Behind the Stick

by Sandra Marie

  “When I had invited Rae, it was because I didn’t want to show up to the gala single because with Ashton no longer single, my dads would be on my case about meeting someone. I liked Rae, but with you and me, it’s different. I was afraid of my dads asking you too many questions and scaring you off.”

  “I don’t scare too easily.”

  “My dads will probably ask you what colors you have in mind for our wedding.”

  Lauren laughed. “I think I can handle that.”

  “Then is that a yes?”

  She nodded. “That’s a yes.”

  “Thank God.” He bent down and scooped her off her feet, and she let out a startled laugh.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Getting you off of that foot. I’m done here and am just in the guys’ way. How about we go upstairs and read a little Fellowship of the Rings.”

  “Keep talking dirty to me,” she said.

  “We can make some herbal tea.”

  “Mmm. What kind?”

  “I bought lemon ginger the other day.”

  Her head fell back, and she moaned. “That’s so hot.”

  “I’ll even let you wear one of my hoodies.”

  She grabbed her chest and dramatically let her head flop back. “Okay, stop, it’s too much for me to handle.”

  He laughed, and she hooked her arms around his neck, holding tight and grateful she took the risk.

  It was the night of the gala, and Lauren abandoned her tights and flared skirts for a form fitted gold shimmery number that molded to her body like a glove. It wasn’t something she’d ever choose for herself, but Lily May refused to leave the store unless Lauren agreed to buy it. When Lauren tried to use the price tag as an excuse to get out of it, Lily May scooped it up and brought it over to the register herself, handing over her American Express without as much as a flutter of her long eyelashes.

  She felt beautiful as she looked at her reflection in the floor length mirror. Jemma had done her hair, and Olivia did her makeup. She had no idea how much a little blush could brighten up her entire face.

  She heard the knock on the door, and butterflies swarmed in her stomach. She couldn’t wait for Gavin to see her. She hoped he liked what he saw since it was so drastic from what she usually wore. There was only one way to find out. With one final glance in the mirror, she turned on the strappy gold heels that so far weren’t killing her.

  The swelling in her ankle was completely gone, but the black and blue still lingered. She put a little concealer on it and covered it the best she could. She doubted most people would look down at her ankle long enough to even notice.

  She heard Gavin and Olivia talking as she stepped out of her room and into the living room. Gavin looked refined and gorgeous in a fashionable navy-blue tuxedo with a black lapel and black bow tie.

  The conversation ceased when Gavin’s eyes landed on her. His lips parted, and his eyes grew large. She shifted uncomfortably, not sure if he was liking what he was seeing.

  “You look. My god. Wow. You’re stunning.”

  Her cheeks heated at the compliment and the genuine tone in his voice. “Thank you. I had some help.”

  “Wow,” he said.

  “You too. I love the blue.”

  His eyes scanned her up and down again. “Wow.”

  “You said that already.”

  “It’s all I can manage right now.”

  “Our girl is smokin’,” Olivia exclaimed. “You better show her the time of her life.”

  “I plan on it,” Gavin said.

  “Have fun you two,” Olivia gave a wave as she headed to her bedroom, leaving her and Gavin alone.

  Gavin took her hand, and pressed his lips to her knuckles. “I’d kiss you properly, but I don’t want to mess up your lipstick.”

  Lauren laughed. “The one downfall to getting pretty. It can be messy.”

  “You’re always pretty.”

  She went to slide her teeth over her bottom lip, then thought better of it. The last thing she needed was lipstick on her teeth. “Thanks,” she said instead.

  “You ready?” He held his arm out to her, and she looped hers through his.

  “Let’s do this.”

  They got in Gavin’s car and headed to the event. It was a twenty-minute drive, and the entire time Lauren was very aware of Gavin. The car smelled like him, a delicious combination of citrus and pine. It was crisp and refreshing.

  His hand found hers, and he laced his fingers through hers. She loved how effortlessly he did things. Like he didn’t think; he just did, and it was as natural as being.

  “What are you thinking?” Gavin asked.

  “What the gala is going to be like. I have never been to one before.”

  “I’ve been to many but never one Lily May planned. I can imagine it’ll be over the top and memorable.”

  Lauren smiled. “Just like her. I can’t wait.”

  “She told me she’d help us with the St. Patrick’s Day Extravaganza.”

  Us. The single world sent a rush of giddiness through her.

  “I hope that’s okay.”

  “Why wouldn’t it be? Lily May does event planning for a living. We’d be crazy not to tap into that head of hers.”

  “I just hope I don’t wind up with sheep in my bar because I wouldn’t put it past her.”

  Lauren laughed, imagining a sheep in the bar and Lily May unable to understand why it wasn’t a good idea. “I think you need to get sheep now.”

  “Definitely not.”

  “You’re no fun.”

  “Oh, but I am.”

  She couldn’t argue there.

  They pulled onto the street of the venue and waited in line for the valet. It was a quick process that ran efficiently, and Lauren wouldn’t expect anything less from an event planned by Lily May.

  Gavin took her arm as flashes from the paparazzi blinded them and guided her toward the man dressed like a ring master taking the coveted tickets.

  “Step right up,” he said to the people behind them.

  “Is that a red carpet?” Lauren asked, looking at the red floor stretched out in front of them. To the right of the carpet, a pocket of cameraman all vied to get Gavin’s attention. “This is crazy. They know your name.”

  “I’m Ashton’s twin, so they know me by default.”

  “Even still it’s pretty cool.”

  “If you say so,” Gavin said, running a hand through his hair. “Come on, let’s keep moving.”

  They walked the red carpet, and Lauren felt like a Hollywood starlet. Gavin obliged one photographer who asked for a picture, but then he hurried her into the building.

  Servers moved about wearing white shirts with red suspenders and red bow ties. Red and white curtains draped from the ceiling to mimic a circus tent and gold tablecloths with carousel horses rose up out of the tables surrounding a dance floor. Aerial dancers hung from colorful sheets from the ceiling, contorting into unnatural poses yet making it look as natural as walking.

  A bearded woman sauntered through the crowd with a man sporting a handlebar mustache, and a black leotard who held a barbell above his head. A sad clown with a red painted nose and black vertical lines drawn from his eyebrows to his cheek moseyed by them, letting out a pitiful sigh as he went. Old-fashioned signs pointed them in directions to games, popcorn and prizes.

  It was breathtakingly beautiful as well as mind blowing in size and detail. Lily May captured the true essence of a vintage carnival, and it was as if Lauren stepped through a time portal when she walked through the door.

  Beyond that were carnival games with prizes ranging from stuffed animals to trips to various locations around the world. Of course for your chance to win those, you had to pony up more money than Lauren made in a year. Yet, people crowded the place to take their turn.

  Lauren held tight to Gavin as he seemed like he knew how to maneuver the event. He dipped in and out of people, stopping every now and again to talk with celebrities and socialit
es Lauren recognized from the tabloids.

  She leaned into him. “You know a lot of famous people.”

  “I wouldn’t consider it more than that. I see them at Ashton’s events, and that’s it. It’s not like I call them up to grab a beer.”

  “It’s still cool that they know your name. Admit it.” She poked his stomach, and he jumped back, but she poked again.

  He grimaced. “Okay, it is a little cool.”

  “Knew it.”

  “You look so proud of yourself right now.”

  “I am.”

  “Gavin!” A man with short salt and pepper hair approached. He was a good-looking older guy with a wide smile and a sparkle in his eye. Beside him was another man who was slightly taller and whose smile was just as warm but not nearly as wide. “You’re here.” The man threw his arms around Gavin and pulled him tight.

  “You must be Lauren,” the other gentleman said. “My son has told me a lot about you.”

  “Oh! You’re Gavin’s dads.”

  “You can call me Pops, everyone else does.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Lauren held her hand out and gave Pops a proper greeting. He had a strong grip, but it was more welcoming than it was intimidating.

  “And this is Dad or Bill as everyone else calls him.” Gavin patted the other gentleman’s chest.

  “A pleasure to meet you as well.”

  “When Gavin told us he had met someone we were so happy,” Pops said.

  “You raised an amazing man.” Heat filled her cheeks when she caught Gavin’s gaze.

  Bill glowed at the compliment. “He turned out all right.”

  Pops laughed.

  “Have you been to the game section yet?” Bill asked.

  Gavin glanced over to the area then shook his head. “We just got here.”

  “Then you have to go over there. It’s really something else. You know what, I’ll bring you myself.”

  Bill rested his arm over her shoulders. “We have much to talk about.” He geared her toward the game section, and Lauren didn’t even mind. Dad and Pops were everything Gavin had described and she was excited to get to know them better.

  ***

  An hour later, Lauren officially loved Gavin’s dads. She couldn’t remember the last time she had so much fun. While his dads were talking to some guy in a fancy tuxedo, Gavin leaned his mouth against her ear. “Dance with me.”

  “I thought you said you couldn’t dance or juggle.”

  “I can’t, but it’s an excuse to hold you, and I’m taking it.”

  “How can a girl say no to that?”

  “Simple, you can’t.” He took her hand and guided her to the dance floor. His hands snaked around her waist as they swayed to the music. At one point, Lauren wasn’t even sure what music was playing; all she could concentrate on was Gavin.

  “This place is out of control!” Tommy’s voice penetrated her Gavin bubble, and she lifted her head off of Gavin’s chest to see Rae and Tommy coming to a stop in front of them.

  Rae looked beautiful in a purple dress that made her red hair pop. Tommy was in a t-shirt made to look like a tuxedo and a pair of black pants.

  “I love your shirt,” Lauren said. She couldn’t look at it without smiling. It was a nice touch in a sea of tuxedos.

  “I wish I would’ve thought of that,” Gavin said.

  “Stick around, and I will teach you, young grasshopper.”

  Gavin laughed, and Rae shook her head.

  “Have you checked out the games yet?” Lauren asked, feeling like she needed to tell everyone about the awesomeness that awaited them.

  Tommy looked longingly toward the game area. “We were heading there, but Rae insisted on coming to say hi first.”

  “Excuse me for being polite,” Rae said.

  “I know such an inconvenience you are.”

  Rae gave him a dirty look, but it quickly warped into a loving affection.

  “What table are you guys at?” Rae asked.

  “Six,” Lauren said.

  “Us too!”

  “Great. We’ll catch up with you later.”

  “Let me take him to the games before he blows a gasket,” Rae said, grabbing Tommy’s arm and pulling him toward the games.

  “They’re adorable,” Lauren said.

  “Not as adorable as us,” Gavin said, placing a kiss on her forehead.

  “Please tell me this is the most amazing event you have ever been to,” Lily May said in a rush. Her blonde hair was pulled back in loose twists and secured at the nape of her neck. The bright pink dress she wore was stunning and made her shine as she should.

  “It’s amazing,” Lauren said.

  “Really?” Lily May asked, lips parted as she let out a sigh.

  “You need to calm down,” Gavin said. “This is the best gala I’ve ever been to, and I’ve been to a lot.”

  “Stop it. You lie!”

  “No,” Gavin said with an air of sincerity in his tone. “It’s amazing. You’re going to have clients lining up to get you to work for them.”

  “Eep!” she squealed. “I hope so! Once this is over, I’ll be back to being unemployed, and I won’t be able to afford my rent.”

  ‘You live in the building your billionaire boyfriend owns. I think he’ll let you slide on a few payments if it came to that.”

  Lily May gasped and slapped a hand over her heart. “Goodness gracious, I would never.”

  Gavin didn’t push the matter, and Lauren knew it was because he understood.

  “Oh no!” Lily May exclaimed. “They are not serving wine in those glasses. Over my dead body. Excuse me, I have business to attend to.”

  “Don’t let us stop you,” Gavin said.

  Lily May hurried across the floor toward a waiter carrying a tray. After a brief conversation, the waiter and the glasses of wine disappeared before reappearing with new glasses that had an art deco feel to them and matched the event.

  The attention to detail was insane but Lauren didn’t expect anything less from Lily May. While Lauren was paying attention to Lily May’s wine glass crisis, Gavin picked up a conversation with a couple whose outfits looked like they cost more than Lauren’s entire wardrobe.

  He excused himself and turned back to her. “Sorry about that.”

  “You don’t have to apologize. I’m having a ball people watching.”

  “Always a guaranteed good time at these events. What we need though is alcohol. Where did that waiter go?”

  “After Lily May sent him back to the bar to change the glasses, I saw him briefly, then he disappeared.”

  “I’m going to track him down. I’ll be right back.”

  Gavin made his way through the crowd. He looked amazing in his tailored tuxedo, soft clean shave, and hair combed nicely into place.

  Another waiter walked by with a tray of drinks, and Lauren grabbed two and thanked the man.

  She took a sip of the cold liquid and closed her eyes, savoring the taste. This definitely wasn’t the eight dollar bottle of wine she picked up at the local liquor store.

  “You look lovely this evening,” Ashton said, coming to a stop beside her.

  “Thank you. You look pretty snazzy yourself.” Lauren glanced around the event. “This is unreal.”

  “Lily May is the best and she really outdid herself.”

  “She did and I think this event will be the talk of the town for the next year.”

  “As long as it shines a light on the cause, then we accomplished what we set out to do.”

  Lauren really appreciated how Ashton gave his time and donated money to charities. It was obvious this particular event was really important to him.

  Gavin came over and handed Lauren a drink. She gladly excepted it. “Did you tell her about what we worked out?” he asked Ashton.

  “No.”

  Lauren tilted her head, curious as what they were talking about.

  “Good! I spoke with Ashton earlier—”

  “Gavin
!” Pops stepped in between the group and wrapped his arm around his shoulder. “I want you to meet a friend of mine.” Pops looked back to Lauren. “I’ll only steal him for a minute. I’m sure my other son can entertain you until he’s back.”

  Ashton nodded and Gavin and Pops walked away. Lauren took a sip of her wine and watched the sad clown trying to be cheered up by another clown.

  “How’s your foot?” Ashton asked.

  She swallowed the big gulp of wine she took. “It’s okay. Still hurts a little, but it’s better every day.”

  “I know Gavin paid for your doctor’s appointment, but we would like to pay any other medical bills you may have and we can pay you for your pain and suffering to avoid a lawsuit.”

  She stared at Ashton waiting for him to say gotcha, but he was as stoic as ever. Her eyebrows furrowed. “I’m sorry?”

  “Would fifty thousand be enough? I’d need you to sign a contract stating you agree to the amount and to keep this quiet then I can get the check to you as soon as possible.”

  Lauren’s head snapped to attention. “Excuse me?”

  “I’ll be frank. I don’t want a lawsuit on my hands, so if fifty thousand isn’t enough I’m sure we can come to a number that would make you very happy.”

  Lauren’s head began to spin. All the times Gavin stopped by to check on her, to bring her things, she’d thought it was because he cared about her, but all he cared about was protecting his brother’s money. Was this the deal he was so excited to tell her about? The wine she just drank felt like a pool of acid in her throat.

  The night he closed the bar early, she was so touched. She thought he’d lose money by closing that night, but really, he was trying to save money by keeping her from suing him. Was any of it real? The kisses, the sparks, and the conversations. Everything that she had admitted to him…

  She was an idiot. For a second there, she truly thought he cared about her. That whatever was between them was stronger than anything she’d ever known, but all along he was just attempting to keep her from suing him.

  “I would like to handle this outside of the media,” Ashton said, and all Lauren could do was glare at him. She didn’t want his money and the fact that he thought so little of her made her angry and worse it made her sad. Money was the last thing she wanted.