Once all the I's are dotted and the Ts are crossed, I sneak away to the back bar and watch the room fill up. After a good dose of liquid courage, I decide it’s time to get out there. I push my shoulders back, channel my inner super model, and strut across the room. I don’t make it too far before I’m stopped by a handsome man who offers to buy me a drink. Lame, since its open bar, but I smile at him just the same. The way his eyes rake over my body is the confidence booster I need. I chat for a few minutes before excusing myself to work the room.
Gavin and I don’t cross paths. I occasionally spot him from across the room as he schmoozes. God damn, he is so sexy in a tux—until he looks at me. I’m chatting with three men who are all solicitors, which I think is like a lawyer, when Gavin catches my eye. I see so much heat in his gaze until he observes the company I’m keeping. Then all that sexy fire gets hit with a polar vortex. Is he jealous? Angry? Bitter? Who the hell knows with him these days! I flash him a saccharine, Stepford-wife smile and mentally count down the hours until this stupid party is over. Until then, one point for me. Not that I’m keeping score.
Poppy observed what just happened between me and Gavin, and she commands me to go to the silent auction table and butter up the guests to bid higher. They did a great job of obtaining auction items that should draw in some major cash. They have a wall of soldiers’ helmets that have been painted by a slew of famous artists as well as tons of trips and other once-in-a-lifetime experiences. I bid on private cooking classes with a very handsome yet unruly celebrity chef. The item I want most is private soccer lessons with a well-known British soccer star who looks oh so good in his undies. Sadly, it specifically states that the lessons must be for a child sixteen or under. Oh, I’ve never wanted to borrow a kid for the day more.
One item takes the cake. An Evening of Romance and Seduction with International Rugby Star Liam Moynihan. I was under the impression he had offered tickets to some of his games or something, but I should have known he would offer himself up on the auction block. I place a decent bid since he is my sorta, kinda, not really ex-husband. I can’t help but notice the top bid came in from the internet. Kelly Klein. Funny, that was the name on Em’s fake ID in college.
An hour in, the party is hopping. At least five hundred people are here already, tons of them famous celebrities. Gavin is laughing it up with the aforementioned soccer player. The benefit of not being on Gavin’s arm is that I can quietly drool over him from afar without making an asshat out of myself by being unable to formulate words.
“Wipe the drool off your damn chin. You look ridiculous.”
I turn around and hug Em. “Glad you could make it finally. You look beautiful.” The black silk halter tuxedo dress looks amazing on her.
“Gavin is way hotter, you know. Not saying Soccer Boy isn’t obscenely hot, but he’s no Gavin. Go up and say hello. Just remember you’ve had a hotter man’s penis in your mouth. You have no reason to be shy.”
“Did you really just say that, or was that a hallucination?” Great, now I’m thinking about Gavin and the things we used to do all the time but haven’t done in far too long. Now I’m an asshat, and I’m getting randy.
“Anyway, why are you here talking to me when you should be with your boyfriend talking to Soccer Boy?”
“I haven’t spoken to Gavin yet tonight,” I respond.
A waiter walks by with a tray of champagne. Em and I snatch his last two glasses. “Ah, I see. That’s why he was dancing with that actress when I came in. Man, that boy can dance.” She’s trying to get under my skin, and its working.
I completely missed Gavin dancing, but I’d bet it was his response to those three men hanging on my every word. Now he’s hanging out with Soccer Boy, probably because he knows I have a little crush on him. Fine, little may be an understatement. When Gavin plays, he plays to win.
“Just go talk to him, Lily. Enough is enough,” Em says.
“Tomorrow,” I reply. “When all of this is done, we’ll fix us. I’m thinking of taking him to the country house. We need to get away, just the two of us.”
“Good idea. To be honest, Lil, I’m over the drama between the two of you. You’re perfect together, you love each other, and you know you can trust him. Enough already.”
I take a sip of my champagne. “Damn, Em, tell me how you really feel.”
“I always do. I’m also over broody Lily. Let’s mingle. I see just the guy to introduce you to that will make Gavin’s blood boil.”
Em drags me from group to group, introducing me to a variety of ridiculously hot men. I’m still not sure how I live here, sort of, yet she’s the one who knows everyone. But that’s Em. She and I make the rounds until I’m in desperate need of the loo.
After my nose is properly powdered, Em and I head back to the party. Around the corner come James, Heath, Basil, and Liam with smirks so big they scream trouble. I’ve seen that look on James once before, and I have a sneaking suspicion I know what’s about to happen.
“Emily, how is it that you’ve been here for over an hour and you’ve managed to speak to every person in the building with a penis except for me?” Liam asks.
“That’s not true. I haven’t spoken to the rest of the boys yet either. Hello, boys.” She plants big sloppy kisses on each of their cheeks before pushing past Liam toward the party. She looks over her shoulder. “The dance floor is calling my name, and I’ve got to find a partner. Come on, Lily.”
“Did she just do that?” Liam asks James.
“I think she did, mate,” James replies with a grin.
“You’re in for it now, Emily. Last chance to come back here,” Liam calls. “I’m warning you. If you don’t turn around, I can’t be held accountable for what happens next.”
Em just keeps walking.
The boys all look at each other.
Liam belts out, “Why do you build me up, buttercup?”
All heads in the hallway turn to Liam. Em spins around and points at him. “Stop right there.”
Liam opens his mouth and Em says, “Don’t do it.”
He smirks. “Have a drink with me and I’ll stop. Otherwise, I have no problem serenading you in front of this whole party.”
“He’ll do it too,” James chimes in. “Right, Lily? We’re not afraid of a little public humiliation as long as we get the girl.”
Liam waggles his eyebrows. “What do you say Emily?”
“You’ve got some balls, Moynihan. I’ll give you that,” Em states with a tone so flat, I can’t tell if she’s about to kiss him or kill him. “If you promise to never, ever, ever do that again, I’ll let you escort me to the bar. I make no promises about the condition of your heart after we’re done. Got it?”
Someone from the crowd screams, “Kiss him.” The boys start chanting it, and soon the whole crowd is into it.
A rebel to peer pressure, she says, “If I did that, I’d have to charge you admission.”
She takes Liam’s hand, and they head off to the bar. She subtly leans into him as they walk, and I can see that she’s fighting back a big smile. “Come on, you,” James says, wrapping his arm around me. “You look far too stunning to not be twirled around on the dance floor.”
James is one hell of a dancer. He spins me around for almost an hour. My legs feel like Jell-O, my cheeks hurt from smiling, and I haven’t looked for Gavin once. James is the most wonderful distraction—probably because I know he has no intentions other than making me smile. I spot a beautiful girl scoping him out, so I insist on giving my feet a break. I lead him off the dance floor and practically push him into her. I apologize for being so clumsy and then make myself scarce.
I watch them from afar, feeling proud of my matchmaking, until I see Em storm out of the room. I spot Liam at their table, looking devastated. God damn it. I warned him about her.
“You okay, Pumpkin?” I ask, wrapping my arms around him.
“I have no idea what just happened. I thought we were getting along smashingly, then she got a
text and ran out. I tried to stop her, and she wouldn’t even look at me. All she said was ‘cocksucker-motherfucker.’”
Ash. What the hell is going on?
“I need to go find her. Something’s up, but I’m sure it has nothing to do with you.” I kiss his cheek and run out of the room looking for Em.
It takes me a while to track her down. When I do, she’s kissing Max.
“What the fuck, Emily?” Liam shouts.
Damn, he followed me. This is going to get messy.
Looking perfectly calm, she takes a step away from Max. “Liam. I told you I needed to handle something.”
“Oh, I’m something you need to handle now?” Max retorts.
“Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on here?” Realizing his volume has attracted attention, Liam lowers his voice. “Who the hell is this, Emily?”
Max looks at Liam and then looks back at Em. Max is very good at reading people and situations, and his face falls. “Yeah, Emily, who the hell am I?”
“Liam, this is not the time or place, and this is none of your business. Go back to the party. Now,” she orders looking Liam square in the eye. Despite the fact Em never promises commitment or monogamy, boys are always surprised when they find out that they are just a number on Em’s long list of suitors.
I look between Max and Liam. I can see the anger spreading over both of them. It’s like watching two trains driving full throttle right at each other. I wish I could do something to stop the impending disaster. They’ve both played Em’s game and lost.
Liam walks to Em and turns her toward him. “Fine, you want me to leave, I’ll leave. After this.” He plants a massive kiss on her and lets her go. “I’m leaving, but don’t expect me to come back. Consider this closure.” He turns on his heel and storms down the hallway.
A crowd has formed. Trying to minimize the impact of the scene, I pull Em and Max down a side hallway. The moment we leave, the crowd breaks up.
I watched Max’s face while Liam kissed her. He looked crushed. He glares at Em, hatred oozing out of him. “I was warned you’d chew me up and spit me out. I just didn’t expect it like this. I’ve lost my job, my best friend, and my house, but none of them hurt as much as this did,” Max says through gritted teeth.
When Em gets caught, she turns cold and distant. She pushes her shoulders back, and strengthens her stance. Between her beauty and demeanor, she appears untouchable. There’s an icy chill to her voice.“ I’m sorry you’re hurt, but I’ve been nothing but honest. I don’t do relationships. You knew that. You showed up at an event unannounced. Did you really think I wouldn’t have a date?”
Max tips his head back and laughs. From the sound of his laugh, I can tell he’s ready to snap. “You’re a selfish bitch, Em. You hide behind your honesty so that you can have your cake and eat it too. You think your ‘boundaries’ give you carte blanche to fuck with people’s minds. As much as I want to pulverize that guy, whoever he is, I can’t even be mad at him. He’s just some poor sap you suckered into falling for you so you could throw his heart back in his face. Be honest, Em. You love it when guys fall in love with you. You just don’t want to love anyone back.”
A casual onlooker would think Max’s words bounced off Em as if she were Teflon. I, an Em expert, can see he has cut her deep. The way she’s digging her nails into her hand. The fact that she hasn’t taken a breath since he started speaking. Max doesn’t mess around when he’s hurt, and though Em may not show it, he has wounded her.
Emily takes a deep breath. “Max, I’m sorry you aren’t mature enough to handle this kind of relationship. I don’t fuck with anyone’s mind. I’m direct, honest, and I always stick to my word. You were a fun fuck, and that’s all it ever was and ever will be. If you deluded yourself into believing it was something more, that’s your problem, not mine. Time to go back to the kiddie pool. You aren’t man enough to swim with the big boys.” Before he has a chance to respond, she storms away.
“Max?” I reach out to him, but he shrugs me off.
“Save it. I want to speak to you even less than I want to speak to her.” He turns his back to me and walks off.
Considering the night is imploding, I make my way to the closest bar. Martini in hand, I begin my search for Em. The room is jam-packed and it’s hard to navigate through the crowd. When I make my way to the edge of the dance floor, I spot Gavin dancing with O.
This night just gets better and better. Her family bought a table, so I knew she was going to be here and Gavin would have to be polite. I didn’t realize being civil equates to dancing so close a piece of paper wouldn’t fit between them.
Her obvious flirtation is obnoxious. Every time she laughs, she tips her head back, exposing her neck. She casually runs her fingers through his hair or along his jaw. It’s disgusting, and he’s letting her get away with it.
Unable to watch any longer, I walk away from the dance floor and resume my search for Em. The song ends and the MC calls for everyone’s attention. I turn to the stage just as he asks Gavin to say a few words. He takes a step toward the stage when O pulls on his elbow. He stops and turns to face her. Standing on her tip-toes, she goes to kiss him! Thankfully, Gavin catches on and turns his head at the last second. She has to settle for a kiss on the cheek.
Fuming, I slink to the back of the room. I might draw more attention to the situation by leaving, so I stay in the room and try to look like I’m paying attention. Internally, I plot all the ways I’d love to destroy O. It’s not entirely her fault, though. She may hang all over him, but Gavin doesn’t seem to do anything to stop it.
Having edited eight drafts of the speech, I could recite the damn thing word for word. A brief explanation about the foundation and all the amazing programming made possible by the funds generated tonight. Gratitude to all the big donors and contributors, while paying special attention to guests of honor. He sounds so charming, as though he isn’t a mixed-signal-sending, royal prick.
“Last, but certainly not least,” he says, going off script. “I would like to thank my lovely girlfriend. Lily, could you come up here.”
This was certainly not part of the plan, but I go with it and make my way to the stage. He offers me his hand to help me up the stairs to the stage. Once on the stage, he kisses my hand and leads me to the center. “This evening would not be possible without your endless support and dedication.” He turns to the audience. “It’s possible I may have been a bit of a cad these past few weeks.” The audience laughs.
I smile at him as I try to read his face. I can’t image he brought me up just to thank me. Perhaps he’s trying to get on my good side after he let O molest him.
“Get those checkbooks ready, because the silent auction ends in twenty minutes. Thank you again for coming and enjoy the rest of the evening.” He puts the microphone in the stand, then kisses me breathless. An appropriate kiss for a public event, but still enough to get my heart going.
The audience whistles, cheers and clinks their glasses. When he pulls away, I play to the audience by fanning myself. I get a few laughs, then people go back to their conversations and dancing. I can’t help but notice O storm out of the room, tripping on her gown as she weaves through the crowd.
He puts his hand on the small of my back and leads me off the stage. “What was that?” I ask when we are a safe distance from the microphone.
He whispers in my ear. “I couldn’t let O get away with that. I needed to publicly show her and everyone else that you’re mine.”
He pulls away, then kisses me on the cheek. “I have to get back. I’ll find you later.” He flashes a smile at me that warms me from the inside out.
I’m about to continue my search for Em, when Poppy grabs me by the arm and drags me to the silent auction table, to help with the last minute bids. She keeps me busy for the next hour and a half while I help her wrap up the auction.
Around one a.m. the party is finally winding down. I spot Liam by the bar. I’m going to need some help get
ting him out of here.
My first call is to James.
I tap my fingers on the table while it rings, praying he can help me. “Hey, can you come to the back bar and help me get Liam out of here?” I ask.
“Can’t, darling. I’m already in for the night,” he replies.
I look down at my watch. “So early?”
“I was needed,” he says with a quiet voice.
“Oh, James. You didn’t chase after her.”
“She needs me,” he says. His voice sounds desperate, and maybe a little ashamed.
Liam gets louder and more belligerent, screaming at the bartender about cheating whores. “James, I’ve got to take care of Liam. Please take care of yourself.”
As I walk to the bar, I see Liam’s been joined by Max. “Well, aren’t you two the odd couple?”
He points back and forth between himself and Max. “This is the Emily Harrington Sucks after party,” Liam slurs. “You can be our third member, Honey Bunny. I won’t even charge you the membership fee, since you’re my wife and all.”
I sit next to him at the bar. He leans his head on my shoulder. “Ex-wife, pumpkin,” I reply. “In case you’ve forgotten, you’re still at the actual party. After parties occur after you’ve left. Speaking of leaving, let’s get you two in a car. Come on, up, up.”
“I’m not going with you,” Max huffs. “I still hate you.”
I know he’s drunk and has plenty of reason to be angry with me, but it still stings to hear the rage in his voice. He really does despise me. Regardless, I need to get him out of here. “Fine, you can continue to hate me on your way to wherever you’re staying. Which is where?” I ask.
“Gavin and I never got that far. I was told to get on a plane, so I got on a plane. I got changed when I got here. My bags are… somewhere.” His eyes glaze.
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