Among The Stars: A Shooting Stars Novella

by Osburn, Terri

Unable to sit, he circled the desk and waited. In less than a minute, the office door opened.

  “Here you go, boss.”

  “Thank you, Dwayne.”

  “Yeah, thanks, Dwayne.” Veronica watched the large man leave. “Where did you find him? Central casting?”

  She seemed annoyed. Cam supposed that was fair after how he’d left things.

  “Why are you here? Are you okay?”

  “Not really, no.” She remained near the door, her hands in the pockets of her black bomber jacket. The pinched expression said she longed to be anywhere else. “I realize my tab with you is already quite long, but I need another favor.”

  “What favor?”

  “Promise you’ll hear me out before you answer.”

  An odd request. “I get the impression I’m not going to like this favor.”

  “I have no idea, to be honest. I’ve given up trying to predict what you’ll do next.”

  He deserved that one. Cam returned to his place behind the desk. “Have a seat.”

  Veronica strolled to sit in one of the guest chairs across from him, and once she was seated, he did the same. Perched on the edge of her chair, she said, “Do you ever rent this place out for weddings?”

  “No.”

  “Would you be willing to? The third floor only.”

  Intrigued, Cam asked, “Are you getting married?”

  “No,” she said, her lips tight. “My ex-husband is, remember? They want to get married on New Year’s Eve, but no place is available.”

  Of course, no place was available. New Year’s Eve was the biggest drinking night of the year. No one would give up that kind of revenue for a wedding.

  “I don’t think so.”

  “You said you’d hear me out.”

  “There’s more?”

  She grew agitated, one knee bouncing up and down. “Ash is one of the most successful songwriters in this town. He knows everyone. Jesse Gold is his fiancée, and she’s about to be the next breakout star in country music. They can afford to pay whatever you demand, within reason,” she qualified. “And I have no doubt this wedding will get plenty of media coverage. That’s free publicity for your bar.”

  It wasn’t that simple. “You’re talking about a three-ring circus at my door. Not worth the trade-off.”

  “No one will know the wedding was here until after it’s over. The guests will come through the back and up the elevator. I’ll make sure plenty of pictures hit social media, and by June, fans will be scrambling to visit the bar where Jesse Gold got married.”

  Veronica Shepherd was a shrewd negotiator, and she made an excellent point. The competition on Lower Broad was fierce. Between the historic venues like Tootsie’s and Legends, and the new clubs opening with superstar names like Shelton, Bryan, and Jackson on the marquee, the challenge of not only pulling customers in the door but keeping them was astronomical. Any edge could make a difference.

  “You can deliver on that?”

  Her chin went up. “I can.”

  Who knew the free spirit was hiding such tenacity? Cam had one question. “Why are you doing this?”

  The flinch was nearly imperceptible. “Why am I doing what?”

  “Helping him.” Cam leaned forward. “You drank yourself into unconsciousness last night over this man, yet you’re willing to come here on his behalf. To help him marry another woman. Why?”

  Veronica’s eyes dropped to her lap. “Ash is my best friend. This is what you do for friends.”

  A commendable, if masochistic, sentiment.

  “The third floor is yours. How early will we need to close off the stairs?”

  Her face jerked up, her blue eyes wide. “Seriously?” His charmingly disarming Veronica was back.

  “Yes.” Cam rose from his chair. “Bring them by tomorrow and we can settle the details. I assume they want food.”

  “Um, sure. But there’s one more thing,” she said, less confident than she’d been so far. “Ash thinks we’re together.”

  He probably should have seen this coming. “And you didn’t correct him.”

  Anger flashed in her eyes. “Call me crazy, but that little stunt you pulled this afternoon gives a pretty good indication that pretending to date me wasn’t overly difficult for you. I’m not asking you to marry me. Just keep up the pretense for one more week. When they come back from their honeymoon, I’ll tell him we didn’t work out.” One golden brow arched. “It’ll be your fault, of course.”

  She was proving a worthy opponent, and Cam accepted the challenge before him. “We’ll see about that.”

  “Holy shit,” she whispered. “You’re smiling.”

  Cam sobered. “Excuse me?”

  “You smiled. No wonder you don’t do it often. That’s a weapon of mass panty-melting destruction.”

  “Panty-melting?” he repeated.

  “Yes,” she affirmed. “You even have dimples. No woman would stand a chance with that combination.”

  Despite himself, Cam fought a full-out grin. “You’re one of a kind, Ms. Shepherd.”

  “Technically, I’ll be two of a kind in a week.” Rising to her feet, she shared a smile of her own. “But if you keep flashing those dimples, I might not care.”

  Chapter Seven

  If the giant knot in her stomach was any indication, this was not going to be a fun day.

  Veronica spent the previous night marveling over the magnificence that was Cameron Rhodes’ smile. If he ever unleashed that lethal weapon on the general population, women (and plenty of men) would be swooning for days. Ovaries would be bursting in the streets. Mass pandemonium would ensue.

  But Cam didn’t flash that smile to everyone. He’d only shown it to her. Quite accidentally by his reaction. The dimples had been the clincher. Not that there hadn’t been a hint of them when he talked, or even grimaced, but in full force? Devastating.

  “We really appreciate this, Ronnie,” Jesse said as they followed a petite server down the hall toward Cam’s office. “I don’t know what we’d have done without you.”

  Veronica didn’t dislike Jesse. She didn’t even know her, really. She knew of her, thanks to the mostly unflattering gossip that had circulated through the grapevine for the last year. Only recently did the truth come out that a former industry player who’d taken offense to her rebuff of his advances had set out to destroy her reputation and career. No one deserved that, and Jesse earned a certain level of respect for surviving the attack.

  “You don’t have to thank me,” Veronica said, stepping aside once they reached the office door so that Ash and Jesse could enter first. “Your impending fame and popularity is what sealed the deal. I just explained the potential benefits of being the venue for Jesse Gold’s wedding.”

  “My impending fame?” the younger woman asked.

  “I’ve heard some of the cuts on the album, and Shooting Stars has a proven track record.” The songs were killer, and Veronica couldn’t help but admire the woman’s talent. “As Ash suggested when he asked for my help, your life is about to change. For the crazier.”

  Jesse glanced up at Ash with an almost comical expression.

  “I told you she likes you,” Ash said.

  Veronica wouldn’t go that far. Yet.

  They all stepped inside, and the waitress said, “Do you need anything else, sir?”

  “We’re good, Lori, thanks.” Coming around the desk, Cam crossed straight to Veronica and placed a quick kiss on her lips before turning to Ash and Jesse. “Congratulations to the both of you. This is a new experience for Rhodes Tavern, but we’ll do whatever we can to meet your needs.”

  Jesse stared as if transfixed, and Veronica was a bit dazed herself.

  “Thank you so much for letting us use this place,” Ash said, extending a hand.

  “Happy to help,” Cam replied, accepting the greeing. “We’ve not done standard catering before so I had the chef write something up. Let’s have a seat and get started.”

  The foursome crosse
d the large space, Cam holding Veronica’s hand the whole way, and leading her to a chair beside his own behind the desk. She felt as if she’d been granted a seat beside the Iron Throne. Once Ash and Jesse settled on the other side, he handed them each a sheet of paper.

  “These are the food options,” Cam said, “though some depend on the number of guests. Do you have a number yet?”

  Ash looked to Jesse, who was still staring, open-mouthed at Cam. The poor girl. She’d been Cam’d, and he hadn’t even smiled at her.

  Clearing his throat, Ash nudged his bride with his knee. She snapped her mouth shut and said, “What?”

  To his credit, Ash laughed. “We spent last night making calls, and right now, we’re looking at one hundred and thirty.”

  “You said one hundred,” Veronica cut in. They didn’t need to push the fire code limits and endanger Cam’s club.

  “I said around one hundred.”

  “It’s fine.” Cam patted her knee, then left his hand there. “We have the capacity for that. Would you prefer buffet or plated?”

  “Buffet?” Jesse said, her eyes on Ash for confirmation.

  “Ronnie and I had a buffet, and that worked fine.”

  Cam’s grip tightened on her knee. “I’m sorry. Who’s Ronnie?”

  As if he hadn’t already figured that out. Ash had the decency to blush. Bringing up his first wedding, while talking about his second, with both brides in attendance, was a bit tactless. He was nervous and stressed so Veronica gave him a pass, but Cam seemed less willing to ignore the faux pas.

  “That’s Veronica. I call her Ronnie.”

  “I see. Buffet then?”

  “Yes,” Ash and Jesse said together.

  Silence reigned as Cam made a note on his own sheet of paper. With one final flair of his pen, he looked up. “Which option on the menu appeals to you?” He passed his own copy to Veronica. “Here’s what we’re looking at.”

  On the bottom he’d written: This man never deserved you.

  She laughed and immediately covered her mouth. Two sets of eyes stared in confusion. “Just a hiccup. Sorry.”

  “Anything look good?” Cam asked, diverting the attention.

  “I think simple is best,” Ash said to Jesse. “What do you like?”

  Her dark ponytail swung as she met her fiancé’s eyes. “I guess I was imagining something more basic than these options.”

  The choices were a bit highbrow. Steak. Lobster. Miso-glazed cod with Asian pesto. Veronica couldn’t decide if Cam had overshot out of habit, or had set out to make this wedding ridiculously expensive.

  “We can simplify,” he said, leaning back in his chair and tapping the pen to his oh-so-perfect lips. “What about a taco and burrito bar?”

  The couple visibly relaxed. “That sounds perfect,” Jesse said.

  “Excellent.” Cam leaned forward again and reached for another set of papers. Handing them to the couple, he said, “Now to the drinks. We can do open bar the entire time, a limited open bar that would switch over to cash at a time of your choosing, or a strictly cash bar for the entire event.” Pointing to the sheets in their hands, he added, “These are your options in each tier: the high spirits with the basics, premium bar with more specific brand names, and of course, the top shelf, which speaks for itself.”

  “I don’t want anyone to have to pay,” Jesse said.

  “It is New Year’s Eve,” Cam reminded her. “I suggest taking that into consideration.”

  The couple looked a little green so Veronica said, “At least the fireworks will be free.”

  Nashville set off an impressive display at midnight every New Year’s Eve, and if her calculations were correct, they should be visible from the windows of the tavern. If observers leaned the right way.

  “We’ll take the premium level and open bar the full event,” Ash said.

  “I don’t—” Jesse muttered, but he cut off her protest with a kiss.

  “We’re going to do this right. No shortcuts.” He returned the menus to Cam’s desk. “Do you mind if we bring in a band?”

  Cam shook his head. “Not at all. The room is yours for the night.”

  “Great.” Ash beamed at his bride. “That’s one thing out of the way. Seven hundred and ninety-two to go.” They laughed together, then leaned close and went full-on in their public display of affection.

  Veronica rolled her eyes, and Cam cleared his throat to break things up. “Feel free to start setting up any time after nine that morning. I’ll make sure there’s plenty of staff on hand to help with whatever you need. What time should we start expecting guests?”

  “We’d like to start the ceremony at seven,” Ash said, “so I’d say six thirty.” The pair rose, and Ash held his petite fiancée tight against his side. Her head barely reached his shoulder. “Do you have a room that Jesse can use to get ready?”

  “We don’t have any dressing rooms.” Cam rose, and Veronica followed suit. He immediately took her hand. “She’s welcome to use my office. We can find a mirror somewhere, and there’s a restroom down the hall.” To Jesse, he said, “Will this do?”

  The tiny redhead nodded. “This would be perfect. Thank you so much, Mr. Rhodes. And thank you, Ronnie. I can’t tell you how much your help means to us.”

  “Cam’s the real hero,” Veronica pointed out. “It’s his bar, after all.”

  “You’re both heroes. If you two weren’t dating,” Jesse added, “I don’t know what we would have done.”

  “Yeah,” she said, trying to sound convincing, “good thing we’re dating.”

  “She’s only with me for my bar,” Cam said as he kissed the back of Veronica’s hand. The gleam in his eye said he was finding this quite entertaining.

  Playing tit for tat, she replied, “Of course, I am.”

  “You guys are too funny,” Jesse said, dismissing the ironically true statements they’d just made. “I hope you end up as happy as Ash and I are.”

  “That’s the goal,” Cam replied. Then he snapped the happy couple back to reality. “How would you like to handle the deposit?”

  “Oh, right.” Ash pulled his wallet from his back pocket and held out a credit card. “Put whatever you need on this.”

  Instead of taking the card, he said, “We’ll need to run the payment at the bar. Go on up, have a drink on the house, and we’ll be out once I have the final figures.”

  We’ll be out? Did he have a mouse in his pocket?

  “I can wait with them,” Veronica said.

  “No need. This won’t take long.”

  A bit bossy, but fine. He clearly had something he wanted to say without the loving couple around.

  Awkward smiles were exchanged before the pair did as ordered and headed back up to the bar. Mr. High-And-Mighty might think he’d won this round, but not for long.

  * * *

  “Ronnie?” Cam said. “You let him call you Ronnie?”

  Veronica pulled her hand from his. “It’s a nickname he gave me shortly after we met.”

  “A nickname you should have suggested he shove up his ass.”

  “Is that what you kept me in here to say?” She didn’t look amused, which was fine, because Cam didn’t feel amused.

  “I meant what I wrote on that paper. He never deserved you.”

  “You don’t even know him.”

  “No, but I know you.”

  Golden brows arched high. “Really? We met thirty-six hours ago.”

  An irrelevant point. “You’re far more beautiful than the sprite of a woman he’s marrying.”

  “Don’t let the no makeup and ponytail fool you,” she said, rounding the desk and putting more distance between them than he liked. “Jesse is gorgeous.”

  “Regardless. I don’t like him.”

  “Why?”

  Cam crossed his arms. “I don’t like the way he treats you.”

  “The way he treats me?”

  “Yes.”

  Veronica mimicked his stance. “And how is tha
t?”

  “Like he never loved you.” Hurt filled her eyes, and Cam regretted the words immediately. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

  “Don’t apologize.” She melted into the chair her ex had just vacated. “It’s true, after all. I just thought I was the only one who noticed.”

  “I saw the difference when you walked in,” he explained, measuring his words to be gentler. “Yesterday you were unapologetic. Alive in a way I rarely encounter. Today, you seemed to be turning yourself down. I prefer the way you were yesterday.”

  Watching him with narrowed eyes, she said, “There you go again.”

  “There I go again what?”

  “Displaying that astute nature in a way that makes all my girly bits quiver.”

  Cam wasn’t sure what that meant, but it sounded positive.

  “Quiver?” he said, closing the distance between them. “In a good way?”

  The low, sensual laugh jerked his body to attention. “A very good way.”

  He stood before her and offered his hand. He’d not given her a choice yesterday. This time she’d come to him. And she did. Sliding her hand into his, Veronica stood and pressed herself against him.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be doing math?” she asked, eyes locked on his mouth.

  “Fuck math.”

  Their lips met, hotter and headier than the day before, and when her tongue pressed for entry, he happily complied. She tasted of coffee and peppermint, and he knew he’d never experience either the same way again. Cam dropped onto the edge of the desk, pulling Veronica between his legs. She arched against him, making him grow harder by the second.

  When he broke the kiss to trail his lips along her jaw, she moaned in protest but arched higher, tilting her chin to give him access to her delicate neck. Cam licked a spot beneath her ear, and she shuddered.

  “You like that?”

  Another moan escaped, which he took as a yes. The front of her sweater dipped low, and he caught a glimpse of lace and silk. Cam slid a hand beneath the hem of the bulky garment and caressed along her ribs until he located the slip of lace. He cupped her breast, and moans turned to a growl. Veronica ground against his dick as her mouth found his, demanding, sucking, nipping. Cam squeezed again before tucking a finger behind the frilly barrier to slide across her nipple.