CHAPTER 7
The following morning, I woke up surprisingly refreshed. Since it was Sunday and I had no work or an appropriate hobby, I first decided to take Strawberry out for a walk. Jay was busy working on this one song that had been driving him crazy for days, so I let him be.
I loved that Central Park was right outside my doorstep.
After apeaceful walk and a steaming shower, I invited both Lily and Gabe over for lunch, deciding to make an elaborate spread of roast chicken, crispy potatoes, arugula salad, and vanilla pudding.
Gabe arrived early, carrying a few bottles of wine in his arms.
“You didn’t have to get those. Jay has plenty of wine, and they are the expensive kind—the nice kind,” I added as I opened the door.
He planted a quick kiss on my face before he hurried over tothe kitchen and dropped them on the marble countertop.
The clink of them hitting the counter reverberated through the room. “As much as I would love to drink your boyfriend’s collection, these were the leftovers from the events. Evy, there is nothing like free wine. ”
“I agree,” I replied as I walked past him to check on the chicken, which was browning perfectly in the oven.
“You look very domesticated,” Gabe commented, propping on the breakfast counter, already having poured himself a glass of wine as he regarded me.
I shrugged, having no idea what to say.
“It suits you. You look happy—like you always should be.” His voice softened at the end, and I flushed, smiling.
“So everything good between you and your man? You told me you were having issues.”
I darted my eyes toward the terrace to see that Jay was still hunched over, fiddling with his guitar. I wiped my hands on the dishcloth, leaning over the counter as I sipped the glass of Chardonnay he poured for me.
“Yeah, we are fine—everything is fine, better than it has ever been in my life. You know how sometimes doubts and fears start to eat at you? But I think I’m getting better at dealing with them.”
“It’s fucking life,” Gabe remarked, wheezing out a sigh as he rolled his eyes. “Who knows what the fuck that bitch has up her sleeves.”
“What bitch and what sleeves?” A melodic voice filtered to us.
Lily came rushing in, locking her arms over Gabe’s neck and squeezing tight. “Caught you.” She smiled.
I laughed at Gabe’s dramatic expression as he clawed her hand as if he were really fighting off a strong warrior on a battlefield.
“Yes, you did.” Gabe’s eyes narrowed on Lily when she let him go. “You’re lucky I find your brother hot, or else I would have ruined you. ”
“Like hell you would’ve.” Lily jutted her chin, bracing her hands on her hips.
“Oh, I’m ready for the challenge, little mouse .” Gabe grinned at the furious lines forming on Lily’s face after hearing that nickname. A name that only Mikey called her for some reason.
“Okay.” My voice thundered through the room. “Enough, you two.”
After a moment, they both burst out laughing like little kids. I suddenly felt too old to be in this room. Like an out-of-touch, old soul.
“Fuck, these are good.” Lily stole yet another potato from the dish and popped it into her mouth, moaning in delight. “I’m going to send pictures of these to Katy. Serves her right for not moving here with us.”
For the past ten minutes, Gabe and Lily have been stirring up so much trouble, bantering and bickering like teenagers. I had a feeling they were just doing that to get a rise out of me, which they did often, stating I was so cute when I got angry.
I thanked God that the others weren’t here because it would’ve been a whole lot worse. These two were already wearing my patience so thin that my eyes were twitching every two seconds.
“E, can you fetch me some cheese cubes to go with this wonderful wine?” Gabe commanded, waving a hand.
Lily’s gleeful eyes volleyed between us.
“Go fetch it yourself,” I muttered as I took out the chicken.
“You wound a guest.” Gabe held his heart, faking a British accent.
I was slowly regretting inviting them over.
“Fine, sorry,” Gabe mumbled, holding me from behind .
I shook my head, smiling as I sliced up the chicken, too impatient for it to rest.
It took me exactly five minutes to set everything up in the dining room, leaving Gabe and Lily to pour the drinks. I ventured back to the kitchen to make a plate for Jay, knowing very well he wasn’t going to move from the spot anytime soon.
“Hey.” I crouched beside him, knotting my arms over his shoulders as I brushed a tender kiss on his cheek. “You’ve been working too hard. Eat.” I gestured to the plate that I placed on the table.
He sighed, dropping his pen, and covered my arms with his. “Thanks, baby. This looks incredible. Are you guys heading out after lunch?”
“Umm, yes.” We planned to go shopping after this. I was in desperate need of a wardrobe change since most of my clothes were from a Target clearance haul three winters ago.
“Here, take this.” He retrieved something from his wallet. “I added your name.”
“What’s this?” I mumbled, taking in the fancy black card that had my name embossed in gold. “A credit card?”
“Yes. Don’t use it wisely.”
I scrunched up my nose. “I think it’s the other way around, but I don’t want it.” I handed it back to him.
He halted me midair and closed my fingers around the card. “You either keep it and use it, or I swear I’ll buy the entire store you walk into today.”
I blinked. “Fine.” I pressed one last kiss on his lips before I headed off to join Lily and Gabe.
“Ooh, fancy.” Gabe’s eyes gleamed as he took the card I placed on the table. “Now I wish Rory was a rock star. ”
“I’ll buy you anything you want, Gabe,” I said, forking a piece of the buttery chicken that just melted into my mouth.
“Who needs a black card that can buy cars when I have a permanent sugar mommy!” Gabe dropped the card and drew his chair closer to me, hugging me from the side.
“Dramatic,” Lily and I commented at the same time as we polished our plates and drank a little too much wine than necessary.
After lunch, we headed down, and Tyler drove us to Saks Fifth Avenue, which apparently was the only store appropriate to shop at as a celebrity’s girlfriend.
“I don’t think it was a good idea to come here.” I frowned at the price tag of a pale pink summer dress that I was holding. It was gorgeous, the material flowing like a soft cloud, but it wasn’t worth that much money.
“I think it’s the best idea.” Gabe plucked the price tag from my hand and hid it inside the dress. “No peeking.”
“Can’t help it,” I muttered.
“First things first. We need to figure out your style.”
“My style?” I raised a brow.
“You don’t need to worry about it. Just go and try all these.” Lily and Gabe dumped a mountain of clothes on my arms and pointed me toward the private room our personal shop assistant set up for us.
After trying on hundreds of dress combos, they both arrived at the conclusion I fit into the category of romantic and elegant chic—whatever that meant—but it included soft, midi dresses, flattering wide jeans, and classy sweaters all in tones of blush. I agreed I looked different. Good different .
“I think I’m going to ask Rory to marry me,” Gabe said nonchalantly as I swiped the fancy card for a monumental number on the receipt that I did not even want to glance at.
“What!?” Lily and I both shrieked at the same time.
“I think it’s time. He’s been putting it off for years because of me, but I’m ready now that my event planning gig is picking up, and I’m at a happy place in life. So I think I’m going to pop the question instead.”
Tears welled my eyes as I hugged him. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Not yet, chica,” he replied with a smile. “He has to say yes first.”
“He will.” Lily pulled him into a hug just as I pulled away.
A sudden chill shot up my spine, and my next breath lodged in my throat.
I shivered, folding my arms to my chest as I glanced over my shoulder.
Only the sight of unsuspecting passersby and milling families greeted me.
But something about the sensation felt oddly familiar, the same way I felt at the club—like someone was watching me.
“Evy.” My eyes shifted when a soft hand landed on my shoulder. I peered at Lily, who was looking at me with concerned eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I shrugged.
“You sure, Ms. May?” Tyler questioned, his eyes scanning around us.
“Yes.” I nodded, still reeling from the sensation. “Let’s go. ”
After dropping Gabe at his place and Lily on her floor, Tyler and I arrived upstairs while he carried the pile of bags we had purchased.
“I can take it.”
“It’s alright, Ms. May.”
I thanked him as he set the bags neatly in the foyer and closed the door behind him.
Wanting coffee, I trudged to the kitchen, which was probably bad for my firing nerves, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was indeed watching me now that I’d felt it twice. Did someone recognize me from the event? Or was someone deliberately following me around?
“Hey, sweetheart.” Jay’s voice interrupted my reeling thoughts.
He swooped me into his arms, knocking the breath out of me as he devoured my lips in an all-consuming kiss that made me forget that I was on earth.
“What was that for?” I asked, my lips puckered and swollen.
“Because I love you, and I missed you.” He gave me a boyish grin that made his eyes spark.
My lips twitched, fighting a smile as I powered a mug of coffee. “I was gone for like three hours.”
“Too long.”
“What would you do when you go on tour?”
“Pack you with me.”
“What if I don’t want to go?”
“Kidnap you with me.”
“That’s illegal.”
“Not when you’re famous and have a few important connections. ”
“I would scream.”
“Yes, you would.” He paused, hovering behind me as he leaned in to whisper in my ear, “In my sheets.”
I gaped, a flush of heat robbing the paleness of my skin. “What if I screamed elsewhere?”
“That could be arranged.”
My flush deepened. “Y…you can’t do that,” I stammered.
“I can do that and a lot more.”
“You’re being an ass,” I replied, spinning around as I planted my palms on his chest to create some distance from his overbearing presence that was making me horny.
Chuckling, he grasped both my hands like they weighed nothing and crowded me against the counter. Angling forward, he bit my lower lip before smoothing it with the warmth of his tongue.
“What are you doing?” I muttered.
“Loving you.”
My lungs lost the capacity to breathe while his lips explored me further, now tracing the lines along my jaw.
“Hmm, did you finish your song?” I rasped, curling my fingers through his soft waves.
“Almost.”
The coffee machine turning off snapped me out of the moment.
Shaking out of it, I pushed him away, firmly this time, and he slumped away, groaning.
“Wait here,” I said, not waiting for his answer as I hurried out to the hallway and rummaged through the bags till I found what I needed .
“Here.” I smiled shyly as I handed him a square black box with a white bow on top.
“What is it?” he asked, his wide eyes meeting mine.
“A present.” I raised to the balls of my feet and planted a quick kiss on his adorable cheek. “For you and I didn’t use your fancy card to buy that.”
A visible swallow worked through his throat as he gently opened it. “Guitar strap?” He pulled out the matte black leather strap from the box, which had faint flames engraved along its length. I thought it would go well with his precious Firebird.
“It isn’t much, but it reminded me of you,” I said, feeling dumb all of a sudden. “It’s hard to buy you a present when you literally have everything.”
His soft eyes met mine. “I love it.” His hand clamped around my wrist and pulled me to him. “I love you.”
I sighed as I hugged him tight.
“This is what I want, Evelyn—you, every day for the rest of my life.”
“Hmm,” I agreed, sighing deeper into his chest.
“Promise me you won’t leave.”
I frowned, tipping my chin upon his chest to meet his gaze. “I’m not going to, but where is this coming from, Jay?”
“I keep thinking it’s going to happen again.” His forehead met mine. “You’re going to leave me again. Only this time, I won’t be able to survive it, Evelyn.”
“And you think I did? The last time? I can’t live without you, Jay.”
“Still, I think one day you’re going to see all the shit I’ve brought into your life wasn’t going to be worth it after all. ”
I shook my head, smiling softly. “All the shit in my life wasn’t because of you. Remember Auntie M, my mother? That wasn’t because of you. Even if it all was, it was worth it. You are worth it . The way you love me is how I want to be loved for the rest of my life, Jay. And if you still want to leave, I’m going to go spider monkey on you, so you better watch out, mister.”
“Spider monkey?” Confusion marred his eyes.
“Yeah,” I replied in glee and jumped on him, taking him by surprise, but he immediately got ahold of his equilibrium and held me tight as I wrapped my arms and legs around him.
“If this is spider monkey, I’m not complaining.” He grinned, his hands swept over my ass, tugging me closer to him.
“Are you sure?” I squinted my eyes. “Because once a spider monkey latches, she isn’t letting go.” My voice was laden with playfulness.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Then this spider monkey demands to be pampered with a bath and lots and lots of sex,” I spilled through laughter, knowing how ridiculous I sounded.
But he went with it. “One bath and several rounds of sex for spider monkey coming up right away.” With that, he sprinted us upstairs, and I couldn’t contain the giggles that forced all the air out of my lungs.