Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Thirteen
Grady
“Why do we have to go to a dumb show?” Viktor grumbles even as he adjusts his tie.
Dante glares down the limo bench at him. “Because people like you, though fuck if I know why. The Venom is making a comeback, so the hockey fans are going to come out to see you and breathe the same air. And then they’re going to take photos and videos and reels and shit, and that’s what we in the business call free advertising.”
Tristan frowns. “But I thought you said photography wasn’t allowed at the show?”
Dante raises both hands. “Of course, it’s not! Which is basically insurance that people will take sneaky photos and act like they’re part of some big secret event. Jesus Christ, none of you assholes know the first thing about marketing, do you?”
“Language, Papo,” Sergio says without looking up from his phone. “You can’t insult my players.”
“I’m not insulting them,” Dante argues. “Facts are facts. Or am I not allowed to be honest, either?”
“Not when you’re calling them assholes,” Sergio mutters.
Briggs, who’s in the seat beside me, nudges me with his elbow and nods to the fistful of bright blue tulips I’m holding. “I see you brought flowers. Do you have a secret girlfriend we don’t know about?”
On the other side of the limo, Viktor chokes.
“Viktor’s sister is the costume designer,” I tell him. “We talked about it at lunch the other day. Didn’t you bring her anything for opening night? Aren’t you all friends?”
“I don’t usually get my kids’ friends flowers,” Briggs says.
Knight laughs. “Sure you do. You got Sofia flowers when she finished her master’s . And you got Knova flowers at her high school graduation. And you got Dot flowers when she had that big End of Life ceremony for Nudacris…”
“Oh, right.” Briggs scratches his jaw. “Yeah, fair enough.”
Knight winks at me, and I wonder how much he knows. I return the gesture with a tight-lipped smile. I appreciate the backup, so long as it doesn’t lead to the eventual blackmail that seems inevitable. I wonder if Viktor spilled the beans or if it’s just that obvious that I have a thing for Viv. Does he know that we’re seeing each other? Or does he think I’m just another would-be suitor who’s going to end up heartbroken in her wake?
Oof, that last one is depressing, and just a little too real. I’m glad Noah’s in the other limo, because I would not want him to be part of this.
Before I can stew in my own juices for too long, we arrive at the red carpet. Dante, of course, has arranged a spectacle, complete with photo ops with other minor celebrities from the Vegas area. I have to hand it to him: there’s quite a crowd, although I’m not sure how many of these folks are here because of us. I suspect that the show itself has quite a draw, given how much effort has gone into the production. Besides that, they have a thriving social media presence, something I learned when Laura shared links to our sibling group chat last week. Of course, she wanted to know which person in the photos was Viv and proceeded to go all internet sleuth on me.
All the Venom players are shunted into the VIP line, where we meet a cast of strangely-costumed performers. I admire Viv’s handiwork. She has a fantastic eye and a wild imagination. Not surprising, given her influences. Now that I’ve visited the Gnome Gloam, I feel like I have a special insight into the things that make her tick.
About halfway through the line, next to a hulking shrimp puppet, I come across Viv herself. She greets Viktor and Noah warmly but plays it cool when I stroll up, even though I can see the bright amusement in her eyes. I offer her the bouquet.
She flutters her eyelashes. “Are these for me? Why, Coach Metcalfe, you really didn’t have to.”
“I wasn’t sure you’d like them,” I admit.
“Of course I do. Blue tulips.” Her teasing smile has me thinking about all the other things those lips can do. “Mermaid style.”
“Exactly.”
Viv gives me a one-armed hug, which must look perfectly innocent to the folks taking pictures but which makes my heart lurch. “Find me at the afterparty,” she whispers. “I’ll introduce you to Mia and Jaime.”
“I will,” I promise. I pull apart before we can arouse suspicion. Part of me wishes that we could be more open about our relationship, but there’s also something thrilling about this game of trying to keep everything subtle and low-key. Viv moves on to greet Camden, and I shuffle along down the line.
Somehow, I end up seated next to Noah for the performance. As people around us file to their seats, he turns to me.
“I saw that you brought flowers for my daughter,” he observes.
I resist the urge to tug on my collar. “Yup. Sure did. Where I come from, it’s an opening night tradition.” I brace myself for accusations, though I doubt that Knight will be able to intervene this time.
Instead of threatening my life, Noah smiles. “That was really nice of you. For me, the Venom has always been an extended family, so the fact that you’re making an effort to support the next generation… it means a lot. You’re all right, Grady.”
“Thanks.” I hope he doesn’t notice my wince. The next generation. Come on, I’m not that old… although I guess it makes sense that Noah thinks of me as being a peer, and therefore in his generation, rather than as a possible romantic interest as far as his daughter’s concerned. If he knew I’d like to live between her legs, I doubt he’d be so quick to pat my back.
The show starts soon after, which not only saves me from Noah’s observations but allows me to slip into a surreal vision of the world beneath the waves. Larisse was a professional dancer, so I’ve been to a lot of shows over the years, but I’ve never seen anything quite like this. The acrobats are incredible, but I find myself analyzing every costume, thinking of all the hours Vivian spent designing and constructing the costumes and props.
She’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. I just hope I can convince her that I’m just as intriguing.
* * *
As soon as the show ends, the audience goes nuts. People love it. I twist around in my seat until I find Dante, who I swear has dollar signs in his eyes. His marketing scheme worked: I’m positive that everyone here, no matter why they showed up, is going to sing the show’s praises and pack the seats for the foreseeable future.
I let myself get swept up in the movement of the crowd, which is making a collective run on the Mona Lisa’s main ballroom. I just go with the flow and keep my eyes peeled for Vivian.
Amidst the riot of color, wild costumes, and over-the-top oceanic decorations, everyone becomes a blur. It doesn’t take me long to find Viv in the crowd, though. I’m drawn to her as if by magic.
She’s standing next to two of the acrobats, one of whom is wearing a skintight morphsuit and a hat that looks like a cresting wave. The other figure is the woman from the billboard, dressed in the mermaid costume that started it all.
“Vivian?” I ask.
She lights up when she sees me, and I’m gratified to note that she has one of my blue tulips pinned to her blouse. “Hey, Grady!”
The wave turns to me, and the guy in the costume lifts one eyebrow. “Viv,” he stage-whispers, “is this him?”
“Ooh!” The mermaid claps her hands. “It’s Elevator Guy!”
“It’s Grady,” Viv hisses. “My father’s coworker, remember?”
“Sure.” The wave holds out one hand to me, not like he wants me to shake it, but as if he’s expecting me to kiss his knuckles. I go for it, which makes him laugh with delight. “Oh, you’re fun! Nice to meet you, Grady, I’m Jaime.”
I frown but don’t make a big deal of it, even though I’m surprised. Viv has mentioned Jaime a few times, but I didn’t realize he was a guy. I nod to the mermaid instead. “Which must make you Mia, right?”
She giggles and holds out her hand in the same way. “Enchanté!” I kiss her knuckles, too.
Viktor and Noah come over, so I make myself scarce for the moment. I wander off to the refreshment table and pull out my phone to fire off a text.
Grady : You never told me Jaime was a guy.
VivaLaViv : I never said he wasn’t. Why, are you jealous?
Grady : Of course I am.
VivaLaViv : Would it make a difference if I told you he was gay? Although I think he and Mia have hooked up, so maybe he’s bi…
VivaLaViv : Either way, we’ve never slept together.
Grady : That’s not why I’m jealous.
VivaLaViv : Oh?
Grady : He gets to spend more time with you than I do.
VivaLaViv : By that logic, you should be jealous of Mia, too.
Grady : Bold of you to assume that I’m not.
I glance toward Viv to find that Viktor and Noah have moved on and that she’s now talking to Renee. I look around for an excuse to stop by again—I could take her a drink or something—but before I can make any moves, a hand lands on my shoulder.
It’s Jaime. Mia is at his side, taking tiny baby steps as she tries to get around in her mermaid tail.
“Hello, Grady,” Jaime says. “We’re here to give you the third degree.”
“And to make sure we approve of you,” Mia adds. Her elfin face pinches into what I assume is supposed to be a menacing scowl. It’s… not very effective.
Jaime releases my shoulder, but he continues to pin me in place with his glare. “What are your intentions with Viv?”
I give him a lopsided smile. “More like, what are Viv’s intentions with me? I was hoping you could give me some insight.”
The two of them exchange a glance. “She’s a total heartbreaker,” Jaime admits.
Mia nods her agreement. “No man has ever been able to tie her down. Many have tried, and all have failed.”
“Cool. Because my intentions would be honorable if she had any interest in making things official.” I look her way again.
Jaime pouts and widens his eyes as if I’m a really cute puppy. “Oh, poor thing, you’re smitten.”
“Hardcore smote,” Mia agrees.
Being “hardcore smote” feels like someone reached into my chest, rearranged everything without asking, and then left me to figure out how to function with this new, all-consuming gravitational pull toward Viv. It’s not just attraction—it’s this bone-deep certainty that we’re headed someplace special if she’ll just give it a chance. And yeah, it’s terrifying, because I’ve never been the guy to lose my head over a woman. But here I am, absolutely wrecked in the best, most frustrating way possible.
I look back and forth between the two of them. “Any words of wisdom?”
Mia purses her lips and taps one finger against her chin. After a painfully long pause, she says, “Release all expectations.”
I grimace. “Anything else?”
Jaime tilts his head to one side. “Live in the moment. Love her as long as she’ll let you.”
“I meant wisdom on how to successfully win her heart,” I explain.
Jaime shrugs. “Sorry, Mr. Elevator. You seem like a nice enough guy, but our Vivi is an independent woman. She’s got commitment issues.”
“And abandonment issues,” Mia adds. “Don’t you dare tell her I said that, but it’s true. After her parents—” She cuts herself off.
“We’ve talked about them,” I hasten to explain. I don’t want her to feel like she’s revealed a secret. “But Viv said that she’s well-adjusted on that front.”
Jaime casts me a pitying glance. “You can’t acknowledge what you don’t understand.”
“She’s pretty self-aware,” Mia adds. “But she’s got this whole complex about leaving people before they leave her, and I promise you, it came from somewhere.”
That makes sense. I nod as I mull this information over. “So your advice is to prove to her that I’m not going anywhere and hope that’s enough?”
“Sure.” Jaime shrugs. “Sounds great. Now, let’s check out the buffet before it’s fully picked over. Dante doesn’t fuck around when it comes to snacks, and I’m starving.”