Chapter Text
By the time Rupert leads Taggie through the grand entrance hall into the event, it’s in full swing. Alcohol, nicotine, and less legal substances flow freely if you know where to look. But Rupert insists this is “when all the real networking was done”.
While she’s been coming to this event for years, attending it with Rupert is an entirely new experience. Her experience has taught her that networking is getting dragged about the room and into various conversations people wanted to have about her. What Rupert considered networking was, in truth, holding court.
Though she doesn’t relish the attention quite like he does, she enjoys the evening. The feeling of having someone in her corner changed everything.
The only exception to this pattern happens when they’re headed towards one of the bars in the room and Rupert pulls her to a stop to yell after someone.
“Basil Baddingham!” While he would never stoop so low as to shout, his raised voice cuts through the chatter around them and several people look over curiously, including the man he’s aiming for.
A man with gorgeous hair, a bit younger than Rupert, turns back at the sound. He eyes first Rupert and then her before a smile stretches over his face and he strolls back to them. Taggie glances questioningly at her date, but Rupert’s increasingly forced smile is trained on ‘Basil’.
Meanwhile, Basil entirely ignores him while giving Taggie a warm smile. “Please, call me Bas. Only people who hate me call me Basil, so really, just my family and this idiot who might as well be.”
A small laugh escapes her at the teasing dig towards Rupert. Despite the obvious grimace on his face, she has a feeling that the two are real friends. She’s adored all of his friends so far, rare as they are.
“Hi, Bas. I’m Taggie.”
She offers her hand for him to shake, but with an overtop wink he takes it in his own and drops a kiss across her knuckles. He manages to make her feel a fond sort of exasperation instead of the uneasiness she usually would at that kind of gesture. “It’s nice to finally meet the lovely woman who’s stolen my best friend.” Bas comments once he’s dropped her hand.
Taggie blushes a bit at that. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it.”
“That’s all right. We can be friends and then I’ll call it even.”
“Taggie is my serious girlfriend.” Rupert cuts in, sliding one hand around her waist as he stares down Bas. The comment lands awkwardly in their conversation, disrupting any previous flow, and Taggie flails for a moment as she tries to understand why Rupert’s acting so strangely.
Bas seems to take it in stride, laughing quite loudly.
It wasn’t a joke, though. His reaction slides seamlessly underneath her skin, needling at her insecurities.
“I am. We’ve been dating for several months.” Taggie defends with a frown, trying not to feel childish.
“I don’t doubt it, darling.” Bas comforts. She doesn’t know him well enough to feel confident in judging how genuinely he means that.
Luckily, Rupert seems to have recovered enough to steer the conversation.
“Taggie is a talented chef, Bas. You should keep her in mind. It couldn’t hurt to have her come by and shows him he’s not the only one that can keep that place running.”
Bas’ laugh still sounds meant to charm, and he pairs it with a salacious smirk, even though they’ve moved safely onto the topic of cooking. It’s suddenly very easy to picture him with Rupert. “I’ve never heard anyone describe Antony’s blowups as tantrums, but I can’t disagree.”
He turns back to Taggie. “In that case, you’ll have to come to the bar sometime. We’ll crack open a bottle of wine and you can give me your notes on the new summer menu, Taggie dearest.”
Taggie takes a deep breath and puts on her game face. “Thank you, Bas, that sounds wonderful.”
Not long after that, they part ways and Taggie can finally ask Rupert about the man.
“Are you two close?”
“Yes. I suppose so.” He sounds a bit pained to admit it.
“Why haven’t I met him before now?”
“He’s a shameless flirt.” Rupert grinds out. His face twists into an expression of disgust. “I hate to see him even look at you.”
“Surely if you two are friends and he knows we’re together…” Taggie fades out a bit as she tries to ask what kind of person Rupert considers a friend.
She twists to face him, trying to gauge his reaction. Those long lashes she adores flutter as Rupert braces himself. He diverts his attention to one of her hands that he claps in his own.
“In the past…dating was always more sport, not something to get upset over. I’m afraid he won’t understand when I tell him this is different.”
Taggie nods, storing that information away for later when she can pry for a bit more information and most likely tease him over it. He seems too upset at the moment to enjoy it.
“Why’d you call him over then?”
His consternation lifts a bit, the crease between his brows smoothing. “His shameless flirting also makes him one of the best-connected men in town. If you want opportunities outside of the show, he’s the best place to start.”
The sentiment warms Taggie from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Sometimes his continued thoughtfulness (as well as the glaring jealousy, as much as she’d like to deny it) reminds her how lucky she is, and she leans up and to place a kiss on Rupert’s cheek.
Lingering with her lips near his skin, Taggie whispers to him. “Want to come outside with me?”
Rupert lets her lead the way.
Only a minute and another stolen bottle of prosecco later, Taggie draws Rupert with her into the back alleyway where they first met. The summer air makes it much more comfortable than previous years as she curls her legs under her and sits against the wall.
She knows how these heels hurt her feet, but she can never quite talk herself out of wearing them. It’s nice to be impractical every once in a while.
Rupert watches her sigh in relief with a frown on his face, not moving to join her, so she pats the ground next to her. He shakes his head distractedly, leaving her to stare up at him in confusion. Surely, talking to Bas couldn’t have upset him this much.
“I don’t know what I’m doing, which is pretty ridiculous since I’ve done this before.” He’s barely more than mumbling, rubbing a hand over his face as he paces in front of her.
Taggie knows better now than to push now. He insists he doesn’t worry or get nervous, so it’s usually best to stay quiet until he finds himself admitting it.
“It was so much easier with Helen.”
Hearing his ex-wife’s name feels like having a bucket of cold water dumped over her. Rupert mentions her so rarely that Taggie has no idea what to think of his declaration. Taggie takes a couple of deep breaths, white knuckling her determination not to jump to the worst-case scenario.
Rupert remains oblivious.
“I just don’t know what I’m doing and I don’t think right now is the best time to admit that. I wish I had some perfect speech for you, but I don’t.”
Taggie wobbles onto her feet, slightly breathless. There’s seems to be a weird buzzing sensation in her limbs, even in her head.
“Maybe it’s best to rip off the band-aid then.” She hears herself say.
She has no idea what she expects him to say, what she’s feeling.
“Ok. Right. I’ll…I’ll do that.” Rupert stares back at her for a moment.
In a smooth motion, Rupert drops to one knee before her, revealing a small jewelry box from his pocket.
“Taggie, angel, I love you and I want to marry you.” Rupert glances down at the ring box as he tries to flick the latch open.
A feeling that defies description washes over her. She has such a physical reaction to the words that she can’t even think, she just moves. Taggie launches herself at Rupert.
Rupert has to awkwardly stagger to his feet as he absorbs the impact of their collision. The sensation of the velvet ring box pressing into her back feels one part impossibly distracting and one part completely unimportant. Her singular focus is dragging his face down to hers for a kiss. It’s a familiar comfort and wonderful revelation all at once as he eagerly molds his mouth to her own. When she drags herself back for a moment to breathe, she finally responds.
“When?”
“Whenever you like.” Rupert seems much more concerned about pressing wonderful, open-mouthed, biting kisses just above her collarbone. “How’s tomorrow?”
“Perfect.”
They’re lost in each other for another stretch before coming up for air.
“We should get out of here.” Taggie gets out between panting breaths.
“I got us the honeymoon suite upstairs.” Rupert says. He’s all big smiles and confidence again as he grabs her hand and leads her back into the party. “There might be an elaborate proposal waiting for you up there, roses and champagne included.”
Taggie just laughs, happy to do it all again.