Let's Stick Together

by Chandra Crawford

  “Wade Davies.” Jeremy Fargas clapped him on the shoulder. “Good to see ya, man.”

  “And you are?” The reporter zipped around him to seize this new opportunity. Her camera guy was hot on her heels.

  “F-A-R-G-A-S.” Jeremy smiled broadly into the camera. It was no surprise to Wade that Mike Johnson and Steve Handler were with him. They’d been decent on their own, but they both had a tendency to let Jeremy do their thinking for them. When the bullshit that stole a year and a half of his life went down, they, of course, stood by the Fargas assholes and watched without a word. It could have fucked up his entire future if not for the Hunsakers and his brother, who had his back when no one else did. Did they care? Hell no. He doubted if any of them would have ever thought of him again, if they hadn’t seen him on t.v.

  “I’m an old friend from high school. I grew up with Wade. We all did. Used to hang out together. Just came down to say hey. Talk about old times.”

  The slight emphasis on the last statement and the subtle squeeze on his shoulder made it clear what Jeremy was hinting at. On the surface, the shit-eating grin he wore never faltered. Mike and Steve just stood mutely behind him.

  Already bristling at the rudeness of the reporter, Wade let his old enemy’s implication get to him, and push his last button. He rounded on his former friend, flinging away the offending hand on his body and sneering nastily at the other man.

  “Too famous for your old friends now, Wade?” Fargas kept needling him, cocky ‘til the end.

  “Hah.” Wade rolled his eyes and made a disgusted gagging noise. “Yeah, blame it on the fame. I’ve been at the shop. All my friends have dropped by. I haven’t seen you guys, though. You’ve been avoiding me like I’m a leper, practically since high school. But you couldn’t wait to talk to the cameras today. Well, here they are. Ms. Hill, here, will be glad to give you an interview. Just don’t lie and say we’re friends after what you guys did to me.”

  From behind him, Wade heard the dull clink of beer bottles knocking together.

  “Boost Turtle!” The voices of BJ and Chad rang out as they stepped up beside him, forcing the other men aside.

  Jeremy, whose smile had already begun to falter, took one look at BJ and his mouth went completely slack. Wade chuckled, then stepped up close to Jeremy so that only he could hear what Wade was saying.

  “Yeah, he’s big, isn’t he? One punch, and that’s your ass. And this one,” he tipped his head at Chad, “he’s faster than most of the men in the NFL. Just as strong, too. So, if your MO is still sneaking around, doing dirty shit, and calling your daddy, think twice before you try anything. These aren’t even the bodyguards. They’re just my friends. The real ones.”

  Turning back to Ms. Hill, Wade tossed off a quick, “Nice to see you again,” before greeting Chad and BJ and steering them away.

  “Em.” Wade finally located Eva-Marie at the front of the club near the door. She wasn’t there when he’d looked before, and he frowned, wondering where she’d been. As he watched, she declined an offer of a drink, and eyed the door as if contemplating her escape. In a few steps, he was beside her, enveloping her in his arms.

  “Eva-Marie, you remember BJ and Chad, of course.” He cuddled her from behind after she exchanged hellos with the guys, and leaned down to nuzzle her curls.

  “Why did you disappear?” he whispered to her.

  “Five minutes, Mr. Davies,” a voice called, and a camera flashed.

  “It was a hot, crazy, madhouse back there. Between your friends, your fans, and the press, I felt like I was getting in the way.” She gave a nervous laugh. “No embassy event was ever like this.”

  “Hey, you’ve been backstage before.”

  “Yes. Sitting out of the way on a sofa, watching Scott being charming and handling everyone. And you scowling from a corner.”

  “Well, things are different now. You’re my woman.” Wade turned Eva-Marie to face him and growled at her when she giggled at his words.

  “Your woman?”

  “Damn straight. And I want you right beside me. You’re never in the way. Got it?” Pushing back a wayward curl, Wade kissed Eva-Marie, not caring who was watching or what would be said about it. When he released her, she blinked up at him with her heavy-lidded dark gold eyes, and his insides melted.

  “One minute.”

  The voice broke through the spell of Eva-Marie’s gaze. He placed another quick kiss on her forehead.

  “I’ll be back to you in a sec. Let the guys or the guards know if you need anything.” Wade squeezed her tightly, then pushed through the crowd to get outside to the stage.

  ****

  The band was starting their third song when a woman slid onto the stool next to Eva-Marie. It was obvious the drink she slammed on the table wasn’t her first. She adjusted her breasts where they were straining to break free from the top of her dress, then picked up her glass and downed the rest of the contents in one gulp. Then she turned to glare at Eva-Marie.

  “I can’t remember your name, but I remember you from back in high school. You were always hanging around Scott when I was with Wade. Looks like you’re switching it up now.”

  What the hell? Come to think of it, this woman did look familiar. Back then, there were always a few hungry-looking girls following Wade and his friends around. If anything, this one still had the same air about her. She wore it like perfume. Her name wouldn’t come to mind, though.

  “From what I remember, Wade was always a free agent. He was never with anyone, except maybe in the biblical sense. And I’m sure I’d know, since I’ve been around the whole time. I’ve joined them on tour, also. Though, why it would matter to you is beyond me… um. I’m sorry, I’ve forgotten your name as well.”

  “Michelle.” She huffed, as if irritated by Eva-Marie not knowing her name. “And anyone who’s getting with my son’s father matters to me. He doesn’t need to be around every two-week fling his dad decides to have.”

  “Excuse me?” Eva-Marie was indignant. Neither Scott nor Wade had ever mentioned anything about a child in the family. And Wade would have told her if he had a son. She was sure of it. Fairly sure, anyway.

  Michelle pulled her wallet from her purse and slapped a school photo on the table, which she slid over to Eva-Marie with a self-satisfied looking smirk.

  “As you can see, he looks just like his father.”

  The woman across from her faded away with the rest of the world as Eva-Marie stared down at the picture of the scowling boy. His dark brows were drawn together over equally dark eyes. A mop of shaggy black hair stuck out at odd angles over his head, like someone had attempted to give him a hipster haircut and failed miserably. His pale skin, the one feature he might have inherited from the blonde mother, was speckled with the first signs of teenage acne.

  The boy could easily be Wade’s child. The shape of his face was similar. The slant of his eyebrows, the length of his nose, the same dark eyes and hair. He didn’t exactly look like Wade, but he favored him enough to raise some questions.

  “This picture doesn’t prove anything.” Eva-Marie kept her expression carefully neutral.

  “Yeah, denial. River in Egypt. Yada, yada, yada.” Michelle returned the photo to her purse. “You just watch yourself, Miss High and Mighty. You always thought you were so much better than us. Well, Wade hasn’t been around his kid for a while, and I’m guessing it’s because he’s been shacked up with you. When I tell him he’d gonna have to choose between his tramp and his son, which one do you think it’ll be?” By the end of her rant, Michelle was flushed and breathing heavily.

  Eva-Marie, on the other hand, had gone completely cold.

  “I suppose we’ll see, won’t we?” she calmly told the other woman, then took a sip from her drink. “The band won’t be on stage much longer. You’re welcome to wait for Wade right here if you’d like. And just so you know, I never thought I was better than you. You did. That’s why you didn’t like me. I was friendly to everyone, but you and some o
f the others hated me on sight.”

  Cocking her head to the side, Eva-Marie eyed the other woman curiously.

  “You know, that hasn’t changed. I’m still nice to everyone.” Giving Michelle a wry smile, she went on. “Lucky you. I can see you haven’t changed either.”

  BJ strolled casually by.

  “Hey, Eva-Marie. You okay?”

  “I’m fine,” she assured him.

  Michelle huffed loudly again, grabbed her empty glass, and trotted off after a waitress.

  “Who’s your friend?” BJ asked.

  “Correction, Wade’s friend. Someone he knew in high school.” So, BJ didn’t know Michelle. Interesting.

  After the set, Wade came back to Eva-Marie. He stood next to her, and held her close, while he conducted a couple of short interviews and signed a few autographs. She kept looking for Michelle to show up, but she was nowhere to be seen. Scott came by to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, before he sprinted away to catch up with a woman who’d caught his eye.

  A few minutes later, Wade whispered to her that he was ready to leave. He sent a message to his friends, then his security detail whisked them through a side entrance, and to the limousine waiting for them there. During the ride back to her house, Wade wanted to kiss and cuddle, but Eva-Marie used the presence of the security team to put him off.

  “They’re in the front of the car, behind the partition, for shit’s sake,” Wade complained.

  “They could still be watching. Or listening. You can’t be too careful. I was raised by a diplomat, remember.”

  “Fine.” He huffed, and she laughed in spite of her somber mood. “But you owe me, woman,” he teased.

  Back at her house, Wade was still in a playful mood, but Eva-Marie remained thoughtful and distracted. The truth was, she wasn’t quite sure how to ask about Michelle without seeming jealous and nosy. She and Wade had a good thing, but at times, her place in his world wasn’t concrete. Did she even have the right to question him about his personal affairs? Especially sensitive ones involving his exes and children? The diplomat’s daughter felt she should smile and pretend everything was perfectly fine. The woman who loved Wade Davies wanted answers, and she wanted them now.

  “Okay, what is it?” he asked, giving her just the opening she desired, but wasn’t sure she should take.

  “What is what?” she asked, feigning innocence and buying time to make a decision.

  “You’re too quiet. Something’s on your mind. Spit it out,” Wade demanded. His dark eyes bored into hers, drilling through her heart into her soul. She was talking before she realized it was happening.

  “You told me you never married, yes?”

  “Yes, that’s what I told you.” Wade frowned at the question.

  “Did you father any children?”

  He looked shocked. Truly stunned, as if it was the last thing he expected to hear.

  “No,” he spoke slowly, as if he needed to take his time and make himself clear. “I don’t have any kids. I’ve always been very careful, even when I was younger. I taught Scott to be the same way. When I have children, it will be with the woman I intend to spend my life with. Why are you asking me this?”

  Now Eva-Marie was getting nervous. She could feel Wade’s anger, and realized she’d made a huge mistake. But it was too late to turn back now. The only thing she could do was tell him why she’d gone down this road, and deal with the fallout.

  “There was a woman in the club. Michelle. She was one of the girls you were with in high school, I believe. She had a picture of a child she said was your son. I didn’t really believe her, of course, but he looked enough like you for it to be possible. She implied that you were neglecting the boy to be with me. That it was a pattern with you- a few hot and heavy weeks with a new fling, then on to the next one, and the child gets caught in the middle. I asked her to stay and talk to you herself, but she disappeared.”

  “Really.” His voice was flatter than a balloon with no air. “Did she say anything else?”

  “No, I think that was it.”

  Wade stood there, only a few feet away, but it felt like so many more. Even now, when he stared at her with such frosty fury, Eva-Marie’s first thought was of how breathtakingly gorgeous he was, before she wondered how much of his anger was for Michelle, and how much she’d brought on herself. She didn’t have to wait long to find out.

  “So, you let Michelle get in your head and come between us.” He folded his arms, and Eva-Marie immediately missed having access to them. “She made you believe you were just a fling I’m having while I’m at home. And that I have a child I neglect whenever I find some new pussy.”

  Wade ran his hand across the top of his head, making his curls stand up in wild spikes. Then, closing his eyes and mouthing what looked like a prayer, he started to pace back and forth across the room. His face and posture were calmer, but his clenched fists gave away the fact that he was still extremely angry.

  “I know we haven’t been together that long, Em, but you’ve known me a long time. You’ve practically been a member of my family. You should be the first person to know when the things people say about me are lies.”

  “But I- “

  Wade’s hand came up, and Eva-Marie fell silent. He neither looked at her, nor broke his stride. She was hurt, and offended, but stayed quiet.

  “In the past, whenever I was with someone, it was always aboveboard. No lies, and I never took advantage of anyone. I never asked for anything I couldn’t give. Even a jailbird like me had some standards.”

  Eva-Marie flinched at the venom in his tone.

  “Wade, I know you’re angry with me,” she tried again.

  “Angry is just the tip of the iceberg.” He stalked close, finally standing almost nose to nose with her. Eva-Marie wasn’t backing down. She would take whatever came.

  “Yeah, I’m super pissed at Michelle for telling the lies in the first place. But you believed the, Em. You’re my woman. You should know me better than that, but since you don’t- I’d never lie to a woman to fuck her, nor would I ever need to; I’d never father a child with someone, then neglect my responsibilities; and I’d never neglect my kid to get up in any woman’s cunt. What kind of bastard do you think I am, Eva-Marie?”

  The last of it was yelled directly in her face. By then, her tears were flowing so fast, she could barely see the look of disgust on his face before he turned and strode away. The door slammed behind him hard enough to rattle all the windows in her house. Knowing in her heart he was gone for good, Eva-Marie sank down to the carpet, laying her head on the sofa, crying until she was spent.

  ****

  Wade was over being mad at Eva-Marie before he’d made it halfway home. He was still pissed off, just not at her. Now that he’d taken a few deep breaths and thought about it, Em was the only innocent in the whole shit show that went down tonight. He wanted to turn around and go back to her, and try to apologize. But after the way he’d behaved, she’d probably kick his ass and leave one of her high heels inside as a parting gift.

  And she’d be justified. He’d been in her face about how long and how well she should know him, and how she was almost a part of his family, when only half of that was true. His family loved her, and they’d been acquainted for many years. But she barely knew him. He’d held himself apart from her, only growling a greeting here and there. Being a smartass every time she’d tried to be friendly toward him. Watching from the shadows like a lovesick fool as she smiled and laughed with his brother.

  Now, when she was finally his, the first thing he’d done was let her down. In fact, he’d done all the things he was sure her parents were still afraid of. He’d brought drama, negative media attention, and association with people of dubious character into her life. Wade almost laughed out loud, clearly hearing Mr. Robinson’s voice in his head enunciating each terrible offence. The ambassador like to pretend the slightest variation from his plans meant the end of the world. Eva-Marie had always given her dad a l
ittle hell in her own way. He smiled. His Em was a firecracker.

  His Em. Hopefully, she still was. If he hadn’t completely fucked that up. He would see tomorrow. There were a couple of things he had to do first.

  ****

  Wade got a little satisfaction from the startled guilt on Michelle’s face when she saw him. He’d found out where she worked, and was sitting on his car in the parking lot when she walked out, casually signing a few autographs and posing for pictures. Excusing himself from the fans, he greeted Michelle warmly before reclaiming his seat on the hood of the car.

  “So, where’s this kid of mine I’ve heard so much about?” he asked, getting right to the point. “Do I get to meet him, or what? I mean, it’s not my fault I’m a deadbeat dad if I don’t know the boy exists, right?”

  Michelle’s face flushed a splotchy red. With a white-knuckled grip on her purse, she made a dash for her car, but Wade moved faster and blocked her door. He was careful not to touch her, but thought he saw her flinch anyway. Holding up both hands, palms forward, he indicated he meant her no harm.

  “I just want to know why you did it, Michelle. Are you still mad that I turned you down in high school?”

  She looked at Wade like he’d read her diary, so horrified, exposed, and vulnerable. Then came the anger. She dug around in her purse, and came up with a small cannister of pepper spray, aiming it at Wade.

  “No, you asshole. It wasn’t about that. So, you weren’t interested in me in high school. Big deal. You fucked half the school anyway. They were whores. I was pretty. Sexy. Classy.”

  “Girls who beg for dick aren’t classy.”

  “You bastard.” She waved the little spray can threateningly.

  “If you want to add an assault charge to the list of things I’m about to tell you, go ahead.” Wade waited, trying to appear calm, hoping his words would sink in before Michelle sent him to the emergency room.

  “What do you mean?” She backed up, looking nervous. “What things?”

  “I know exactly who the father of your son is.” At Michelle’s stricken grimace, Wade continued. “My lawyer has a copy of Steve’s and your marriage license and your son’s birth certificate. If the question of my being your son’s father ever comes up again, the documents will be made public, and I’ll demand a paternity test.”