Friendship, Texas Series: Volume 1

by Magan Vernon

  "Maybe I decided not to bring the dress and I'm going to show up in one of your Speedos and all of your gold medals."

  Laughing, Jay pulled me to him. He smelled like chlorine and Chapstick and I'd never found that smell intoxicating until it was on him. "You're the only one I'd let touch my gold medals. The ones I wore on my neck and the one below the belt."

  Wrinkling my nose, I glanced down to his pant line then all the way up those washboard abs and to his eyes. "Did you just refer to your member as a gold medal?"

  "You know it." He grinned, wrapping his arms around my waist.

  "I hope it isn't gold, because then you might want to talk to a doctor about that."

  "You're kind of sexy when you talk all clinical like that."

  He leaned in and kissed me, trying to deepen the kiss but I hadn't brushed my teeth yet and was sure my breath smelled like ass.

  "You know, we could save some water and shower together." Jay pressed his forehead to mine, running his fingers down my arm, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

  "Nggghhhhhh." And there went that weird sound again.

  It sounded like heaven, getting wet with Jay Morningstar.

  But as much as I would love to see water dripping over his body and be the one to lick it off, there was the whole, bleeding lady parts thing. Cosmopolitan had an article once on period sex. I read it because I was bored and saw it on Sofie's floor. No way in hell I was going to do that for my first time.

  Jay wrinkled his nose and nodded. "Okay, I'll take that as a 'no'. Do you want to shower first?"

  I grabbed my clothes and makeup from the counter. "You shower in here and I'll go use the other bathroom. It'll be fine."

  He opened his mouth to say something but I was already turning and scurrying out of the room and down the hall to the second bathroom. Seriously, another bathroom in the giant hotel room.

  I shut the door and locked it behind me, turning on the light and fan before leaning against the door and letting out a deep breath.

  I was hormonal. Scared. Excited. Horny. All at the same time.

  It was just one day at Jay's sister's wedding. It was what I told myself, but I knew better.

  Jay was going to forever be in the public eye. There were always going to be girls staring at him and probably at me, wondering what in the hell a guy like him was doing with a girl like me.

  I'd have to get over that sooner or later if I wanted to stay with him and there was no way in hell I was giving up Jay Morningstar.

  ***

  Jay looked amazing.

  I mean he always looked amazing, but in jeans and a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to expose his Olympic rings tattoo, he looked like he could have been in some expensive cologne ad on a billboard in Times Square.

  "You clean up well," I said, walking over to him as he slipped on his dress shoes.

  A large grin spread on his face as his eyes roamed over my body before he put his hand out, motioning his fingers in a circle. "Not as good as you do; spin that around and let me see the back."

  I tried to be sexy, but there was only so much sexy I could pull off when I was a little wobbly in barely there kitten heels. I turned, putting my hands out to the side and pushed my hair over my shoulder, revealing the low back of the dress.

  Jay stepped closer, wrapping his arms around my waist. He didn't smell like chlorine anymore, but woodsy and beachy at the same time. Like a summer bonfire. I closed my eyes, inhaling his scent as he pressed his lips to my ear. "I have to say, this is hard to look at because I know exactly what's underneath that dress and can't stop thinking about your hot little body."

  He flattened his hand on my stomach and a low heat gathered between my thighs. Why couldn't this be any other time of the month? Why?

  I could feel him getting excited. His bulge was right against my back and though I hadn't actually seen it, what wasn't hiding very well in his Speedo was pretty impressive.

  Before he could say another word, my phone buzzed loudly in my hand.

  Again?

  Jay put his chin on my shoulder and I lifted my phone up to see a FaceTime call request.

  "I should ignore this," I muttered.

  "Why? We've got some time."

  I groaned. I didn't exactly want to talk to my parents when I was clenching my thighs together from the nearness of Jay's hand, but they would probably keep calling until I answered.

  Slowly I pressed the button and Sonny's face came on the screen, smooshed between my mom and dad.

  "Lia! Wow, sis, you clean up good! And, Jay, you look like you have sex hair." Sonny laughed.

  Jay pulled back, raking his hands through his hair.

  Ma smacked the back of Sonny’s head. "What's the matter with you?"

  "Ow, Ma! He knows I was just joking."

  "Thanks, Sonny. I think," I said, gnawing at my bottom lip.

  "Rosalia, you do look beautiful. Like a young Sophia Loren," Dad said, putting his hands out and then kissing them.

  "Isn't she dead? Are you saying my sister looks like a corpse?" Sonny didn't even look away from the camera, the cocky smile on his face.

  Dad smacked the back of his head and Sonny's face went into the camera before he leaned back and rubbed his nose and the back of his head. "Ow, that one actually did hurt."

  "Then maybe you'll learn not to be such a bastardo," Dad said.

  "Hey, don't talk to our son that way!" Ma glared at Dad.

  Dad responded back in Italian and they both started arguing with Sonny in the middle, staring at himself in the camera and rubbing his nose.

  "Guys? Guys?" I asked, but they didn't respond.

  "FAMILIA!" I yelled.

  Ma and Dad stopped their arguing and turned toward the camera while Sonny took his hand off his nose.

  "I have to get going. We're going to be late, but I'll call you before we fly home tomorrow. Okay?"

  Mom smiled. "Okay, Rosalia, have fun. But not too much fun."

  "Yeah, you either, Jay. Keep the gold medal in your pants," Sonny said which resulted in a slap on the back of his head and another round of arguing in Italian.

  I clicked the "disconnect" button before we had to watch a repeat.

  "Sorry about them," I muttered and grabbed my purse off the couch, sliding my phone in the pouch.

  Jay put a hand on my wrist and spun me around to face him. "No need to apologize, Lia. They're your family and they obviously care about you, even though your brother likes to give me grief. It's better than them hating me and not letting you come."

  I sighed, letting out a deep breath. He was right. It could have been worse. They could have not let me go at all. Maybe if they let me come this far, persuading them to let me go to USC wouldn't be so hard either. I could only hope, at least. "You're right."

  He grinned. "I usually am."

  ***

  The wedding was taking place on a private beach in Malibu. It should have been breathtaking with the light sand and crystal blue water, but the dozens of cameras and dudes in all black barking orders kind of took away from the beauty.

  Jay and I walked hand-in-hand down the white carpet to where white chairs were set up on each side and a big arch stood with the backdrop of the ocean.

  Before we could say a word, a lady in a black suit whisked Jay away and Billy, the producer, came at me with a mic and another clipboard. "Time to get rolling, Sweetie."

  "Uh, where am I supposed to hook this in a dress? And didn't I already sign papers?"

  Billy rolled his eyes. "The pack hooks onto your underwear or you can just put it on the low back of that dress. These are another set of forms for the pilot and first season promo."

  "First season? I thought this was just a special or something." I arched an eyebrow.

  "What's with all the questions today? I thought you discussed this with Ashley and Ry last night?"

  "Uh..." I could barely recall something about Ashley talking about this being the pilot for a reality TV show, and they
were hoping to get picked up by one of the networks, but I didn't get much else. She had one of those high-pitched whiny voices and when she talked really fast it was like nails on a chalkboard.

  "Whatever. You can fill it out while I go mic up that guy who married the female basketball player. I'll be back." Billy huffed then walked away.

  I slid the pack on the back of my dress and adjusted the microphone on the front. Then I sat down, looking over all of the sheets of paper. It should have been pretty straightforward and most of it was. I didn't think I really needed to read it, because this would probably be the last time I'd be around them for a while, unless things fell into place with USC. That seemed like something that would only happen in a perfect world.

  But then I saw an additional clause, one that was dated last night as being added.

  Rosalia Conti and Jay Morningstar will continue their relationship on camera and in the public eye for at least three months following the show's premiere. If and when there is a break-up, the entertainment network will be given first notice and rights to air a re-creation as well as alert all other media outlets of the news.

  What?

  So, was this saying they thought we would break up and wanted to keep it in for the show?

  Then recreate it?

  This was making my head hurt.

  "Get that stuff signed, Sweetie?" Billy tapped my shoulder.

  "Uh. Yeah." I handed him the papers, making sure the last page I didn't sign was on the bottom.

  I didn't want to put a contract on my relationship. I didn't want to put anything on it. I just wanted it to be normal. But I really didn't even know what normal was.

  "Okay, places everyone!" The woman in the suit walked down the aisle, barking orders.

  I stayed in my seat and found some random girl that once had a drunk conversation with Ashley in a bar bathroom on the show, sitting next to me. She didn't bother smiling at me, just stared at herself in her phone while she took selfies.

  The music started and I followed the gaze of the crowd as Ry walked in, arm in arm with Meg. Ry's parents had been out of the picture for a while. Or at least that's what he told everyone on their rehab reality show. It was truly endearing to see him smiling with his future mother-in-law, his hand protectively on her lower back while she gazed up at him.

  Once Ry was at the archway, more upbeat music played, and the guys and girls lined up. I found my hands balling into fists when I saw that Layna, in a bodycon teal dress, was arm in arm with Jay.

  Each groomsmen walked down with the bridesmaids, laughing and dancing. Not exactly what I expected from a wedding, but they seemed to be having fun.

  Jay and Layna were two of the last ones to walk down, before the best man and maid of honor. Jay was wearing a pair of aviators and Layna had on some obnoxiously large sunglasses.

  Jay kept his sunglasses on until he got to my chair. Then he pushed them down his nose and shot me a wink before he blew a kiss and then continued walking down the aisle.

  "Oh. My. God." The girl next to me finally pried her eyes from her phone and put her hand on my shoulder, whirling me around toward her. "Are you Jay Morningstar's infamous new girlfriend?"

  "Uh, I wouldn't go as far as saying I'm infamous, but yeah, that's me."

  "Oh My God! Take a selfie with me! I can't believe I'm sitting next to you!"

  Before I could even respond, she smooshed my face to hers and took a picture, posting it right away to social media with some god-awful filter.

  Then came the slew of hashtags.

  "What's your name so I can tag you and Jay?"

  "Uh, Lia Conti."

  The girl smiled and smacked her heavily glossed lips. "Lia Conti, you're going to break the internet."

  Chapter 20

  The wedding was over within about twenty minutes. The entire ceremony the girl next to me, whose name I still couldn't remember, took selfies and hashtagged.

  #Theyrewalkingin Duck face selfie.

  #OMGBeautifulvows Duck face selfie

  #ThatKissdoe Duck face selfie

  I was ready to find Jay at the reception, but of course he had a million pictures to take so I wandered over to the cocktail hour. By myself.

  Apparently I was cool enough to take a selfie with at the wedding, but once the girl found someone more interesting and famous, I was old news.

  At my brother's wedding, I didn't get carded for drinks. Even though I didn't drink much, I figured I had nothing to lose at this party, so I approached the guy at the bar right off of the wooden dance floor.

  "Can I get a glass of white wine, please?" I asked, trying to sound adult, but I had no idea what I was doing.

  He raised an eyebrow. "Moscato? Riesling? House white?"

  "Uhhhh...." I stared at him then looked up to the dozens of twinkling string lights overhead then back to him.

  He smiled. "How about I get you a soda? I'll even put it in a rocks glass with a straw so everyone will think it's something stronger."

  I sighed. "Yeah. A soda will do."

  I sipped on my drink, watching everyone mill about to different cliques. There were a lot of people I recognized. Some I should have probably introduced myself to, but I was awkward.

  Beyond awkward.

  I didn't know what the hell I would say or how I would introduce myself. So I just stood there, like my usual wallflower self, until the DJ made an announcement for us to take our seats for the entrance of the wedding party.

  I took my seat at the back table with the other misfits: dates of groomsmen and bridesmaids that they couldn't figure out where to put, and second cousins once removed.

  The guy in the seat next to me looked at me over his shoulder. "What did you do to Ashley to get stuck at the reject table?"

  I blinked hard, putting my napkin on my lap and trying too hard to figure out who the guy next to me was. "Um, dated her brother?"

  "Whoa, Layna, you've really gone downhill. Too much time in the tanning bed?" Another guy across the table laughed.

  "Uh, I'm not Layna. I'm Lia. The current girlfriend."

  "Oh." The guy looked at his fingernails like they were the most interesting thing in the world.

  Everyone else small talked amongst themselves, which left me to either talk to myself or people watch.

  People watching it was.

  There was a mix of reality TV stars, athletes, and musicians. All glamorous. All poignant as they did mini interviews with Billy.

  This was the world I thought I wanted to be in. The music industry. To discover new talent. Go to shows and meet people.

  Maybe that wasn't what I was supposed to be doing with my life.

  Maybe I wasn't up to these standards.

  "Ladies and Fellas, can I have your attention, please?" The DJ's voice boomed over the microphone and knocked me out of my inner pity party.

  The guy behind the DJ booth was a new talent that Ry discovered when he was on spring break in New Orleans, filming a show with Ashley and the rest of the cast. He looked like some kind of white rapper wannabe with his sideways visor and giant ECHO shirt, but the guy had a voice that I couldn't help but be drawn to.

  "Y'all came for the wedding, but we all know that you stayed for the party of the yeaaarrrr!"

  Everyone whooped, hollered, and clapped.

  "Now, it's time to introduce the people who made this party possible, by giving birth to Ashley Morningstar-Stone, Meg and Phillllll!"

  Everyone clapped as Meg and Phil weaved through the tables and chairs, holding hands and raising their fists in the air once they got to the wooden dance floor in the middle of all the tables.

  The DJ went through the list of the other names in the bridal party, which had to be a few dozen people, then it came to Jay and Layna.

  "Now we have a special treat for y'all. The Golden Boy himself took a break from swimming to escort the lovely reality princess. Give it up for Jay Morningstar and Layna Downs!"

  I clapped, searching the crowd until I saw Jay. My
mouth dropped open when I could only see the top of his head and him, crawling on all fours with Layna on top of him, smiling, and giggling like she was riding some prized stallion.

  Yes, everyone else did some goofy dancing moves as they walked to the middle of the dance floor, but did she need to ride him?

  I stopped clapping and kept my eyes glued to them. Once they got to the middle of the floor, she got off Jay and helped him up, giving him a kiss on the mouth that was definitely not chaste. He didn't push her off or say anything. He just smiled and put his arm around her.

  "Uh oh, the mister and misses better watch out for these two! We may have another romance kindling here," the DJ said.

  The heat of everyone's eyes at the table fell on me. I couldn't look at them. I couldn't look at anyone but Jay. Jay who wasn't looking through the crowd for me, but just smiling and waving for the camera.

  Was it an act with Layna?

  Was it an act with me?

  I couldn't concentrate on anything else. The announcement of the bride and groom. Their first dance.

  I just stared at Jay and Layna as she kept whispering in his ear and he laughed at whatever she said.

  I waited.

  I waited through the over the top seven course dinner.

  I waited through the bridesmaid and groomsmen dances where Layna grabbed Jay's ass and Billy definitely got it on camera.

  After cake was served and people got out on the dance floor, I finally stood up.

  I'd had enough.

  I walked toward the table where Jay was, thinking what the hell I was going to say or do.

  By the time I was within a few feet, Layna had gotten to him first, whispering in his ear.

  He smiled and nodded, then she took his hand and they ran off somewhere on the beach with the other bridesmaids and groomsmen.

  I stood in the middle of the dance floor like an idiot. Some people whispered. Some just tried to elbow me out of the way.

  I had absolutely nowhere to go.

  So I went back to my seat and pulled out my phone.