He smiled brightly, then looked over to Ryleigh. “Thanks for helping my girl out.”
Ryleigh nodded and picked up my coat. “Here, it’s going to get really cold tonight. I’ll be waiting up to hear all about it. Have a wonderful time.” She slid my coat over my shoulder, then I hugged her tightly.
“Thanks Ry.”
Spencer offered his arm and I put mine through it. “Ready?”
I nodded, taking a deep breath.
“Coming Collin?” I asked, looking back to him.
He looked at Ryleigh for a minute, then back to me. “I’ll catch you guys there. I still need to pick up Jessica.”
“We’ll see you there then.” Spencer said from the door.
The driver was outside the limo holding the door open for us, thankfully. The evening air was already getting cold. Spencer nodded at him in acknowledgement before we climbed into the warm vehicle. For some reason I felt more nervous alone with Spencer in the back of the limo than I did in his truck. He grabbed my hand and gave me a kind smile. “Nervous?”
I nodded, keeping my gaze out the window. “I’ve never done anything like this before. It’s a little scary and overwhelming.”
His fingers grasped my chin, turning my face to look at him. “This is one of the things that I really like about you. I can tell you’re dating me for me, not because of the spotlight. Do you know how hard that is to find?”
“I’m dating you for your hot body, that’s it.” I winked. He laughed and straightened his tie. “Oh, I know baby.” I laughed along, easing some of the tension and nerves.
I was beginning to feel much better…until we pulled up to the hospital for the ball.
I don’t cuss usually, but…
Shit.
“SPENCER! You didn’t tell me there was going to be a red carpet with photographers and reporters!” I was seriously freaking out.
“Kelsey, you’re going to be fine. We’re just going to have some pictures taken then we’ll go in for dinner. It will be over before you know it.” He put his hand on my thigh and kissed my cheek. “If it’s too much we can leave, just let me know.”
I couldn’t catch my breath. “It’s not that. People back home may see me…”
“It’s highly unlikely that anyone in the states will see these pictures. I’m not a celebrity there, only in Canada. I won’t be published in any magazines in America, just here. You’ll be fine, I promise.”
I nodded and took a deep breath, trusting him.
Twenty-Three
The driver opened the door and Spencer stepped out, offering his hand to me. I stepped out onto the famous red carpet and followed Spence towards the flashing lights of the cameras. He laced his fingers through mine and squeezed my hand tight. My stomach was in my throat, and if it wasn’t for my empty stomach, I’m sure I’d puke everywhere.
We walked up to the barricade so Spencer could talk to reporters. Everything from that point forward was a blur. They asked him the same questions over and over. While he was being interviewed, I would watch him intently. This was a different Spencer than I was used to. He is usually very private when it came to his celebrity side, but tonight he really was turning on the charm. I smiled brightly at him, admiring this side of him. If he could put himself out here when it’s out of his comfort zone, then I could too. I wasn’t spoken to at all, thankfully. I stepped out of the way when photographers asked for pictures, making me feel better about this situation. He was speaking to the last reporter when the nosey lady asked who I was.
Spencer smiled and put his arm around my waist. “This is Kelsey Franklin, she is my assistant and very special friend.”
My cheeks flushed, thankful that he didn’t say girlfriend. We hadn’t put any official titles on our relationship yet, and I was really okay with that.
The reporter’s lips twisted in curiosity. “Special friend, huh? So is it safe to report that this is the first woman to catch your eye after the divorce?”
Spencer and I both laughed out of discomfort. I pinched his side and he looked at me. “I’m not here tonight to talk about my love life; I’m here for the benefit of the children. Thank you for your time.”
He led me inside away from the cameras and pulled me close to him. “You did wonderful. I’m in awe of you.” He kissed my cheek and leaned down to my ear. “It was so hard not to scream to the fucking world that you’re my girl.”
I giggled and pushed him away. “Who said I’m your girl?”
He took my coat and leaned in close. “Me. Don’t forget that.” He lightly kissed the side of my mouth and took our coats to be checked. I know he’s trying to be all gentlemanly, but with the way he looks tonight, I seriously wish he would just kiss me on the lips!
We stood around and mingled with other people in a large reception area for about twenty minutes. I spotted Collin and Jessica walk in, and Collin didn’t look happy at all. Once he spotted us, he made his way over and smiled brightly.
“Hey guys, time to eat yet? I’m starving.” He said, grabbing his stomach. I laughed, only to receive a dirty look from Jessica.
“Wow…you clean up nice.” Jessica snarled. I looked away, ignoring her jab. Collin scowled and quickly leaned down to her ear. She rolled her eyes and walked away to the bar.
Collin rubbed his eyes. “I’m sorry Kelsey. I’m beginning to think I brought the wrong person tonight.”
My stomach flipped for Ryleigh. I wish I could text her, but I left my phone at home during the excitement of leaving. Shortly after, Spencer and I found our table and took our seats. There were several other cast members of the show sitting at our table, along with Collin and Jessica. The waiter came to our table and filled our glasses with wine. Jessica took my glass from me and sat it in front of her. “You’re not old enough for wine, little girl. Let the big kids enjoy the adult drinks. I’m sure there’s kool aid around here somewhere.”
I was embarrassed she called me out in front of all these people until…
“GOD DAMN IT JESSICA!” Collin slammed his hand on the table, causing everyone to focus their attention on him. Her face dropped, and now she was the embarrassed one. “I told you before we got here to keep your damn mouth shut. One more nasty thing you say to any of my friends and the limo is taking you home.”
Whoa. Collin was serious. It felt good to have him stand up for me and call me his friend. Jessica hung her head in shame. I smiled at Collin and mouthed “Thank you.” He nodded his head and gave me back my wine glass. I had no intentions of drinking the wine, especially after Cancun…although it could help me tell Jessica what I really thought about her.
I have to admit, by the time dinner was over, I was really having a good time. Spencer was very attentive to me, and seeing him and his cast mates having a good time together made me happy. Sometimes he seems like such a loner, but it was good to see him having fun and acting his age.
There was a small ceremony of celebrities donating checks to the chairman of the hospital, and once everyone made their gracious donations, the dance floor was opened for the remainder of the evening. Spencer quickly grabbed my hand and dragged me out on the floor. He was surprisingly a great dancer. He somehow even made me look good with my two left feet.
“Where did you learn to dance Mr. Mills?”
He grinned. “I used to go to acting camps during the summer when I was a kid. They always offered dance classes, and my parents encouraged me to take anything the camp offered. I knew I would never do any type of musicals because I can’t sing worth shit. But I knew dancing would get me brownie points with the ladies.” He winked.
“Always thinking of how to charm the pants off of girls, even when you were younger.”
He dipped me, causing me to giggle. He pulled me back up to his face. “I only want to charm the pants off of you, baby. Only you.”
He held onto me tighter after I put my head on his shoulder. I’m glad I came tonight, even after my anxiety earlier. I’m coming to realize that I can do anyth
ing with Spencer beside me. He gives me more courage and confidence somehow, and I’m not sure if I like that feeling. I want to feel those things on my own, not be reliant on someone again.
Spencer and I got back in the limo shortly after midnight. My feet ached from dancing the night away and my cheeks hurt from smiling so much. He put his arm around me and I leaned into his chest, enjoying the closeness.
“When are you leaving to go home for the holiday?” I asked him.
“We’re leaving tomorrow afternoon.” He said quietly.
We? Who’s we?
I pushed myself off his chest. “Who are you taking with you, Spencer?”
If he says his ex-wife I’ll kill him. I will really kill him.
He gave me a knowing look. “You. Who else? I want you to meet my family.”
I shook my head. “That’s a really sweet offer, but I can’t. This is our first official date. Maybe I’ll go home with you some other time.”
"No, please come with me tomorrow. I really want to spend this holiday with you. While I'm in Texas, I won't be able to think of anything other than you."
"Spencer, I can't. I'm sorry, but I'm not ready. I'm still having a hard time comprehending that I'm dating again. I just need to take things one step at a time."
He thought it over. “Maybe I should just stay in Vancouver.”
“No, go home Spencer. If you stay here I will be extremely upset. To be honest, I’m looking forward to having time to myself. You enjoy your time with your family and I’ll catch up on some reading and shopping.”
He flexed his jaw, contemplating it. “Fine, but I’m not happy about it.”
I leaned my head against his shoulder and got comfortable. “I’ll be fine, I promise.”
Spencer insisted on coming upstairs and hanging out for a bit since he wouldn’t see me for the next few days. I kicked my shoes off in the entry way and Ryleigh came running out from her bedroom.
“Guess who just called me!? COLLIN! And guess what? He broke up with Jessica!” Ryleigh’s high pitch squeal and bouncing made it blatantly obvious that she was excited.
"It's about damn time; I don't know why he wasted his energy on her anyways." Spencer grumbled.
Ryleigh was smiling so wide I was sure she was going to split her face in two. "I know! They had nothing in common and she was way too high maintenance. At least she won't be coming on vacation tomorrow!” She did a little dance, cracking Spencer and I up. “Anyways, how was tonight?”
“Tonight was a lot of fun, I’m glad Spencer made me go.” I smiled brightly.
Ryleigh looked at Spencer, then back to me. “Aww, you guys are so damn cute together. Spencer, don’t you dare hurt her. Anyways, I'll leave you two alone. I’m going to try to get a little sleep before my flight. I'll miss you Kels! See you next week!" Ry gave me a bear hug, then punched Spencer in the arm. "Have a good Thanksgiving." She skipped the whole way to her room. When we heard her door shut, we both started laughing.
"Looks like she'll be having a happy Thanksgiving." Spencer chuckled. He took his jacket off and laid it across the back of the chair. We snuggled up on the couch, but didn’t turn the TV on.
"What time is your flight tomorrow?" I asked.
"Noon. Are you sure you won't come with me?" He was being sweet, but I'm not budging.
"I'm positive. I can take you to the airport if you want." I offered.
"Of course, I want to spend every minute I can with you until I leave, but I’m going to need to head home soon. I still need to pack and sleep a little bit.”
"Ok." I felt lonely suddenly. I didn't want him to leave. I didn't want to be alone, not tonight. I began moving off his lap when he held me in place. "What's wrong?" He asked.
I bit my lip, contemplating asking him my question. “Will you stay with me tonight? I mean, I won’t see you for almost a week.”
He ran his fingers across my cheek, down towards my neck. “Of course. Let’s get ready for bed.”
The thought of sleeping next to Spencer…well, soberly, made my heart race...in a good way. I held my hand out to him, but instead, he picked me up and carried me to my room. After setting me down, he began undressing. I'm sleeping in the same bed as Spencer freaking Mills tonight...and not because I’m drunk, but because he wants to stay with me.
Does he snore? Do I snore?
Will we have...sex?
Oh! I need to shave my legs! I need to get a shower before we do anything!
OH NO OH NO OH NO! HOLY CRAP! I DON’T HAVE SEXY UNDERWEAR!
Ok, so definitely no sex tonight. That’s good actually, I’m not ready for sex yet…I think. I walked into my bathroom and changed from the beautiful gown I’ve been wearing all night and into my pajamas. I washed the makeup off my face, brushed my teeth, took the jewelry off and took the pins out of my hair. I took a minute to look in the mirror, mentally giving myself a pep talk.
"You can do this Kelsey. It's just a sleep over...with a freaking hot human being. Nothing needs to happen, just sleep." I took a deep breath and tried to believe the words I just spoke to myself.
I crawled into bed beside Spencer, now in only his boxers. He watched me turn the lamp off before pulling me close to him. “I’m going to miss you while I’m gone.” He whispered.
“Me too. But you’ll be back soon, and we can start really dating.” I teased.
He laughed quietly. “I thought tonight was a good first date.” His voice was deeper the more tired he became.
“It was, I’m just kidding. All I want is to date the Spencer that I’ve come to know and really like over the last month. Tonight was wonderful, but I like real life Spencer much more than celebrity Spencer.”
I could hear the smile in his voice. “I promise I’ll make dating the real Spencer happen when I come home.” He kissed the top of my head.
This whole gentlemanly thing is getting on my nerves. “Spencer, will you kiss me now? You haven’t kissed me since Cancun. I really need you to.” I whispered.
“I have been kissing you.” He said playfully.
I nudged him. “I mean kiss my lips. I really want you to kiss me before you leave.”
He ran his thumb over my bottom lip. “Do you know how hard it was not to kiss this mouth tonight? I was trying to be a gentleman, but when you ask like that I can’t deny you.”
He leaned into me, pressing our bodies together and cradled my head. He leaned down and finally kissed me for the first time since we were at the beach. His kiss was slow, sweet, and heartfelt. The darkness heightened my senses, causing me to feel the kiss everywhere.
“Wow.” I said breathlessly.
He ran his nose against mine. “I think wow describes it well.”
He pulled me against him and I nuzzled my head against his bare chest. Sleep came easy, and for the first time in months, I slept the entire night through without having to use a sleeping pill.
Chapter Twenty-Four
After dropping Spencer off at the airport (and him still begging me to come with him), I decided to go shopping. Ryleigh was right; I definitely needed new clothes, especially "sexy" underwear since I'm dating now. I hit up the local mall and picked up a few new pair of jeans, a couple sweaters, long sleeved tees, boots, a hat, gloves, scarf, and of course, sexy underwear. Buying new clothing surprisingly made me feel really good. This is all different than what I wore back in Louisiana. I used to wear sundresses and cowgirl boots most days. The cold Vancouver weather makes me want to bundle up, and it’s actually kind of comforting in a way.
Since I was in a fantastic mood, I decided to go to the grocery store and buy supplies necessary to cook Mama's Thanksgiving Day feast. Although I would be alone this holiday, I knew I had a lot to be thankful for. I wanted to celebrate my first holiday as Kelsey Franklin, and celebrate I shall.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Wyatt has been increasingly moodier without the depression medications. I had never thought in a million years he had the type of rage he does inside him
. It's scary at times, but I know he needs to get his anger and frustrations out in some way. I can take the yelling and him punching the walls, it’s just unsettling.
After picking vegetables from the garden this afternoon, I made an apple pie and fried chicken for Mr. and Mrs. Mason from our church. Mr. Mason just had surgery yesterday, so I signed up on Sunday after bible study to take dinner to them today. After dropping the food off and visiting for a few minutes, I made my way back home. Wyatt's truck was in the driveway when I pulled in, he must have gotten off work early.
"Wy, I'm home!" I yelled as I walked into the kitchen.
"I'll be right out." He answered. I started washing the squash and tomatoes I pulled from the garden when Wyatt walked in the room.
"How was your day?" I asked as I continued washing the dirt off the vegetables. He put his hand on my shoulder, so I leaned my cheek against it. I wiped my hands off with the towel and turned around. "I missed you Wy-"
I felt his hand connect with my cheek with incredible force, making me fall to the ground. The instant burning on my cheek made tears well up in my eyes. I looked up at him, finding him looking at me in complete and utter disgust.
"I know you're fuckin' around on me! Some of the guys at the warehouse said they've heard about you seeing some dick from Claiborne! I come home and you're out fuckin' around on me!" His voice was so loud, and with the windows open, I'm sure the neighbors could hear.
"I'm not messing around! I was at the Mason's dropping dinner off that I signed up for at church! What is wrong with you?" I stood up and started walking to the bedroom. I'm not taking this crap, I'm out of here. I threw my suitcase on the bed and opened my dresser drawers, throwing every article of clothing I owned inside.
"Where the fuck do you think you're going bitch?" he growled behind me. I turned around angrily, pointing my finger in his face.
"Don't you ever call me that. I'm leaving! When Pres finds out about this he's going to come after you!"
Never Look Back (Counting Stars Book 1) Page 11