by Kady Hunt
“Hey,” Teague says, shaking his fist at Alex. “You don’t talk directly to her, okay? Don’t even look directly at her, capiche?”
“We need a name, Alex.” Daniel finally speaks up. “And we’d appreciate if you could move this along. We don’t have all day.”
“So?” I turn to Alex. “Squeal.”
“I met this guy at the bar downstairs,” Alex says at last. “I don’t even know him, man. The first time I saw him, was two days ago. He was older…like…I don’t know…in his late forties? He wore a nice suit but looked like he was a commoner.”
“Commoner?” Daniel says. “What’re you the Prince of fucking Wales, Alex?”
“Daniel,” Teague says. “This isn’t the time to be worrying about his political incorrectness.”
“Whatever,” Daniel says.
“This guy,” I ask. “Did he give you a name?”
“He did…” Alex says. “But fuck I can’t fucking remember it! It was just one first name…”
“Harlow?” I say. “Was that the name he gave you?”
Alex stares at me. “How…how did you…”
“Did he say why?” I ask. “Why he was drugging us both?”
“No,” Alex says. “I swear to God, that’s all I know!”
“How’d Jamie get into my room?” I ask one more question that’s been on my mind.
Alex’s eyes are downcast. “Because,” he says. “That guy…Harlow…he had keys to your room. He gave them to me. Told me all I had to do was to take Jamie to your room instead of mine and well…set it up for you two to…”
I can’t even look at Jamie right now. I can only imagine what she must be going through. We should be doing a lot worse to this bastard, but what does that say about us? “Let him go,” I say and turn to Jamie and give her a hug. She starts crying again, just as I expected and I let her. “It’s okay,” I say. “We’ll figure this out, Jamie. I’m right here.”
When Teague is done cutting off the ties, Alex walks up to Jamie and me, rubbing his wrists. “Jamie,” he says. “I’m so sorry.”
“Let’s go guys,” Teague says, grabbing Mia’s hand and I grab Jamie’s, and we all leave the room after Daniel gives Alex one final warning about not telling anyone.
Everyone starts walking right across the hall to our room, and I excuse myself.
“You guys go ahead,” I say. “There’s something we need to do.”
No one says anything but I can see Daniel isn’t taking this well. He heads into the room without a word and so do the others but I catch Mia’s arm before she goes in. “I kind of need your help with this,” I say. She smiles and gestures to Teague, who winks at her and Sebastian closes the door, leaving the three of us in the empty hallway.
“So what’s this about?” Mia asks.
“I kind of…need to make Natalie jealous,” I confess. “And we can’t do that without your help.”
“What do you expect me to do?”
“Well,” I place my hand on Jamie’s shoulder. “Maybe you could…you know…give her a makeover or something?”
Mia bursts out laughing. “Holden,” she says. “This isn’t the eighties and I’m not Molly Ringwald. No one does outcast-to-pretty-princess makeovers anymore, that’s just…wrong on so many levels dude.”
“I don’t know what you’re referring to,” I say. “But point taken.”
“Look,” Mia gives Jamie a once-over. “Maybe I can loan her some clothes and some makeup.”
“Yeah,” I say, enthusiastically. “Look, she’s beautiful. There’s no denying that. But we need to make her…pop.”
“You mean loan her a slutty dress?”
“Something like that.”
“So, what am I dressing her for?” Mia asks.
I look at Jamie. “A party,” I say. “A totally exclusive, ten-thousand dollar entrance fee sort of party.”
“Can I go?”
“No.”
“Why not!” Mia says. “I’ll ditch Teague if you want!”
“Mia,” I say. “I can’t.”
“Fine,” Mia says. “Let’s just go to my room. We’ll take it from there.”
She starts walking.
“Mia,” I say, following her. “I owe you.”
“Oh yeah,” she says, but she’s smiling.
My hands are shaking.
I’ve never been this excited to do something. Okay, so that’s probably not true, but this is one of those moments that you don’t know whether you’re excited or simply having a heart attack. It’s a shame I’ve never had a heart attack to know the difference.
“You guys are taking forever!” Mia says, and I don’t know how she’s gotten that far ahead of us, she must have been running.
I take one glance at Jamie. “Are you alright?”
She nods.
I guess that’s as close to a response that I’m going to get from her so I say nothing and take her word for it.
14.
HOLDEN
When we get to the party, the crowd is thin, barely a few guests.
Well, at least now I know it really is exclusive.
“Are you sure she’s going to be here?” Jamie asks. She looks nervous. Well, she always looks nervous but tonight she looks like she might flee anytime.
I grab her hand, give it a little squeeze. “Jamie,” I say. “You look beautiful.” And for the first time in my life I actually mean the words I’m saying to a girl. I feel like I’m always playing games. With Natalie or otherwise but with Jamie there’s none of that pressure and I can be myself. I feel like I can say anything to her without feeling like I’m being judged. “And as for Natalie, yes, I have it on good authority that she’s going to be here.”
“Okay,” she says and we show the bouncer our passes. “Right this way,” he says and leads us into a grand ballroom that has an exquisite gold décor and there is a Matisse on one wall, and all the guests are dressed immaculately and sipping champagne.
“So,” Jamie asks. “What’s the event?”
“Charity,” I say.
“What kind of charity?”
“Something for men with Undescended Balls.”
“That’s…awful. I guess.”
“No, Jamie, I’m joking. I just got the passes because Natalie was going, I didn’t ask what animal they were pretending to save this week.”
“You think every charity is a joke?”
“Not all of them,” I say. “But this one is. I know because I know the person who organized it.”
“You do?”
“Yes.”
A woman steps up to the podium in a gorgeous white designer dress that I know she had made to the exact specifications of her Pilates-toned body, and she knows she’s turning heads.
“That’s her,” I tell Jamie. “The woman who organized the charity event.”
When she starts talking Jamie whispers in my ear. “You were right,” she says. “She does sound like a bitch.”
I can’t stop laughing.
“Holden, what’s wrong! Why’re you laughing! People are looking at us!”
I try hard to compose myself before they call the bouncers to kick us out, but it’s not an easy feat. “Jamie,” I say. “You really crack me up sometimes.”
“Why?” she asks, clueless. “What did I do now?”
“Nothing.”
“Oh God, you know her, don’t you? Is that Natalie?”
“No,” I say. “It’s not Natalie but you’re right. I do know her.”
“How?”
“You promise not to run, if I tell you?”
“I promise.”
“Pinky swear?”
“Shut up, Holden!” Jamie says, annoyed. “And stop laughing!”
“Jamie,” I say. “That’s my mother.”
Jamie processes this for a second.
She starts to leave and I grab her hand. “You promised you wouldn’t leave!”
“That was before I knew I called your mother a bitch!”<
br />
“Jamie,” I say, trying to put on a serious front for the people gathered around my mother, but all the giggling and talking in whispers has already given us so much extra attention and I see my mother glancing toward us. No one else sees it because my mother happens to be an Oscar-deserving performer but I’ve been with her long enough to know what that look says: Stop embarrassing me, Holden! This is serious! I got people to con! Don’t you want those custom-designed sneakers this month? I raise my champagne glass so she sees it and then take a sip from it.
“Did you just give your mother that cocky, champagne-tip?”
“It’s fine. Just relax, okay?”
“Don’t tell me to relax!”
And then, my mother calls some names and Natalie walks up to stand next to my mother along with some others. I see her smiling to her husband, and find him standing in the front row of the crowd. Pierre Gleeson. Just looking at him makes me mad. He has Natalie so badly under his thumb she doesn’t know what she’s doing.
“Is that her?” Jamie asks. She must have heard the name being called and noticed Natalie’s was one of them. I can barely speak but I manage.
“That’s her.”
Jamie gives my hand a squeeze. “She’s hot.”
“I know.”
My mother keeps talking but all I can see is Natalie and the smug look on her face and I know why it’s there. I know, and I want to take it away. I finish the champagne in my glass and lead Jamie away from the crowd and toward the bar. I get myself three vodka shots because what I’m about to do, champagne isn’t going to cut it.
“Holden,” Jamie says. “Maybe you shouldn’t drink that much.”
“I know what I’m doing,” I say and realize that it was an angry outburst, know that I should probably apologize. It’s not her fault Natalie broke up with me, and not her fault that guy tried to drug us both.
“Holden.”
I hear a woman’s voice.
I turn to face her. “Mother.”
“What are you doing here?” she asks.
“Mom’s it’s a charity,” I say. “I gave a hefty donation. I can be here all I want.”
“I know you got the passes from Max,” my mother says. “Do you think you can come to my fundraiser and get drunk without my knowledge?”
“Mom,” I say. “This has nothing to do with you.”
She looks over at Jamie. “Hello,” she says, shaking hands with her. “I’m Holden’s mother. We haven’t been properly introduced.”
“Jamie. Jamie Crawford.” Jamie’s almost stammering.
“Crawford?” My mother says. “Is that the Westwood Crawfords?”
“Uh…” Jamie says and I have no choice but come to her rescue. “She’s my date,” I say. “Now you can stop with the interrogation.”
“We were just talking,” my mother says.
“No you weren’t, you were vetting her!”
“Holden, you’re drunk. Let me go get Max.” She turns to Jamie. “You’ll keep an eye on him for me? Don’t let him leave. I’ll be right back.”
Jamie nods and my mother disappears.
I see Natalie and her husband, standing to one side; talking to some people I don’t know. “Let’s go,” I say to Jamie and take her toward the group.
“Your mother said…”
“Jamie,” I say in a low voice. “My mother thinks you’re a cheap whore. Don’t waste your time being nice to her.”
“She doesn’t look so bad…”
“Jamie!” I snap. “Would you quit being such a doormat!”
I can’t believe she instantly gets tears in her eyes. I know I’m being an asshole but she needs to stop thinking the whole world is some place full of rainbows and unicorns because it’s not! The world is filled with people who will walk all over her, and even though I’ve only known her a short while, I feel this need to protect her. How can I, if she refuses to become tougher?
“I’m leaving,” she says.
“Jamie, you can’t leave now. Consider this as part of the training. You need to stop letting people walk all over you and that’s the first step in your transformation. These clothes, the makeup, the false eyelashes Mia made you wear, they mean nothing if you don’t act the part.” I know I could have stopped there, but I didn’t. “Also, you owe me.”
She wipes a few stray tears away and straightens up. “Fine,” she says. “I’m doing this because you’re right. I do owe you. But also because I promised you and I never go back on my word. But I’m leaving as soon as it’s over.”
“Sounds good to me.”
I head in the direction of Natalie and Pierre and bump into Natalie on purpose. Natalie sees that it’s me and looks stupefied. “Holden,” she says.
“Natalie,” I say, putting on a better act than my mother was putting on just now. “Long time.”
“Yes,” she says.
Pierre shakes hands with me and Natalie introduces us. She refers to me as the boss’s son and Pierre nods approvingly. “And who is this gorgeous lady?” Pierre turns to Jamie.
“Yes Holden,” Natalie says. “Why don’t you introduce us? Is she from the new office building? Because I’ve never seen her before.”
“This is Jamie,” I say. “My date. And we hooked up rather fortuitously at the hotel I’m staying.”
“So,” Natalie clears her throat. “Just a hookup then?”
I look right into Jamie’s eyes and kiss her on the lips and it’s the first time I’m doing it consciously. For a minute after I’ve done it, I feel like I’ve been hit by something. I have to peel myself away from her or I wouldn’t have been able to let her go. “It’s much more than a hookup,” I say, holding her hand and kissing it. “In fact, I think we might be soulmates. Isn’t that right, Jamie?”
Natalie sprays her drink. “I’m sorry,” she says. “Did you just say soulmates?”
Pierre looks apologetic and puts an arm around Natalie. “I’m afraid my wife doesn’t believe in soulmates,” he says. “But that doesn’t stop us from having the most perfect relationship in the world.”
Natalie looks like she’s about to puke.
Or hit someone.
I know she could go either way.
So whatever I’ve done so far was a success.
I might have become blinded by that kiss just now with Jamie but that’s nothing to be concerned about. It’s basically the first time I kissed her, and she didn’t even return it, I had to do all the effort myself, that’s how bad she is. It was just the newness of it, nothing more.
I need to focus on Natalie.
“So Jamie,” Natalie says. “How long are you planning to stay in Vegas?”
I should be happy.
My plan is working.
But I can’t help feeling something that’s not happiness. No, it’s more like there’s a knot in my chest.
“I’m leaving tonight,” Jamie responds.
The knot just got tighter.
15.
JAMIE
What was I thinking agreeing to help the biggest jerk on the planet? It’s my own fault for thinking Holden Danvers could be anything more. I’m beginning to think the entire group of friends is a little nuts. You never know what they’re thinking until they do something and then you’re left completely clueless! That kiss was planned, but I certainly didn’t give Holden the satisfaction of putting any effort into it. This was what it was, a plan, nicely concocted by Holden’s conniving mind, and I wanted to get away from all this and be home, even if home was a two-room apartment in Brooklyn that I shared with Kate. Kate was the one whose name was on the lease and she was nice enough to let it slide when I hadn’t been able to pay the rent for a few months while I was looking for work. The thing is, I never finished college. I’ve always had money problems, and growing up with a family who wasn’t even properly middle class can be tiresome. My father owns a tiny diner and even as a kid it made only enough money for us to be able to survive, and my father wouldn’t give it up because i
t was his dream and because ‘it put food on the table.’
Well, that was about the only thing it did. But I believe everyone has a dream, and if they’re not allowed to pursue it, then what’s the point of living? I’m sure my father had dreams before we were born, but I wonder how much he had to give up because of his two kids and a wife who never worked a day in her life and ran away with a waiter in our diner for two whole years but when she came back, my father took her in and forgave her like it was nothing. To her credit, my mother never cheated on my father again. She cleaned up her act and acted like a mother and a wife for the rest of our childhoods, but it was never the same. Our family had lost its laughter when she left and it never came back. Sure, we had Christmases and birthdays and dinners but there was a veil of sadness over everything we did. As much as I love my parents, I wish they had been strong enough to choose something else. I wish they had been brave enough to look for love and waited for their dreams to come true, but they always just settled. I always tell myself that’s not going to me. Maybe they didn’t have a choice, for whatever reason, but I will make sure I always have that choice, that no one can take it away.
But as much as I feel bad for myself, I feel even worse for Holden. He truly believes that the whole world is a dark place and that everyone is out to get him. But for a person who lacks faith in others, he’s very adamant about me trusting him. The funny thing is that he fails to see the irony in that.
“So Jamie,” Natalie says. “How long are you planning to stay in Vegas?”
Natalie’s voice reminds me that this act hasn’t ended. I can’t wait for this to be over so I can go hail a cab and get to the airport. But I’ve already gone this far, if I bail on Holden now, it would just be mean. “I’m leaving tonight,” I tell her and she looks almost relieved. I won’t be surprised if the two of them will have planned something together before my plane even leaves the airport. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. If Holden thinks that he can keep her by doing all this then who am I to tell him otherwise? Not like he actually listens when you talk to him. And he looks at me like I’m something that needs help, a pity project, and I’m going to be glad not to feel that way anymore. The minute this is over, you’re gone. The thought gives me some peace.