“Already done,” Maxine chimed in. “Jeffrey, we miss you, and we love you…”
“Go enjoy the rest of your night—and screw like bunnies,” Jeffrey teased. “I’m heading to the bar with Ben for a celebration. Might even drag Jill and Adam out, too, from their little love nest.”
“Thank you again, Jeffrey,” Drew said once more. “Thank you, and our love to everyone. We’ll see you soon.”
While his phone continued to vibrate after he hung up, filling with texts and well wishes from family and friends alike, Drew turned to Maxine and took her hands.
“Told ya so, dearest hubs,” she grinned, so giddy that she thought she just might get the hiccups. “I am so proud of you—and I love you.”
“You know, it just might happen this year,” he finally admitted. “I’ll have my good luck charm sitting next to me in the audience.”
“No, it’s going to happen because you busted your ass, and no one has a voice like yours,” she insisted. “Trust me—I’ve been following your career from the beginning.”
All of the anxiety he’d been shouldering for months dissipated into the vibrant Paris night. Systematically, he shoved all thoughts of any threats to the side for just a single moment. For the first time in his life, Drew felt overwhelmed by his own happiness.
He’d never dared to indulge in such joy before, and this new feeling of bliss was as spectacular as it was intimidating. He’d married the love of his life. Adam and Jeffrey both seemed like they were on their way to their own state of living happily ever after. And now, the chance that he would finally be rewarded with recognition for his work seemed tangible.
“What’s crossing that agile mind of yours right now?”
“These times are certainly changing,” he said so softly that she almost missed his words. “In the most spectacular ways…”
“Well, you’ve nothing to fear,” Maxine said and turned to him as she stood tall on her tiptoes, framing his face with her hands. “I’ve got your back…always, my love.”
“That’s one thing…” he brought his lips to hers right in the middle of that damn crowded sidewalk, stalling pedestrian traffic again. “I won’t ever doubt.”
“And we’ll always have Paris,” she murmured, her lips playing against his. “Mmmmm…and kisses…”
And Drew couldn’t agree with her more. No matter what this world brought forth for them to conquer, they would always have Paris…and there would always be kisses…
Chapter Thirty
While Maxine thought she might spend a few tearful days after they returned to New York, she simply had no time to even look back for a second.
The end of the Broadway season had finally arrived. Between her own schedule and Drew’s last-minute appearances to drum up excitement over his nomination, Maxine lost herself in a whirlwind of activity. By day, she had her own clients to escort around town to various media events and interviews. During the evening, though, she returned to the role she loved best as Mrs. Kirk-McKenzie, following Drew from the theater to late-night parties and dinners.
They had become the toast of the town, garnering mentions nearly every day in the papers. He’d been honored with his very own caricature on the fabled red walls of Sardis. Next to winning a Tony, that was Broadway’s greatest honor. Jeffrey even joked that Drew no longer needed a publicist to generate press. The media's obsession with his life and his recent marriage to Maxine could carry him well beyond awards night.
Somehow, though, Maxine managed to fall into a routine. She made time to talk with her father every single evening. Tom just had to chuckle over her recently found fame as New York’s newest socialite. In fact, he told her that he even “set up one of those Google alerts” just to catch the articles as they posted.
Meanwhile, Tom was set to begin filming his own show a week before the Tonys, with his first three episodes being filmed in northern California. He was quite a bundle of nerves, but Maxine and Ben planned to fly out to meet him on the road for a couple of days after the chaos settled post-Tony Awards.
In her efforts to maintain some degree of normalcy, Maxine also reserved Friday nights just for Ben—regardless of whatever life dropped into their laps throughout the work week.
Now, Ben needed Maxine more than ever. He’d reluctantly agreed to allow his mother to move into the townhouse, taking Maxine’s old bedroom. However, her stay involved one caveat: Ben insisted that Mandy seek outpatient treatment for her drinking.
With the divorce growing progressively bitter by the second, Mandy nearly refused her son’s offer. She needed the crutch of booze just to get out of bed in the morning. However, after a quick intervention from Ben, Jeffrey, and Maxine, she agreed to his terms.
In fact, Mandy even took her therapy to the next level and found an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting all on her own. She met regularly with her psychiatrist and with her AA sponsor, and while Ben watched her struggle every day, he was proud of his mother on so many levels. Slowly, Amanda Worthington began to admit her faults, and in that introspection, Ben hoped they both could heal.
Nights out with Maxine were so precious to Ben. Together, they muddled through the brazen truths of their lives—whether it was a squabble he’d had with Jeffrey over something silly or Maxine’s unrest with the security team Drew had hired. What was spoken within the context of their weekly soirees would be carried to both of their graves.
Maxine, however, was indeed having trouble in adjusting to the measures Drew had put into place in their private lives. Every day, a different bodyguard took her to work and watched over her from a spare office. If she had to run an errand or decided to go grab lunch with Jillian, she never went alone.
She understood, though, that Drew’s surface fears were seeded so much deeper into his soul. He had been taken away once. Any possible threat to the security of his loved ones rocketed his impulse to protect into high gear. Regardless of the intrusion Maxine perceived in her life at the moment, she didn’t fight Drew on taking measures to keep them safe.
In truth, things remained eerily quiet. The former lobby attendant was fired but hadn’t made a single move toward Maxine and Drew. When she stopped to think about it, the notion terrified her. Silence was almost as harsh as the invasion of their privacy.
Drew, though, wasn’t so certain of the suspect. He still harbored his suspicions over Randy Mansfield, and he warned Maxine to be on alert. That creep shared too many of the same invitations Maxine received, and he’d already demonstrated his interest for her.
Regardless of the happenings in their home, both Maxine and Drew managed to enjoy the goodness otherwise unfolding in their lives. Much to the surprise of no one, Drew also took home the Drama Desk Award—often considered a precursor to the Tony Awards. While he remained his typical superstitious self, he could no longer dismiss his chances to win the big prize.
Drew’s wait, though, was almost over on that late Sunday afternoon as he hurried into his tux. He’d literally dashed from the matinee back to the penthouse to get ready for the second biggest evening of his life—falling short only of their wedding.
After he’d struggled rather gallantly with his tie, Maxine stepped up and straightened it for him. Seeing Drew in a tux never lost its allure.
With a slow but purposeful smile, Drew took a step back to admire his wife. After much argument, she refused to buy a new dress for the event. She decided to wear the same teal Monique Lhullier gown that she’d worn to his mother’s gala in the Hamptons. The faint traces of red wine stains from Lorna Devane’s moment of angst had been dry cleaned away, and she no longer had to wear a shawl to hide her skeletal frame.
“Remember the last time you wore this dress, and I told you that you were the most beautiful woman in the world?”
As she stretched her neck to look up at him with joy in her eyes, the afternoon sun filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows caught the sparkle of the emeralds on her collar. “I do, Drew. Wasn’t so long ago…”
&nbs
p; “Well, you’re even more beautiful the second time around.”
Still in her bare feet, she stood as tall as she could and placed one delicate kiss on his chin. “I love you, my sweet man. And no matter what happens tonight, I am still honored and proud to be your wife.”
Suddenly, Drew’s face froze, and he began to pat down his pockets. “Shit…my speech…where the fuck did I put…”
Maxine was quick to grab his hands. “I put it in your breast pocket,” she said and reached inside to show him the notecard. “Keep it there. And you’ll remember where it is tonight when they call your name.”
“How I love thee, little one,” he circled his arms around her and held her close. “How I love thee…”
While she endeavored to keep calm on the surface for Drew’s sake, Maxine found her own nerves fluttering. This was her first ever Tony Awards.
From her earliest memories, she could recall her mother sitting down every year to watch. Often, they’d select the shows they’d eventually see in New York from the scenes on the Tonys. In fact, that’s where Maxine first noticed a very young Drew McKenzie in his first featured role on Broadway.
Now, she not only worked in the theatrical community, but she’d married that handsome guy for whom she harbored a crush. If she could ever think of a night that would have made Judy proud, it would have been that one.
The party, though, hadn’t yet begun.
Their ears caught some sudden commotion beyond the closed bedroom door, and Ben’s voice shouted out loud and clear. “I’m coming in, Captain,” he hollered. “Better not be naked with that Broadway Boy. We’ve got places to go—people to see. Awards to win!”
The door opened with one quick push, and Ben bounced inside. He, too, had dressed to the nines in a deep purple tuxedo that he’d chosen specifically to show off his lavender contact lenses.
“Jeffrey’s downstairs, popping the champagne,” Ben winked. “He thinks we need to start the celebration early.”
“Seems like you’ve already started, bud,” Drew chuckled.
“Hell to the no—we can’t keep alcohol at my house with Mandy on the wagon!” he said. “It’d be like stocking your pantry with lollipop replicas of your penis, Drew. All Captain would do is suck on them while you’re at the theater every night…”
“Oh, Benjamin…” Drew said as Maxine touched his face just to feel it flushing. “Why is it that I still allow you to embarrass me sometimes?”
“It’s easy, Drew,” Ben said with a pat on his back. “Much easier than you think. Now…how goes it here? Do we need anything? Extra make-up? Bobby pins? A little lipstick?”
“All set,” Maxine assured him.
“I meant for Drew,” Ben corrected.
“Alright, everyone—out!” Drew ordered, turning both Maxine and Ben toward the door. “I’ll get you later, Uncle Benjy…”
Down the steps, Ben replicated the big scene from Sunset Boulevard where Norma Desmond sweeps down the grandiose staircase, mumbling nonsense to an absent Cecil B. DeMille.
“Gay men love Sunset Boulevard, Broadway Boy,” Ben reminded him as he dramatically fell back against Drew’s chest.
“Um…just so we’re clear—I married your best friend about six weeks ago, and you’re dating mine…” For sport, Drew held on to Ben while Maxine snapped a few photos. She planned to send them to her dad.
“But I’m such a flirt,” Ben admitted as the doorbell rang.
As he released Ben with a sudden jerk, Drew groaned. “Fuck. I think it’s my brother…”
“Then you’ll need this for sure,” Jeffrey breezed into the room with a full open bottle of Dom Pérignon and passed it to Drew. “Gulp while I get the door. There’s more bubbly—don’t worry, Ben…”
Jillian followed along behind Adam, giving him a little shove through the door. For once, Adam McKenzie adhered to the formalities of a black tie affair. Although he groused about how his feet hurt in a traditional pair of leather lace-ups, Jillian beamed with a smug pride that she’d done her job for the night.
This baby was already changing them both. While pending fatherhood had Adam actually listening to the woman he loved now, Jillian allowed herself to relax. She began to let life to unfold as it would rather than endeavoring to control every split second—barring her fiancé’s fashion choices.
Jillian had but the tiniest bump which she’d managed to conceal in her black Carmen Marc cocktail dress with an asymmetrical shawl that draped right over her tummy. Everyone in their own personal circle knew about the engagement and the pregnancy, but she didn’t want the entire theatrical community to know just yet.
As far as marriage was concerned, their nuptials were on the agenda. However, both Adam and Jillian wanted to pay full attention to her pregnancy before having to worry about a wedding. They could also have a built-in ring bearer or flower girl if they waited just a few more months!
“Ooh, girl, show me that ring!” Ben charged at her.
“He did well,” Jillian smiled and offered Ben her hand for inspection of the square cut diamond flanked by tiny baguettes in three karats.
“Credit where it’s due,” Adam blushed and gave his brother’s arm a quick punch. “I had some help.”
“Shh…” Drew brought his finger to his lips while Ben mingled with the girls in a corner of the foyer. “Our little secret…”
“You’re the best, big bro…”
“And thank you for leaving the tropical birds at home tonight,” Drew said with all sincerity.
“I wouldn’t have lived to see my firstborn had I not obeyed,” Adam shuddered. “But bro, I gotta tell ya. Know what the best part about Jillian’s pregnancy is? I get to drink her beers!”
“Adam!” Drew just shook his head.
“Hey, I love that little linebacker already,” Adam beamed. “He’s gonna have a great life.”
“What if you have a girl?” Drew asked.
“She’ll be the most spoiled brat on the block,” Adam said, pride rising already for his unborn child. “Speaking of the block…if you guys have some time tomorrow night…we’re looking at a townhouse in Brooklyn Heights. If you’re not too hungover—”
“Adam, we’ll be there,” Drew assured him, as he glanced over at Maxine and Ben, fussing over Jillian’s belly. Although parenthood would have to wait awhile for them, Drew still couldn’t help but to imagine Maxine as a mommy. Practice time with their niece or nephew would be a telling experience, he knew, but he could also see that pure excitement on her face. That baby was going to be spoiled rotten by all of the McKenzies, regardless of gender. That, Drew knew for certain.
“Catchy, this baby fever—isn’t it?” Jeffrey said with a nudge to Drew. “They’ve got me thinking now…”
“Oh, not you, too?” Drew teased, as he attempted to conjure an image of Ben and Jeffrey with an infant.
“Personally, I think Ben’s gonna make a wonderful Daddy someday,” Jeffrey said. It was quite refreshing for Drew to hear his best friend speak of forever with anyone. He’d been a player in college, then a loner while he built his publicity empire. Thoughts of seeing Jeffrey settled down brought Drew a sense of serenity. “He’ll be the one to get down on the floor and really play…”
“And you’ll be the one following them around with a can of Lysol!” Drew added.
“You know me too well, Mack…”
However, the brief reprieve from Adam’s good behavior only lasted for a few fleeting moments, and attention drifted toward him as he approached the fireplace.
“Hey, bro…?”
“Adam, what are you—”
Blinded by his own fears and rage, Drew felt every last drop of blood in his body surge toward his head, as Adam clutched his Drama Desk Award.
“Catch!”
“Don’t you fucking dare!” Drew lunged toward Adam. “You fucking son of a—”
“Now, now…” Jillian soothed as she shifted the focus in her direction and puffed out her tummy to exaggerate her p
regnancy. “There shall be no cursing in front of my baby. You should all start practicing now!”
Naturally, Maxine and Jeffrey flanked Drew, comforting while holding him back. “He’s not gonna drop it. He’s just…oh, Adam…careful there,” Maxine babbled. “See…for him…he’s just…teasing. Adam, put that damn thing back on the mantle where it fucking belongs!”
“Cap, if you get the hiccups tonight,” Ben teased, “I don’t know you at the after-party.”
“I’m not the one who’s nervous…” Maxine managed, as she circled her arms around her husband. “But I think we’re all gonna be just fine in a few hours…”
After settling the precious award back in its rightful spot, leaving enough space for his brother’s next trophy, Adam reached for the open bottle of champagne. It was time again for another infamous Adam McKenzie speech, and for that, Jillian snuggled up close to him.
“Here’s to you, my dear brother,” Adam raised the bottle. “May tonight be the first of many Tonys. We all—ahem, cough-cough—love you dearly. And we’re all so very proud of you.”
Tweaking his chin, Jillian whispered. “You’re really mush beneath that Cheese Puff persona…”
For once, Adam chose to ignore her reference to his reviled childhood nickname. “And here’s to my betrothed and mom of my future kid,” he continued on, just waiting for Jillian to sock him. However, she simply continued to smile. “I waited a long time to be with you, Jillian. And I’m so glad you finally gave me a chance. I want you and little Squirt here to have the happiest lives ever. I love you, lady…”
“Aw, I love you back, Adam…” With just the same speed that he’d drawn all eyes upon himself, Adam McKenzie forced everyone to turn their heads away as he placed his open mouth over Jillian’s. While his hands crawled over her belly then around to her back to pull her close, Adam grunted without a care for anyone but his fiancée.
“Alright, children, it’s getting late, and Drew has a red carpet to walk…” Jeffrey reminded them. “Jill…Adam…Jillian…?”
“We could leave them here,” Ben suggested, as he loosened his bow tie just a smidgen. “Kinda hot, though…”
KNOTTED: The Manhattan Bound Series, Book Three Page 47