One Wild Night

961  Lucy’s Prom

As the limousine pulled up in front of the event hall, Lucy couldn't help but feel a flutter of excitement in her stomach.

She glanced out of the window, taking in the lavishly decorated exterior, with golden lights twinkling like stars against the evening sky. The marquee above the entrance announced in bold letters, [Welcome to the 7th High School Reunion] and beneath it, a smaller sign read, [Lucy's Prom].

The chauffeur opened the car door, and Tom stepped out first, extending a hand to help Lucy. She accepted, stepping gracefully out of the vehicle.

As soon as she emerged, a chorus of excited shrieks greeted her ears. She turned to see Sonia and a group of their former classmates rushing toward her, their faces lit up with joy.

"Lucy!" One of them squealed, throwing her arms around her. The others followed suit, enveloping Lucy in a whirlwind of hugs and laughter. It was as if no time had passed since their graduation seven years ago.

"Oh my God, you look amazing, Lucy!" Chloe, the lady who had told her about the reunion, exclaimed, stepping back to admire Lucy's gown. "And where did you get that tiara? You look like a queen!"

"She is a queen. My Queen," Tom interjected and sounds of 'aww' rent the air.

"You're so lucky, Lucy," one of the ladies said.

Lucy laughed, her eyes sparkling. "Yes, I am. Thank you! You all look fantastic too. I can't believe it's been so long!"

"It's been too long, Lucy. Every year I looked forward to your presence at the reunion but you never showed up," one of them said.

Just then, Lucas stepped out of the limousine, drawing the attention of the group. A round of greetings and smiles greeted him, and he responded with his usual easy charm.

"Ladies," Lucas said, nodding at them with a smile.

Their attention shifted when they noticed Amy stepping out of the car. The reaction was immediate— a series of appreciative smiles and compliments.

"Amy, you look stunning!" Sonia said, her eyes widening in admiration. "That dress is beautiful on you!"

"Thank you," Amy replied shyly, a soft blush spreading across her cheeks at the unexpected attention. "You look amazing too." Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Isn't she just lovely?" Lucy said, beaming as she introduced Amy to the group.

After the greetings, one of the ladies, who had been appointed the head of the reunion committee, turned to Tom with a grateful smile. "Mr Hank, thank you so much for sponsoring this reunion. We really couldn't have pulled this off without you. Before now our reunions were a casual affair, but this? This is the grandest we've ever had it."

Tom smiled modestly. "It's my Jewel you should thank. It's my pleasure to put a smile on her face," Tom said, and Lucy giggled as another round of 'awws' filled the air.

"Where's Bryan?" Tom asked Sonia when he didn't see him anywhere around.

Sonia rolled her eyes playfully. "Busy signing autographs."

Tom chuckled, "Well, I better go find him before he starts getting carried away," Tom said.

"I will come with you," Lucas said and then turned to Amy, "Do you want to come with us, or would you prefer to stay with Lucy and Sonia?"

"I will join you inside later," Amy said, giving him a reassuring smile.

"Before you go inside, you should take pictures at the red carpet," Sonia suggested, and both Tom, Lucy, Lucas and Amy, made their way down the red carpet so that the designated photographers would capture their pictures.

After they were done with the pictures, Lucas and Tom headed into the hall, leaving the ladies to their conversations.

Inside, the grand hall was transformed into a dazzling spectacle. The theme was a nostalgic nod to their high school days, with neon lights, a disco ball, and walls adorned with photos and memorabilia from their school years. The air buzzed with excitement and chatter as former classmates mingled, reminiscing about the past.

As Lucy and the ladies stepped into the hall, the emcee's voice boomed through the speakers, capturing everyone's attention. "Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to the star of the night, Lucinda Perry!"

Lucy froze, caught off guard by the announcement. She felt a blush creeping up her cheeks as all eyes turned toward her, accompanied by a round of applause and cheers.

The crowd began to chant her name, and Lucy turned to look at Tom, who was now standing at the other end of the hall with Bryan and Lucas, a proud grin on his face. She giggled, shaking her head in disbelief.

"He does too much," Lucy muttered under her breath.

"And we both know you enjoy every bit of it," Sonia whispered, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

As the applause died down, Lucy made her way to where Tom stood while Sonia and Amy also joined Bryan and Lucas.

"How do you feel?" Tom asked curiously.

"I feel like I'm in high school again, the only difference is that I have the most gorgeous and amazing man in the room," she said, and he chuckled.

With Tom by her side, Lucy made her way through the crowd, exchanging greetings and hugs with her former classmates, each encounter bringing back a flood of memories. She was introduced to spouses and partners, each person eager to reconnect and even more eager to be introduced to Tom.

On other sides of the hall, Lucas and Sonia did the same, taking Amy and Bryan around as they reconnected with their friends.

"I thought Tyler was going to be here," Amy said after some time, and Lucas nodded.

"That was the plan, but something came up," Lucas said, not wanting to mention that it was Mia's surgery.

Because Tyler's schedule was tight, the only space he had was this weekend because he had left it open for the reunion. So, when Mia requested he work on her back, he decided to forgo the reunion and carry out the surgery on her instead.

Once everyone was seated at their tables, the lights dimmed, and a large screen lit up at the front of the hall. A slideshow of pictures from their high school days began to play, set to nostalgic music. Laughter filled the room as familiar faces appeared on the screen, caught in candid moments of youth and joy. There were pictures of school events, sporting activities, and Lucy with the cheerleading squad, her pom-poms high in the air, her face radiant with enthusiasm.

"Oh, look at that!" Lucy exclaimed, pointing at the screen as a video played of her leading the cheer during a school game. The camera zoomed in on her young, carefree face, and she laughed, reliving the moment.

Tom watched her, a smile tugging at his lips. Seeing Lucy so happy, surrounded by friends and fond memories, filled him with a warm sense of pride and contentment.

As the video ended, conversations flowed freely, with everyone sharing their favorite memories from high school. The topics ranged from old crushes to memorable pranks.

It was all fun until one of the ladies suddenly remarked, "You know, I'm so glad Rachel isn't here. She was such a nightmare. I haven't recovered from what she did to me when she learned I had a crush on Lucas."

A brief silence fell over the table, and eyes darted toward Lucas, who had remained mostly quiet until now. Amy, sensing his discomfort, reached for his hand under the table and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"What did she do to you?" Lucas asked quietly, a hint of tension in his voice.

Before anyone could respond, Lucy cut in smoothly, "I think we should leave the past in the past. Tonight is about celebrating, not rehashing old drama." She shot a meaningful look at Lucas, silently urging him to drop the subject especially for Amy's sake.

Lucas glanced at Amy, who smiled at him gently, and he nodded, relaxing slightly in his seat.

"No offense, Lucas. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. It's just that I was so happy when I learned that it was you who called off the engagement…"

"Can you stop talking about, Rachel, Natalie? Read the room," Sonia said with a scowl.

"Oh! Right. Sorry, Lucas. And you too, Amy," she said, flashing them an apologetic smile.

The conversation shifted, and soon, laughter returned as they continued to share stories. One of the guys, a former class clown, winked at Lucy playfully. "Hey, Lucy, remember when you had that huge crush on me? Do you still have a crush on me?" he teased, grinning.

Tom's eyes narrowed slightly, but before he could say anything, Lucy giggled, shaking her head. "That was ages ago. I only have eyes for Tom now." She leaned into Tom, her eyes twinkling with affection as she kissed his cheek.

One of the ladies sighed dramatically, "Well, I'd only have eyes for my man too if he pulled off an event like this just for me." Her words drew a chorus of agreement from the other ladies, who nodded and laughed.

Someone else at the table, clearly eager to stir the pot, commented, "Isn't it funny how both Sonia and Lucy ended up as sisters-in-law, married to two very successful brothers? I guess Sonia's decision to turn her back on her family and stick with Lucy eventually paid off. Tell us, who connected who?"

Lucy's smile faltered, and a spark of irritation flashed in her eyes. "I thought maturity comes with age, but I see some people still haven't grown up. You're still as envious as ever, Sophia," she said with a shake of her head.

"Sensitive much? Must be the…"

Sonia yawned loudly before Sophia could finish speaking, "Some people are super desperate to steal the show, but even their attempt is boring."

The atmosphere at the table grew tense, and before the exchange could escalate, the emcee's voice broke in once, "It's time to hit the dance floor! Let's take it back to the golden days!" He announced to the relief of everyone.

Lucy looked up at him, her eyes shining with love. "I am happy, Tom. Happier than I've ever been."

16:05

"I'm happy to hear that."

"Want to dance?" Tom asked, and Lucy turned to him with a wide smile, her earlier irritation gone.

"Sure."

The DJ started playing hits from their high school years, and the dance floor quickly filled with people eager to relive the past. Tom stood, extending a hand to Lucy, his eyes softening. "Shall we?"

Lucy nodded, smiling up at him. "Let's go." She took his hand, and they moved to the dance floor, joining the swaying crowd.

As they danced, surrounded by the music of their youth, Lucy felt a wave of happiness wash over her. She glanced up at Tom, feeling grateful for him, for his love and support, and for the life they were building together.

Tom leaned down, his lips brushing against her ear, "I love seeing you like this, Jewel. So carefree and happy."

Lucy looked up at him, her eyes shining with love. "I am happy, Tom. Happier than I've ever been."

"I'm happy to hear that."

A few feet from them, as Amy and Lucas danced, she looked up at him, "I guess I didn't have to worry about being badmouthed by your classmates."

"You were worried about that?" Lucas asked with a frown.

"Yeah. Were you uncomfortable earlier when she was brought up?" Amy asked, and Lucas nodded.

"Yeah. Sort of. I was worried at the thought that she was mean to someone because of me. Were you uncomfortable?" He asked, and she shook her head.

"No. I was only concerned about you. And no, she didn't do whatever she did because of you. It was because of herself. So, don't let it bother you," Amy said, and Lucas smiled.

"I love you, Amy."

"You don't have a choice," she said with a grin, and Lucas chuckled as he swept her off the ground and twirled a laughing Amy around the dance floor.

They all danced together, lost in the music and each other, while around them, the reunion continued, a celebration of the past and the bright promise of the future.