by Rachel Lacey
Ordinarily, she would have been confident that was true, but if there was one thing she’d learned from her experience so far as Cole’s wife, it was that working with celebrities was a different experience from being one of them.
Part II
THE KING OF…LULLABIES?
April 29 - #1 Celebrity News Source
Rumor has it a baby announcement will be forthcoming from Colton Nix and his new bride, Jennifer. We have to admit we were suspicious about the reason behind their shotgun wedding, especially given Colton’s usual skirt-chasing ways. Jennifer is said to have suffered a dizzy spell during his recent performance on Good Morning America and has been photographed on several occasions wearing loose clothing. Is a little Nix on the way? We’ll confirm the news as soon as we receive it!
12
Cole knocked back another shot, still laughing over Naveen’s response to something a pap had shouted at him. It wasn’t often they had the chance to respond to some of the crap they heard without coming off as an asshole in the process. Naveen had a quick tongue and the wit to match.
“Man, I need you with me the next time I’m out there,” Cole said, feeling the warm burn of whiskey in his gut. To his right, Jenn was deep in conversation with Trix’s wife, Hailey.
“What are you working on these days?” Naveen asked, toying with the half-empty glass in front of him. They’d taken over the VIP balcony at Tinderhooks, although Bryce and Tom had left them to venture onto the dance floor in search of hot women to dance with.
“Writing a new album,” Cole said. “Feels like I’ve been locked in my studio forever at this point.”
“I hear you. I’m between gigs right now myself. Shout if you want to jam sometime.”
“That sounds really good, man. I’ll take you up on that.” Cole clapped his friend on the back. Naveen played drums. He and Cole had collaborated a few times in the past, and they tended to make good music together, plus have fun while they were at it.
“So how are things with the new missus?” Naveen asked, tapping his fingers against the railing in time with the beat of the music pumping through the club.
“Really great.” Cole glanced over at Jenn. As if feeling the weight of his gaze, she turned her head and met his eyes, smiling softly.
“Glad to hear it, man.” Naveen took another swig from his drink. “You guys moved fast. They say when you know, you just know, right?”
“Right,” Cole agreed. He didn’t like lying to his friends, so he eased his mind by acknowledging—to himself at least—that things were going well with Jenn. By the terms of their agreement, they were doing great. They got along well, and their chemistry was explosive. There were no pretenses between them, no long-term commitments or promises. If they could keep this going for another five months? Well, he would have had the perfect marriage as far as he was concerned.
Jenn walked over and pressed a light kiss to his cheek. “Mind if we head out soon?”
“Not if I get to dance with you first.” He gestured toward the crowded dance floor below.
She raised an eyebrow, still smiling. “Fair enough.”
“Leaving so soon?” Naveen asked, tossing back the rest of his drink.
“I have a seven-o’clock flight out of LaGuardia in the morning. If I don’t call it a night soon, I might as well not go to bed at all,” she told him.
Naveen winced. “Ouch. Never book flights before noon. That’s my personal motto.”
“Well, I’m an early bird, and so is my boss, so we always end up traveling this way. Much preferable to a red-eye anyway.”
“Red-eyes are their own form of hell,” Cole agreed.
“It was nice meeting you,” Naveen said, tipping his empty glass in Jenn’s direction. “Hope to see you guys again soon.”
“I’ll get in touch,” Cole promised. He led Jenn down the steps into the midst of the dancers below, their bodies bumping and grinding to the beat.
“I bet we don’t last five minutes,” Jenn murmured in his ear as awareness rippled through the crowd, spreading in a slow wave of whispers, pointing, and stares all the way to the farthest corners of the room.
“Five minutes will be plenty.” He slid his arms around her back, beginning to move to the beat.
“Better make them count.” Jenn’s hips started to sway beneath his palms, her breasts brushing against his chest as she moved, and it was absolutely hypnotic.
He closed his eyes and let the music move him, the bass vibrating deep inside his chest. Mindful that they were being watched by pretty much everyone in the room, he restrained himself from yanking Jenn’s hips up against his, but even without that contact, his cock grew heavy inside his jeans. When he opened his eyes, Jenn was staring straight at him, her green eyes glittering under the multicolored lights of the dance floor.
She leaned forward, her cheek brushing against his. “You’re sexy when you dance,” she murmured in his ear.
“Only when I dance?” he goaded, drawing her in closer against his chest.
“You know you’re sexy all the time,” she said with an exasperated look, but her gaze had settled on his mouth, and he just couldn’t help himself. He dipped his head and kissed her.
“I happen to find you sexy all the time too,” he said against her lips, kissing her again, a deep and drunken kiss that wiped everything from his brain but the feel of her lips moving against his, her tongue teasing his with lazy, seductive thrusts. She tasted like whiskey and sex, and his blood turned to lava in his veins, thick and hot, scorching him from the inside out.
Their hands roamed, seeking, searching, groping as their bodies moved together to the beat, and it felt so fucking good. He was overwhelmed with sensation, the friction of their bodies, the sweet taste of their kiss, the vibration of the music through him, echoing the pulsing ache of his cock. It was absolutely magnificent.
He and Jenn made kissing a next-level event.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was aware of the murmur of the crowd around them, the clicking of cameras, the beady red lights of cell phones recording his every move. He didn’t care. Jenn was his wife, and he could kiss her as thoroughly as he pleased without generating any negative press for himself.
Fucking perfect.
They kissed as the lights around them pulsed and flashed and the music throbbed ever louder. Finally, Jenn lifted her head, her lips swollen and glistening, her eyes glossy with lust. “We should go,” she whispered.
He nodded as he tugged his phone out of his back pocket and texted Steven to bring the car around. Now that he was no longer kissing Jenn, he saw the way the dance floor had cleared as the other club goers formed a circle around them, watching and photographing their every move. They’d caused a scene, but he didn’t care, not one bit.
“That was quite a show.”
He turned to find Trix standing behind him. “Just having a little fun with my wife before we head out.”
“Never thought I’d see the day when you got hitched.” Trix glanced over at Jenn. His expression was pleasant, but Cole heard the undertone of accusation in his words.
“To be honest, neither did I.” And he hadn’t thought of their long-ago dumb-as-fuck argument in years either, the night he’d accused Trix of letting his new wife distract him from Quentros. He’d placed blame on his friend while the band was falling apart, and though he’d apologized, a certain awkwardness had lingered between them ever since. “Funny how life turns out, isn’t it?”
“Sure is.” Trix stared at him for a long moment in silence before nodding. “I guess we’ve all done some growing up since our Quentros days.”
Back then, Trix had accused Cole of putting the band’s success ahead of their happiness, but as he looked over at his fake wife, he had to wonder, had he really changed at all?
* * *
Jenn almost regretted her night with Cole as she dragged herself outside the next morning to climb into the waiting Mercedes. Her eyes stung with fatigue, and her mind was
total mush. And yet, she didn’t regret it, because it had been…wonderful. She suppressed a dreamy sigh as she settled onto the seat and greeted Kate’s driver, Anton, and bodyguard, Mick, who was already in the front passenger seat.
She didn’t even regret it when she realized she couldn’t stop for a cappuccino on the way because it would mean drinking it in front of Kate. Instead, she stopped for juice and bagels and was knocking on Kate’s door at four thirty. It wasn’t even light out yet. Thank God for twenty-four-hour cafés.
Kate pulled the door open, dressed and ready to go. She gave Jenn a discerning look. “You look like shit.”
Jenn grimaced. “Good morning to you too.”
Kate laughed. “Pregnancy insomnia woke me up before my alarm, so I’ve been ready for a while. You, however, look like you could use a few more hours’ sleep.”
“Cole and I were out late last night.” She reached for Kate’s rolling suitcase, which stood beside the open door. “Anything else?”
Kate shook her head as she reached for the oversized gray purse she always used as her carry-on when traveling. “Ready to go.”
They rode the elevator down, and Anton loaded Kate’s suitcase into the trunk beside Jenn’s. Kate slid onto the backseat next to her. “You got yourself juice too? For God’s sake, woman, get yourself a coffee when we get to the airport.”
Jenn scrunched her nose. “Well, I feel bad because…”
“Because I can’t drink it? Don’t be ridiculous, and anyway, I’m totally detoxed from caffeine now. I hardly miss it. You, on the other hand, definitely need some.” Kate cracked open her orange juice and took a sip. “So what were you guys doing so late last night?”
“We went to Tinderhooks with some of his friends. It was fun.”
“Oh, I love that place,” Kate said, a wistful look on her face. “I haven’t been there in years. You guys are having an awful lot of fun together for two people who’re only pretending to be in love.”
“We happen to get along really well,” she said with a shrug, stifling a yawn. Kate was right. Orange juice wasn’t going to cut it this morning.
“Well enough to consider trying out a relationship for real?”
“What? No.” Jenn rubbed at her forehead. “Cole doesn’t meet any of my requirements for a future husband.”
Kate laughed softly. “I seem to remember us having a similar conversation in this very car about a year and a half ago, except I was the one protesting that Josh could possibly be ‘the one.’ You told me not to be afraid to change my mind if the right guy were to come along one day and sweep me off my feet in Central Park…or, in this case, on Luca Cay…”
Jenn was too tired to think of a rebuttal, but she was still stewing over Kate’s words as their plane left the tarmac, headed for Los Angeles. She and Kate were seated in first class, with Mick in the row behind them. Jenn sipped the cappuccino Kate had insisted she buy in the terminal, and the caffeine was already helping to clear the fog from her brain. She pulled a Sharpie from her bag when the first fan approached their seats, shyly asking for an autograph, grateful that the flight crew was observant and ushered her promptly back to her seat before she became a nuisance.
“Do you know what you’re having?” one particularly nosy fan asked after they’d reached cruising altitude and the seat belt signs had been turned off.
“It’ll be a surprise,” Kate answered, resting a hand on her stomach.
“Thanks so much for signing my cell phone. It’s such an honor to meet you.” The woman gave a hurried wave as the flight attendant approached, motioning for her to move on.
“My pleasure,” Kate called after her. She settled back in her seat and looked out the window. “Sometimes I think I should just tell them so they’ll stop asking,” she muttered, referring to the fact that she and Josh knew they were expecting a boy.
“Then they’d ask something else,” Jenn reminded her.
“You’re right.”
Now that Jenn had finished her cappuccino and was feeling sufficiently awake, she noticed the smudges beneath Kate’s eyes. “Are you having insomnia a lot?” she asked.
“Not too much.” Kate reached into her bag and pulled out her cell phone and earbuds. “Apparently, it’s yet another pregnancy symptom. Who knew?” She gave Jenn a tired smile before popping in her earbuds. Within minutes, she’d dozed off, her head resting against the pillow she’d wedged between herself and the window.
Jenn really, really wanted to join her for a nap of her own, but she wouldn’t. She had to stay vigilant to make sure no one tried to sneak photos—or worse—while Kate was sleeping. Once, Jenn had caught a “fan” watching through the crack between the seats behind them, trying to spy on Kate as she texted on her phone. After that, they’d started having Mick sit behind them on all their commercial flights. In general, Kate’s fans were awesome, but celebrity seemed to bring out the weird in people too.
Jenn pulled out her iPad, connected to the in-flight Wi-Fi, and spent the next few hours responding to emails and double-checking all the last-minute details of their LA itinerary. Kate had a slew of TV and radio interviews scheduled—including three live performances—on top of the two music video shoots. In ten days. Ordinarily, this was totally par for the course, but Jenn was a little worried that Kate was pushing herself too hard at five months pregnant.
After an uneventful flight, they arrived at Kate’s house in Malibu just after three. Kate walked to the windows overlooking the pool deck, a serene expression on her face. “God, I’ve missed this place.”
“Me too,” Jenn admitted. “Not your house—although it is awesome—but LA has always been home for me.”
“Do you regret moving to New York?” Kate asked, gazing out at the Pacific Ocean as it crashed against the beach below.
“No, I love New York. I may not stay there forever, but I’m enjoying it for now.”
“You’ll come back here once you’re not my assistant anymore.” Kate gave her an amused look.
“I might.” There were more career opportunities for her here than in New York.
“Well, just let me freshen up and then we’ll get going.” Kate headed upstairs toward her bedroom. They’d had just enough time to stop at her house and drop off her things before heading to a meeting with her manager, Harry, at the office.
Jenn stood in front of the window for another moment, watching the waves as they surged and slapped against the shoreline below. Then she headed down the hall to the guest bathroom to freshen up too. Thirty minutes later, they were walking into Harry’s office.
Harry stood from behind his desk, a wide smile creasing his leathered face, to pull Kate in for a hug. “Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”
“It’s good to see you too, Harry,” Kate said, smiling.
“You look good,” he said, his gaze dropping to her stomach. “Really good.”
“Thanks.”
“You too, Jenn.” Harry leaned over to pull her in for a quick hug as well.
She and Harry had worked closely together for so long now that he almost felt like family. He’d been Kate’s manager since before her first record deal and had seen her through plenty of tough times. Jenn had always thought he was somewhat of a father figure for Kate.
They spent a while catching up, not having seen each other in person for three months or so, before they got down to business. It was past six by the time they left the office—which felt like nine with the time change—and she and Kate were both dead on their feet. While they were meeting with Harry, Jenn’s rental car had been delivered, so she said goodbye to Kate in the parking lot.
“Your final fitting for the ‘Act Like It’ video is tomorrow at nine,” Jenn told her as Kate headed for the Town Car. “I’ll plan to be at your house at eight.”
Kate nodded. “See you then.”
Jenn felt a fresh burst of adrenaline as she slipped behind the wheel of her rented Mazda sedan. She missed driving while she was in New York, but it w
as outrageously expensive to park in the city, and besides, between public transportation and the fact that half the time she was being driven by Kate’s driver anyway, she really had no need for a car of her own.
She pulled out of the parking lot and headed for another of her guilty pleasures: the In-N-Out Burger down the street. Her mouth was already watering in anticipation. Tonight, she might need a cheeseburger, fries, and a shake. Since—thanks to the time change—she couldn’t even remember how long ago lunch had been, she definitely deserved to go all-out for supper.
The drive-through line spilled out into the street, so she parked and went inside, her stomach growling impatiently as the scent of meat and fries filled her lungs. She stepped into the line, thumbing through notifications on her phone as she crept closer to the counter.
“Jenn?”
The voice filled her with a combination of warmth and tension. She turned to find herself staring into the familiar brown eyes of Chris Kowalski, the man she’d once believed herself to be in love with. “Chris? Wow…”
“I know, right?” He smiled. “I mean, I always think of you when I stop in here, and now here you are. I can’t believe it. How are you?”
“I’m…good. Really good.” She stared at him, not quite believing her eyes. To be honest, she hadn’t thought of Chris in months…a lot of months. She’d broken up with him over a year ago because she’d felt like there was no spark between them. Things had gotten comfortable, too comfortable. Chris had been floundering in a dead-end job, and their relationship seemed mired in the same quicksand. “And you…how are you?” she asked.
“Great.” He gave her a wide smile. He seemed different from how she remembered him. Taller. Stronger. More confident maybe. He filled out his blue button-down shirt and khaki slacks nicely, his skin tanned with a hint of muscle visible through the fabric. “Hey, are you—do you want to grab a bite here together? Catch up?”