by Raine Thomas
“Then let’s get to it so we can start celebrating,” Xander said.
Lily felt like she was living in a dream as she spent the next few hours updating social media with the news about the platinum status of “Not Mine,” participating in the arranged interviews with the band, and texting Rosemary and Sydney about the meal to come. An e-mail came through from Rolling Stone containing the agreement she would have to sign before they featured her articles. While she was sure Dane would want to have the agreement reviewed by his attorney, Lily was prepared to sign her life away for this opportunity.
They headed back to the hotel after the last interview concluded. Dane lured her into their bedroom under the pretense of getting ready, then proceeded to seduce her into celebratory sex.
“Not that I’m complaining,” she said as she rushed into the bathroom afterward to repair her appearance, “but you’ve left me very little time to get ready.”
He walked up behind her and leaned down to press his lips to the top of her head. “You’re already beautiful. You don’t need much time.”
She rolled her eyes. “Cheesy.”
Winking at her, he moved over to the second sink to brush his teeth and adjust the artful tousle of his hair. Lily opened her makeup bag and got to work fixing and enhancing her makeup for the evening. She had worn her hair pulled back in a ponytail for most of the day, so she released it and used some hair product to give it more body and shine. By the time she finished and headed out to the closet to hunt for something to wear, Dane was already camera-ready in a pair of dark blue pants paired with a lighter blue collared shirt and a gray suit jacket.
“I hate that you can get that sexy that quickly,” she grumbled. “It’ll take me longer to choose something to wear than it took you to do everything you did to get ready.”
Chuckling, he moved past her and reached into the closet, shifting a few items around until he pulled out a dark purple dress that Lily swore hadn’t been in the closet that morning. “Wear this,” he said, holding it out to her.
“Where did that come from?” she asked, studying the scalloped V-neckline of the lacy bodice where it met the wide silk waistband and then flared out into a flirty bubble skirt.
“The closet.”
“Ha ha. I’ve never seen it before.”
“It’ll go great with your black strappy heels.”
Rather than argue since she didn’t have time, she grabbed the dress from him and pulled it on. It fit her perfectly. When she slid on the aforementioned heels and studied her reflection in the full-length mirror, she had to admit the ensemble suited her.
“How are you doing this?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest and giving him the stink-eye.
He lifted his hands in a show of innocence. “Doing what?”
“Sneaking things into my wardrobe. There’s no way I bought all of these new clothes on my shopping trip with Aria. My budget wasn’t nearly big enough.” She turned and looked at herself again in the mirror. “And this feels like genuine lace and silk. Definitely designer.”
“I think your memory is failing you.” He reached up and pulled her black clutch from the top of the closet. “Now get what you need. We’re running late.”
Very little else could turn her attention from the topic of him spending his money on her. She believed in punctuality and he knew it. Giving him another warning look, she efficiently pulled what she needed out of the purse she had used all day and stocked her clutch. He ushered her out of the bedroom the moment she was ready. Ryan and Trey stood ready and waiting.
Lily spotted the shiny silver gift bag on the coffee table between the bodyguards just as Dane walked over to it and picked it up. She sighed, prepared to give him a hard time about buying her another gift.
“Before we join the others, future wife,” he said, approaching her with the bag, “I have a little something to congratulate you for achieving this significant goal.”
He had to know that his use of the phrase “future wife” melted all of her resistance to him. She should have been annoyed by that.
Her heart wouldn’t let her.
She accepted the gift bag with a soft sigh. “You really shouldn’t have.”
He just smiled as she pulled out the tissue paper and reached inside to pull out her gift. Her eyes widened when she realized what it was.
“You said you wanted it framed,” he said.
Her throat tightened with emotion. He hadn’t given her expensive jewelry or some other frivolous thing. He had framed her press pass from the event they had done for Rick Kingston’s sister, the first time she had felt like a legitimate writer.
“Oh, Dane,” she murmured, looking up at him with misty eyes. “Thank you.”
He leaned down to press his lips lightly against hers. “You’re welcome. Now let’s go celebrate.”
Chapter Twenty
In the wee hours of the morning, Rosemary sat by the hotel pool and reflected on the celebration for Lily and that evening’s concert. She had expected a fine-dining experience to honor Lily’s major accomplishment and had been pleasantly surprised when they arrived at a modest brick building housing a local pizzeria. The inside of the restaurant was warm and inviting in its design, complete with wood and brick accents throughout. The red-and-white checkered tablecloths and drippy candles made it feel particularly welcoming, and the scents of spicy tomato sauce, roasted garlic, and freshly baked bread had instantly made her mouth water.
It had come as a further surprise to realize they had the entire restaurant to themselves. Rosemary guessed that the band had paid to buy out the space while they were there. To her, that truly captured how important Lily was to them.
The food had been as good as the aromas promised. By the time they headed to the concert venue, Rosemary was one cannoli shy of stuffed to the gills.
She did her best to work off the indulgent meal by dancing during the concert. Lily joined her in their private suite, leaving Sydney to enjoy the entertainment from her seat. Still, Rosemary was still full enough from dinner that she didn’t eat a single thing at the after-party. After a couple of glasses of wine, she had even cut herself off from the bar. She wouldn’t be able to enjoy her evening candy otherwise.
Her gaze shifted to the doors of the hotel as her thoughts moved to Sage. He had been so attentive to her since their encounter in the towel shack three days ago. It was like that experience had removed the inhibitions he had about participating in his scheme with her.
He held her hand whenever they were together, not even bothering to check if cameras were nearby to capture it. He had kissed her numerous times. Though their make-out sessions hadn’t resulted in anything nearly as explosive as that first one, she knew he wanted her based on how his body responded to her.
And Lord, did she want him.
It was getting increasingly difficult to remind herself this was just a scheme to win his girlfriend back. She had to figure out how to distance herself enough to avoid getting her heart crushed.
As that thought entered her head, the doors opened and Sage strode out. She didn’t even register the sigh that escaped her over the sight of him. He had on tailored maroon pants and a collared shirt with small navy checks. Paired with his glasses and his neatly combed hair, it should have read geek. To her, it read hot...especially since she knew what that button-down shirt hid beneath it.
“Hey there,” he greeted her, taking the lounger she had maneuvered directly next to hers.
“Right back atcha,” she said, shaking Skittles into his outstretched hand.
They had stopped pretending like they only met up due to lack of sleep. Even when she felt tired, she made a point of going outside for their nightly meetings. She suspected the same was true for Sage. He hadn’t missed a single night.
“Thanks,” he said as he popped a couple of candies into his mouth. “Anything exciting happening this evening?”
“Nope. I keep hoping I’ll get some adventurous hotel guests trying to
sneak in a skinny dip. So far, no takers.”
“Hmm. I’m trying to decide if that’s perverted.”
“Only if I want to see them naked. I just want to see what they do when they realize there’s someone sitting out here.”
“Ah. And if they decide to skinny dip anyway?”
“Free show for me.”
“Pervert.”
She chuckled and ate a couple of Skittles. “It’d be my luck that they’d be a couple of people no one wants to see naked.”
“Oh, without question.”
When the thought of going skinny dipping with Sage flew through her mind, she knew she had to change the subject. “So how was your day before we met up for pizza?”
They finished the Skittles and moved onto Nestle Crunch bites as he shared some of the events that had taken place that day. She already knew about “Not Mine” getting certified platinum because she now stalked Lily’s social media posts and it was one of the topics discussed at their meal. It was still a joy to share Sage’s excitement over the achievement.
“Lily posted that this is the quickest one of The Void’s songs has ever gone platinum,” she said.
“Yep. We don’t have a lot of platinum titles. Certainly not as many as I know Archer wishes we did.” He shrugged. “We’ve done well enough. The Void is now a household name. We’ve never been asked to participate in so many interviews and appearances. These past few weeks have felt surreal.”
There was a wistfulness in his expression that she had come to recognize. Reaching over, she covered his hand with hers.
“Do you wish your father would contact you?”
His golden eyes met hers for a long moment. “How do you do that?” he murmured.
She smiled gently. “I can understand your feelings about your estranged relationship with him. No matter what happens in our lives, our parents are our parents. It’s natural to seek their approval.”
His shoulders lifted and sank, but Rosemary knew he wasn’t trying to shrug off her observation. He was conveying his sense of hopelessness over the issue.
Sensing it was the time to do so, she reached down into her bag and pulled out the latest origami creation she had crafted for him. “I made this for you,” she said, handing the blue creature to him.
“Thanks,” he said, studying it with curiosity. “A fish?”
She nodded. “The fish is a symbol of strength, courage, and determination. It’s meant to provide encouragement and fortune when we feel we have to swim upstream to achieve a goal. You’ve mentioned that you regret not having your father’s support. You’ve also mentioned that you wish he would share in your success.” Her voice lowered to a more pointed tone when she went on, “What you haven’t mentioned is that you’ve made any efforts to bridge the gap between you.”
His lips pressed together over the statement. She watched him turn the fish over and over in his hands as he processed her words. He traced her initials scripted on the fish’s tail as though memorizing them. Used to his contemplative silences, she leaned back in her chair and ate another chocolate bite.
It took a couple of minutes before he said, “You’re right. I haven’t taken any steps to communicate with my father. We’ve barely spoken since he refused to sign the band.” He tucked the fish into his shirt pocket. “Thanks for this.”
“Of course. I hope it helps.”
“It’s certainly given me something to think about.” He faced her again. “You’re good at that.”
“Giving you things to think about?”
“Yeah. I’ve realized that I’ve held so much resentment towards him over the years that it never occurred to me to give him another chance. My pride told me that it should be him coming to me. He was the one who was wrong. I’ve more than proven it.”
“That’s true.”
“But if he knows I feel that way, could it keep him from approaching me? The man has more pride than both of us put together.”
“He’s not used to having to explain himself to others or ask their forgiveness,” she supposed.
That had Sage nodding slowly. “You’re right. Honestly, I don’t know if he’s got it in him to apologize.”
“You’ll never know unless you give him the chance and take the first step.”
He considered that in more silence. “Maybe,” he ultimately conceded.
When he held out his hand for more candy, she knew the intensity of the conversation had passed for him. “I’m sure when the time is right, you’ll find it in yourself to give him another chance.”
He made a noncommittal sound and leaned back in his seat to eat his candy. “So how did you get so insightful about family dynamics?” he asked.
“Oh, I’m all too familiar with what it’s like to bear a parent’s disdain,” she said without thinking.
Thankfully, Sage didn’t make a big deal out of her inadvertent revelation. His gaze remained on the night sky.
“Are you referring to your mother?” he asked.
As uncomfortable as the shift in the conversation made her, she owed him this much about her past. He had been nothing but frank with her and he deserved the same in return. Still, the words were slow to come.
“Yes.”
“It’s not hard to deduce she wasn’t an easy person to live with,” he said when she faltered.
“No, she wasn’t.” Setting the candy to the side, she took the hand he offered and held it between their chairs. “I don’t remember ever feeling that she loved me or Lily. Our father left just after Lily was born. It doesn’t take Sigmund Freud to figure out that Rhonda blames us for him leaving.”
“You have younger siblings. Didn’t your mother move on after your father left?”
Rosemary shook her head. “As far as I know, our father was the only man she ever truly loved. The other guys, the fathers of my half-siblings, were convenient to Rhonda in one way or another.”
“Geez. I can’t believe she didn’t chase after the guy.”
“She did.” That memory had almost escaped her. “When I was maybe four or five, there was a stretch where she hired a nanny and took off for a couple months. I heard my older siblings talking about it when I got older. She had gone to Alaska to try and win him back.”
“Guess that didn’t work.”
“Uh, no. Things got worse when she came back from that trip.”
“She was abusive?”
Sage’s soft tone had her throat tightening up. She almost wished he wasn’t so understanding.
“Yes,” she whispered. “But only towards Lily. Shortly after that, Rhonda seduced Roger, Caroline and Bridgette’s dad. He’s a good guy. He did what he could to keep her temper under control. But that marriage didn’t last. Rhonda isn’t the faithful type.”
“Ah.”
“This isn’t making me sound like good relationship material, is it?” she mused out loud. “A deadbeat dad and a slutty, manipulative mother.”
He laughed, easing the anxiety that had blossomed in her chest. “I’m the last one to put the sins of the parents on the child. You’re the exact opposite of either of your parents.”
That made her smile. He knew her so well in such a short time.
“When did Ray come into the picture?” he asked.
She wondered how he knew her uncle until she realized that Lily probably introduced him to the band when she was younger. After all, Lily had lived with him at the time.
“Lily was twelve,” she answered. “She was...having a rough time. Ray realized it and decided to give her another option, opening his home to her.”
“Why didn’t you or any of your other siblings go live with him too?”
“I don’t think any of my siblings wanted to leave.”
“And you?”
“I wasn’t presented with the option.”
“Would you have gone if given the choice?”
She gave that some thought. “Maybe not at first. I was friends with some of the neighborhood kids and I wouldn’t ha
ve wanted to leave them.”
“What changed?”
She instinctively pulled her hand from his. “You’ve mentioned I look a lot like Lily,” she began.
Understanding dawned in his expression. He reached for her hand, not allowing her to pull away. The act had her heart stuttering in her chest and more emotion clinging to her throat.
“And you were also born from the same deadbeat guy who rejected your mother,” he said.
“Yeah. So we’ll just say life got more difficult once Lily wasn’t around to serve as the object of Rhonda’s temper.”
His thumb rubbed her hand in a comforting gesture. “I’m sorry, Rosemary. No kid should have to grow up in that kind of environment.”
Determined not to cry, she nodded and took a deep breath. “Thanks,” she said when she could speak again. “My friends helped me get through the rough patches. I spent a lot of time at their houses. The moment I graduated high school, I moved in with Monique. Things have been much better since then.”
“I’m glad. Good friends are just as important as family. Sometimes more so.”
“I completely agree.”
“Tell me about them.”
Relieved to be done discussing her family, she happily talked about the circle of friends she had known from her years in school. There was Monique, of course, but there was also Sharon, a veterinary assistant who was close to getting her degree in veterinary medicine; Beth, a writer like Lily who wrote young adult fantasy novels; and Findley, the tomboy in the group who had gone into physical education and played semi-pro soccer.
“We don’t get to see each other as much these days,” Rosemary said. “Beth got married last year and Sharon is planning her own wedding. Findley is also dating someone who I think could be The One. Between their relationships and our careers, it’s all we can do to text each other.”
“It must be hard to lose touch with people you’re so close to.”
“It is. But we do have an annual get-together every September that we have vowed only to miss in instances of imminent childbirth or death’s-door illness.”
“Oh yeah? What kind of wild activities do you ladies plan?”