“No,” he said, looking down at the timeline for the night.
“But I feel bad for them,” I said, leaning further over the railing.
“They should have gotten here earlier.”
I turned and gave him an exasperated look. “You are such a jerk sometimes,” I said playfully, but I knew he was right. If we let every person who wanted to meet Westside in for the event, we’d be there all night and probably into the morning.
Brent looked up at me and said dryly, “I know. It’s part of my charm.”
“What charm?” I teased him.
He smiled. “It’s subtle, but it’s there.”
I let out an excited breath of air. I’d always loved nights like this where the excitement in the air was palpable, but for me, tonight was also mixed with nerves because Katherine was coming. She’d flown in the day before, Brent and I had lunch with her to go over the details of the party one last time, and she’d given us last minute instructions on the things that still needed to be finalized. My anxiety had multiplied at the realization that she’d be there any minute. The last thing I wanted to do was let her down.
“I’m going to head downstairs and make sure everything’s set up for the signing,” I told Brent. “And I’m going to instruct the manager to keep everyone’s drinks filled throughout the event. I don’t want any of the guys getting thirsty during the signing.”
“I already told her that,” Brent reminded me placidly.
He never got as rattled as I did, but he’d also worked for Westside longer. He’d already built up a reputation of being reliable and meticulous. I felt like I still had something to prove.
“I know. I just want to be sure,” I told him.
“Okay, do whatever you want.”
He was used to my need to check and double-check everything by that point, so he just let me do it. Usually before each concert, I ran around making sure everything was okay, even though we literally had the same set-up each night. I just wanted to be sure.
I headed downstairs, and when the first floor of the restaurant came into view, the first person I saw was Keri. I waved to her where she stood in the corner of the room, fiddling with her camera. Thankfully my team had also arrived. Lucas, Leslie, and Corinne were standing by the bar talking, so I headed over to them, wanting to be sure they were all set with their respective jobs, even though we’d just talked two hours before and finalized each detail that they were responsible for. I just wanted to make sure.
“Hey guys,” I said cheerfully as I came down the last few steps of the spiral staircase and headed over to them.
“Hey Elisa,” Lucas greeted me.
“What’s wrong?” I asked him, since right away I could see on his face that something was not right.
“Nothing,” he said quickly, but he was still holding onto the expression that told me something was definitely wrong.
“What happened?” I demanded, and then I looked around, realizing who was missing from our group. “Holly’s not here. Where is she? The bathroom?”
I hoped like hell that she was in the bathroom.
“Yeah, she’s in the bathroom,” Corinne supplied reluctantly. “But it’s the bathroom at the hotel.”
Shit. My heart sank as she said that.
“The hotel?” I clarified, hoping Holly was just delayed by something mundane like a wardrobe crisis and would be there shortly. It wasn’t an acceptable excuse, but it was better than finding out she wasn’t coming at all.
“She’s sick,” Leslie told me. “She has the flu, or she ate something bad. We’re not sure.”
“Is she coming?” I demanded, needing them to break down the situation for me. Was Holly going to be with us, or did I have to figure something else out?
“No,” Corinne said reluctantly. “She’s been throwing up for the past three hours.”
I felt my eyes get wide. “And you didn’t think to tell me?!”
“Well,” Lucas said, shuffling his feet. “She was going to try to make it. She got dressed and everything, but then she ran back into the bathroom when we were about to leave.”
“And you didn’t think that was a good time to tell me?” I asked incredulously.
Lucas shrugged. “Was there really going to be a good time to tell you?”
“No, but you still should have at least texted me. I was counting on all four of you to be here tonight.” I sighed, realizing I was going to have to figure something out quick. “Okay, fine. We can deal with this. It’s not the end of the world. Holly was paired up with Dillon, right?”
I could walk around with Dillon. I could handle that and still make sure the party ran smoothly. I could do both.
“Actually,” Corinne interjected, “Holly and I traded. I’m with Dillon since Mere’s in town. She decided to come at the last minute, and I wanted to spend time with her.”
I sighed loudly, getting more frustrated by the second. Meredith and Corinne were sorority sisters and close friends, which was how Corinne had gotten an interview with Katherine in the first place, but Corinne was also good at what she did, which was why Katherine had hired her. I knew she and Meredith liked to spend time together when Meredith visited Dillon. Because it didn’t really matter, I usually didn’t mind when she did things like this, but I also knew who Corinne had been partnered with for the party.
“So that leaves me with Van?” I questioned, not sure how I felt about that.
Although I knew the right thing to do would be to suck it up and just walk around with him, I wasn’t sure I wanted to do that. Van was getting to me, and I’d be lying if I said he wasn’t making me think about things that I’d deemed as off-limits for too long. I knew it was partially because he’d stopped hitting on me and was being sweet, which was an ironic twist of fate.
When he was being overt about his intentions and a borderline jerk, I could keep my distance. I could be mean to him and push him away without remorse, but I couldn’t do that when he was being sweet. In fact, his sweetness was having the complete opposite effect and was making me actually want to be around him.
I knew I was in danger of heading down a slippery slope, and walking around a party with him for three hours wasn’t going to help matters. I’d seen him interact with fans before, and he was always kind and engaging and charming. Seeing that again and again wasn’t going to help me want to keep my distance.
“Are you okay walking around with Van?” Corinne asked. “We can trade back if you’re not.”
Fortunately my team knew my history with Van, and they were empathetic to me having to work with him. What they didn’t know was that how I’d felt for so long might not be in line with how I felt now, and that a part of me really didn’t hate the idea of escorting him around the party. That was the part that scared me.
“No, it’s fine. I don’t really care who I’m with as long as tonight goes well,” I told them, being honest if not a little vague.
At the end of the day, I really did want the event to go well. The rest was just semantics – or at least that’s what I told myself.
“It’ll be great,” Lucas assured me. “You and Brent did a really good job.”
“I hope so,” I said around a sigh.
“I hope so too,” I heard from behind me and turned to see Katherine standing there.
“Katherine. Hi. How are you?” I said quickly, hoping I didn’t sound as rattled as I felt. I hadn’t even seen her come in.
Even though I’d known her since I was a kid, she still intimidated the hell out of me. She was just one of those women who had an authoritative air about her that said she would squash you if you pissed her off. I’d never experienced her wrath firsthand, but I didn’t want to start now.
“I’m great, Elisa,” she said tightly, walking over to give me an air kiss. “The place looks nice. You did well.”
That was high praise coming from her, so I figured I’d take it, even though I though the place looked phenomenal.
“Thank you,”
I said, my tongue feeling thick in my mouth. “It was a team effort.”
I watched Katherine smile politely at my team, not as concerned with them as she was with me apparently.
“Would you like to see the rooftop?” I offered.
“I would. Thank you.”
“Great. I’ll show you the way.”
“I’ll go alone,” she said sharply. “The band is only a few blocks from here. You should stay to greet them.”
“They’re almost here?” I choked out, trying to keep my cool. “Damon was supposed to text me when they were on their way.”
“He let me know,” she said flippantly, as if that was acceptable.
I was in charge of the party. He should have let me know. But I wasn’t sure if Damon trusted me yet. He definitely had concerns about my age and the fact that I’d dated Van. He’d expressed those exact concerns when Katherine had put me on the team. I’d heard them arguing in her office, but she’d assured him I could handle the job and that I would maintain professionalism where the band was concerned. And Damon and I had been getting along fine until Katherine had shown up. Then he’d decided he wanted to exclusively deal with her. It was aggravating to say the least.
“Well, thank you for letting me know,” I told Katherine, trying to keep the emotion out of my tone and act like a professional.
“I’ll be back down shortly,” she assured me.
“Great,” I said, and as soon as she was out of earshot, I rallied my team and told Lucas to go outside to prep the media personnel that we’d allowed to be outside the door of the venue to take pictures of the guys as they entered. A few photographers would be let into the party to take pictures, but that was it. Only the most reputable outlets had received an invite.
A few minutes later, we heard the screams and subsequent flashbulbs as the guys arrived, and I took a deep breath. This was it.
Westside, flanked by Damon, their collective security team, Meredith, and Cam’s girlfriend, Andi, walked through the door ten minutes later, having taken their time posing for pictures in front of a large backdrop with the name of their perfume on it in script.
“Hi guys,” I greeted them. “Welcome to your fragrance launch. We’ve got the table set up for you over here, and once you’re settled, we’ll start letting the fans in. They’ll come in four at a time, meet each of you as you sign their bottle, and then they’ll be escorted out the back. Any fans invited to the party will come through a separate entrance and will be waiting for you upstairs after the signing. Anything you need during the next hour, just let our team know, and we’ll be happy to get it for you. Restrooms are behind me and down that hallway.”
“And please remember to remain seated with your seat belts fastened while the captain has the seat belt sign illuminated,” Cam added, making me frown at him while the rest of the guys laughed.
I watched Andi elbow him in the ribs, but he just grinned at her and put his arm around her, pulling her close. They were really cute together, and she seemed nice. I hadn’t talked to her much, outside of when I’d shown her to a spot backstage when we’d been in Houston and she’d surprised Cam by showing up unexpectedly. I’d heard that she was planning to stay for the rest of the tour.
And hopefully she’d be able to keep her smart-ass boyfriend in line. Usually I liked Cam, and I appreciated his humor, but now wasn’t the time for it. I seriously considered making a snarky comment back to him, which would make me feel vindicated, but it would also make me look like a huge bitch. Because of that I changed my mind and went in another direction, trying to keep things light. There was too much at stake to get upset about a joking comment.
“Yes,” I told Cam. “And please be sure to secure your oxygen mask before securing the mask of anyone traveling with you.”
He laughed out loud, along with everyone else, and I figured I’d won points with that response.
“Look, guys,” I continued. “I know this isn’t your first signing. I get it, but part of my job is to make sure this entire event goes flawlessly – for you and your fans.”
“We know, and we love you for it,” Phillip told me. “You’re perfection, Elisa.”
I looked at him in confusion, wondering if he’d been drinking. I wasn’t sure, but considering he didn’t usually joke around with me, I wasn’t sure what to make of his behavior. Even though he was Van’s best friend, Phillip and I had never really gotten to know each other all that well. I knew he had a penchant for being a party boy, though, so I hoped he’d keep it under control for the duration of the night. More than half the fans attending the party were underage, so we’d established a no alcohol policy. Because of that, the last thing I needed was an imbibed member of Westside screwing things up.
“Thanks Phillip,” I told him, since I wasn’t about to ask him if he was drunk. I’d have Lucas keep an eye on him throughout the night to make sure he stayed sober during the party. “Now if you guys wouldn’t mind taking your seats, we can get started in a few minutes.” I turned to Andi and Meredith. “You’re welcome to hang out in here, or you can follow Corinne to the bar and hang out there while the guys are at the signing.”
I saw Meredith look over at Andi and smile. “Bar,” they said simultaneously.
“Good choice,” Corinne said, stepping forward with a grin. “Follow me.”
“Okay,” I said, clapping my hands together. “Let’s get started.”
I turned around to ask the waiter to take drink orders for the band, but before I could get the words out, I felt a hand on my hip. I didn’t have time to see who it was before Van’s voice was in my ear.
“Tonight’s going to be great, Lis,” he whispered. “You did awesome.”
“Thank you,” I told him as my breath hitched in my throat, and I fought the urge to shiver at the feel of his warm breath on my skin.
His hand slid millimeters down my hip, but I felt it as if he’d wrapped both arms around my waist and had pulled me back against him. I was too aware of him and how much that small connection between us was making me lose my cool. His hand was practically burning a hole through my dress.
“See you at the party,” he said softly, and then he was gone.
I looked up to see who might have witnessed that interaction and felt my heart sink when I found Katherine staring at me. I met her gaze for several seconds before I turned to the waiter and directed him to take the drink orders. Then I looked back to make sure the guys had everything they needed. Lucas and Leslie were set up behind them, ready to restock the bottles of perfume on the table when they ran low, and the Westside security guys were on each side of the table, making it impossible for anyone to get to the band without going through them or across the table. Everything seemed to be ready.
I nodded to Corinne, who’d returned to the main room, and gestured for her to start letting the fans in. I released a breath when the first few fans filed in, and then everything sort of became a blur. The guys joked and laughed with their fans as they signed bottle after bottle of perfume. They looked like they were having fun, and the fans were over-the-moon.
“Everything seems to be going well,” Katherine said when the signing was almost over.
I turned to her and swallowed back the lump in my throat. “Thank you.”
Her praise meant more to me than she could have known.
She nodded once, her gaze still on the guys. “Is there anything I need to know about you and Van Salvatore?”
“No,” I said firmly as I felt my cheeks heat.
“Are you sure? He seemed quite comfortable with you.”
I took a deep breath. “He’s flirtatious, but there’s nothing going on between us. We’re not even friends.”
It was a small lie, since I was fairly sure Van and I had crossed over into friends’ territory without me even realizing it – or condoning it for that matter. It had just happened.
“Does he know that?”
“Yes, but he doesn’t really like to take no for an answer.”
>
“I need you to keep things professional, Elisa,” she warned. “This is a big job, and I’m counting on you to follow through on your promise that you wouldn’t let your past relationship with Van affect the band or the tour.”
“It won’t,” I promised, remembering what I’d vowed a few months earlier when I thought nothing in the world would ever make me forgive Van enough to let him close to me again.
I was an idiot to think that, but I honestly assumed I could steer clear of him for seven months. Of course that was before he’d been so insistent on interjecting himself back into my life. And never in a million years did I think I’d actually let him. Had I known what would happen, I might have thought twice about promising so vehemently that I’d stay away from him.
That was exactly what Katherine wanted, though. Her underlying message was crystal clear. Regardless of what Van did, it was up to me to keep things professional.
Katherine nodded. “Very good.”
Then she turned on her heel and walked over to where Damon was standing, leaving me feeling cold all over. Any lingering thoughts I might have had about what could transpire between Van and me if I was willing to take a chance with him had just been wiped away by her words. I couldn’t lose my job, and I wasn’t going to let a guy who’d already burned me once take away something I’d rightfully earned.
I’d let Van back in, slowly, little by little, but I couldn’t do it anymore. Even if it wasn’t what I wanted, I needed to keep my distance. It was what was best – for me and for everyone else.
Ten minutes later, we wrapped things up by ushering the last fans out and letting the rest who were waiting in line know that unfortunately they weren’t going to get to meet Westside. Then Lucas and Leslie had handed them all a card with a code on it where they could download an autographed picture of the guys. We wanted them to have something for their time spent waiting in line, even if they didn’t get to meet the band.
“So, I heard the great news,” Van said playfully from behind me.
I took a deep breath before turning around. When I did, I had a smile on my face, but it was only meant to be friendly. I didn’t want Katherine reading it as anything else. She was only with us for one more night, and while she was around I could be nice to Van, but I couldn’t be too nice or she’d think I was flirting.
Westside Series Box Set Page 55