by Autumn Reed
“I was in the youth program for a few years before Jax convinced me to show up, so this is only my fourth Christmas party, whereas poor Jax has attended every one. It’s not so bad now, but at fifteen, it definitely wasn’t my scene.” At least seven years, then?
“Would you have shown up in jeans with a leather jacket and your hair falling over your eyes?” I asked teasingly, trying to picture a younger Knox at the elegant party.
“Well, I couldn’t afford leather back then, so trade the jacket for a hoodie, and you’ve pretty much nailed it,” he said with a chuckle. “Although, if you want to talk about fashion disasters, did you know that Theo went through a beret phase?”
“What? No!”
While Knox amused me with a history of Theo’s various fads, I noticed that Jackson had been approached by a cute brunette seemingly on the prowl. She was obviously flirting and attempting to draw Jackson into a conversation, but he appeared to be politely shutting her down. After another minute or so, he excused himself and headed for the bar. Interesting.
“There you are, gorgeous,” Liam said in a surprisingly loud voice as he latched onto my hand and started leading me away from Knox. “Let’s go out the patio; it’s such a lovely evening.”
I looked over my shoulder at Knox, and he shook his head with a smile. And then, just beyond him, I noticed a girl scowling at me. Upon closer inspection, I realized that she was the snotty girl I had accidentally bumped into not long after I began working at Zenith. What is her problem?
Liam lowered his voice. “That was a close call. Vanessa was marching straight for me, and I do not feel like dealing with her tonight.”
“Vanessa? Are you talking about the blonde who was giving me the evil eye?”
“Yes, sorry about that. She has been after me for months, and apparently she doesn’t take no for an answer.”
When we reached the patio, I was surprised by the number of guests clustered about, although I shouldn’t have been considering how beautiful the backyard looked. Large globe lights hung in the trees and hundreds of candles floated in the pool. The lights were dimmed, and the atmosphere outside was even more relaxed than in the house.
As Liam guided me to a relatively quiet corner of the patio, he asked, “Are you cold?”
“Surprisingly, no. Even though it’s chilly out here, those heaters really help.”
Finally dropping my hand, he gave me a wide smile. “Alone at last.”
I laughed, directing my gaze to the forty or more guests mingling in the outdoor space. “Yeah, completely alone.”
Liam inched forward until I had to tilt my head up to meet his heated stare. “Well, alone enough to tell you that every time I believe you couldn’t look any more gorgeous, I’m proven wrong.” Suddenly feeling too exposed, I tried to turn away, but he caught my chin and held it still. “I know what you’re thinking, but that wasn’t a line.”
Sensing the truth in his words, I responded softly, “Maybe I was just thinking that was an incredibly sweet thing to say, and thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he murmured back, focusing intently on my lips.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a waiter moving in our direction and took advantage of the opportunity to step back. Liam’s company was always entertaining, and much to my surprise, I was beginning to feel comfortable around him. Yet, I wasn’t ready to completely let my guard down with him. I didn’t know what I was waiting for, but a voice in the back of mind whispered that it was only a matter of time before my walls would come crumbling down.
After Liam coerced me into trying all of the appetizers on the waiter’s tray, we moved a little closer to the house, and I inadvertently caught Kara’s attention. I waved and then watched as she tugged on the sleeve of the guy standing next to her and headed our way. Once he turned, I recognized him as Logan from Team Falcon.
“Hi, Haley. You look so pretty, and your dress is amazing!”
“Thanks,” I said, admiring her nude dress with a blue lace overlay. “I love yours, too.”
Kara gestured to her companion. “I don’t think you’ve officially met Logan Costa.”
I offered my hand. “No, I haven’t. It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too,” he responded in a smooth voice. “Hello, Liam.”
While the four of us chatted about random topics, I noticed that Logan and Kara appeared to be intentionally standing about a foot apart, and they kept skirting eye contact. Is there something going on between them? With his dark hair and dreamy brown eyes, I wouldn’t blame Kara for being interested. And unlike Scott, Team Falcon’s leader, Logan seemed like a genuinely nice guy.
Well, he seemed nice until he turned to me and asked, “So, Haley, are you dating Liam or not? You’ve caused quite a bit of chatter around the office, but no one actually knows anything.”
“Logan!” Kara smacked him on the chest and gave me an apologetic smile. “You don’t have to answer that.”
As my cheeks began to burn from the implication that I was the subject of office gossip, my tongue froze to the roof of my mouth. Mentally, I knew the answer to his question, but I couldn’t manage to spit it out.
Liam came to my rescue, casually slinging an arm around my shoulder. “We do make the most adorable couple, don’t we?” he said, exaggerating his accent. “I fancy a drink. What about you, love?” He gave me an impish grin, clearly enjoying the performance.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at him and said, “Sure.” Anything to get out of responding to Logan.
“Haley! There you are,” I heard Melissa’s voice say from behind me. I turned around to watch her approach and subtly pushed Liam’s arm off my shoulders. Once she reached us, she linked her arm with mine and spoke to the others. “Hello, Liam, Kara, Logan. Sorry, but I need to steal Haley for a few minutes.”
When she started pulling me away from the group, I gave in and followed. “See you guys later,” I said, before giving Melissa a questioning look.
“You and Liam sure looked cozy,” she said with a sly smile.
“That wasn’t what it—”
She interrupted me. “It doesn’t matter; we have more important things to discuss.” Lowering her voice to a whisper, she said, “Don’t look, but Chase and Tyler are over there, and I need you to come be a buffer so I can talk to Chase. Pretty please? With dark chocolate on top?”
Or I could leave the party for a root canal. That sounded like just as much fun. Nevertheless, I found myself agreeing because I couldn’t think of an excuse not to. This should be interesting.
“Hi, Chase. Tyler,” Melissa said in her usual exuberant tone.
I glanced at Chase before working up the nerve to make eye contact with Tyler. As always, he looked great, and despite my refusal to be his date, he gave me a friendly smile. “You both look lovely this evening.”
“Thank you,” I replied, feeling shy around him for the first time. Luckily, I could count on Melissa to keep the conversation going; otherwise, I might have attempted to escape the awkward situation.
“Are you guys doing anything fun over Christmas?” Melissa asked, looking at Chase. When he didn’t respond, Tyler jumped in and described the huge family get-together that he was looking forward to. I watched Chase and could tell that he wished he could escape as much as I did.
“How about you, Chase?” Melissa prodded when Tyler was done talking. Although I felt bad for Chase, I had to give Melissa credit—the girl was seriously tenacious.
He ran his fingers over the end of his tie before answering. “Nothing nearly as exciting as Tyler’s plans,” he responded vaguely.
“Oh, come on,” she urged. “Surely you’ll do something.”
Apparently realizing he was being forced to answer, he said, “The team will spend Christmas at Patrick’s house. And, I’ll visit my grandmother. That’s about it.”
“Your grandmother?” Melissa’s voice rose to an almost shrill level. “That’s so sweet!”
“What are your
plans?” I asked Melissa, wanting to draw her attention away from Chase. He gave me a grateful smile as she started chattering about everything she had scheduled during her break from school.
She immediately dove into the next topic before abruptly asking, “Why didn’t you guys bring dates?” Oh, no.
Tyler shot me a smile and said in a teasing voice, “I had hoped that Haley would agree to accompany me, but alas, she did not.” I smiled back, relieved that he wasn’t upset with me. Hopefully, we could still be friends.
Melissa laughed. “Haley! You’re such a little heartbreaker!”
Feeling Chase’s gaze searing into me, I turned my head and slowly raised my eyes to his, unsure what I would find. His expression seemed more curious than anything as he searched my face like he was trying to figure me out.
“Chase?”
His head snapped at the sound of Melissa saying his name. “I’m sorry, what?” he asked distractedly.
“Where’s your date this evening?”
“Oh, um,” he stammered, quickly glancing at me and then away. “I’m not really seeing anyone right now.”
Melissa’s smirk was almost predatory as she said, “Well, that’s just a shame.”
I racked my brain for a subject change, and remembering Melissa’s mention of her upcoming ski trip, I asked, “So, what’s Colorado like this time of year?” It was a feeble attempt to avoid more dating conversation, but thankfully, it worked.
After a few minutes of listening to Melissa expound on the superiority of Aspen over Vail, I was relieved to see Theo heading our direction. “Haley! I finally found you! We’re going inside, no arguments,” he said merrily, resting his hand on the small of my back and leading me toward the patio doors. Looking over his shoulder, he called, “The rest of you are welcome, of course,” and I looked back to see Chase, Tyler, Melissa, and even Kara, Logan, and Liam all following.
As Theo ushered me to the stairs, I caught sight of Patrick and he gave me a friendly smile. I wanted to say hello at some point and compliment him on the party, but I hadn’t yet had the opportunity. He looked happy and at ease, the perfect host.
I was eager to escape to the game room, hopeful the change of scenery would relieve me from what had been a series of uncomfortable conversations. Doubtful, I thought. This entire party was like navigating a minefield. If nothing else, Jackson had mentioned a table of food, and that was something to look forward to judging by everything I had consumed thus far.
We entered a spacious room with large ceilings and, fortunately, few guests. I scanned the room, taking note of the large billiard table, dart board, and other games. Several girls lounged on the over-sized leather sofas, casting glances at Scott, Knox, and Ethan. When our group arrived, the girls turned their attention to us, and I felt like they were watching me, though I wasn’t sure why.
I darted to the food table, wishing for at least a few moments of peace and quiet, but Melissa followed close on my heels. “What is up with Chase? Why is he so frickin’ clueless?” Her exasperation was clear even through her loud whisper.
I shrugged. I couldn’t decide which would be more awkward, breaking the news to her that Chase wasn’t interested in her romantically or continuing to watch their game of cat and mouse.
“He admitted he’s not seeing anyone. Why won’t he ask me out? I’m practically throwing myself at him; I mean, what more can I do?” she whined.
Theo joined us, effectively cutting off Melissa’s rant, and we clustered around in a loose circle with our plates. Theo easily maintained the conversation, keeping the topics drama free, his friendly personality shining through. Although I envied his relaxed sociability, I was just thankful to have a moment's respite from all the drama.
Small groups of guests formed little cliques around the room, some talking and others playing billiards or watching. Melissa was summoned to join the group of girls sitting on the couch; they all seemed to be drinking, their voices getting louder and louder. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a few of the girls giving me dirty looks. What now?
Chase and Liam approached, and it almost felt like they were closing rank around me, sheltering me from unwanted questions and looks. Glancing past Theo, I noticed Ethan and Scott posturing, puffing their chests and clenching their fists as if anticipating a confrontation. Faces drawn, I couldn’t hear what had been said, but their body language sent a message loud and clear—they did not like each other. Knox straightened as he moved to insert himself between the two of them.
A moment later, Knox whispered in Ethan’s ear. Ethan downed the contents of his drink, slammed his glass on a side table, and stormed off in a huff. Scott and Knox shook hands, then parted, Knox joining our group. What was that about? Were Ethan and Scott the source of the animosity between Team Jaguar and Team Falcon?
Liam raised an eyebrow, and Knox issued a curt nod in response.
“Ugh, I hate when you guys do that,” I said under my breath, fed up with the insinuations and gossip of the evening.
“What’s that, gorgeous?” Liam asked.
“You know, your secret telepathic crap. Will you just tell me if everything is okay with Ethan?”
Knox chuckled. “Secret telepathic crap.” He took a sip of his drink, the ice shifting in his glass. “Let’s just say that Scott, Ethan, and alcohol don’t mix well.”
Theo rolled his eyes. “It’s not the alcohol, it’s the two of them. I may joke about the rivalry, but they take it too far.”
Searching out Ethan once again, I found him sequestered in a corner with his date, his hands grazing the sides of her rib cage. If he lifted his thumbs any further, he’d be touching her breasts, and they looked two seconds away from devouring each other. I got the impression that Ethan was avoiding the group. In fact, apart from the tense scene with Knox and Scott, I hadn’t seen Ethan interact with any of the guys all night.
When Liam challenged me to a game of darts, I gladly accepted. The five of us took turns playing each other as Melissa and several other girls inched closer, almost hovering on the edge of our circle. I slipped over to the food table to refill my punch when one of the girls sidled up next to me.
“How did you do it? How did you get in with Team Jaguar?” she asked, her words slurred.
Caught off-guard by her question, I must have made an odd face, because she continued speaking. “What makes you so special?” She leaned in, the smell of alcohol strong on her breath. “They’ve never given any girl, until you,” she pointed a finger at me, almost touching my chest, “the time of day.” Her tone was borderline angry.
Taken aback by her blunt, and rather rude, line of questioning, I shook my head, baffled by the one-sided conversation. Wow, just when I thought this party couldn’t get any worse.
After making an excuse about having to use the restroom, I walked away quickly. What the heck was I supposed to say? They didn’t pick me; they got stuck with me when they crashed into my life and ran my dad off?
I escaped to the hallway, planning to hole up in a bathroom for the remainder of the party if need be and caught sight of Chase heading toward a guest room. Curious, I trailed after him and was startled when he stretched an arm out of the doorway and clasped my wrist, hauling me into the room after him. Leaning casually against the wall, he pulled on my wrist until I was standing directly in front of him.
Even in the dim room, Chase’s smile was almost radiant. “Following me?”
“Not exactly. I was looking for a place to hide and saw you come in here. You okay?”
“Yeah, I needed a break from all of the people.”
“Oh, well, I can go,” I said, starting to move away.
Chase placed his hands on my hips to keep me in place and said softly, “Stay. I don’t want a break from you.”
Now a couple of inches closer to Chase, I looked down for a moment to conceal the pink I knew was staining my cheeks. “Okay.”
“Did something happen?”
I pressed my lips together,
trying to decide how to respond. Not wanting to make a big deal of the scene in the game room, I simply said, “I don’t think most of the other Zenith girls like me very much.”
Chase pulled me into a hug, whispering, “I’m sorry” into my hair. After releasing me, he gave me a surprisingly naughty grin. “Do I need to beat up a girl, or three, for you?”
Laughing, I shook my head. “I can handle them.”
“I know you can. And, you do realize they’re just jealous, right?”
I nodded, knowing it was true. The negative attention I was receiving wasn’t about me personally; any girl in my position would have received the same hostility.
After a few more minutes of discussing some of the not-so-fun parts of the evening, Chase groaned. “I guess we better get back; otherwise, Knox might send out a search party for you.” He held out his hand. “I vow to stay by your side if you promise to keep distracting Melissa.”
“Deal.”
Sweet Nothings
Chase opened the passenger door to his black SUV. “Ready to go?”
“Absolutely.” I hopped in, and he closed the door before walking around to the driver’s side.
I had only ridden with Chase a handful of times, but I liked his rugged vehicle; it was older but in good condition. Unlike the rest of the guys on the team, Chase seemed to prefer a relatively modest lifestyle. He shared an apartment with Kyle, and apart from his Gibson Hummingbird guitar (a gift), he didn’t appear to own a lot of things. I knew he was the youngest of the group, but I suspected he would be prudent with his finances no matter what his age.
“Are you sure you don’t mind taking me shopping? I know it’s not your favorite.”
“Shopping may not be my favorite, but hanging out with you is. Besides, I need your help finding the perfect gift for Gran.”
Wow, did he really just say that hanging out with me is his favorite? The comment was casually made, but I was positive I hadn’t imagined it.