by Wendy Louise
“Race you in,” she calls as she begins to run towards the pool.
I kick off my flip-flops and run after her, catching up to her easily and grabbing her around the legs, flinging her over my shoulder.
“Let me down Gray,” she says as she pummels her small fists against my back in vain.
“Okay,” I reply as we hit the waist-deep water, and I throw her in, sinking her back beneath the surface. If this doesn’t remind me of our time in Hawaii then I don’t know what will.
Liv emerges from the water with a smile, running her hands over her long slicked- back hair. “You love doing that to me don’t you?”
If only she knew how much!
“C’mon, let’s go to the pool bar and grab a drink.”
We swim the length of the pool and settle on bar stools in the water after ordering our preferred drinks. A guy to the left of Liv keeps eyeing her and it’s starting to piss me right off. He looks like he’s about to make a move so I casually lean in towards Liv and place my arm around her shoulders. I lift my drink with my other hand and move to make a toast.
“To a wonderful holiday Liv.”
She grabs her cocktail and taps the glass against my bottle, before taking a sip. The guy to her left has pulled back slightly, but I still don’t like the look of him so I don’t move away from her yet. Besides, she doesn’t seem to mind having me so close.
“Tell me about your tour Gray,” she says, turning her body towards mine.
“We kick off in LA and then we make our way up the West Coast, playing in San Francisco, before heading to do some inland shows and then ending in Vegas. We’ll be on the road for about two months. I can’t imagine living on a tour bus with Will, Matt and Cooper for all that time, but I guess this is what it’s all about, touring and getting the music out there.”
I feel a pang in my chest when I think of being away from Olivia for two months, but I push that aside. My whole life to this point has been about getting the band to where we are now and I can’t let anything derail that, not even Liv. “The album will drop just before we head off, and we hope to have Dark-haired girl sitting in the top ten before the tour commences.”
“It’s a great song Gray; I know it’s going to go really well. You deserve all the success coming your way, you and the boys have worked so hard for it. Just don’t forget us lesser beings when you make it big.”
“Lesser beings! Liv, you’re one of the hottest tickets around at the moment, it’s a privilege for me to be sitting here with the most gorgeous girl in Hollywood right now. I don’t think my star will ever eclipse yours.”
She gives me a warm smile. “Thanks Gray.”
“How are you coping with all the media attention?” I ask. She seems to take all the photographers and reporters in her stride. She’s always polite to fans that approach her and stops to sign autographs all the time.
“I get so sick of it, but truthfully, where would I be without them? They’re the ones that get me the attention that I need to sustain my career. Sometimes I have to psyche myself up to leave the apartment, but most of the time they’re pretty respectful.”
She taps her fingernails on the side of her glass and then looks up at me. “You’ll have to get used to it too Gray. Once they get wind that the sexy lead singer of Awesome Rebel is living with me, the stories are going to fly.”
“Sexy?” I ask.
Olivia blushes. “You know the effect that you have on women Gray,” she says, as she cocks her eyebrow.
I lean in closer. “I don’t care what effect I have on women, I want to know what effect I have on you.”
I know that I’m crossing the line here, and I did promise to curb the flirting, but I can’t help myself. We’re sitting in paradise, sipping cocktails with the most romantic backdrop on earth; I can’t help but be affected.
Olivia eyes me again and says, “You know the effect that you have on me too Gray, there’s no need for me to stroke your ego further by putting it into words.”
Before I can push further she thanks the bartender and dives back into the water, swimming towards the other end. It seems our conversation is done for now.
I follow her into the water wondering what night fall will bring.
We’ve enjoyed a stunning buffet dinner in the restaurant at the resort. Joshua made sure to book tables to accommodate all the wedding guests. Liv and I sat with Ethan, Ava and Liv’s parents and had a great time, all catching up on what we’ve been up to since we were last together. It felt really special to be part of their group, like I was a part of their family, even though I’m not.
I have a great family.
My parents have been married for nearly thirty years, just like Liv’s have. I can see that their family values are really similar to those that mine share. I have a sister and a brother, both younger than me.
Sienna, my sister, is the youngest of the three of us. She’s just graduated from college after studying dance. She is amazing, always has been, and I have no doubt that I will be watching her on stage very soon.
My brother Christian is only eleven months younger than me. My mom always affectionately calls him her ‘happy accident.’ He’s a really talented writer and is studying literature, but he has a talent for journalism.
Our parents encouraged all three of us to follow our hearts and dreams into whatever careers we chose. I could not have asked for more support from my family, even though they all knew that the chances of me making it as a musician in LA were slim.
My parents moved from LA to San Francisco some years ago when we all moved out to pursue our chosen fields, so I’m looking forward to seeing them when we tour there. My sister and brother are coming to the shows there too, so it will be great for all of us to get together.
I miss them.
Thank God I have Ethan, he’s my LA brother, and his friendship has been important to me since we met at Summer Camp when we were fifteen. We’ve been inseparable for eight years and we’ve seen each other through a lot. I’m so fucking happy that he has found Ava; they’re perfect for one another.
He’s always needed someone to care for him.
Olivia’s dad, James, stands up and taps his knife on the side of his glass, causing everyone in the room to give him their attention.
“I want to welcome everyone here for the wedding of my beautiful daughter Ava and her fiancé Ethan. We hope that you all enjoy the festivities over the next few days and we look forward to Ethan’s family joining us tomorrow. I’d like to make a toast to Ethan and Ava, may you have many years of happiness together.”
“To Ethan and Ava.”
We all raise our glasses and toast the happy couple as they kiss and cause everyone to clap and cheer.
“To the bar!” James announces, as we all rise from our chairs.
We settle into large wicker lounge chairs that are scattered around the space. Josh and Chelsea, Liv and I all sink onto the large white cushions. Ethan and Ava are doing the rounds, saying hi to all their guests and catching up with friends. “What are we drinking?” I ask.
The girls opt for Tequila Sunrises and Josh and I go for a Corona each. The humidity in the air is high despite the fact that it is late in the evening. The palm trees are swaying in the warm breeze and flaming torches line the beach and walkways. The resort is amazing.
An MC takes to the large stage in the corner of the bar. “Welcome everyone,” he says, “tonight is Karaoke night on the island. We need volunteers.”
At once, everyone turns to me. Ethan calls to me across the room, “Gray, get up there and start it off man.”
I shake my head.
Karaoke is not really my thing.
Liv gives me a nudge with her shoulder. “Go on Gray, show them what you got.”
“I’ll only go up there if you do one with me.”
“Ooooh no, you know I can’t sing. I’m not getting up there with you and your amazing voice.”
I decide that I won’t take no for an answer so I
grab Liv’s hand and drag her with me. Everyone starts to clap and chant our names as we near the stage. “Gray, I am not doing this,” she says through gritted teeth.
“Yes you are, c’mon it’ll be fun. I’ll let you choose anything you want.”
“Anything?”
“Yep.”
Olivia looks over the list that the MC hands her and whispers her choice to him.
“Do I get to know what we’re doing?”
She takes a microphone and hands one to me as the backing track starts, and the small TV screen fills with lyrics.
She’s chosen Summer Nights from the Grease soundtrack.
I shake my head; I can’t believe she has me singing John Travolta’s part in this song. She gives me a saucy smile and I start to sing. Within minutes we are both getting into it and I’m surprised to hear that Liv actually has a great voice.
Being the actress that she is, she quickly gets into character and starts singing straight to me, putting all her dramatic skills on show. She’s breathtaking. Of course the crowd get into the song too, so we have all of them doing the ‘Well-a, well-a, well-a, uh!’ backing vocals.
The song comes to an end, and the audience start asking for more.
“Shall we do another one Liv?”
“Let’s,” she says. “Hang on; we should get Ava and Ethan up too.”
Liv calls for them to come and join us, and they do so reluctantly after much coaxing from the crowd. I ask the MC if he has a tambourine handy. Ava loves to play the tambourine. The first night I met her I had her up on stage playing with the band and she was really good.
He returns with a tambourine which I hand to Ava after placing a kiss on her cheek. She smiles adorably at me before taking it and moving to stand near Ethan.
Knowing that Ethan is a huge Bon Jovi fan, I ask the MC to cue up Livin’ on a prayer. Once the backing track starts, the four of us all start singing, sharing a really fun moment and all leaning into one microphone.
We may not sound the best, but it’s the most carefree moment I’ve had in a very long time as we all let loose.
Four friends enjoying the night and making memories.
What a great way to start our holiday.
Playing with fire
It’s been a long time since I’ve had this much fun.
Our time here on the island feels so carefree. There are no photographers for me to worry about, and I’m with people who know and love me, so I can fully relax for the first time in ages.
Now that we have all retired for the evening, Grayson and I are standing at the foot of the ginormous bed in our bure just staring at it.
“I can take the couch,” he offers.
“No Gray, the bed is huge, there’s plenty of room for both of us. We just need to stay on our own sides.” I say pointedly.
“Agreed,” he says. “You go use the bathroom first and I’ll go after you.”
I grab my wash bag and pyjamas from my case, and make my way around the screen that separates the bedroom and bathroom. Gray has already seen me in my boxers and tank-top combo, but this time I’m keeping my bra on.
I brush my teeth and run a brush through my long hair before making my way back out to the room
“Do you have a preferred side of the bed?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “No you choose.”
He makes his way to the bathroom as I pull back the covers on the bed and take the right-hand side.
My heart is pounding out a rhythm in my chest, and I feel so nervous, even though we won’t be doing anything but lying beside one another.
Yet somehow, this feels more intimate to me than any time I’ve ever spent in bed with a guy before. I don’t know whether that’s because this is Grayson, but whatever it is, it has me taking deep breaths to try and calm my nerves.
Gray rounds the corner in just a pair of black boxer briefs. As soon as I catch sight of those amazing tattoos that span his chest and ribs, a breath catches in my throat. I’ve been staring at them all day in the pool, but somehow in the muted light of the bure, with the moonlight streaming through the louvers, he takes my breath away.
“You really are gorgeous Gray,” I say without even thinking, the words flying from my mouth before I can stop them.
A heart-stopping smile pulls at his lips. “I could say the same about you.”
I lie down on my side and pull the covers over me to try and hide my embarrassment at saying that out loud. Grayson climbs into the bed, the mattress dipping under his weight, and lies on his side facing me, tucking his hands up under his pillow.
“Sweet dreams Liv,” he says, before closing those gorgeous green eyes, fanning his eyelashes across his cheeks.
Suddenly a wave of disappointment washes over me. All day it has felt like Grayson and I are a couple, and right or wrong, I’ve wanted him to kiss me so many times, but he’s being respectful, and hasn’t.
I take a deep breath and roll to my other side, away from him. I can’t lie here looking at him, it’s too hard.
And too tempting…..
He shifts behind me and is suddenly spooning me, wrapping an arm around my stomach and pulling me back against his chest.
“Sleep now Liv,” he says as he holds me tight.
I know I should protest and stop him, but I don’t want to.
I snuggle back into his arms and close my eyes, feeling an overwhelming surge of contentment flow through my veins, and settle in my heart.
I slowly peel my eyes open, conscious of the bright sunshine streaming through the large windows. I take a deep breath, inhaling the most wonderful scent in the world - Grayson.
Sometime during the night, he has rolled to his back and I’m now sprawled across his chest, our legs entwined, and my arm thrown casually across his sculptured chest.
He is sleeping peacefully, so I take a moment to study his flawless face before I try to slowly extricate my limbs from his.
“Hey, stop moving Liv, I’m enjoying this,” he says in a deep sleepy voice.
I lift my head to stare into his eyes, and in this very moment, I realise that I’m done for. I’ve lost all resistance to this gorgeous man and I don’t want to fight it anymore. I want to be his, and maybe we can only have fun for a few weeks until he leaves for his tour, but I don’t care.
I want him.
I trace my fingernail over the tattoo of a dragon on his pecs. He looks down to where my finger is drawing patterns on his skin and his breathing hitches. He has a small scar over the middle of his chest that is faded and lost among the tattoos, but I can still see it. I trace my finger over it and he shudders.
“Liv?” he says.
“Sssshh,” I say. “I’m enjoying exploring.”
I continue to run my fingertips over the ink covering his body. His smooth olive skin is stretched tightly over the strong muscles in his abs and pecs, and he even has that deep V of muscle that leads into his boxers.
I can see the evidence that my touch is turning him on. I resist running my hand over his boxer shorts, I don’t want to come on too strong, he may not want this, our friendship is important to both of us.
Gray places his hand under my chin and lifts it up so that I’m looking into his eyes. They’re filled with heat and passion. “Liv, when we were in Hawaii I asked you what it was that you wanted, and I told you I would fulfil your every whim. You asked me if that was a promise. Can you remember what I said?”
“Yes,” I nod. “You said abso-fucking-lutely.” My palm is flat on Grayson’s chest and I can feel his heart beating – fast.
A small smile pulls his lips. “What do you want Liv?” he says, his voice deep and low.
“You,” I say, without doubt.
Grayson’s hand skims over my cheek. “Are you sure?” he breathes.
I nod, keeping my eyes on his.
In an instant, Grayson’s mouth slams onto mine.
He rolls us so that I am flat on my back and he is hovering over me, covering me with his war
m body. He kisses me deeply, swirling his tongue into my mouth and tangling it with mine. My hands immediately go to the wild dark hair on his head and I bury my fingers into it, pulling him closer.
Grayson runs his hands down to the hem of my tank top, raising it slightly to run his fingers across my stomach along the waist band of my shorts.
Heaven!
He pulls back and stares down at me. “You are so unbelievably gorgeous Liv. You’re more beautiful this morning than in any of your photo shoots or movies. I am one lucky sonovabitch to get to see you like this.”
I groan before pulling his head back down so I can kiss him again. I can’t seem to get enough.
“I want you Gray.”
“Fuck! I want you too.”
Our hands are roaming and our legs are tangling like we can’t reach each other quickly enough, like we can’t get close enough.
Like we are clawing our way inside each other….
In that moment, there is knock on the bure door.
It’s like icy-cold water has been poured over both of us and we jump apart so quickly that Grayson almost falls off the bed. Both of us are breathing heavily, and I know my face is flushed.
“Who could that be?” Grayson says breathlessly, running his hands through that gorgeous mane of hair.
“I don’t know,” I reply, as I grab my silk robe and tie it around my body.
I open the door to find Ethan and Ava standing there with coffee and croissants. “Wake up sleepy heads,” Ava says, “we’ve already been to breakfast and we brought you both some coffee.”
As they make their way into the room, Ethan is eyeing both of us, and a knowing smile tugs the corner of his lips. “I hope this isn’t a bad time,” he says with a smirk.
“Of course not,” I say without looking him in the eye.
I move towards Ava and gratefully take the coffee from her, happy to have something to occupy my hands. She is totally oblivious to what is going on.
“Liv, we need to go over the plans for the Bachelorette Party tonight with Josh. He wants to make sure everything is in place.”