“I didn’t deserve an invitation.”
“Did you get my text?”
“Yes. Alex and Miles said not to text back, because it would be better when I surprised you.”
“Seeing you was the best, especially because I was being a jerk in Vegas.”
“You weren’t, though. I hurt you, and it was up to me to prove to you that I understand what I did, and won’t do it again.”
“I could’ve made it easier.”
“Working hard for you is worth it.”
“I knew something was up when Miles agreed to come, but I didn’t know he was bringing you.”
“I rode in the jet with him and Alex, but I’m here because of your mother. She said you needed this.”
“My mama’s the best.”
“She totally is.”
“I feel bad about Miles missing work, though. He told me he was too busy, initially.”
“Alex said he’s been working too hard, so it’s good for both of them to have time away together. Especially with the baby coming soon.”
“Baby? No shit?”
“Oh, I don’t know if I was supposed to tell anyone yet.”
“I won’t say anything.”
“They asked me to be the godmother.”
I stop, and pull her into my chest. “You’ll be the best godmother ever.”
“I don’t know about that, but I can teach the baby math.”
“I meant it when I said you were more than labels, and it’s the same with math. You need to give yourself more credit.”
“Well, I stopped questioning why you want me, so that’s a step in the right direction. I can’t run the stairs all at once, but a step at a time, yeah.”
“I’ll be right here, walking up them with you.”
“I know.”
I lean down to kiss her, and it’s all I can do to keep it family friendly. I finally get to show the world she’s mine, and I want to go all out. Pulling back, because I have to, I rest my forehead against hers.
“9. 54. 61.”
“I love you, too.”
We kiss on the Ferris Wheel, grin at each other on the swings, laugh in the Fun House, and make-out in the Tunnel of Love. It’s a bunch of damn clichés, but I love every second of it. I love holding her hand, and kissing her, and not hiding how I feel. It’s exactly what I needed, and finally having it—her—is even better than I imagined.
“Ares, can I have an autograph?” yet another girl from high school asks, approaching us with her friend, as we’re eating every kind of fried food they have here, along with Alex and Miles.
“I’m pretty sure I signed your yearbook, so you already have it.”
I’m not usually so short with fans—or anyone—but I see the way they’re watching Rose eat her funnel cake, like there’s something wrong with her for loving carbs, and it makes my blood boil. There’s no way I’ll sit by, and let anyone try to make her feel bad.
She ignores my glare, and goes for Rose, anyway. “You know, your dress is pretty tight, and fried food is very bloating.”
Rose puts her dessert down, wipes her hands, and smiles. “Thanks for the concern, but I don’t care about bloating, and if you think it might affect me in this dress, wait until you see my dress for the dance tonight. Spoiler alert—I like to show a lot of skin.”
“Classy,” her friend says with a sneer.
“I never claimed to be classy, but I can guarantee you, I’m not classless.”
“Bitch.”
“Original,” Alex says with a smirk.
“You’re a gold-digger like her. You could do better, Miles,” the first one tells him.
“You need to move along, while you still can,” Miles tells her.
“Hit a nerve?”
Rose gets to her feet, and stares them both down. “She’s a Griffin, you idiots, and has as least as much money as Miles on her own. As for me, I don’t care about Ares money, I just love him—and his amazing dick. Mostly his heart, though.”
That’s my girl. Yep, that right there is one of the reasons I love her so damn much. Slay, baby, slay.
“No one here’s going to accept you.”
“I. Don’t. Care.”
“Neither do I,” I tell them, inserting myself back into the conversation. I lean over, and wipe some powdered sugar from Rose’s lips, before kissing her.
They finally take the hint, and walk away. Miles and I have to get to our autograph stations, so we quickly finish our food, and mentally prepare ourselves for the crowd. There’s no way either of us is going to leave our women alone after that, so we ask for extra chairs, and sit them right next to us.
Things go smoothly, until the guy I used to beat at races down back roads, approaches the table. “Nice shirt.”
“Do you have something for me to sign, or would you like a photo?”
“Pussy.”
“I do enjoy a good one, yes.”
“How’s yours, racer girl? You want to let a real man try it out?”
I stand up, and face off with the asshole. “Walk away.”
“Or what, your girl’s gonna hit me like she did those guards?”
“Yes,” I say, because her doing it would be so much better than me doing it.
“Letting a woman do what you should be doing,” he says, shaking his head, and then he’s on the ground, out cold.
“He should’ve read your shirt again,” Rose tells me, shaking her hand.
I take it to my lips, and kiss her knuckles as we smile at each other. “That was hot AF, Petal.”
“And fun, too.”
The rest of the signing is uneventful, and then it’s time for us to head our separate ways, and get ready for the dance tonight. I can’t believe I actually get to have Rose on my arm, in public. And I can’t wait to see that dress she was talking about
19
Rose
I put the finishing touches on my make-up, and stand back to look at myself in the mirror. I’m sparkling. On purpose. It’s for Ares, and as long as I keep reminding myself of that, I’ll be fine.
My hair is still sleek, and my dress has only one shoulder, an opening that slashes diagonally across my breasts, and a slit that shows almost my entire left leg. It’s totally me—except for the sparkly blue fabric. That’s totally not me, and I feel like I should be on a pageant stage somewhere. Maybe I should’ve borrowed a crown from Jenysis, or Darcy, to complete the look.
The knock on the door comes right in time, pulling me from thoughts of looking like an imposter. I open it to find Ares in a tux. I’ve seen him like this many times before, but never when he was mine, and he takes my breath away.
“Fuck.”
“Later. I mean, if you want.”
“Oh, I want, Petal. I definitely want. You look gorgeous.”
“Thanks.”
“You don’t like it.”
“What?”
“The dress. You’re slouching, and pulling at it.”
“It’s just so sparkly. Your mom said I should meet you halfway, and I want to, but it sparkles.”
“You always sparkle, darlin’; it’s just usually radiating from you, instead of being on you.”
“It’s still me, though, right. Not like that pink dress.”
“So much you. I want to slide one hand in the top, and one hand up that slit. This dress is going to drive me to the brink of insanity tonight.”
“You always know how to make me feel better.”
“It’s my mission in life.”
“The sparkles don’t seem so bad when you’re saying things like that.”
“Good. Just so you know—you don’t ever have to wear sparkles for me again.”
“Ever?”
“Ever.”
“You’re a keeper, Mr. Dixon.”
“I certainly hope to be kept by you, Ms. Murphy.”
“Let’s do this.”
He holds out his arm, and I take it. My hotel is right on the main square, so we just have t
o walk out the door, and we’re already where we need to be. The event company did a great job, because it looks like a fairy tale—or Hallmark movie—with all the tress covered in lights, and a band playing in the gazebo.
“Wow.”
“They don’t do this often, but when they do, they go all out.”
“It’s magical.”
“With you here, it is.”
I give him a quick kiss, and look around, trying to take everything in. There are lots of sparkly dresses, both short and long, but there are plain dresses, too. A few women are trying to out-do me in the skin department, while others are covered up. It’s just like any party I go to, but not really, because this is where Ares grew up.
Alex and Miles appear at our side. She’s in a loose black maxi dress with thin straps, while Miles has a tux on like Ares.
“This is beautiful,” she says.
“Should we dance?” Miles asks.
“Mingle first,” Mrs. Dixon says, joining us with Mr. Dixon in tow.
“I’m not in the mood to mingle, Mama,” Ares says, sighing dramatically.
“Rose wore this sparkly dress for you. Don’t you want to show her off?”
“After the carnival? Not really.”
“You’re made of stronger stuff than that, or at least we raised you to be,” his dad tells him.
“You up for mingling, Petal?” he asks, looking resigned.
“Yes. These people don’t scare me.”
“I know, but you don’t need to deal with jealous bullshit.”
“Since I plan to be by your side for the rest of our lives, I might as well get used to it.”
“Did you just propose to me?”
“We’ve barely started dating, so no. But if you’re lucky, I’ll do it one day.”
“And you said Miles and I make you gag. You two are too much,” Alex tells me with a laugh.
“Karma.”
The six of us present a unified front as we work the crowd. Four of us are pros at it, and the Dixons know everyone, so it’s easy for them, too. Once we’ve talked to everyone, we dance.
I don’t even try to hide my smile as Ares holds me in his arms, and twirls me around under the pretty lights. It’s romantic, and special, being here with him. This town is his past, and I’m his future. The meeting of us both may be a little rocky, but we’ve weathered more than this, and come out together on the other side. No one here is going to break what we have, no matter how hard they try.
And try, they do. I lose count of how many women and men try to cut in. We both decline the requests, and only swap partners with our friends, and his parents.
“You’ve made my son very happy today,” Mr. Dixon says as we dance.
“I hope to always make him happy.”
“You’re good for him, and I think he’s good for you, too.”
“He is.”
“We’ll be proud to call you our daughter-in-law one day.”
“You have no idea how much that means to me.”
“I think I do.”
He hugs me as the song ends, and Miles offers his hand, which I gladly take. “I’m glad you finally took what he’s been offering you.”
“I was just scared.”
“I know. Love is probably the scariest thing there is, but also the best.”
“Al said you’re getting a new VP, so you can work less.”
“Yeah, her name is Sage, and we’ve been trying to hire her since she graduated, but she turned us down every time.”
“Until now. I wonder why?”
“So do I, but I’m not dwelling on it. I want to be home with my wife every night.”
“I still call dibs on her for our TV nights.”
“I’d never try to interfere with Bravo.”
“Smart man.”
“Thank you for agreeing to be the baby’s godmother, Rosie. There’s no one we’d rather have.”
“You really want me? Alex didn’t put you up to it?”
“We both want you. I wish you could see yourself the way everyone else does, but I think you’re starting to, so that makes me happy.”
“I’m trying.”
“We’ll be here if you need us.”
“I know.”
The music stops, and Ares is before me, taking my hand, and leading me to a table, so we can sit for a little bit. I sit on his lap instead of taking my own chair, resting my head on his shoulder while he rubs my back.
“Whoa,” he says suddenly, sitting up straight.
I turn and see the girl who was introduced earlier as the Homecoming Queen from last year, kissing another girl. They’re both in beautiful dresses, and they smile at each other when they break the kiss. The smiles drop from their faces when a red-faced man pulls them apart.
“You stop this right now!”
“Daddy, I love her,” the queen tells him, and I know this isn’t going to go well. At all.
Ares
The son of a bitch slaps his daughter across the face, and Rose is on her feet before I can even register what happened. I’m close on her heels, and Miles is jogging over from another direction. Another couple comes running up, and pulls the second girl into their arms.
“You touch her again, and you’re dying tonight,” Rose tells the father, and I have no doubt she means it.
“You come in here, thinking you’re better than everyone, but you’re not. You’re a slut, like all the rest of Dixon’s women.”
I lunge for him, but Miles holds me back. “Alex has Reina on the phone, and help is coming for the girl. Let Rose do her thing.”
“Does it make you feel better to call me names? To slap your daughter? Do you feel like more of a man when you do those things? Because, you’re not.”
Rose is in his face now, and if I didn’t know she could handle herself, I’d be pulling her back. I watch as the town takes sides, and am happy to see there are more on our side than his. It’s not enough, though, because both of these girls are now at risk. It shouldn’t be this way—here or anywhere—but it is.
“The other family will need to be protected as well.”
“They will be,” Alex tells me, while Miles glares at her.
“I told you to stay back.”
“I’m far enough back, and our people will be here right about now.”
As she says it, a group of bikers comes rumbling into the square. Big, burly bikers who obviously owe Reina something, because they’re here to protect, and not pillage.
The leader gets off his bike, coming to where Rose and the father are still locked in a battle of wills. “We’ve got this,” he tells her, and she backs away as he addresses the crowd. “These four are under our protection. Anyone messes with them, and they’ll be dealt with.”
“You can’t be serious,” the father says.
“I’m deadly serious.”
“Are you going to take her in? Because she’s not staying under my roof.”
“She can stay with us,” my mama says, and I couldn’t be prouder.
“You are under our protection now, as well. We will escort you where you need to go, and we’ll be watching both houses as well as the school.”
“Thank you,” the other girl’s mother says, tears in her eyes.
“I could’ve protected them,” the mayor says, finally making himself known.
“You could’ve, but would you have?” I ask.
“How dare you? We throw this whole event for you, and you come in here like it means nothing to you.”
“This town, and most of the people in it, mean a lot to me, but I won’t sit back and watch things happen just because you put on a carnival in my honor. I’m not honored to see what almost happened here. What you were letting happen.”
“Maybe it’s time for you to go.”
“Maybe it is.”
“Shame there’s no more flights out tonight. You might have to sleep in your car.”
“My plane’s ready to go whenever I am, so that’s not a probl
em,” Miles tells him, the look on his face daring the asshole to keep going.
“Good riddance.”
He walks away, and a small number of people follow him. More stay, and start talking with the bikers about how they can help. As we walk over to say good-bye to my parents, I hear someone ask my father to run for mayor.
“Do it, Daddy,” I tell him, clapping him on the back. “I’ll fund your campaign.”
“I just might.”
“You don’t have to leave,” my mama says, and the crowd agrees.
“It’s best if we do.”
“Don’t you let that man keep you away. Any of you.”
“We won’t. Someone will be flying in to make sure everything’s working out okay,” Alex tells her.
We hug them good-bye, then walk over to the hotel to get everyone’s stuff. I have my bag in my rental car, since I was planning on staying with Rose tonight, anyway. It doesn’t take them long to grab their stuff, and we’re on our way shortly after.
As I look into the review mirror, I think of how today was both the best day of my life, and also the worst. Seeing people choose hate, and ignorance, over love always kills me. I just can’t wrap my head around it.
“Most of them were on our side,” Rose tells me, placing her hand on my thigh.
“I know, but it should’ve been all of them.”
“In no city on Earth will you ever find that. I wish with all my heart you would, but you won’t.”
“We just have to keep fighting for everyone.”
“Yes, that’s exactly what we have to do.”
20
Rose
“The cameras are all off?” I ask Ainsley, through my comm unit.
“Yep. You are good to go. Have fun.”
“I intend to.”
I drop my robe, and climb onto the hood of Ares old race car. It’s the one he caught me looking at, and when I saw it in one of the unused garages, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.
Ares knows I love him, and the past two weeks have been glorious, but a part of me feels like I have one more thing to prove to him. I’m going to make myself completely vulnerable, while making his fantasy come true.
Society Girls: Rose Page 14