by King, Imani
“I can’t believe all this. It must have cost a bundle.”
“What’s the use of money if you don’t spend it on the good things in life? What else are we going to spend it on?”
“Yachts?”
“We’re in Wyoming.”
“Good point.”
We walked into the event. There was music playing, but it wasn’t Corbett Crossing. It wasn’t live, just a bit of country Southern Rock coming from a laptop attached to the speakers. Still, it set a happy carefree tone.
The smell of grilling meats also caught my attention. People chatted, played and gossiped, it was fine excuse for family to get together.
They all seemed to take it all for granted. I’d never had this much family and never had this much love inside a family. I realized I was jealous.
“If you’ll pardon me, I have to head off and do some behind the scenes stuff. Christian and Liana did a lot of the planning, but I need to make sure all the gears and cogs of the event are in working order. I trust you won’t go too insane without me for fifteen minutes?” Miles gave my hand a quick squeeze.
“What, leaving me alone with my fiancé’s enormous family, all clueless and overwhelmed?” It still felt incredibly weird to call him my fiancé.
I had to remind myself again that this was all for show. Miles’ plan had taken hold inside me and was becoming more real every day. I was his fake fiancée. Was he fake? I couldn’t tell the difference between faking it and living it. The reality of my fake life was more filled with love and exuberance than anything my real life had ever offered me. I hardly knew myself anymore. I just knew it wouldn’t last when my deepest lies were exposed.
“They’ll love you, Destiny. Don’t worry about it. Mingle. Get to know people. They’ll soon be your family.”
He patted me on the shoulder and then did a slow jog away from me.
Soon to be my family? Yeah right. I wished myself invisible. The last thing I wanted to do was draw attention to myself. I didn’t relish any scrutiny.
What’s more? I didn’t want to get to know these people. I already knew I was going to hurt Miles and Ashley, but the last thing I wanted was to spread the pain around. I wanted for them to assume I was some heartless bitch. Maybe that way they could convince Miles of that, and help him move on when I was gone.
“Oh ho ho, what do we have here?” A surly voice said. I turned to face him. A tall individual, same hair color and build as Miles. Obviously one of his cousins or brothers or whatever. He looked a little younger, so maybe a nephew? “Young lady, you do know this isn’t an open party right?”
“Are you saying I don’t belong here?” I raised an eyebrow. I knew how to handle this sort of treatment.
“This is for Corbetts and the people they love. You aren’t Liana, or Miles’ fiancée, so pardon me for assuming you might be lost.”
“Really? What makes you think I’m not with someone here?”
“You’re far too beautiful to fall for a Corbett.”
I had to blush. “Well, sorry, I fell for one,” I replied, again falling into that weird zone where I didn’t know if I was telling the truth or not. “I’m Miles fiancée.”
“No, wait. You? You’re Miles fiancée? Miles is marrying you?”
“Do you have a problem with that?”
“Of course not, just that,” he leaned in. “You can do better than Miles, honey.”
“Really?”
“Ash. Don’t harass the poor girl,” Miles said, quickly returning. He looked my way and winked. “Everything’s under control. Sorry for making you endure five minutes without me.”
“Is she really your fiancée, Miles?” Ash said, looking me up and down. “Talk about going out of your league.”
“Isn’t that for me to decide?” I replied.
“Yeah, I guess so. Not trying to presume. All in good fun you know.”
Miles started to pull me away from Ash. “Don’t mind him. He’s on the prowl for anything unattached, female, and not related to him.”
“He might rework approach.”
“Ash is Ash. Some people won’t learn no matter how explicitly you teach them.”
“Wait, that’s Ash? Ash Corbett?”
“Yes, that’s his first and last name. Why do sound so surprised?”
“He’s the lead singer of Corbett Crossing?”
“Yes, I told you he would be here.”
“He was hitting on me?”
“I believe so.”
I shook my head. “He’s having trouble finding a girl?”
“Let me revise his dilemma. Unattached, female, not related to him, and not solely interested in him because he’s rich and famous.”
“That’s a pretty big deal I suppose.”
“It is. Your wealth or popularity hardly determine who you are as a person.”
We noticed people were starting to gather near the stage. Miles tilted his head toward the stage. “Apparently Corbett Crossing wanted to sing us a little song when we got here. They should be hunting out Ash now.”
“A song for us?”
“That’s what I said, yes. There’s something I wanted to do though when I saw the dance floor though.”
“And what would that be, Miles?”
“Well, there was that dance we did back in Vivian’s old room, with you wearing a terrible shirt. We grooved along to Ashley’s singing, but since then all I’ve wanted was to dance with you in a proper place, on a proper floor, with proper music.”
“Simple Man is hardly dance music.”
“I can change that.”
He rushed me along. Apparently he wanted to get this arranged before Corbett Crossing took the stage. It still screwed with my head that I was about to see Corbett Crossing take the stage. What was more unbelievable, they had a special song for me, Miles’ fake fiancée. My fake life was a mindfuck. Add to that, even though I didn’t look like the typical fan, if pressed to tell the truth, they’d always been a guilty pleasure of mine.
Miles talked to the guy behind the laptop, and the music abruptly shifted from 1970s to 1770s. A classical, orchestral score filled the area.
Miles turned to me with a sly grin on his face. “May I have this dance, milady?”
I had to laugh again. “Sure, just don’t ever call me ‘milady’ again?”
“Certainly, milady. After that time, no more milady.”
He swept me up back into a sort of Waltz along with the music. I wasn’t lying when I said I was a dancer. You know, the kind that doesn’t involve the pole. It’s more than taking your clothes off. You need the grace and dexterity to do certain things, just like any sort of dancing.
I didn’t have formal training. I was in dance club in my high school, for everything that’s worth. I practiced every style of dance, from classical to modern by watching music videos and learning all the moves. I could keep up with Miles and his fancy Tango, I had a knack for movement and could read my partner, as well as predict where he was going next.
This part of our charade was going really well. To do a successful dance duo, as many couples so often perform on their wedding day, requires lots of practice. The good ones are on the same wavelength as their partner. The more fluid and connected the dancers are, the more believably matched they become to the audience. Maybe it’s why dancing has evolved and become so important to our mating and bonding rituals. I was no anthropologist but I did know the power of dance..
He was a great leader. I wondered if he’d had formal training himself. He easily glided me around the floor then bent me over at the waist and leaned into me. A crowd had gathered in around us, eager to see Miles’ fiancée. I wasn’t shy. I couldn’t be, but this wasn’t the life I was used to. This wasn’t how people looked at me when I danced. Instead of arousal, I saw only admiration and happiness that Miles had found someone.
He spun me around, and held me close to his chest. God, and in spite of everything going on around me, I hardly overlooked the way he touched me.
It wasn’t NC-17 like he had touched me before, but it definitely wasn’t G either. I’d peg it around PG-13, perhaps.
I cracked a smile, just for the moment I wished this could be real. That it wasn’t an arrangement to keep Ashley in his life. That it wasn’t just a sexual connection. I allowed myself to think for a moment what it would be like to have a man like Miles as a true husband and not a fake fiancé.
“What the hell is this ancient crap?” Ash called out, storming onto the stage. “Lucas, I thought you were supposed to be warming people up for us, not putting them to sleep.”
“Chill, Ash,” Miles said breaking away from me. “I made the request. I just wanted a good old fashioned tango with my girl here.”
Ash looked my way and nodded. “Okay, I can totally understand wanting to tango with that.” He stepped toward his mic. “But enough of the Bach, let’s get into Bachman-Turner Overdrive, or some Corbett Crossing. Whatever you prefer. You’d like to hear Corbett Crossing, right folks?”
The rest of the band filed in as Ash needled the crowd that was his family. His very extended family. God, there were a lot of Corbetts. When my aunt passed, we could have fitted the whole group of mourners in a mini-van. Here, they could fill up a pretty hefty cruise ship.
Knowing their affluence, I wouldn’t have been surprised if they actually did that.
An onslaught of cousins, first through third, filled the dance floor to standing room. Miles and I stepped aside. Ash began with something more appropriate than anyone could guess. “Dumb Love” was one of their hits about falling in love with someone who you know is a bad idea.
Not relevant to my situation at all, I marveled that a song could be so dead on. I still couldn’t believe that I was here, listening to Corbett Crossing. Only because Miles had asked.
I looked carefully at each of the band members. This might be the only chance I would get to see them up close and live. There was River. He was tall, sort of willowy. He wasn’t rippling with muscles, but he always had that soul that told you he didn’t need to be ripped to get the girl. The way he played that guitar, he could probably play her into bed without even saying a word.
On the drums was Chance. He was a drummer. This meant he, by definition, was required to be part gorilla. Sometimes though, that sort of beast can be all too sexy. He always had a smile on his face. Ash stood in front of him singing a heartfelt ballad, and he was smiling like he had just won a million dollars.
Then there was Dustin, a jack of all trades. He was youthful, but at the same time world weary beyond his years. He played guitar, tambourines, cowbells, harmonicas, and once he brought out a weird electric thing where he wave his hands around it. I think they were called theremins? It didn’t matter what it was. He did whatever he needed to do to complete the formula and make the song truly great. He was versatile and smart and seemed like he always knew just the right thing to make the music sound great.
Of course, there was Ash. He had a big mouth and he knew how to use it. His mouth had a tendency to get them in trouble with the media for his gaffes, but I never got the idea that he was mean spirited. There was a sweetness to him. I never would have expected that he thought I was hot.
If I wasn’t already taken by Miles and on the road to breaking his heart, I wondered if I would ever have a chance with a guy like him.
“So this is my future daughter-in-law. Granddaughter-in-law, rather.” An older woman showed up behind me. She had that same cheerful demeanor Miles did.
“Grandma Corbett,” Miles said as he took her hand and kissed it as if she were some sort of mob boss. “You’re looking as beautiful as always.”
She didn’t look bad for... eighty? Apparently she was Miles’ grandmother, so she had to be up there. “Hello there,” I said, bashfully.
“You must be Destiny. Miles has told me so much about you.” With sudden spryness for her age she hugged me. “I’ve never seen him so happy as he looks tonight.”
“Yeah, happy.” I swallowed nervously, still forcing a smile. Real or fake, I didn’t know anymore. I just knew it was going to be terrible when it all came crashing down. All these people were so damned happy for him.
“I’m serious. With all the nonsense with that woman, I was afraid Miles would swear off love forever. You’ve mended his broken heart, young woman, and I have to thank you for that.” Grandma Corbett reached over and pulled me into a hug.
Only so I can break it again. She kept hugging me. It felt nice but it was also awkward and I really wasn’t sure how to break away from those gripping arms.
“Maybe you should let Destiny breathe, Grandma.”
“Oh, oh, I’m sorry.” She stepped away. “I’m just giving her affection for three.”
“Three?”
“Miles’ parents couldn’t be here, but I know they would have loved to see their son so happy and about to be married!” She hugged me again. “I just know they’re looking down from above absolutely charmed that he found such a nice girl.”
I looked over at Miles as I was being hugged.
He shrugged. “Grandma’s gonna Grandma.”
My heart was sinking. She was sweet. She was honest. She wanted her grandson to be happy. I wanted that too, but I knew this wasn’t going to lead to happiness.
God, what would all of them do when they discovered all this was a fraud? This woman who now crushed me with affection, how would she feel when she realized she wasn’t going to see her grandson married after all?
And how was I going to handle it? I knew from the beginning what was expected of me, but the lines kept blurring. Suddenly I wanted more than I ever could have even hoped of asking for…but what was even more dangerous was the feeling that I could have it.
The Corbetts were good, kind people. They’d welcomed me into their family and into their hearts. And whenever I looked at Miles, I felt like it was my heart that was going to break.
Chapter 17
Destiny
Finally, I was freed from Grandma Corbett’s kind, warm welcome, and my attention was diverted to the stage as Ash wound down his first song.
“You all know what that was. But I think among family I can risk being a bit more creative than just going down the big hits. Let’s do something in honor of... well, our guests of honor. Miles, Destiny Brooke, this one is for you two. I call it “Cleaning Up My Mess of a Heart”.”
“Well,” Miles said off hand, “All he knows is that I was going to hire you as a maid.”
“That doesn’t matter. I’m amazed to have a song written about me.”
River, the band’s guitarist, started with a slow riff then gave it structure for the song to build on. Ash, took to the mic. “When you stumbled onto me, babe, it felt like a tornado had hit me. You hit me hard till nothing held me together but the pieces some call a man.”
As a fan, I leaned in, wanting to remember every line of a new song by an artist.
Unfortunately, Ash was about to let the whole audience in on the rough draft of a song in progress.
“You grabbed a piece, and I knew I was a man again,” he winked at me, then said without singing, “If you know what I mean, huh.”
“Oh god.”
“Yeah, this might not be for the kids,’ Miles said.
“I was a mess,” Ash continued, “And you were the cleaner. Or so I thought, but babe, when we collided, we just made messes all the meaner.”
“Is he aware his mother might be listening?” I whispered to Miles.
“Yes. He’s hoping she’ll pretend to be oblivious to the lyrics.”
“You cleaned me up, you picked me up, you went down, you went up, I went down, we were happy making a messes of the best kind, messes of the heart.”
All I could do was look around the room and try to see the reaction of everyone else.
“Kindness is not judging me at the worst of times. Not just wanting me at best of times, making me come with the touch of velvet.”
My eyes were wide open staring at him.
Yes, Corbett Crossing did a whole lot of love songs, every popular band did. This ‘love song’ was so far from mainstream it nearly choked on this whole mess of innuendo he was throwing indiscriminately about.
“You pick me like an old dandelion and blow me all over the field. Make a wish, babe, tell me what it is, and I’ll make it come true!”
“Someone will edit him,” Miles mused. “I don’t see the velvet line staying, at least without some cleansing context.”
“There’s a sweetness to it,” I responded. “The dandelion line is just weird, though.”
“Editors are the unsung heroes of writing, I’m sure you realize that more than ever.”
I nodded rapidly.
“That said, with a song and a dance, I’ve been fighting not to get a little dirty. “
“Oh really?”
“Yes. I want to do all sorts of inappropriate things. I don’t care if there’s a party going on in my honor. I need to make a mess with you, dear Destiny. Or at least let you blow me all over…the bed. The field is a little too public.”
I realized that what Miles proposed sounded incredibly tempting.
As if whatever he proposed would ever not sound tempting.
Miles put a hand on my shoulder, and did his best ninja impersonation as we faded into the background as Ash managed to recover the crowd from his draft by another big Corbett Crossing hit song.
Ash kept the crowd’s attention. No one seemed to notice our escape. When you have family reunions this big, there are lots of people to keep everyone engaged. The cover of music was nice.
Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to blend into a crowd. Especially when you run into someone who knows you really well.
Like your best friend.
“Destiny!” She called out and rushed up to me. She grabbed me harder and pulled me in longer than even Grandma Corbett’s impressive hug.
She was the absolutely last person I expected to see today.
“Shawna, how have you been, girl?” I said, after a long embrace.
“I’m doing pretty good if I say so myself.” She gestured toward the hunk behind her.