by C. R. Jane
"I was just telling Charise about the new project you are working on," she said sweetly.
"Oh yes, I'm very excited about the opportunity to work on such an amazing story," I answered automatically, ready made responses always on the tip of my tongue since no one bothered to ask me anything interesting. My attention trailed away again as Charise started chattering about a project she had recently worked on, as if I actually cared. I felt anxious. I wanted to go back to Eva and find a way to ask her if what I was seeing was real. If she had the same memories inside of her. I smiled automatically as Vanessa said her goodbyes. She waved once more and then took my arm so that I could escort her into the auditorium to catch our seats before the start of the show.
Chapter 3
(Eva)
Mason could best be described as giddy as the show ended. The Riot had swept the show, winning all of the awards they had been nominated for and breaking the previous record for most Grammy's won in a year. I was swept up in the excitement and Mason's happiness, loving this playful side of him.
The band was eager to get to the after-parties, ready to bask in the praise of the other guests over their success. Mason pulled me to him and kissed me hard before stepping back, grabbing my hand, and pulling me towards the doors. He immediately was inundated by congratulations and admiration as we walked, everyone trying to get a piece of him before we left. Mason encircled me with his arms and I felt deja vu from the previous night when we had been attacked by the swarms of photographers. I stiffened involuntarily at the memory, but Mason didn't seem to notice.
We eventually made our way out to the limo line, Beckham and Vanessa meeting us at the doors to walk out with us. Lexi and Lane had disappeared somewhere else with the rest of the band. Beckham seemed to hover protectively by my side as Mason walked behind me. I liked the feeling of them closing in around me. It made me feel protected from the peering eyes around us. Mason had Vanessa and I enter the limo first, he and Beckham following behind us.
As soon as we sat down, Mason pulled me into a long kiss that made my whole body heat up. The fact that I could feel Beckham's eyes intensely watching us pushed my temperature up even more.
"That was fucking amazing!" said Mason, seeming to be talking about both the show and the kiss.
"Proud of you buddy," said Beckham. I noticed that he kept some distance from Vanessa. I had thought that they were together, but I hadn't seen him act anything more than respectful towards her. She was looking away from Mason and I, staring out the window at the buildings passing by.
"Are we going to Tommy's party?" asked Beckham.
"Ya, I promised him we would stop by for at least an hour," answered Mason, wrapping an arm around me and pulling me close.
I had noticed that Mason never stopped touching me. He was super affectionate, which I loved. This gruff rocker had the sweetest center. Beckham and Mason chatted back and forth while we drove. Occasionally Vanessa would interject a comment. I stayed mostly quiet, content to sit back and listen to the industry gossip. The three of them seemed to know everything about everyone. Vanessa was a publicist evidently, although not Beckham's. I gleaned from the conversation that they had been friends for a long time. Beckham had been quick to stress the word friends, with a look towards me as he did so. Involuntarily I felt butterflies build up in my stomach.
I obviously didn't know any of these men very well, but all three of them made me feel like fireworks were going off inside of me. Damon was so sweet and giving towards me. The gestures he had made for me, both big and small, had made me feel for the first time in my life that I was actually safe and cared for. Daydreaming about what he was like had gotten me through my last few months with the Andersons. To find out that he was ten times more amazing in person than in my dreams had been breathtaking to experience. He had been willing to make the extra effort and go slow with me, when I could tell that was not his usual style. He paid close attention to things that I cared about, and made it apart of our relationship. I loved that about him.
Mason was my gruff teddy bear. He made me feel sexy and wanted. I loved that he always wanted to touch me, and that he was so generous with his affection. He made me feel like I was the center of his world in the very short time I had known him. I wondered if that would continue when he went back on tour.
I knew Beckham least of all, but already I could tell he was like a ray of light. He brought out happiness in those around him. Mason laughed and joked with Beckham more than I had seen him do with anyone else. Although I had just met him, I strangely felt more familiarity with Beckham than I did with Mason or Damon. Beckham felt like coming home. All three felt important, like I had known them forever, but my interactions with Beckham had made my heart ache a bit, like I had been missing him my whole life and just now gotten him back.
"Look out your window, Eva," said Mason, bringing me out of my reverie. "You can see Tommy's house from here, it's quite the spectacle.
I eagerly scooted over to the window to look outside. Everything I had experienced since leaving the Anderson's was so new and sensational, I didn't want to miss a thing.
Tommy's house was a spectacle (whoever Tommy was). It was more than a mansion, it was more like a gigantic glass fortress. It looked like it was made of all glass. It must have had some kind of special glass on it because although you could tell that every light was on in the house, you couldn't see inside. My eyes widened as the limo got closer. I could see the ocean behind the mansion. I itched to skip the party and go walk along the beach. We finally pulled up to the front of the house. Mason got out first, and held out a hand to help me out. I wobbled a bit on my heels, I wasn't used to wearing them. I felt hands on my waist from behind me, helping to steady me. Again, I had images of Mason in front of me, Beckham behind me, both touching me at the same time. I involuntarily shivered.
"Mason," a voice somewhat slurred from in front of me.
An aging rocker, with skin almost like leather that had seen way too much sun, and way too much alcohol (judging by his blood shot eyes), waved to us. It was impossible for me to tell exactly how old he was. His clothes looked like something a young person would wear, skinny black jeans and a silver button up shirt that was deliberately unbuttoned so that a myriad of necklaces could be displayed. He had dark, black, curly hair that was held back with a black bandana. He looked…fun? Mason let go of me to walk over to the guy who I was assuming was Tommy, and clap him on the back in one of those man hugs. Mason laughed at something that Tommy said and gestured me over. I walked over, Beckham had let me go after a light caress to my waist.
"Eva, I want you to meet Tommy," Mason exclaimed, looking delighted that we were meeting.
I immediately liked Tommy. While I could tell he appreciated my looks, he didn't leer at me as so many others had tonight.
"Tommy has known me basically forever," Mason explained.
"I'm kind of like a father figure to him is what he really means," laughed Tommy. "Mason's trying not to age me in front of a pretty girl, but I would do anything for this boy," he said, kissing Mason on the forehead and ruffling his hair.
I laughed in delight at their banter.
"Let's go inside, my dear," Tommy told me, offering his arm.
I looked at Mason, and he shrugged his shoulders playfully. I grabbed Tommy's arm and we walked inside.
I couldn't help but gape around in amazement. Tommy's house was a museum. There was a little bit of every decade, and every country, sprinkled around the house. One room we passed through appeared to be dedicated wholly to the British monarchy, complete with what looked like an authentic royal crown displayed in a spotless glass case. As we went deeper into the house, I began to hear music playing and a large crowd chattering.
"It must be a real burden to hang out with these two," Tommy said jokingly as we walked into the main room and the girls began to scream w
ith delight at the sight of Mason and Beckham.
"It really is a chore, but someone has to do it," I answered, inwardly swooning when Mason looked back at me and gave me a wink.
The award show festivities had been tame compared to the celebrations taking place right now. There was a huge dance floor in the main room, and couples were going at it in various stages all over. I blushed and looked away quickly when I saw a couple that looked like they could have been actually having sex at that moment a few feet away from where we had walked in. Tommy caught where I was looking and laughed uproariously, slinging his arm around me and leading me to the bar.
"Let's get you a drink my blushing beauty," Tommy garbled, still sounding charming despite his intoxicated state. "I have just the drink for you to try," he cried. "Alfonso! Make this siren a red-faced virgin."
I gulped somewhat nervously as Alfonso (the bartender), handed me a shot glass with something that was neon green…and smoking. I had brought the shot glass to my lips, prepared to dare a drink, when a hand swooped in and grabbed it from me.
"Hey!" I cried out to the mystery thief. The shot glass was replaced by soft lips. I immediately relaxed into the kiss, Mason's scent and taste washing over me.
A throat cleared near us, and I pulled away reluctantly from Mason. I was really starting to like this whole kissing thing. I turned to look at who had interrupted us, and blushed profusely when I saw that it was Beckham, Vanessa again attached to his arm. Tommy was looking between the four of us, a small grin on his face as if he knew a joke that none of us were apart of. Looking closer at Beckham, there was tension lines around his mouth, as if something was upsetting him. Mason didn't seem to notice.
"Tommy, what the fuck where you trying to give to my girl?" he asked, the shot glass filled with the still smoking liquid gripped in his hand, somehow surviving our kiss.
Beckham grabbed the shot out of Mason's hand and tipped it back quickly, wiping his mouth elegantly with his sleeve. Mason grinned at Beckham, still apparently not noticing the tightness that was all over Beckham's body. He ordered me a drink, this time a glass of champagne, something that I felt much better about drinking. I leaned against Mason as he chatted with Beckham and Tommy, swaying slightly to the music and watching the riotous crowd.
Mason must have noticed my slight dancing because he stopped talking to Beckham and Tommy, and looked down at me.
"Will you dance with me?" he asked in his usual heart stopping manner. I nodded, momentarily caught off guard by his sexiness. Mason kissed the top of my head and strode off towards the dance floor, pulling me behind him. Beckham was following us, Vanessa grasping tightly to his arm. Mason stood behind me and began to move, his body weaving seductively behind me. He was a master at seduction. A brush there, a touch here, all of it served to spin my body to record heights. I could feel the hard length of his arousal behind me. I pushed my body back against it, causing him to curse under his breath. I laughed, looking up at him with delight. I faced forward again… and froze. Beckham was staring at me intensely, Vanessa rubbing up against him almost ferociously. The music seemed to slow, I could sense movement all around me, but in that moment it was just Beckham and I.
We were in a glistening golden room, hundreds of chandeliers and sparkling lights shining down on us. Beckham was glowing, the golden light reflecting off of his hair, making him look more handsome than ever. I was the envy of every girl in the room. He was spinning me around the room as other partygoers danced around me. I was wearing a red, tightly fitted dress that swished around my feet as I moved. Beckham leaned in close to me.
"I've never seen anything so lovely in my entire life," he whispered, so lovingly that I wanted to cry with happiness.
He pulled me into the length of his hard body, a feeling of comfort and rightness welling up inside of me. There would never be anyone else for me.
"Eva," Mason's voice called. I realized I was just standing there on the dance floor staring at Beckham like a creeper. I laughed in a high fake voice. "I think I'm still feeling a little flushed from before the show. Can we go get some water?" I asked Mason, who was looking at me concerned again. I didn't look back at Beckham as we walked off the floor and back towards the bar, but I could feel his gaze follow me off the dance floor. Whatever was going on, I needed to get ahold of myself. Hallucinating about strangers? What was wrong with me?
Chapter 4
I made small talk with Mason and some other guests who had crowded around us, as I tried to calm my quaking heart. My hands were shaking just a bit as I clutched my water. I saw Vanessa and Beckham again out of the corner of my eye. She was gesturing to him furiously, her face illustrating her displeasure with whatever he had done. He looked like he felt slightly guilty, but he didn't seem to be saying anything back to her. Tommy appeared out of nowhere on my other side.
"Seems you have quite your hands full, my beauty," he whispered with a wink.
I decided to play dumb even though I could feel my face flushing with embarrassment.
"What are you talking about Tommy?" I tried to joke. He looked at me intently and it felt like he could see right through me in that moment.
"Have you met Damon yet?" he asked randomly.
I frowned, not knowing exactly where he was going with this. "I have..." I responded. "I met him at school."
"Hmmm…and how do you feel about him?" Tommy asked. "It's obvious how you feel about Beckham and Mason."
If I thought I was red before, I now must resemble a cherry. "I...like Damon," I said hesitantly. Tommy smirked at me.
"Is like the word you would really use to describe it?" he asked.
I felt a little overwhelmed in the moment. If it was obvious to Tommy that I was crushing on all three of them, then I'm sure that Mason, Damon, and Beckham were all going to catch on to my feelings as well. For someone who had barely been kissed, this situation was quickly spiraling out of my control. I needed air. Now was a good time to go feel the ocean for the first time.
The sounds of the party followed me as I walked outside, desperate for some air and a chance to have a little bit of peace from the people clamoring for attention…and Tommy's questions. Mason was held up with some record executives who wanted to talk about the tour and when the next album was going to come out so he said sent me ahead, telling me he would join me in a few minutes.
Tommy's mansion was literally right on the ocean. It was a full moon tonight, or at least close to it, and the light reflected off the water, lighting my path to the shore. I had left my shoes on the porch and I found myself getting close enough to the water that I could feel the waves rolling over my feet. Since I hadn't experienced the ocean before, I basked in the saltwater smell and the spray hitting my face.
I was much more comfortable away from the prying eyes and the curious questions that everyone had for me about my role in Mason's life. A voice shocked me out of my reverie.
"What are you doing all alone out here?" Beckham's voice floated from behind me.
I stayed gazing at the waves and didn't turn to look at him. "That was a little bit overwhelming for me," I answered softly. "I'm not used to crowds."
"You would think I would be used to it by now," he replied, almost absentmindedly. "But I still get nervous when I know I'm going to be around a lot of people like tonight."
I looked back at him but he was peering out over the water, seemingly lost in thought. We stood there in silence for a moment.
"You're standing in a fairy ring," he remarked quietly.
I looked up at him confused. He gestured to the sand at my feet. To my surprise there was an almost perfect circle of shells around me. "Oh my! That is so strange. What did you call it? A fairy ring?"
"Yes," he answered. "Fairy rings are said to be good luck and bless the beings who step in them."
I smiled at him and rolled my eyes.
"You don't believe in legends?" he asked, amused.
"I don't believe in fairy tales," I corrected him. Beckham made a noise in the back of his throat in disagreement. He took a step closer to me and placed a hand on my waist. I could feel the heat from his body enveloping me.
I was standing in mother's rose garden, reaching out to pick one of her famous hybrid ones, when I felt someone approach me from behind. I relaxed when the smell of pine and fresh musk enveloped me.
"Hello my love," Beckham said softly, brushing his lips against my neck.
I smiled and turned around, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him close. "You came," I exhaled. He kissed me like he hadn't seen me in years. His tongue sliding into my mouth, licking and tasting me like I was his favorite treat. I pressed against his lips, devouring his lips in return. He was my favorite flavor and every kiss was better than the last. He pulled back from me, his gorgeous grin darkening briefly.
"Father kept me longer at my studies," he answered apologetically. "He had some sort of meeting with your father in the king's private chambers this morning, and was late to my lessons. I thought about you all day though."
I sighed at his sweet words.
"Do you know what they were meeting about? Father would not say," he asked.
I frowned with a little bit of frustration.
"Mother says we have an important guest arriving soon," I answered, shrugging. "She won't tell me who though. I'm sure it's just another emissary from one of the kingdoms, nothing to be bothered about," I smiled reassuringly.