Love At The Bluebird

by Aurora Rose Reynolds

  “Say hello, Sosie,” Gavin says, his tone sounding like a father reprimanding their child.

  “Hello, Sosie,” she mimics, not even bothering to look up.

  “Don’t be a bitch,” he growls in anger, causing her head to snap up in surprise, and that’s when she notices me.

  “Sorry, I didn’t know she came in with you.” She pushes her red glasses up her nose and looks at me. “Hello, Alyson.” I want to roll my eyes but instead bite my lip to keep from reacting. She might act like she’s hard as nails, but I believe Gavin is right about her and I have no doubt her aversion to me is all an act to protect her heart from possibly getting hurt by anyone she might let in.

  “Pain in my fucking ass,” he grumbles underneath his breath, and I want to tell him it’s okay, but I keep my mouth closed. “Let me show you my bedroom.” He grabs my bag, and I follow him across the apartment.

  His bedroom isn’t very big, but it does have the same amazing view of the city as the living room. The only furniture in the small space is his king-sized bed in a large, mahogany bedframe, two matching nightstands with lamps, and a ceiling fan overhead.

  “Over there is the bathroom.” He nods toward a closed door. “And in here is the master closet.”

  I follow him down the slight hallway to the closet and step inside. It’s almost as big as his kitchen and is customized with shelves, drawers, and cubbies. I immediately have closet envy and wish mine was as big and as organized as this one. “I, um… cleared out a drawer for you.” He rubs the back of his neck and casts his eyes downward, appearing unsure for the very first time since I’ve known him.

  I walk over to him and wrap my arms around his torso, squeezing him in appreciation. “Thank you,” I whisper as I lean up on my tippy toes to kiss him. “I look forward to putting things in it.” I touch my smiling lips to his in what was only going to be a soft kiss, but when his fingers thread through my hair and hold me in place, the kiss goes from soft and tender to hard and hungry in less than five seconds. It’s always like this with him—this overwhelming feeling to be completely devoured by him. I love it and am scared by it, all at the same time.

  I love this feeling, because it makes me feel wanted, like he can’t get enough of me and always wants more.

  I’m scared by it, because what if this doesn’t work out and I never have this feeling for someone ever again? I can’t even imagine finding someone else who makes me feel the way Gavin does.

  Soon, his touch and scent make me forget my inhibitions and all I want is him inside me. He pins me against the drawers and hoists me up. My legs instinctively wrap around his waist, and I moan at the familiar pressure that starts to build every time I feel him rub against me.

  “So fucking sweet,” he groans before claiming my mouth again with his.

  I sigh in delicious contentment, enjoying this moment and only acknowledging what really matters to me—him and us.

  “Your animal noises are starting to do permanent damage to my brain! Stop sucking face and let’s get out of here!” Sosie yells at us from the kitchen, snapping us back into reality.

  We pull away from each other, but our foreheads touch as we attempt to catch our breaths.

  “I think we should revoke her invitation to the game,” he says, and I laugh at his frustration with his cousin as he puts me back down on my feet.

  “We can’t leave just yet.” I grab my Predators jersey out of my duffle bag and put it on over my shirt. “You need to open your present before we go.” I smile up at him as we walk back out into the living room together and see Sosie standing by the door, her bag on her shoulder, ready to go. I grab the three gift bags and hand one to Gavin and one to Sosie.

  “What’s this for?” Sosie asks, holding the handle of the bag with the tips of her fingers as if it’s coated with an infectious disease.

  “It something fun for you to wear tonight,” I tell her before turning all my attention to Gavin while he opens up the bag and takes out his jersey.

  “Darlin’, you didn’t have to do this.” He flips the jersey over to see his last name personalized on the back. “Baby, this is amazing.” He puts the jersey on, and I’m happy to see it fits like a glove. He crushes me into a bear hug and kisses me hard on the lips. “I fucking love it. Thank you, baby.” I’m rewarded with one more kiss before he lets me go, feeling completely breathless and once again, turned on.

  “Why would you buy this for me?” Sosie asks, and I turn to find a look of confusion written across her face as she holds up her jersey.

  “Because we need to show support for the home team,” I reply, and she looks at me doubtfully. “And, it’s always fun to receive presents.” I shrug. I don’t understand her or why she’s acting so unappreciative, but I refuse to let her put me in a bad mood. I do make a mental note never to buy her another present again.

  “I know my mother taught you better manners than that,” Gavin snaps in anger at Sosie and her attitude. “These jersey and the tickets we got tonight are courtesy of Aly and her company. If you can’t be even a little appreciative, then don’t fucking come with us.”

  I squeeze his hand in a silent signal letting him know I’m fine. I appreciate him coming to my defense, but he doesn’t need to be so harsh with her. I give Sosie an apologetic smile, but she just stands there and continues staring at me. “You don’t have to wear it,” I say, cutting through the uncomfortable silence.

  “I’ll wear it. Thank you for thinking of me,” she says after a moment, her voice softer than I’ve ever heard it.

  I nod in acknowledgement and smile brightly between the two of them, hoping to lighten the mood. “Come on, let’s go have some fun tonight!”

  I don’t even bother checking to see if she puts on the jersey. I grab my purse and Willow’s bag off the counter, lace my fingers with Gavin’s, and head toward the door. As long as I get to come home with Gavin tonight, nothing else matters.

  Chapter Fourteen

  GAVIN

  THE NOISE LEVEL inside the arena is at a loud enough decibel that it rings through your veins, making your heart pound in your chest from the excitement of the game. There’s nothing like playoff hockey, and tonight the arena is colored in yellow with fans rocking their jerseys in support of the home team.

  The game is tied 2-2, with the first period just about to end.

  “I’m gonna get some food. You want anything?” I ask Aly, who’s been chatting with Willow throughout the game.

  “Not right now.” She smiles as the horn sounds.

  “I’ll be back.” I kiss her swiftly on the lips and then walk myself over to the buffet. I help myself to a plate of food, grab a beer, and stand at the nearest high-top table to eat and people-watch.

  The suite is packed with employees and artists from Big Little Music, all hanging out, laughing, eating, and having a good time. Aly introduced me to everyone when we arrived. Most of the Big Little Music employees I’ve never met, but some of their artists who are here I already knew, like Scotty Wilkins. The only person Aly didn’t seem too keen on me meeting was their owner, Kathleen Davidson.

  I noticed Aly lost the warm look in her eyes she normally carries when she made that introduction. Since we’ve met, she’s raved about how much she loves her job, especially her boss, Shane, so her reaction to Kathleen surprised me. I shake away the thought but make a mental note to ask her about it later when we’re alone.

  I look over at her and can’t stop the smile that spreads across my face when I see her laughing at something Willow says. After meeting Willow Mayson and listening to those two chat during the game, I can see why she and Aly are best friends. Both women radiate warmth and happiness and shine it down on anyone who is lucky enough to be in their presence. They are gorgeous, but so down to earth that they are unaware of their beauty. Smart, yet love to be silly. Generous, but won’t put up with anyone’s shit if they are trying to take advantage of them.

  It’s surprising to me that someone like Willow is s
ingle, but then again, so was Aly when I met her. I just hope Aly’s matchmaking skills tonight don’t backfire on her. She told me and Sosie her plans to play matchmaker between Willow and her hockey player friend, Brodie. Thank fuck this guy is just a friend and not someone she dated. I wouldn’t be able to be in the same room as him if I knew his hands were ever on my girl.

  The sounds of a band starting to play pull me out of my thoughts. I finish eating, throw away my plate, and return to my seat next to Aly to watch the entertainment for the first intermission.

  “No shit,” I say to myself but loud enough for Aly to turn to me and ask what’s wrong. “I know those guys,” I tell her, pointing to the band. “Harry and the Seahawks used to be legends as the Friday night entertainment at this bar on Demonbreun Street. Their energy is amazing, probably one of the best cover bands around.” I listen to them rock an Aerosmith song and can’t stop from bobbing my head to their beat.

  “Do they still play there? We should all go sometime if they do,” Aly suggests, looking between me and Willow, who nods in agreement.

  “I don’t know. Harry and I kind of lost touch. I still have his number though, so let me send him a text saying hello.” I pull out my phone from my pocket to send him a text, letting him know I’m here and they’re killing it. Once the text is sent, I put my phone away and grab Aly’s hand, linking our fingers together.

  We continue watching Harry and his band for the remainder of his set and cheer loudly for them when they finish. Movement out of the corner of my right eye catches my attention, and I look over to see Sosie coming back to her seat next to me with a beer in hand and Scotty Wilkins following behind her. His gaze is downward while he concentrates on Sosie walking in front of him.

  Is that asshole staring at my cousin’s ass?

  I narrow my eyes at Scotty, and as if he can feel the burning of my gaze, he looks up at me right before he sits down next to her. I point two of my fingers to my eyes and flip them around to him, letting him know I’m watching him. He gives me a smirk, and that only pisses me off even more. Not wanting to cause a scene and embarrass Aly, I let go of her hand to retrieve my phone and send him a text.

  Me: Don’t even think about it, motherfucker.

  Scotty: Might be more like cousinfucker. *laughing emoji

  My head snaps up, daggers shooting out of my eyes at him, as my self-control to not punch his face in is about to snap. The buzzing of my phone with an incoming text just might have saved his life.

  Scotty: Cool your tits, McNeer. I was only kidding. Sosie and I are just friends. She’s like a little sister to me.

  I snort at his comment. He must think I’m a dumbass, because there’s no way in hell he views Sosie as his little sister. Brothers don’t ogle their sister’s ass like he just did hers.

  I look at Sosie to see how she’s doing, and to my surprise, a smile is on her face. Shit, Sosie might actually be having fun tonight. I watch her take a sip of her beer and wonder how many of those she’s had and if that’s why she’s in a good mood. Scotty points out something to her on the ice and she laughs. The sound is real and genuine, something I haven’t heard out of her for a very long time. I decide to let Scotty’s comment go… for now. But know that he and I are going to have a little chat at our jam session next week.

  The sound of the second period horn blares and my attention is brought back to the game as the puck drops. Both teams start the period out sluggish, but when the Red Wings score their third goal, it seems to light a fire beneath the Predators. They come on strong for the next ten minutes, smoking past the defense and taking shot after shot at the Red Wings goaltender, who plays phenomenally. He finally lets one slip past his pads and it’s none other than Brodie Larsen, who scores the goal to tie the game back up. Aly jumps out of her seat in excitement, cheering loudly for Brodie.

  “Babe, did you see that? How cool is it that Brodie just tied it up?”

  I laugh at her infectious excitement, my gaze dropping down to that beautiful smile of hers. A smile that makes me feel happy and alive every time I see it. A lump of emotions lodges in my throat as I look at her, and an overwhelming need to tell her how important she is to me starts to form. The feel of my cell vibrating in my pocket distracts me from my thoughts, and I pull it out to see I have a text from Harry.

  Harry: Hey, man, great to hear from you. Thanks for the kind words. Let’s get together and jam soon.

  I’m about to text him back, asking him to send me his schedule, when an idea pops in my head, making my eyes widen. It might embarrass the hell out of Aly, but in the end, if I can pull this off, it would be one of the best ways to publicly tell her how much she means to me. A mischievous smile forms on my lips and I text Harry back.

  Me: How do you feel about jamming together in about fifteen minutes? Mind if I crash your second intermission set?

  A small part of me feels like a selfish prick for asking, considering this is his gig, but his quick response back to me diminishes any guilt I had for asking.

  Harry: Fuck yeah! Let’s do it. Meet me outside of Section 111 as soon as the second period ends, and I’ll bring you on stage with us.

  I squeeze my fist in excitement, thankful that Harry is going to help me out. I look up at the scoreboard to see we have ten more minutes left in the period which in sports, can mean another thirty minutes with all the stops in between plays. Time seems to move more slowly, and I start to get antsy, unable to control my right leg from bouncing every few seconds with nervous energy.

  “Gavin, your bouncing is driving me insane. What’s wrong with you? Do we need to take you to a doctor or something? You get like this every time you’re about to perform.” Damn Sosie for being so fucking loud, because now Aly is looking at me and my leg in concern.

  “It’s okay, baby.” I give her a reassuring smile. “This game is just so exciting that I can’t sit still,” I lie through my teeth and start cheering “Let’s Go, Predators!” with the crowd, hoping I’m giving a convincing performance. Once she sees I’m okay, she turns her attention back to the game.

  “Sos.” I lean closer to her so she can hear me over the loud sounds of the game. “When the band starts to play during the second intermission, I need you to record Aly’s reaction.”

  “And why would I want to do that?” She leans back to look at me and narrows her eyes when she notices the wicked gleam in mine. “What are you planning, Gavin?”

  “You’ll see.” I smirk, loving how the suspense of her not knowing what I’m up to is killing her.

  Finally, the scoreboard reads five minutes left in the second period and I decide this is my time to make my move. I turn to Aly, grab her chin so she faces me, and kiss her before explaining. “Some friends of mine saw I was here when they announced it on the jumbotron and texted me to come say hello to them downstairs. I’m going to run there now before the crowd starts up during intermission. Be right back.”

  “Sure.” She smiles at me and nods in acknowledgement before turning her attention back to the game when the crowd starts to cheer.

  I leave the suite and text Harry that I’m on my way down. I should’ve taken into account the amount of time I’d spend with fans wanting pictures or me to sign shit, but this whole being famous business is still new to me. By the time I make it down to Section 111, Harry and his band are waiting for me.

  “Good to see you, man,” I say after shaking all their hands and embracing Harry in a hug. “Thanks for letting me crash your gig.”

  “Are you kidding? We’re fucking honored to have you on stage with us. Do you want to stay for the whole set or just one song?” he asks.

  “Just one song, and here’s what I had in mind.” I tell him the song I want to perform, and his eyes light up with excitement.

  “Nice! That song is a classic and we’ve performed it in the past. This crowd is going to go nuts,” he says, and his bandmates all nod in agreement. The sound of the horn interrupts us, indicating it’s now the end of the second pe
riod. “We’ll perform first and then bring you on as a surprise guest. Cool?”

  “Let’s do it!” I say eagerly, slapping Harry’s back in excitement for what’s about to come. “Knock em’ dead, boys!”

  I follow the band through the small tunnel and stand back to the side, so I’m not seen. I peek my head around the wall to see how far away the suite is from the stage. The suite is closer to the middle of the ice on my right side but not too far that I wouldn’t be able to see if Aly is watching. Fortunately, she’s still sitting in her seat and is talking to Shane and Willow. I resume my position behind the wall and watch the band take the stage. Their keyboardist starts playing the opening chords to “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey, and the crowd erupts in cheers of appreciation. They use the song to pump the crowd up and it works. As I gaze out around the packed arena, I notice people singing and some standing to dance. The band finishes the song and I slowly start making my way to the stage.

  “Nashville, are you ready for one more song before the Preds bury the Red Wings in the third period?” Harry asks the crowd, who cheers loudly. “We have a special guest joining us for this last song. Give a loud welcome to Mr. Gavin McNeer!”

  I walk forward and wave at the crowd, ecstatic to see they’re clapping for me. I nod at the guitarist to start the opening guitar chord of “Somebody Like You” by Keith Urban. I grip the microphone, since I’m not the one playing the guitar, and look over at the suite. I chuckle when I see Aly, Willow, and Shane standing up, with Shane and Willow jumping up and down, shaking Aly, who is covering her mouth with her hands in shock.

  “This is for my girl, Aly,” I yell into the microphone and point to her. I see Sosie recording Aly with her phone, and I’m grateful she listened. Everyone in the suite has now crowded around Aly to watch my performance, clapping and cheering me on as I start the first verse.