Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
ALY
Icross another item off my to-do list, sighing at what a hectic week it’s been so far.
Things at work have been so busy that I haven’t had much time to reflect on how incredible the last couple days with Gavin have been.
Multiple nights spent with him have convinced me that he’s the only person I want to be with for the rest of my existence.
I’ve never felt this connected with someone, mind, body, and soul.
When I sit down and really analyze that thought, I’m not scared by it.
I’m one hundred percent confident what I’m feeling is genuine and not just lust. Every time we’re together, our chemistry is off the charts, but beyond that, he makes me laugh, makes me happy, and is the most thoughtful, caring man I’ve ever met.
Tuesday was our one-week anniversary, and usually, that isn’t something to celebrate, but Gavin said we needed to.
I took a half day off work and we decided to go for a hike in Edwin Warner Park, since it was such a gorgeous day.
We hiked for about two miles and stopped to have a picnic.
Later that evening, he took me out to Pinewood Social, a trendy bowling alley, where we bowled and ate dinner.
I love that he’s just as silly as I am and we can have a good time no matter what we’re doing.
Every night with him has been some sort of dream, but the best part of it all is it’s just really easy being with him.
I can be myself and not worry about whether or not I need to impress him.
I always felt I needed to do something extra in order to keep my ex-boyfriend around.
I would catch him eyeing other girls, and it always made me feel anxious, pressuring myself to make him satisfied.
I didn’t realize until after we broke up that he was never concerned about how I felt.
Gavin goes above and beyond to make me happy, and I never feel any pressure to have to be more for him.
I just can’t get over how quickly this is all happening.
I only start to second-guess myself when talking to Valerie.
She thinks I’m bat-shit crazy, especially after I told her at lunch yesterday that I think I’m in love with him.
“Are you high right now?” she practically screamed at me while we were eating. If our schedules permit, we try to meet up once a week during our breaks to eat lunch together and catch up.
“Jesus, Valerie, will you lower your voice?” I hissed while looking around to see our tablemates next to us giving us dirty looks. “And no, I’m not high.”
“I swear to God, Alyson, if you’ve gotten into drugs because of that man, I will castrate him.” She waved her fork at me, small pieces of food debris going all over the place.
Her ridiculous empty threat made me chuckle and I shook my head at her. “I’m clean as a whistle, sister. Want me to pee in this cup for you?” I joke, holding up my empty water cup for her.
She leaned forward and said in a soft voice, “How can you be in love with someone you just met a week ago? Do you know how crazy you sound?”
“Yes, I’m well aware of how crazy it sounds, but Val, I’ve never felt this way for someone before.”
“Aly, you’ve only had two boyfriends in your whole life and they were in high school and college. There’s nothing to compare!” Her annoyed expression angered me, because she had no room to talk with her non-existent love life.
“You know what, Val? Until you’ve felt what I’m feeling, your opinion doesn’t matter,” I told her, wishing she would just be supportive instead of being so judgmental.
“Felt what? Love?” she asked in mock-confusion.
I put my fork down and tried to think of the proper words to describe my feelings for Gavin.
“Not just any kind of love—a soul wrenching, wrapping-its-claws-around-your-heart kind of love the instant your eyes catch each other’s.
” I smiled at the thought of him, his handsome face and heart-melting smile springing into my mind.
I finally realized I wasn’t paying attention and shifted my gaze back to her.
The look of I-don’t-understand-a-word-you-just-said was written all over her face.
I threw my hands up in the air, annoyed she couldn’t understand what I was describing. “You know, that feeling that you can’t live without someone? When you see them, your heart starts to pound like crazy?” She starts to shake her head and I scrambled to think of a better description.
“You know… like a shazam!” I said loudly, throwing my hands into her face and scaring her to the point she jumped.
Unfortunately, my shazam analogy didn’t convince her and she voiced her concerns to my mother, who didn’t even know Gavin existed in my world.
Both of my parents are not big country music fans, so they had no idea he’s actually a celebrity.
They have demanded I bring him over for family dinner on Sunday.
I wasn’t planning on introducing him to them so soon, but now that they know about him, better to get the introductions out of the way.
I know my mother will quickly fall for his charm and see how wonderful he is, but my father’s a different story.
Whatever his reaction may be to Gavin, I couldn’t care less.
No one is going to convince me otherwise that I shouldn’t be with him.
“How we doing over there, sunshine?”
Shane’s question interrupts my thoughts, and I look up from my computer to smile at him.
“We’re doing excellent,” I say confidently while looking him in the eye.
“I swear you are glowing so brightly that you’re about to burn my eyes out.
Looks like my little Aly has done the nasty with Mr. McNeer.
” I shake my head at him and try to keep a straight face but can’t control the blush that stains my cheeks.
He throws his head back and laughs hysterically at my reaction.
“Thank you to your cheeks for answering my question.”
I throw my notebook at him, causing him to laugh even more. Seeing that nothing is going to stop the hyena like sounds, I choose to ignore him instead.
He takes a couple deep breaths and composes himself before asking, “Are we all set for the game tonight?”
“We sure are,” I confirm. “Food and beverages have been ordered for the suite and all personalized jerseys are in.”
Shane decided to use some of his marketing budget to get his staff and the artists who are attending tonight’s game personalized jerseys.
I added some to the order for Gavin, Sosie, and Willow, paying for theirs out of my own pocket.
I’m excited for tonight, especially to see how Willow and Brodie get along.
I sent Brodie a text this morning, letting him know we’ll be at the game and inviting him out to meet us for drinks afterward.
Fortunately, the team isn’t flying back to Detroit tonight, so he agreed to meet us at the rooftop bar across from the arena after the game.
“Wonderful, thank you. Let’s put the jerseys in gift bags and we’ll hand them out to everyone when they arrive in the suite,” Shane tells me before walking away from my desk.
Excitement is buzzing throughout the office for tonight. It’s the first round of the playoffs and Nashville is tied with Detroit in the series. It’s crucial that they win tonight and then try to win the next game in Detroit if they want to advance to the next round in the playoffs.
I grab a stack of our branded gift bags and tissue paper we keep on hand from the supply closet and start wrapping the jerseys in the paper before putting them into the bags and writing that person’s name on the outside.
I’m halfway through when I hear the sound of someone’s high-heeled shoes coming toward me.
I look up to see Kathleen Davidson standing in front of me.
“Hello, Aly,” she greets me with a nod. She’s an attractive woman in her late forties, who takes care of herself by working out.
Her youthful appearance is courtesy of Botox and fillers, and her straight, red hair is made up of the best extensions money can buy.
I’ve always admired her style of clothes, and today is no exception with her lacy, emerald-green tunic, skin-tight black leather pants, and black, pointy heels I recognize as Louboutins with their red bottoms.
“Hello, Mrs. Davidson, how are you?” I ask, my smile overly bright to cover up how shocked I am that she knows my name.
“Oh please, call me Kathleen.” She laughs, waving her hand in the air.
“Okay… Kathleen.” I look behind me at Shane’s open door to see he isn’t back in his office. “Shane is around here somewhere. Do you want me to tell him to go see you in your office when he returns?”
“Actually, you’re the one I wanted to see. Do you have a moment to chat?”
My eyes widen in surprise at her request. Kathleen Davidson doesn’t spend alone time with A&R assistants.
Anything she needs gets streamlined down through the A&R directors and managers.
A knot in my stomach forms, my intuition screaming at me that she wants to discuss my new relationship with Gavin.
Please, God, don’t have her tell me to break up with him.
“Sure,” I say and follow her back to her office, which is upstairs on the second floor. She stops at her door and gestures with her arm for me to go inside. I walk past her, and she shuts the door behind us.
“Please, have a seat and make yourself comfortable.”
I obey and sit down while she walks around her desk to sit in her own seat.
I’ve never been to her office before, and I glance around, admiring her decor.
Her large office is decorated in a charcoal, gold, and white color palette.
My eyes follow around the platinum albums of past and present artists of Big Little Music that decorate the walls.
Her accomplishments are impressive in an industry that is predominantly ran by men.
“Your office is gorgeous,” I tell her while I continue looking around in awe.