiest woman alive," Ava said, and was proud of how sincere she sounded.
"Any plans for children?"
"No," Noah and Ava said simultaneously, too quickly.
The reporters laughed. Noah recovered with a charming chuckle that Ava was certain he'd practiced in a mirror. "We're taking things one step at a time. Enjoying being newlyweds."
Afterward, in the car, Noah's smile vanished like someone had flipped a switch.
"You added to the script," he said coldly.
"I improved it. 'Love at first sight' is better than 'we got drunk in Vegas.'"
"I don't improvise."
"Then learn. Your story was boring. Boring doesn't sell papers. Boring doesn't convince Hiroshi Asano."
Noah was silent for a long moment. Then, unexpectedly, he laughed. It was a real laugh, startled out of him, and it changed his whole face—made him look younger, softer, almost human.
"You're infuriating," he said.
"You're welcome."
- Writer
