by Andrea Hurtt
Blaze called out an offer of five hundred, and again at one thousand. He’d stopped when Nick called his attention.
“What? Why? I thought you wanted Scarlet.”
“Didn’t you see the way my brother was looking at her? He’s totally fallen for his leading lady,” Nick said.
“So? Let him have her. You’re not really interested, are you?”
“Not that I want to use the girl, but my little brother needs to learn a lesson. He’s never been good with sharing. Even as kids, we’d fight all the time over stupid shit, even over whose toothpaste was whose. And it’s obvious she has no interest in him. She was staring right at me.”
“Wishful thinking, buddy. Not every girl has a thing for you.”
“Five thousand dollars!” Nick yelled, instead of replying to Blaze.
Hope’s stomach had a seizure.
What does this guy do for a living that he can teach his brother a five thousand dollar lesson?
What she wouldn’t give to have that kind of money just lying around.
“Shit, man. Really?” Blaze’s voice had an angry edge. He said nothing else as he watched Nick walk away. He turned to Hope, as if she had any clue of what was going on. “Why is it always the blonde that gets the girl?”
“I feel the same way, I mean, it’s always the blonde chick that gets the attention.”
Blaze laughed. “Yeah, I guess it’s true. I’ve always had a thing for brunettes and redheads, myself. I don’t think I have ever dated a blonde. So, do you wanna dance?”
Hope took a step back. He’d caught her off guard. “Um, yeah. That would be nice, thank you.”
He offered his hand and led her to the back of the dance floor, where it was less crowded.
She’d wished earlier in the night that she was in the arms of Charles’ brother, but Blaze was a blast to hang out with.
He hinted at an interest in her best friend.
It gave her hope; Grace had been alone too long. If she was being honest, Hope wanted Nick.
Could one lead to the other?
She spared a glance at her friend, and her heart sank to her toes.
The chestnut-haired beauty was looking at the tall blond with admiration.
She was totally flirting with the guy! It was so not fair.
I really need to ditch the shyness.
If she’d just said something to Grace before she’d taken off for the auction, her friend would’ve known Hope was interested in Nick, and she’d be dancing with the right guy.
She smiled at Blaze. He wasn’t really her type, but at least he was fun.
A few short songs later, she glanced at her friend and the object of her desire again.
Grace looked different, almost uncomfortable. It seemed like they were moving closer to her and Blaze.
Sure enough, Nick tapped his friend’s shoulder. “Dude, switch me.”
Hope had never had a dance interrupted in such a manner. Then again, if Nick wanted to dance with her, who was she to argue how he asked?
Her bestie looked relieved to be leaving Nick’s arms, but not any happier to be going to another.
Hope tried to lighten the situation. “Be careful, Grace. He’s a little crazy,” Hope teased.
Her friend was quickly spun away, and they left her with Nick.
“Well, Hello there, Scarlet,” the tall blond said, in a sultry voice.
Hope’s heart soared and her skin tingled.
So she was Scarlet?
Maybe he’s interested in me, after all.
“Scarlet?” Hope feigned ignorance.
“Yeah,” Nick said. “You know, from Gone With The Wind?”
“I know Gone With The Wind, but why Scarlet?”
“You have the ringlets and the red dress.”
Hope laughed, and her face flushed with a delighted heat.
Scarlet wore a red dress in one scene in the movie, but her dress was fitted to her knees. Rhett had forced her to wear it because she’d been lusting after another man.
Does Nick think I’m a harlot?
“So,” she started, quickly changing the direction of her thoughts. “It’s none of my business, but why did you feel you needed to teach your brother a lesson?”
“You heard that?”
Is that shame in his eyes?
“I was standing right by you and Blaze. Did you have any clue that your friend is interested in Grace?”
“Blaze? He was just helping me piss off my brother.”
“No, Nick, he wasn’t.”
“Enough about him, tell me about you?”
She stared into his aquamarine eyes. It had to be the mask making his eyes look that bright. Their shade was surreal.
What is it about this woman? I can’t let go.
Nick held tight to the full-figured brunette, his eyes locked onto her hazel orbs. There was something about her that drew him in.
What was it?
Hope wasn’t his normal flavor of coffee.
He was known for his normal choice of tall, thin, and blonde. She was a fresh drink of water.
Yet perplexing at the same time.
Nick had continued dancing with Grace after their initial song, to further teach his snot-nosed little brother a lesson.
Just because Charles had made a claim didn’t mean something, or someone, belonged to him. The kid had never gotten that through his head. With a family the size of theirs, it should’ve been ingrained since birth.
Nick had learned his original assessment was right; Grace had no interest in his brother.
That was a relief.
Charles didn’t deserve someone like Grace. Although their relationship was strained, his younger brother had confided all sorts of details about Grace, tuning him in on how deep Charles’ feelings ran for the chestnut-haired beauty. He needed to be put in his place.
When he’d admitted he knew a bit too much about Grace, it’d made her uncomfortable and she asked him to dance with her friend.
He’d glanced at Hope then, and made a comment about how she looked like someone from a movie.
They’d in unison, “Scarlet.” Then they’d made their way over to the other couple, switching places in a whirl of satin.
One dance led to another.
Nick couldn’t let her go.
She’d never acted like she wanted to leave, so he kept her by his side.
For over two hours, they danced and chatted. Not about anything in particular, just common conversation.
Hope was so easy to talk to. She’d never once brought up his job. It was a relief. What he did for a living was usually the first thing women wanted to talk about.
“How about a drink?” Nick whispered in her ear. He loved it when her response was reddened cheeks, rather than words.
Blaze stood alone at the bar.
He made his way to the dark-haired man, keeping his dance partner tucked safely on his arm. “Why you alone?”
“Grace got swept away by her ‘father.’ So, I thought I’d get a drink. Care to join me?”
Nick ordered himself a Corona and Hope a glass of Moscato. He almost choked on his beer when his brother joined them, satisfaction written on his smug face.
“I see you finally got a clue about Grace,” Charles said.
“No, I just found someone I liked more. But fear not, you still have competition, little brother.” Nick didn’t explain further. He could feel his anger building. This wasn’t the time or the place for a blowout. He needed to get away from the situation. But that meant leaving her. He took a moment, finishing the last of his beer, weighing his options. He set the empty bottle on the bar and turned to her, ignoring his little brother. “My apologies, Hope. Blaze and I really need to be going. We have another event to go to tomorrow before the show. I hope I’ll see you again. Thank you for the wonderful evening.” He walked away, leaving Hope alone with Charles.
Charles gave her what she considered a million-watt smile before speaking. “I’m sorry. I d
on’t think I ever got your name.” He offered his hand.
“Hope.”
He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a tender kiss on her knuckles. “Why is a lady as beautiful as you, spending time with an asshole like my brother?”
“I, um…” She struggled with her reply. Nick had been nothing but a gentleman with her. And Charles was the one being the asshole. “Hey, my feet are killing me. Do you mind if we sit?” Hope glanced at the white granite tile planter box, not far. The wide top would work as a ‘seat’.
Charles led her over and sat on her left side, and her skirts filled the space between them.
She smiled. “Thank you. I’d hate to be sitting here all alone, waiting for Grace.”
The younger man sighed, and his shoulders caved. “I love my brother, but sometimes he can be such an ass. He kept Grace all to himself, and I never had a chance to dance with her.” He sounded so sad.
“Actually, it was me he spent most of the night with,” Hope whispered. She tried for a subject change. “So, tell me a little about you. When I was dancing with Blaze, he was saying the musical was popular because of you. Why’s that?”
“I’ve been a pop star since I was about twelve. I’ve sold over one million albums. A few years ago, I dated some rather popular Hollywood girls, all blondes. That landed me in the spotlight, but not in a good way. I’m done with blondes.”
Peacocking much?
His confession should have impressed her, but she found his tone to be cocky.
Hurry, Grace. I don’t know how much I can take.
“So why are you doing an off-Broadway play instead of movies or something?”
“I wanted to try something different. I don’t like being told what I should do...”
Hope looked to see what had caught his eye when he stopped talking.
Grace was slowly gliding their way.
She stood and hugged her friend. “Are you about ready to go? I’m sure your feet are killing you in those shoes.”
“You can’t leave. I haven’t had a dance yet,” Charles protested, jumping up from his seat on the planter box.
Her bestie scoffed. “Charles, we dance together every day. My feet hurt, and I’ve danced all night.”
“Please,” he begged.
Hope knew her friend wanted to say no, but her kind heart and friendly nature won over. She’s love to tell Charles off, but she was too shy to speak up.
“Okay, fine. As long as I can take my shoes off first.”
He offered his hand so she could bend over and accomplish her task.
“Hope?” Grace asked.
Hope took her pumps. She forced out words that needed to be said, for Charles more than Grace. “Don’t worry about me. Just keep it to one song, please?” She stayed where she was, keeping an eye on her friend dance and her co-star.
The slow circle reminded her of a high school prom number.
There was no rhythm, no direction.
Then they stopped moving.
Grace looked upset. Her cheeks were void of color, and her eyes like sharp daggers.
Had Hope missed something?
Grace walked off the dance floor alone.
She said nothing as she joined her. They walked in silence to the elevator, and the ride was just as quiet.
Hope let her keep to her thoughts.
Grace would open up when she was ready.
They sat on Hope’s bed, their dresses unzipped but still pooled around them. She didn’t have to share a room like Grace did, so they could have privacy.
Her bestie finally broke the silence, but she didn’t gush about the dance with Charles. She begged Hope to spill on the evening.
They both got comfortable in their nests of fabric and dished.
Chapter 3
The following evening, Hope found her seat in the theater and glanced around. Her stomach fluttered with disappointment to find the two seats beside her empty.
A theatrical production was always more enjoyable when they filled every seat.
It was just moments before curtain call when there was some sort of disruption at the end of her row.
She laughed when Blaze and Nick tried to work their way through the seated people.
“Is this seat taken?” Blaze asked.
Hope couldn’t speak for a moment. “Um, no,” was all she could get out. She glanced past the dark-haired man, and her heart skipped when Nick looked right at her, smiling a dazzling smile that lit up his eyes.
Blaze brought her back to reality when he spoke again. “I know it’s odd, but would you mind sliding over one seat and sitting in between us? I want to ask you a few questions about Grace, if you don’t mind?”
She stood; they did a little dance, switching places. It made her heart soar.
Blaze was showing interest in Grace. Did that mean Nick was into her?
This was turning out to be quite an adventure.
Hope waited for curtain-call, and took a deep breath to settle herself.
That was a big mistake.
When she inhaled, she took in the surrounding air, but also a little of Nick. His cologne swirled around her, making her feel kind of drunk.
“Have you seen the show before?” Blaze leaned in, breaking the spell Nick was putting her under.
She was still trying to collect herself from the musky scent of the man to her right. She could only stare at the other man.
“You know, it’s okay for you to talk once in a while,” Blaze teased.
Before Hope could answer, the curtains opened.
The show was amazing.
She could see the turmoil in Grace, as much in her character, Maddie. She fell in love with the boy-next-door her father had told her she could never have. While events unfolded, Maddie learned there was so much more out in the world.
The character went in search of something dangerous, something magical, only to discover she already had everything she desired in her own front yard.
The ending brought tears to Hope’s eyes, and she had to pull a tissue out of her purse to dab at the corners.
Then the show was over, the curtain calls done, and the applause died out.
“You are staying for the cheese and wine tasting, right?” Blaze asked.
Nick interrupted. “Wine?”
“Dude, you’re an idiot. Didn’t you see the sign when we came in? They’re hosting a cheese and wine party to raise money for the company. Damn, pay attention.”
Hope touched his shoulder. “Of course, I’m going. Grace is my best friend and I’m here to support her.”
“Then may I offer you my arm and escort you?”
“I would be de—” She didn’t get to finish the sentence because Nick appeared on her other side and offered his arm without asking.
Blaze made a sound that sounded like a muffled laugh and touched her arm, to bring her attention back to him. “I really want you to tell me a little bit about her. The sooner the better,” he whispered right above her ear.
Hope didn’t get to divulge any information because Grace and Charles headed toward them.
She broke contact with the two men and enfolded her best friend into a tight embrace. “What a fabulous show, Gracie, I think this was the best one yet.”
“Thank you. I was really into character.”
Nick kissed her friend’s knuckles. “Impressive, Grace. I was almost brought to tears at the end. It was a very emotional scene. Even my brother poured everything into it.”
Envy hit her gut. She never wanted to be in the spotlight, but to have him kiss her hand like that… Hope wanted to swoon.
Nick turned to Hope. He was burning for a moment alone with her. “Would you like to join me for a drink?”
“Um, yes, that would be lovely.”
He offered her his arm, which fit so perfectly in the crook of his.
Why does it feel like this?
“What can I get for you?” the bartender asked Hope.
“I’ll take a
Moscato if you have it,” she said in a quiet voice.
“And for you, sir?”
“Your best red wine, the drier the better.”
“Yes, sir.”
He didn’t normally have more than one drink a week; it was part of his new healthier lifestyle, but he needed something to take off the edge.
I shouldn’t need liquid courage. I’m Nick fucking Ford! Women fall at my feet!
Drinks in hand, they worked their way back to their friends, just in time to see Blaze’s face red from laughing.
Nick put his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “What’s so funny?”
His buddy appeared to be having a hard time catching his breath; his face was blotchy, and he was panting through his chuckles. “Dude, she thinks we’re porn stars!”
He frowned and scratched his head. They’d been accused of being many things, but porn stars hadn’t been one that’d ever hit the list before.
“No really, Blaze. What do you do for a living then?” Grace asked.
“I’m in the entertainment industry. I’m a stage performer.” There was a brief pause. “I’m sure you already know who I am. So let’s quit playing games,” his friend said. He had a dark eyebrow arched.
Nick tried not to laugh at the hidden pun.
She really doesn’t know who we are?
Everyone knew who they were. Nick let out a sigh. They couldn’t go anywhere without being mobbed. This was so surreal.
“I’m sorry, Blaze. I don’t know who you are, other than a friend of Charles’s brother. So yes, let’s quit playing games.”
They could have cut the tension in their little circle with a knife.
Since he’d defused many intense situations as a big brother, Nick stepped up to the plate. “I’m surprised my brother hasn’t told you all about us. You know he has a musical background, correct?”
“Yes,” Grace snapped. “I knew one of his songs when it first came out. I think it was called Beat Back?”
“Yeah, that's right. But did you know he had an older brother in a pop band?”
He glanced at Hope just as the pink rose in her cheeks. “So you have heard of us, then? Razor’s Edge…”
Grace spoke, bringing his eyes back to her. “I don’t keep up with the music scene. I mean, there are a few songs I love, I’ll catch on the radio once in a while or on a playlist, but I don’t follow bands.”