Devon sat back in her chair and took a deep breath. “You’re right. I’ve got to pull it together. And I need to talk to Ryan. He probably thinks I’m crazy.”
“As he should,” Gabby said, pinching Devon’s cheek playfully. “But seriously, Ryan’s been a great friend to you. So just be honest with him and explain why you reacted that way. I’m sure he’ll understand. Then hopefully you’ll get up the nerve to tell him that you’re feeling him, too.”
Hearing those words caused an anxious bout of jitters to hit Devon square in the stomach. She glanced over at Ryan, who was busy taking pictures with a group of giggly, handsy female fans. “I don’t know, Gab. There’s a lot that comes with dating a celebrity. Plus we work together, and—”
“Will you please stop with all that? Ryan isn’t your average celebrity. And you’re sabotaging the situation before you even give it a chance. Just take things one step at a time and don’t overthink it. Ryan actually mentioned all of us getting together at the hotel lounge once we’re done here. That would be the perfect time for you two to talk.”
“It would…”
“I can see you’re on the verge of having a panic attack. Why don’t you go grab another drink? We should be finishing up here soon, then we can head out.”
“But I thought you all needed my help.”
“I just said that because you seemed to be in distress after Jason bombarded you and Ryan.”
“And I was. So thank you for that.” Devon stood up and ran her hands down the front of her gown. “I think I’ll take you up on that suggestion and have one last drink while I say my goodbyes. Meet you back here in about fifteen minutes?”
“Perfect.”
On the way to the bar, Devon peered over at Ryan’s table. He was still busy taking pictures. She tried to get his attention, but his eyes remained glued to the camera. The second she reached the other side of the dance floor, Jason swooped in.
“Hey, beautiful, where are you headed?”
“I’m beginning to think you’re following me,” she said, reflecting on how her old self would’ve killed for this kind of attention from Jason. “Am I right?”
“Maybe,” he said before they both burst out laughing.
“I’m actually headed to the bar to get a drink.”
“Cool. Mind if I join you?”
Devon shrugged. “Okay, but we need to make it quick. There are a few people I need to speak to before I leave.”
“Are you leaving soon?”
“I am.”
Jason flashed a sexy, crooked smile. “Well, I’m hoping this’ll be the first of many more conversations to come. Another glass of wine?”
“Yes please, thank you.”
The pair approached the bar and Jason placed their order. He handed Devon a glass then clinked his against hers.
“A toast,” he said. “To us reconnecting and seeing where this new chapter takes us.”
Slow your roll, Casanova, Devon thought as she raised her glass and took a sip of wine.
Jason stared down at the floor and shuffled his feet. “So uh…I’m sure you’re probably wondering how I just up and got engaged out of nowhere.”
“Yeah, that was pretty shocking. How did you and Amber go from being broken up to getting engaged, just like that?”
As Jason began explaining how he’d gotten caught up in the moment after going on a spontaneous vacation with her, Devon noticed Ryan standing across the room staring at them. She smiled and nodded her head, but he turned away without acknowledging her.
“So that’s how it happened, Dee,” Jason continued. “I proposed on a whim, and as soon as Amber said yes, I knew I’d made a mistake. She and I were too volatile together. That’s why our relationship didn’t work the first go-round.”
Devon tried to focus on the conversation but couldn’t, because she was too busy watching Ryan, who continued to ignore her.
“But that was my bad,” Jason rambled. “And I can admit it. I can also admit that the woman I should be with has been standing right in front of me for years. I was just too preoccupied to realize it. You know what I mean?”
Before Devon could respond, she felt her phone buzzing through her clutch.
“Excuse me one sec,” she said, pulling out her cell phone. A text notification from Gabby popped up on the screen.
Hey, Vince and I are wrapping things up. Ryan’s line is still really long but he’s agreed to stay late & greet every guest. We’re exhausted & gonna call it a night. Want us to walk you to your room?
Devon was hit by a wave of disappointment.
So we’re not meeting up at the lounge? she replied.
We’re not, but don’t worry. I’m sure you and Ryan will have a chance to talk tomorrow.
I hope so. I’m on my way back over to you now.
“Everything okay?” Jason asked.
“Yep, everything’s fine,” Devon said way more convincingly than she felt. “I’m actually going to call it a night.”
“Why don’t you hang out with me a little longer?”
“I’m really tired, Jason. Let’s talk tomorrow, okay?”
“Not okay, but…” He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “I hope I’ll get to see you before you leave town.”
“We’ll see.” Devon gave him a quick hug then headed back over to Vince’s table.
“Hey, you good?” Gabby asked.
“I’m good,” she replied quietly while helping to pack merchandise inside a box.
“Ryan’s been so awesome all night,” Gabby said. “Just taking pic after pic, signing autograph after autograph. He’s got to be exhausted.”
Devon nodded in agreement without looking up. “I’m sure he is.”
“Okay, ladies,” Vince said, “I think that’s it. I must say, today was a huge success.”
“Yes it was,” Gabby agreed, leaning over and kissing him. “You killed it, baby. You and Ryan brought out the entire town of Berman! I can’t thank you enough for doing this.”
“Same here,” Devon chimed in. “This turnout was amazing. Thank you so much.”
“It was my pleasure. I’m always happy to help for a good cause. Should we let Ryan know we’re leaving?”
Gabby leaned against the table. “Yes, and then I have got to get up to our room and take off these heels!”
Vince picked up the boxes and headed toward Ryan’s table. “You got it. Let’s go.”
A feeling of dread came over Devon as she followed the pair. She knew Ryan wasn’t pleased with her and was nervous about how he’d act. When they approached a group of people gathered around Ryan, neither she nor Vince and Gabby could get close to him. Through the flashing lights, Vince caught his attention and motioned to him that they were leaving. Ryan gave him a thumbs-up.
“Still at it, man!” Ryan called out. “I’ll hit you up tomorrow!”
“Great job, Ryan!” Gabby said.
“Thanks, Gab!”
Devon waited for Ryan to look her way, but he didn’t. She raised her hand high in the air over the crowd and waved. “We really appreciate this!” she announced. “Thank you!”
Just when Ryan looked her way, Devon felt a hand on the back of her neck. She spun around and saw Jason, who was standing so close that her lips almost brushed up against his.
“I thought you were leaving?” he asked.
“We’re heading out now. We were just saying goodbye to Ryan.”
“Dev, you ready?” Gabby asked.
“I am.”
Jason took Devon’s hand in his. “All right then. Have a good night. Looking forward to talking to you tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Devon said before quickly turning her attention back to Ryan. But he was once again posing for photos. This time, however, his smile had been replaced by a stoic stare.
“Come on, Cinderella,” Gabby said, linking arms with Devon and leading her toward the exit. “Time to call it a night. These dogs of mine are officially barking. If I wasn’t afraid of st
epping on a nail, I’d take these Choos off and walk barefoot up to the room.”
A heavy feeling of regret pulled at Devon’s chest as she shuffled toward the elevator. Everything is going to be fine, she tried to convince herself. But deep down inside, she knew that after tonight, things were far from fine.
Chapter Seventeen
Devon’s eyelids fluttered rapidly. She sighed and rolled over, throwing her hand over her face to shield the sunlight pouring through the blinds.
The buzzing of her cell phone pulled Devon out of a deep, tipsy sleep. She reached over and turned off the alarm, which had been set for nine o’clock. When she saw that there were no new messages or missed calls listed in her notifications, a pang of disappointment hit the pit of her stomach.
Devon reached down and dug around inside her tote for a bottle of aspirin. After popping two pills, she dragged herself over to the minibar and grabbed an iced mocha latte, taking several long gulps.
As her headache slowly began to subside, she thought back on last night and how Ryan had probably gotten the wrong impression about her and Jason. She decided to send him a quick text, just to clear the air and hopefully patch things up a bit before seeing him later that day.
Hey, thanks again for participating in the gala and being such a trouper last night. You alone probably saved Berman High from closing! I really appreciate it. Obviously there are some things that we need to discuss. Hoping to do that today. See you soon…
Devon tightened her grip on the phone, wondering how long it would take him to respond. Twinging bits of nerves began to nip at her stomach. She downed the rest of her latte, which didn’t help her anxiety.
Get busy, she told herself, hopping up and heading to the bathroom to brush her teeth.
After several minutes Devon checked her phone. Ryan hadn’t responded. She hopped in the shower, flat-ironed her hair and packed a few things. Still no response. That’s when she decided to call him.
A surge of queasiness attacked her stomach as she dialed his number. She mentally debated what she’d say when he answered the phone.
Just play it cool, Devon told herself. But all the plotting was in vain because the call went straight to voicemail.
She disconnected it without leaving a message and dialed Gabby’s number.
“Hello?” Gabby answered, her raspy voice barely audible.
“Hey, did I wake you?”
“Yeah, but that’s okay. What time is it?”
“Almost nine-thirty.”
“Oh good. We still have plenty of time before our flight leaves.” Gabby yawned loudly. “Vince and I are going to Lola’s Nook for breakfast. You’re more than welcome to join us.”
“I’d love to join you all. I’ve been craving Lola’s stuffed French toast. Now that the gala is over, I can afford to have a cheat meal.”
“Ooh, that sounds good. I’ve probably gained ten pounds since we’ve been here. I may have to do a juice cleanse when we get back to L.A. If I do, are you in?”
“With all the eating and drinking I’ve done since we touched down? Absolutely. So when should we head out?”
“In about forty-five minutes.”
“Perfect.” Devon hesitated, then cleared her throat. “Hey, have you all heard from Ryan? I tried texting and calling him but didn’t hear back.”
Gabby didn’t respond. Instead, Devon heard her and Vince whispering in the background.
“Hello. What’s going on?” Devon asked.
Gabby sighed into the phone. “Dev, Ryan is gone. He flew back to L.A. early this morning.”
Devon stopped glossing her lips midstroke. “I’m sorry. He what?”
“He went home. He said something unexpected came up that he needed to take care of. But I honestly think that after seeing you with Jason, then putting himself out there and not getting the reaction he was hoping for, he was too upset to stay here.”
Devon stared at her reflection in the mirror, her mouth hanging open in shock. “But Jason and I were just talking. And I wasn’t expecting Ryan to spring that news on me. I needed a minute to take it all in.”
“I know you did, hon. But he probably doesn’t see it that way. And just so you know, Vince and I did try to convince him to stay. But he insisted that he needed to get back to L.A. as soon as possible.”
Devon felt heated droplets of sweat forming along her hairline. “I can’t believe he just up and left without telling me. I mean, yes, last night did get a little messy. But I didn’t deserve that.”
“Look, why don’t you get dressed, and we’ll talk about this more over brunch? When we get back to L.A., I’m sure you and Ryan will get everything sorted out.”
Devon held her head in her hand and walked over to the window. She stared out at the happy couples sitting on the rooftop, laughing and talking. The sight brought tears to her eyes.
“You know what?” she said. “I woke up with a splitting headache, and it just came back. I’m gonna lie down for a while. Why don’t you and Vince go on without me, and I’ll just meet you at the airport?”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive.”
“Okay, hon. Well, let me know if you change your mind.”
“I will,” she replied right before her phone buzzed against her ear. “I’ll catch up with you in a bit.”
Devon grabbed a tissue and dabbed the corners of her eyes before checking her notifications. It was a text from Jason.
Hey, you. I was hoping you’d have time to join me for breakfast since it’s your last day in town. I’d love to see you before you abandon me for balmier pastures lol. Let me know if you’re available.
Devon hesitated. Ryan had abruptly left town, and she’d sent Gabby and Vince off to brunch without her. Now here she was, alone and hungry with a flight that didn’t leave until early afternoon.
She hit the reply button and began typing.
I’m available. Pick me up in thirty minutes?
Whoo hoo! Jason responded immediately. See you in thirty.
*
“I didn’t expect you to say yes to seeing me this morning,” Jason said before shoving a forkful of pancakes inside his mouth.
Devon sat across from him, watching as his bright eyes danced animatedly.
“I figured it would be okay for us to catch up before I left town.”
“Good. I’m glad. Because you’ve been playing me ever since the night of the reunion.”
Devon picked up her fork and slid pieces of fruit across her plate. “Yeah, well, I professed my feelings for you and was hoping you felt the same way. When I found out you didn’t, I was hurt. And my actions reflected that.”
“Well, things have changed, Dee. I’ve changed. And I’m sitting here with you now, asking you to give me another chance.”
Devon almost choked on a piece of pineapple. “Another chance?”
“Yes. I’m laying it all on the line right now. So talk to me. Tell me what you’re thinking.”
She grabbed her glass of water and took a few long sips. “Listen, Jason, you and I have been friends for a long time. And I did develop romantic feelings for you at some point along the way. But after you turned me down then got engaged to Amber, I was crushed. I moved on and started a new life in L.A. As for us, I’d be open to rekindling our friendship, and—”
Before she could finish her cell phone buzzed. She grabbed it, hoping to see a message from Ryan. But instead Gabby’s name popped up on the screen.
“Hmph,” she grumbled disappointedly.
“Everything okay?” Jason asked.
“Yep. Gabby texted me asking if I need a ride to the airport.”
“Tell her you’re not going to the airport, and that you’re staying here with me for one more day,” Jason said, grinning mischievously while rubbing his chin. “I need more time to talk my way out of the friend zone. You think you can swing that?”
“I really can’t. I’ve got to be at work super early tomorrow morning, and my boss emailed s
ome changes to our latest script that I need to work on. So I’ve got to get on that, like, now.”
“Wow. Look at you, girl. You went from making coffee runs to actually working on scripts. That’s so dope. I’m really proud of you. You’ve been chasing that Hollywood dream for years, and now you finally got it. All that’s missing is a good man though, right? But I’m about to change all that.”
“All right now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
“At least let me take you to the airport. I’m trying to spend as much time with you as I can before you leave. And hopefully when I come out to L.A. for work, we’ll really get to spend some time together. That is if you’ll have me, of course.”
“We’ll see. For now, I can definitely commit to a ride to the airport,” she said before texting Gabby back to let her know Jason would be dropping her off.
“Cool.” Jason sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. “So what’s up with you and your boy, Ronald Robinson, or whatever his name is?”
“You mean Ryan Roberts?”
“Oh, is that his name?”
“Yes, it is,” Devon said, shaking her head at Jason’s fake faux pas. “What do you mean, what’s up with us?”
“What’s going on between you two? I saw the way he was looking at you all night at the gala. And judging from the way he was mean mugging me, he’s obviously feeling you.”
Devon’s body stiffened up. She scooted away from the table and tossed her phone inside her bag. “There’s nothing going on between us. We work together. That’s it.”
“Well, that was pretty noble of him to come all this way just to attend a charity event to help keep our little high school open. Especially considering there was no press there to report his good deed to the world.”
Devon shrugged nonchalantly. “What can I say? He’s a charitable guy who likes to help his people. But anyway, thanks for breakfast. I appreciate it.”
“It was my pleasure. I’m glad you agreed to come out with me. Are you sure you can’t stay one more day?”
“I’m sure. As a matter of fact, I’d better get back to the hotel now and grab my things so we can head to the airport.”
She Gets What She Wants Page 14