“My favorite wine is from Bordeaux,” Victoria told him after he’d ordered.
“Oh, which winery?” Zach asked. “I fly to France often.”
A rather dull conversation ensued between the two of them about French wines as the waiter came and took their orders and the sommelier poured the wine. Liam knew for a fact that Georgie preferred a cocktail hands down, and she knew he’d rather have a beer or a single malt whiskey any day of the week. She gave him an eye roll at one point as she took a sip of her wine and gave a shrug that implied she didn’t see what all the fuss was about. He knew wine was wine to her, but food, that was something else.
“I like this place,” he said, ignoring the conversation between the wine lovers.
“Yeah, me too, it’s very romantic in an old-world kind of way. And the smells coming from the kitchen . . .” She clutched her heart with joy.
“I’m starving. I’ll bet the lamb is amazing.” Of course, he’d chosen what she suggested. It continued that way for a while with Georgie and Liam discussing other things while the wine conversation dragged on. It occurred to him that maybe they were all dating the wrong people, but he needed Georgie to figure that out for herself.
The starters came looking more like works of art than plates of food, and they formed a more cohesive group.
AS THE EVENING WORE ON, things didn’t seem to get any better. Despite being polite on the surface, Zach talked over Georgie and seemed far more attentive to Victoria. Victoria, on the other hand, acted as if she was the center of the universe and nothing anyone else said or did was of interest to her, certainly not interesting enough to ask questions about. She talked about her horses, her travels, and even more about her love of wine, and while Zach seemed to ask her question after question, he didn’t show Georgie the same courtesy.
Liam tried a few times to redirect the conversation to more general topics, but all roads seemed to lead to Victoria.
At one point, Georgie excused herself to freshen up and Liam followed her and met her outside the ladies’ room in the narrow corridor.
“Do we have to stay for dessert?” he asked as soon as she stepped out.
She rolled her eyes. “Seriously? I wish it was just us here for dinner. We could just drink the wine instead of talking about it.”
He smiled. At least they were on the same page. “They’re a good pair.”
“Well, I’ve been wanting to come here for ages, and they’re totally ruining it for me.” She almost pouted, but he knew she would never be seen doing that in public.
“We could run out the back door and stick them with the bill,” he suggested, knowing of course that neither of them would seriously consider it, however tempting.
“I wish. Let’s get back there and order dessert fast. There’s a death by chocolate dessert that is the stuff of legends.”
“Good advice. I won’t have to share at least. Victoria doesn’t do dessert.”
Georgie shook her head as if she couldn’t believe such a thing were possible.
Back at the table they endured the dessert course. Finally, Victoria did ask Georgie a question. A pity it was condescending.
“Why do you sing country music, Georgie, instead of pop? It’s so . . .” She waved her hand as if just coming up with a word was beneath her.
“I like its honesty,” Georgie replied, choosing to ignore the insult. “I like the storytelling and the fact that it’s about real people’s lives and struggles.”
“You mean their dog died, their boyfriend cheated, and their house got repossessed.” She laughed.
“Well, yes, that does happen to real people unfortunately. That’s what makes the songs relatable. You’re not really the audience most country music aims for. New York is not the country after all.”
That should have kept both of them quiet, but no, in came Zach with his opinion.
“I’m not a huge fan of country either,” he conceded. His date was a singer of country music and he said that.
Georgie looked at him as if seeing him clearly for the first time. He wasn’t a bad guy, he just had no backbone. Liam was about to jump in, but then he realized Georgie didn’t need his help.
“Well, I’m not a huge fan of flying, but I do it. It’s a means to an end.”
“You don’t like flying?”
“Not really. I prefer trains. You can see more,” she said simply.
And that, thought Liam, is pretty much the end of that. He called for the bill, and he and Georgie left in one car after Liam put Victoria in a cab. Liam didn’t see the good-bye with Zach because he was busy with Victoria, but he had a feeling he didn’t have a Zach problem anymore.
LIAM LOWERED himself to the couch and let his hands fall on his head. That night had been a hot mess.
What were they thinking? His date was rude and spoiled, and her date was a nice enough guy but hands down not good enough for Georgie. For a start, he’d spent half the evening being a wine bore with Victoria. The whole thing made his head hurt.
The sofa moved beside him as Georgie fell in beside him. She’d let Tapioca out, and now she was back.
“Let’s agree, no more double dates.”
“Agreed,” he said, turning his head sideways to look at her.
“I’m going back to my no dating at all rule. I’m officially off men.”
“For how long?” He leaned back against the sofa, and she fell in beside him.
“Maybe forever.”
“That’d be a shame. You were hands down my favorite person on that date.”
“Yeah, well, it’s not like we can date each other,” she said. He wanted to ask why not, but she started talking again. “I’m not off you, by the way, happy to go anywhere with you. I mean not for real dating, but if you ever need a date, I’m there for you.”
He wanted to suggest that of course they should date for real, but he didn’t. “Likewise, you need arm candy, I’m your guy.”
“So modest.” She shoved him with his shoulder, and he felt his smile return. He pulled her against him and kissed her head, keeping his arm wrapped around her. “We’re quite a pair.”
“To be fair, your date was better than mine at least.” Victoria had been obnoxious and rude and not a person Liam ever cared to spend time with again.
“Sure, but apart from letting me order for him, did he ask me my opinion or a single question all night?”
Liam tried to think and came up short. “Well, at least he wasn’t a horrendous snob.”
“True. If your date only knew who we really were . . .” He knew what she meant, but he chose to ignore it.
“You mean smart, funny, talented, successful, because she didn’t seem to know what she was missing by shutting us out of the conversation?” he asked.
“I think all she cares about is pedigree.”
“I’m no poodle,” he teased. “I’m a pure mongrel through and through.”
“Yes, well, you’re my mongrel.” If only that were true.
“I have a cruise on Saturday night with B-Dog, the rapper, do you want to come? I personally feel it’s a waste of time, but Mal wants us to pitch. The meet and greet is part of the process.”
“Sure, I actually have met him a couple of times, we even collaborated, and I know his manager quite well. Easy-peasy.”
“How did I not know that? Okay, thanks. I appreciate it.” She explained that her collaborations had appeared on B-Dog’s albums and not her own, and Georgie rightly guessed he wasn’t a massive B-Dog fan.
If only their relationship was easy-peasy. If only they could take this and move it out of the friend zone. When Georgie looked up at him at this angle and gave him a soft smile, her sweet pink lips just inches from him, he considered it, but she’d just declared yet again that she was off men. So instead he pulled her in a bit tighter and hugged her close.
He was firmly in the friend zone and he needed to change that, and maybe the best way was to take her out and show her that he could be the perfect date. He didn’t want
to go on the harbor cruise, but maybe if he used it to show her just how well they fit, how their worlds did mesh, and how he could be better than any other date she’d been on, well, maybe that would do it.
CHAPTER 12
I f this were a real date, Georgie had to admit that Liam was nailing it. He’d hired a town car to drive them to the dock. He looked amazing in dark jeans, a crisp shirt, and his sport coat. He hadn’t shaved, and he had the perfect amount of stubble on his perfect chin, and as they ambled along the dock, his hand rested in the small of her back where she was sure it belonged. She was wearing a rose-gold dress that was basically backless, so the warmth of his firm hand did not go unnoticed.
Neither did the warmth of his breath on her ear when he whispered, “We can still change our minds.”
The truth was most of these people were more her people than his, they were from the industry, and she would probably know a fair few. It was only then that it occurred to her there would probably be paparazzi, and she knew he hated to be photographed. It was one of the things she knew Cara, his ex, hated about him. She wanted to be seen in magazines draped all over her hot boyfriend, and he wouldn’t comply.
“We’re not doing that, but there will probably be photographers, so we don’t have to go in together if that will make you feel uncomfortable.” She turned her head to see his reaction.
“Honey, the way you look tonight I’m not leaving your side for a minute. I’d be honored to be photographed with you.”
She felt her cheeks pink. She didn’t know what to do with that compliment. “Well okay, then.”
At the end of the dock there were a few cameras, but the big burly security guy made sure they didn’t get too close, although that didn’t stop them yelling, “Georgie, Georgie, can we get a picture?”
“Okay, guys, you’ve got two minutes.” Despite what he had said, Liam did step out of frame and she stood striking the requisite pose she knew showed her at her best angle and doing so was almost a reflex. It was funny how even though she hated these moments she slipped into autopilot and knew how to respond.
“Who’s the guy? When’s the next album? Who are you wearing?”
She ignored the first question. “I’m off to the studio next week, album out later this year.”
“Will you tour?”
She wanted to say, “Not if I can help it,” but went with the far more enigmatic answer, “We’ll see.”
“Okay, time’s up,” Liam said in a voice that made it clear there would be no further discussion, and he put his body between her and the cameras, returning the hand she’d missed so much to her back before guiding her inside.
“Just like old times,” he said. “They still love you. Do you miss it at all?”
She shook her head. “Not even a little. I do, of course, miss the singing when it is too long between albums and smaller gigs but not all that.”
A waiter passed, and Liam grabbed her a champagne and a beer for himself, and then they were as good as swarmed by people she knew from the industry, but true to form Liam did not leave her side and she loved it. For so long she’d attended these things either with her ex who wanted all the attention for himself or alone. Having Liam there made it so much easier. She introduced him to the people from B-Dog’s label and the other musicians she knew there.
When there was a break in the crowd, they made their way up to the top deck. They hadn’t seen the host yet, but he probably wasn’t even on board this early.
“You’re so connected,” he said in her ear. “And you thought these people didn’t respect you, but they’re all over you.”
She gave him a smile. “That’s sweet, but most of them just think I can make them some money.”
“Yes, because you’re a great singer,” he said.
She shivered, there was a breeze coming off the water, and he used his body as a windbreak. “Well, you might be biased, mister.”
“Georgie, I have never been wrong about your voice, ever. You are very talented, and I’m sure I’m not just a lone wolf who thinks that’s where you should put your energy.”
“I love my show,” she said. “But I do hear what you’re saying. If I had to pick one, it would be the music, although luckily I don’t have to pick.”
“Maybe not now, but you know down the track, if your life changes.”
“Well, I don’t see that happening for a while.” Her new no dating plan and the fact that the man she really wanted to change her life with was standing in front of her and she couldn’t have him and the life she wanted made that pretty clear.
Luckily, there was no need to go into all that as the man of the evening, B-Dog, pulled up alongside their boat in a zippy speedboat, and the party really amped up. They found themselves laughing and talking with a bunch of people, and Georgie had to admit it was a lot of fun. Maybe she’d missed the party scene more than she realized.
LIAM HAD FORGOTTEN the level of Georgie’s recognition within the industry. Her last studio album had gone platinum, but because she hadn’t toured it beyond radio and TV appearances, the impact it had was a little lost on him. This party was a sharp reminder. It was also a reminder that she probably needed security from time to time and that she was far less anonymous than she thought. He stuck to her like white on rice because even though she was his date that didn’t seem to deter some of the men in the room from wanting to get up close and personal.
He hadn’t seen Mal because the boat was crowded, but he knew he was here. He also hadn’t yet spoken to B-Dog, which was the real reason for the visit, though Georgie basking in all this attention was a very nice bonus.
Then his eye caught Mal’s, and he was standing next to a tall, very familiar woman. Cara. Of all the parties in New York, did she really need to be at this one? He realized that was the reason he hadn’t seen Mal. He was running interference. Since moving to New York, he’d come to appreciate that Mal was really a very good friend, much better than Liam, and he would need to up his own game in the friendship stakes in the future.
Georgie was having such a nice time he didn’t want to ruin it, but he didn’t want her blindsided by Cara either. The woman had survived one night this week with one of his sour dates, that was more than enough.
“So, Cara is here,” he said softly in her ear as she nodded along to the story an advertising executive from a rival firm was telling.
“Here on the boat?” Her eyes darted around trying to catch a glimpse. “That’s not good.”
“No, Mal is entertaining her at present, but just expect her to find us, and just so you know, she was not happy about our breakup.”
She shook her head. “You think she’ll cause a scene?”
He gave a shrug. “At least it will be contained on the boat.”
“Yes, in front of all the music industry people I want to take me seriously. Perfect.”
Her shoulders slumped just a little, and the smile he’d seen for the last hour became forced rather than genuine.
“I’m sorry,” he said genuinely. “Obviously, I had no idea she’d be here.”
She reached out and squeezed his hand. “We’ve survived worse.”
The thing was he wished they’d both reached a point where it wasn’t about that. Why should they have to keep surviving? Why couldn’t they just thrive? They deserved a break. He deserved an opportunity to make her his, and she deserved to have everything she wanted, including respect from her peers. This evening had given them a little of that, and he didn’t want to lose it so soon.
“I’m go try and cut her off.” He stepped away from her wishing it wasn’t necessary. Unfortunately, he turned and came smack bang against B-Dog, and as much as he wanted to circumvent Cara, he could not be rude to the host.
“I’m glad you made it,” his potential client said as Georgie turned and gave him a smile.
“Thanks, man, I think you know my date, Georgie?”
“Gorgeous Georgie, you bet I do, man. You just went up in my estimation big
time, Stone.”
Georgie leaned in and hugged him. “Hey, stranger. Don’t let the suits fool you, Liam is way cooler than he looks. He just doesn’t want anyone in the top end of town to know.”
“Wow. Seriously?” The man didn’t exactly let Georgie go, but he turned his attention back to Liam. “I was so in love with Georgie when she sang backup on that song for my old band, and given I was this young punk, she was so patient with me.”
“You were so sweet, Eugene.” She gave him an indulgent look.
“Sweet, shhhh, woman, I have a rep to maintain. I am not now nor have I ever been sweet, and please don’t call me Eugene.” They all knew he was only half joking. “Don’t let the man hear you.”
They made small talk for a while before he made his way off through the crowd, insisting they all have dinner soon. Liam didn’t know about that, but naturally he went along with it. He could see now B-Dog was just like them, trying to make a life for himself and outrun his past.
“You have everyone eating out of the palm of your hand tonight. I think you needn’t worry what these people think of you. You have their respect already.”
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “As long as I have yours and mine, I’m good.”
Then she excused herself to powder her nose, and he went in search of Cara.
GEORGIE SLOWLY MADE her way to the restroom, stopping to chat with people she knew along the way. She’d come to this event as a favor to Liam, but she was having a ridiculously good time. It was clear from this evening that maybe she’d exaggerated the way her peers had judged her. Maybe she’d been so busy judging herself that she’d projected a little bit of that onto others. Since moving to New York, she’d made two popular studio albums, but she’d avoided industry events, red carpets, and awards shows, so she hadn’t had a real sense of how they’d been received by other musicians and she’d assumed they’d been dismissive of her work. This evening had proved to her that that notion was wrong, and she was pretty happy to discover that. With a studio booked in Nashville next week, it buoyed her spirits to no end.
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