Secrets Kept

by Allie Everhart

  And yet they do. His mom's an alcoholic, which he's never told anyone but me. But I guess that's normal to hide something like that.

  Still, I feel like there are other secrets they're hiding. Maybe Gavin doesn't know what those are. Maybe only his parents do.

  "Would anyone like a drink?" Celeste asks as she stands up.

  "I'm fine," I tell her.

  "Gavin?" she asks.

  "Why don't we wait until lunch?" Gavin asks with an undertone that's urging her not to drink. She doesn't seem drunk but that doesn't mean she wasn't drinking before we got here.

  She walks over to a tall cabinet on the other side of the room. She opens the doors, exposing a stocked bar and an assortment of glasses.

  "Your father should be done shortly," she says, taking a wine glass and filling it with chardonnay. She turns to us, holding her glass. "Kate, are you sure you don't want anything?"

  "No thank you," I say, although a few sips of alcohol actually would be good right now to take the edge off. I was nervous just being a caterer here, but it's even worse being a guest. I'm not used to socializing with people like Celeste. You can tell she's from old money. She's not like Gavin, who can just hang out and relax and be himself. Celeste is stiff and uptight, like the stereotype of a snooty rich person. I feel like she's putting on a show for me, pretending to be the perfect wife, perfect mom, perfect host.

  Gavin's watching his mom, his jaw tight. He keeps his eyes on her as she walks back to us. He doesn't want her drinking, especially in front of me. I understand. I was the same way when I used to stay with my dad. I didn't want my friends coming over and seeing him drink.

  I give Gavin's hand a squeeze and he looks over at me. I smile slightly, letting him know it's okay. I get it.

  His jaw relaxes along with his body and he rubs my hand with his thumb. His subtle touch puts me at ease and is just another sign of how good we are together. We read each other so well and are able to calm each other.

  "I see the guests have arrived," a deep voice says.

  I turn and see Gavin's dad walking up to us. He's wearing navy dress pants and a shirt and tie. His smile seems real and looks just like Gavin's. He doesn't seem nearly as intimidating as he did the night of the party. Maybe because he's not wearing a suit. Or maybe because he's not surrounded by all the other men in suits. The night at the party, Niles seemed tense and anxious, but now he seems more relaxed.

  "And you must be the famous Kate we've heard so much about," he says as I get up to shake his hand.

  I smile. "I didn't know I was famous."

  He chuckles. "My son can't stop talking about you. I call to ask him a question about the campaign and we somehow end up talking about a girl named Kate."

  "I didn't know that," I say, looking at Gavin.

  He shrugs. "What can I say? You're always on my mind."

  "I was the same way when I was courting his mother." Niles walks over to Celeste and leans down to place a kiss on her head. "Sorry to delay our lunch, darling."

  "It's fine, dear." She sips her drink. "It gave me time to become acquainted with Kate." She says my name in a curt tone, her eyes zeroing in on me. I can almost feel her anger shooting across the short distance between us.

  She hates me. But why? What did I do? Is it just because I'm not rich?

  The men don't seem to notice and when I look back at Celeste, her fake smile is back.

  "Well, shall we adjourn to the dining room?" Niles asks in a much lighter, happier tone than he used the night of the party. He's like a totally different man than he was that night.

  "Yeah, let's eat," Gavin says, standing up and taking me with him, our hands still linked. "Kate and I need to be going soon."

  "There's no rush, Gavin," Celeste says as she rises from her chair. "New York isn't going anywhere."

  "I know but with traffic it'll take forever to get to our hotel."

  "You're spending the night?" she asks, her brows lifted. "That seems a little soon given the fact you two just met."

  "Celeste," Niles says. "Gavin is an adult now. I don't think it's our place to be commenting on such things."

  "Perhaps not." Her eyes land on mine, like daggers piercing through me. "I, myself, would find it rather soon if a boy asked me on an overnight trip but that's just me." She stares at me a moment longer, then goes around Niles and walks off, her drink in her hand.

  Niles smiles at me. "Never mind Celeste. She's very protective of her little boy. Only child and all. You know how it is."

  "Yeah, of course."

  "C'mon." Gavin tugs on my hand and we follow his dad down the long hall that leads to the dining room.

  It's a nice day out and I was hoping we'd eat on the patio but instead we're stuck in a dimly lit, ornately decorated room with a table that seats twelve. It seems too formal for lunch but I think that's intentional. I think Celeste wanted the setting to be intimidating in the hopes to scare me off from dating her son.

  Celeste and Niles take the seats at the end of the table, leaving Gavin and me in the middle with multiple chairs on either side of us.

  "We should've eaten on the patio," Niles says. "It's the perfect day for it."

  "I didn't want to contend with the bugs," Celeste says, glaring at him.

  He seems to get her not-so-subtle message not to challenge her and says, "I suppose you're right. It's better we eat in here." He looks at me. "So, Kate, I hear you're quite the cook."

  "And who did you hear that from?" I ask, smiling at Gavin.

  "I had to tell them," he says. "It's not every day a girl cooks for you. And that cheesecake you made was incredible. I told my dad all about it. He loves cheesecake."

  "I could make you one," I tell Niles. "It's kind of my speciality. It's my dad's favorite dessert so I grew up making it for him."

  "That won't be necessary," Celeste says. "Niles and I don't eat dessert. We're trying to improve our diet."

  They're both so thin they could use some dessert but maybe she just said that because she doesn't want me making him anything. I was just being polite but I think she took it differently.

  "She's right," Niles says, agreeing with his wife, although I get the feeling he really does want the cheesecake. "We're trying to avoid desserts."

  "Speaking of desserts," I say to Niles, "your dad made an awesome rhubarb cobbler last weekend."

  Niles brows draw together. "You met my father?"

  "We went to see Grandfather last weekend." Gavin clears his throat, seeming uncomfortable.

  "Was this for any particular reason?" Niles asks Gavin. "Or were you just paying him a visit?"

  "He invited me to a cookout at his house and I invited Kate to come with me." Gavin straightens up in his chair like he's preparing for an argument with his father. An argument I'm guessing happens a lot.

  A woman walks in with a tray. "Are you ready, Mrs. Bishop?"

  "Yes," she answers. "Go ahead."

  The woman serves us each a plate of salad and a small cup of soup. It seems like a first course but I get the feeling this is all we're getting. And nothing for dessert.

  "Why didn't you tell me you went to see him?" Niles asks as he picks up his fork.

  "Why would I tell you?" Gavin stirs his spoon around in his bowl, which seems to hold some kind of cold, vegetable-based soup. "I don't need your permission to see Grandfather."

  "And what did your grandfather have to say?" Niles cuts into a tomato, his knife clanking against the plate.

  "Not much." Gavin sets his spoon down, not interested in the soup. "He mentioned he has a girlfriend."

  Niles coughs a little. "A girlfriend?"

  "Well, maybe she's not a girlfriend, but he's dating her."

  "I'm sure it's just one of his nightly companions," Celeste scoffs.

  "Dear," Niles scolds. "Let's not bring that up, please."

  Bring what up? Are they implying Gavin's grandfather sleeps around? If so, that's kind of funny. And I wouldn't be surprised if it were true. Hen
ry seemed like a lady's man.

  "I liked Henry," I say, smiling at Celeste. I should be trying to impress her, not make her mad, but something in me made me say that. And it's the truth, so why not say it?

  "Of course you did," she mutters.

  "We went to his cabin," I say, then notice Gavin's eyes meet mine across the table. He shakes his head just enough to let me know I shouldn't have said that.

  "Gavin Michael Bishop!" Celeste says in a high-pitched tone. "How many times have I told you not to go to that horrible cabin? It should be condemned."

  "It's not that bad," he says, catching himself before he rolls his eyes.

  "Your mother's right," Niles says. "It's not safe. I'm sure by now the roof is about to collapse."

  Gavin sighs. "The roof is fine. There's nothing wrong with the place. It's not a five-star hotel but it's good enough for a fishing cabin."

  "It's filthy," Celeste says. "You could catch something just being in there."

  "Why in the world would you take a girl there?" Niles asks.

  "I wanted her to see the lake," Gavin says.

  "It was beautiful," I say to Niles. "We went at night. We went in the boat and looked up at the stars. It would've been perfect except—"

  "She fell overboard," Gavin says, laughing as he looks at me across the table. "Sorry. I shouldn't laugh."

  "You should," I say, laughing with him. "It was hilarious."

  "You find falling into a lake at night to be funny?" Celeste asks, her lips pursed, not at all amused.

  "She didn't get hurt," Gavin says, although I'm sure his mom didn't care about that. I'm guessing her reaction is more about the fact that a lady should not be getting in a fishing boat at night. Or ever.

  "We went home after that," I say, trying to end the story. It seems to be making both Niles and Celeste angry.

  "I don't want you going back there," Niles says to Gavin.

  "Why? Just because you don't like it doesn't mean I can't go there."

  "I don't want people seeing you there. It doesn't look good for the campaign."

  Gavin looks at his dad. "How could it possibly hurt the campaign?"

  "A future senator's son spending time in a run-down cabin? A cabin that could be dangerous? It'll look as though I don't care about my son and his safety, which couldn't be further from the truth."

  "The cabin's not dangerous. And nobody's going to see me. There's nobody even out there this time of year."

  "Gavin, I am asking you not to go there. And if I find out you still are, I'll tear that place down myself."

  "What the hell?" Gavin shakes his head. "You'd seriously tear down Gramps' cabin? Just to win an argument?"

  "This isn't about winning an argument. It's about your safety."

  "No, it's not. It's about getting back at Grandfather. You want him to live in a better house, move to a better neighborhood, and you're pissed because he refuses."

  "Gavin, don't use such language!" Celeste scolds.

  "We're not having this discussion," Niles warns. "We're done talking about your grandfather."

  "And I'm done with lunch." Gavin tosses his cloth napkin on the table and stands up.

  "Sit down," Celeste orders. "Lunch is not over. You haven't even touched your salad."

  "Kate and I need to be going." He looks at me to get up.

  I set my napkin down and scoot my chair back.

  "Niles!" Celeste says, urging him to do something.

  "Gavin." Niles' voice is calmer now and he motions Gavin to sit down. "Don't upset your mother. She's worked hard to put this lunch together and we'd both like you to stay."

  I doubt Celeste worked that hard. I'm sure she just told her cook what to make and that was it.

  Gavin takes a deep breath and sits down. "Fine."

  I sit down as well and the four of us go back to eating. The woman who served us comes back in and Celeste asks her for another glass of wine.

  The table is silent for several minutes, although it feels longer than that, and then finally, Gavin's dad asks him about school and they talk about that until lunch is over.

  At two, we're finally excused and we go out to Gavin's car. As we're driving away, I feel a sense of relief, my nerves finally settling. I was uptight the whole time I was there.

  His mom definitely doesn't like me. But his dad seems to think I'm okay. Niles is actually nicer than I thought he'd be. He has his snobby side but I think that comes from being around Celeste. As lunch continued, he loosened up and smiled like he did earlier.

  Even so, I have no desire to see either Niles or Celeste again any time soon.

  Chapter Seventeen

  "Your reward for meeting the parents," Gavin jokes as we walk into the lobby of the fancy, five-star hotel he booked for tonight. "And I'll take you anywhere you want for dinner." He turns me toward him and kisses me.

  "Maybe we'll just stay in the room. Order room service."

  He smiles. "I like how you think."

  "Mr. Bishop?" A young woman wearing a suit, her hair in a tight bun, walks up to Gavin. "I'm Elsa Skiles, the hotel manager."

  "Hi. We were just about to check in."

  "About that. I'm terribly sorry but the room you booked was accidentally given to someone else. To correct our error, we've booked you in one of our penthouse suites."

  "Oh. Okay. Sounds good."

  "Your luggage is already up there. And here are your keys." She hands him a small envelope.

  "Thanks," he tells her.

  "Certainly." She smiles. "Enjoy your stay."

  As she walks away, I say, "How did she know you?"

  "She's probably seen me on TV at campaign events. Or maybe in the papers. I get photographed a lot."

  "Your dad hasn't even been elected yet, and you still get all that press?"

  "Yeah, but most people don't know me unless they follow politics. Or she might have looked me up online when I booked the room. Sometimes these fancy hotels do that so they know their guests before they arrive. It's all about personal service at places like this." He takes my hand. "C'mon. Let's go upstairs. Check out our suite."

  "I'm surprised they'd give us a suite. They could've just given us a different room."

  "I specifically requested a room that overlooks Central Park. I paid extra for it. I think that's why they were so accommodating. Or like I said, it could be because they know my dad."

  "Well, it works out well for us."

  We go up the elevator to the top floor. The room is gorgeous with big windows that look out at the city and the park. A king-sized bed covered in white linens sits in the middle of the room, and off to the side is a sitting area with a white sofa and glass and chrome tables. It's sophisticated and elegant. Just what you'd expect from a five-star Manhattan hotel.

  "What do you think?" Gavin asks, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around me.

  "I think it's gorgeous."

  "I think YOU'RE gorgeous." He kisses the side of my neck, sending a tingle through me. "I say we go get something to eat, then come back here and make use of that bed. And then maybe the shower."

  I flip around to face him. "We just had lunch."

  "That was just an appetizer. I'm starving. I need to fuel up. We've got a busy afternoon."

  "I thought you said we're coming back here after we eat."

  "I did. When I said we'd make use of the bed, you didn't think I meant to sleep, did you?"

  "Let's go." I smile as I grab his hand and drag him to the door. "I wasn't going to eat again but I have a feeling I'll need the energy."

  He drags me back to him. "On second thought, I don't think I can wait." His lips crash against mine as his hands get to work on my dress, untying the fabric belt. Completely turned on by his sudden change of plans, I fumble with his pants, hurrying to get them off.

  Our kisses hot and frantic, we back up toward the bed. He pulls my dress up and over my head. With a flick of his fingers, he unhooks the front clasp of my bra and I take my hands off
him just long enough to toss it aside. In that short time, he frees himself from his pants and yanks off his shirt.

  His hands secure around my waist and he lifts me up on the bed. I try to scoot back but he stops me and slides my panties off. I reach up and pull down his boxers. He leans forward and I fall back on the soft, white comforter.

  His mouth closes over mine as his hand goes between my thighs, stroking me.

  "You're soaked," he groans against my mouth.

  "I've been waiting for this all day."

  "I've been waiting for it since I dropped you off last night."

  "Then stop waiting." I smile, then grab his face and kiss him.

  He lowers over me and I feel the tip of him enter me, followed by short teasing thrusts. He knows this drives me wild.

  "Gavin," I urge.

  He chuckles and I feel the vibration against my chest. He thrusts all the way in and I moan in relief.

  After our frantic foreplay, I thought he'd continue his fast pace and make this a quickie but instead he rocks in and out, slow and deep.

  "Oh, shit," he says and suddenly pulls out.

  "What?" I sit up on my elbows.

  "Condom." He gets off the bed and starts searching for his pants.

  "I'm on the pill," I tell him.

  He stops searching. "You really don't want to use one?"

  "Are you clean?"

  "Yeah."

  "Then get over here." I reach for him and he gives me a sexy grin as he walks back to the bed. He lowers over me again and immediately slides inside me, continuing where we left off.

  "No wonder this felt so damn good," he says. "I've never done it without one."

  "Me either."

  His lips brush against mine and I catch his bottom lip with my teeth and gently tug. He pushes deeper inside me, his hands sliding under me, gripping my ass. I free his lip and he kisses me, then thrusts harder and faster. I'm almost there, the pressure building, my body craving the release. When it comes, I can't keep from voicing my pleasure, loudly, but I don't care. Gavin and I are finally alone. No roommates. No dorms with thin walls. I can be as loud as I want. Even Gavin's loud when he follows moments later.

  We lie there, catching our breath, Gavin softly kissing my neck.