Guys Like You: Book 5 of The Young and Privileged of Washington, DC
Page 21
It was the same Breitling he had on when he carried me off the dance floor so I wouldn’t be caught up in a fight in Monaco …when I was still Miko’s girlfriend. I remember this watch from that night—the diamonds around the face sparkled even with the dark lights of the nightclub.
It brought back fond memories, but also reminded me how our relationship was turbulent before it ever began. That night, he saved me from getting hurt, then acted like a dick to me, then yelled at me…then I went to him in the middle of the night only to be a bitch to him and ended up crying myself to sleep.
We’ve been through so much already, and we continue to have more obstacles to overcome. King certainly brings his fair share of chaos into this relationship…but he also brings so much love. He’s unique—being with him is as well.
“King, I was devastated. I still am. I’m still not OK with you starting all this press bullshit in the beginning or waiting so long to shut it down. Did you not ever think of how I would have to defend us against these stories to my friends, to my parents…to that bitch, Layla? Or how I would feel to see the pictures and read the articles? Fake or not, it’s still gut-wrenching.”
“Babe, I’m so sorry. I just ignored what they were doing—my only goal was to get Giorgio out of my hair. This was a business transaction in my mind; it had no impact on us. But when you told me how you felt, I put a stop to it, as much as I could at that point. I didn’t suspect they would use people in place of me to get around the orders; I never thought they would take it this far. I promise you that I won’t make a mistake like this again.”
I looked away. This all just seems so fishy.
“Let me see your phone,” I said, putting out my hand.
He unlocked his phone and gave it to me, without a care in the world. His face even reflected a reduced tension in the little smile on his lips. Seeing him relax made me relax.
“I’m going to get us a bottle of champagne; it’s almost midnight. Do you want anything else?”
“Nope, I’m good,” I said while I was already pulling up the MMA site.
I wanted to confirm that the pictures and articles were completely gone this time. And while I had access to his phone, I wanted to see if King’s been talking to Layla. The fact that he gave me his phone without a concern makes me feel better instantly, but I need to start seeing things with my own eyes.
He was right, all of the articles and pictures of the supposed love triangle are now gone. I even Googled it to see if any random new site had anything about it. There’s only a picture of Giorgio and King with a write-up of their rivalry relating to the three fights they’ve had on the MMA site. All of the other sites took the other pictures and articles down all together.
Next I looked at his text messages. I know I’m totally invading his privacy, but I don’t care. I needed to have facts behind the idea that he did nothing wrong.
There were none to or from Layla or any number I didn’t know or couldn’t figure out. Next I checked his phone calls; nothing questionable was there either. Maybe he is telling the truth.
He was still at the bar putting in his order and not even glancing at me. It’s as if he’s purposely giving me space to invade his privacy. So I continued to search through his phone, just because I had the time and he obviously doesn’t care. I opened his email and did a search of all his mailboxes for her name. No emails looked suspicious—I expected some emails to have her name between him and his manager or the lawyer and that’s all that showed up.
Finally I looked in FaceTime; no calls to or from her were there, but I did see a call that he and I had when I went to Asli’s family’s vineyard with my girlfriends last fall. He called me on FaceTime so he could say goodnight. It was sweet.
What am I doing? This week has been tough for us both and I’m playing the victim here. I have an amazingly great boyfriend, but instead of trusting him, I’m letting myself get twisted up in Giorgio’s game. It doesn’t help that I have Miko throwing everything in my face and Layla playing on my worse fears. But that’s not King’s fault.
And I was reminded of how honest and straightforward my boyfriend is. This week’s been full of explanations, but I’m also seeing that those explanations make sense. Although this sucks, we may just get through this.
It’s hard not to believe him, after seeing that all has been removed now. It’s like this week’s antics have been erased. I only wish the orders would have gone out before we even left for Vegas, and a slander lawsuit was sent when the first lie was told.
I knew it would take a while for my bad feelings to turn good again; that’s just how I work. And to be honest, I’m just mentally and emotionally tired. I want this to all be over, and I’m ready for a change of scenery. I want to go home.
Just as that thought passed through my mind, a cool breeze blew through the outdoor heater, sending waves of cool and warm air over my face. I looked at all of the seemingly drama-free people around me. I want to be carefree like them.
I locked his phone and took a sip of the water that Miko got us when we first sat down; my martini was long gone and I needed some hydration after all those tears.
I heard King’s deep voice thanking the bartender, then watched him return to the table with the champagne bottle and a couple of glasses. He is so hot and looked so relaxed compared to how I was feeling. He had a slight smile on his face, and nodded at the phone.
“Find anything interesting?” he asked.
“As a matter of fact, I did. I found that the sites have taken all the stories and pictures down, and that you haven’t reached out to her at all.”
“That’s interesting? What did you expect to find? That I was lying about everything, or some love notes between me and her?” he joked. I didn’t find that very funny.
“You know what? It’s a little early to joke about the circus that is our life these days. I think you know me by now. If I am upset, it takes more than a few words to wipe those feelings away.”
“Even if those words are from me,” he said, more to himself than to me. “Do you trust me?”
“Up until a few days ago, I had an almost a blind trust in you, and in us. But when multiple things pile up, trust can erode. My mind knows I should trust you...but my heart will take some time to believe that again.”
“Fuck. I could have avoided all of this,” he said, putting his head in his hands with his elbows on his knees. “I never should have taken this fucking fight.”
“I don’t agree. We’re now going to start the New Year with a clean slate. There will be nothing more to worry about with Giorgio, hopefully. Not to mention that you’ve won a professional fight in a Las Vegas arena in front of thousands of people. That’s pretty cool. And I’ll be able to fix my heart, just give me time.”
He had lifted his head and stared deep into my eyes. “I’ll fix your heart, Princess. I’m the one who broke it.”
He felt the brevity of this situation, and it was endearing. Sure, I cried my eyes out many times this week, and rightfully so, but I’m pretty sure this will just be remembered as a turbulent vacation to Vegas. We’ll get through this; I know it.
“Do you care to wait another ten minutes for the New Year, or can I open the champagne now?” he asked.
“Now, please. To be honest, I don’t really give a shit about the whole New Year thing; it’s just a number,” I explained.
He smiled, and pulled the bottle out of the ice; it wasn’t his favorite brand. He noticed that I looked at the label.
“I guess I have to find a new favorite now; the Salon Blanc is tainted. So how about we find a favorite together?”
“That sounds great to me,” I said smiling.
“Good. So, for starters: Louis Roderer Cristal,” he said, pouring the glasses and handing me one. “Let me know what you think, and be honest.”
“I can tell you that right now; I like it. I’ve had Cristal many times. As a matter of fact, a bottle of Cristal is waiting inside for you…unless our friends dec
ided you were never showing up and popped it open,” I said smiling. “What are we toasting to?”
“How about we toast to a much calmer year ahead?”
“Ha! That sounds perfect,” I said as I clinked the side of his glass.
A guy stumbled in front of us while joking with his friends nearby. The pool party seemed to be getting more raucous as we got closer to midnight. And the bar itself is now packed two people deep with revelers putting in last-minute orders for the midnight hoopla.
“Is there somewhere else you’d rather be?” King asked. I guess I looked like I was annoyed with our surroundings.
“No, as long as we can stay away from the crowd, I’d love to stay right here, with you.”
King nodded once, then rose from the table and began rearranging the planters with bushes and trees into a little nook on the edge of the bar. He put the champagne bucket and his drink on the ground, and picked up the iron table like it weighed nothing, moving it into the nook.
He came back and gave me a smile, telling me to stay seated when I asked if I could help. I watched him move his chair, with the ice bucket on top, and his glass into the nook, and then he walked back out.
“Hang on, Princess,” he said as he picked up my chair and carried me into the nook. It was so cute; I couldn’t help but giggle. “Tasting number two is on its way,” he said.
“Uh, I don’t know how much more I can drink tonight,” I said, feeling pretty tipsy already.
“All you have to do is taste it, you don’t have to drink anymore than that. And please tell me when you want to leave. Until you do, I’m perfectly happy sitting here, watching the partygoers and sipping champagne. Oh, and I ordered a seafood platter and a cheese plate with extra bread, so we had some food in our stomachs. You have no idea how starved I am.”
“You always think of everything. And you take such good care of me,” I complimented. King’s not a big fan of cheese, but knows I love it in any form.
“You’re my girl. And I promised to make you happy; just trying to keep that promise any way I can, since I’ve fucked up so much lately,” he said looking away. “You mean everything to me; you know that, right?”
I couldn’t respond. Usually I’d spit out a yes without even thinking, but something’s holding me back. His smile turned into a grimace.
“OK, it’s too soon. But I’m going to get my yes back.”
“King, I just...”
“I know, and you don’t have to explain yourself. I’ll be patient.”
“You know I love you, right?”
“Of course I do. And I love you, too. More than I ever thought possible.”
We smiled at each other and I took a deep breath. I wanted us both to enjoy tonight and not continue to talk about our fights, or the reasons behind them. I needed the rest of the night to be light, so I turned the conversation to a topic that I hoped would change the mood.
“So how about that fight? You were badass!”
“Ha! You saw when he almost choked me out? He almost had me. I went into full survival mode, and lost it. I have no idea how I got out of his chokehold—I don’t think he knows how either. He was so shocked that he left his face open, so I took the opportunity to punch him. It was luck, actually.”
“I don’t know. It looked to me like him getting the chokehold was luck; you getting out of it was skill.”
“You’re too kind. That’s fighting; you never know how it’s going to play out. One unexpected move can throw off your whole plan. And that’s why the best way to get out of a chokehold is to never get into one in the first place. My first instructor drilled that into our head.”
“Wise man.”
Watching him fight was interesting. I was terrified that he’d get hurt, but at that same time, mesmerized at how sexy he looked. After all of our emotional drama this week, I can’t imagine making love to him, but just the memory of the fight made me want to.
But I’ll wait. I want my emotions to catch up with my mind, and sitting out here with him is helping.
“So, that’s it, right? No more fighting?”
“Yeah, no more fighting professionally. I’ll still probably compete for points here and there, but we’ll see. Do you care about that?”
“No, of course not. Just as long as there’s no drama around it,” I said, giving him a knowing smile.
“I promise you: no drama. I was incredibly thoughtless for agreeing to let them do their propaganda. Now I see how damaging and stupid that was. I’m so sorry. But c’mon—you have to admit that it was unimaginable, right? Who’d have thought they’d go to the extent they did?”
“I know. I certainly didn’t expect any of it.”
“I know that I can’t make decisions without thinking about the consequences. I just honestly didn’t think it was a decision at all. Everything I do impacts you, just like everything you do impacts me.”
“Yeah, but it’s funny. My decisions center around what class I’m going to take or what outfit I’m wearing to an event. Things that you probably couldn’t care less about.”
“You made a decision to sit out here tonight and hold hands with your ex boyfriend. That impacted me.”
“King, he saw me leave the club. He was being a friend.”
“He wants more than that.”
He was right, of course, but I decided to derail his serious discussion.
“I mean you can’t exactly blame him, can you?” I asked with a smirk on my face.
“I can’t blame him, but I’ll kick his ass if I see his hand on you again,” he said smiling.
“No you can’t; you promised you wouldn’t hurt him!” I giggled.
“OK, then I’ll just throw him in the pool next time,” he joked.
I felt like we were slowly getting back to normal. I put my arm on the table with my hand open; he put his hand on mine and intertwined our fingers.
“I don’t want to hurt any of your friends, ex-boyfriend or not. But if he pushes me...”
“I know. And he won’t. You know Miko, he’s a smart guy. I’m sure tonight’s interaction will make him think twice next time. Speaking of friends, do you want to go inside and celebrate your win?” I asked, realizing I’d been terribly focused on my own needs and he didn’t even had a chance to be happy about the fight.
“Nope. I want to be with you. And I want to have a drink. I have both of my wants met out here. But if you want to...”
“Not at all.”
Still emotionally worn out from this week’s events, I just wanted us to be alone. My mind drifted to Miko. I know that Miko’s been reminiscing about us and maybe feeling a bit regretful, but why would he want me back? I wasn’t that great of a girlfriend to him, and to get me back, he’d be going up against King. He’d have to be nuts to do that.
“What are you thinking about?” King asked with a worried look on his face.
“Nothing.”
“You promised to be honest with me and I know you’re deep in thought. What’s going on? Do you want to see your friends…or Miko?”
“No, King. Don’t talk crazy. You are all I want right now,” I said, putting my hand on his arm and squeezing it affectionately. “I was actually thinking about what you said. I mean, I wasn’t a very good girlfriend to Miko when we dated, so I have no idea why he would want me back.”
“I do. You’re infectious. Even when you’re a brat, I want you around; I need you near me. There’s something about you that makes a guy want to take care of you and they don’t mind having to work for a smile on your face.”
“Geez, I sound like a handful.”
“You are. But I have very large hands, so I can manage.”
Three! Two! One! Happy New Year!
We heard the people at the pool party scream. King looked at me and smirked, picking up his glass. I smiled and picked up mine, too.
“Happy New Year, Princess.”
“Happy New Year, babe.”
We clinked glasses and took a sip.
“That was generous,” I noted.
“Not really. That guy’s working his ass off tonight. Look at how many people are here. Just imagine how many bottles he’s passing out and empty glasses he’s got to take care of. But he took a minute out to come back here to drop this off to us. He went out of his way just for us. We didn’t have to stand in line and wait...that, to me, is worth every penny. It’s a business arrangement; he takes care of us, we take care of him.”
Yet another thing I admire about King; he takes nothing and no one for granted. I’ve watched him over the last few months—he doesn’t float through any situation. He always pays attention to everything going on around us.
When I was finally feeling good again—we’d spent almost an hour in our secluded area just talking and eating—I was reminded why I love this man so much and how amazing he is.
I am still so tired from the crying and the week’s events…I just wanted to feel good again. And I knew that I’d feel good in King’s arms…and he would as well.
I slowly got out of my chair to sit in his lap, putting my head on his chest and cuddling as close to him as possible. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head.
“Holy shit you feel good,” he said.
I know exactly what he means. As soon as my body touched his it was like my insides started to thaw. He felt so good and so right. I pulled away slightly and leaned over to take my champagne glass off the table.