Chapter 12 #2
“Thank you! My favorite part is seeing all the beautiful, blingy records on the walls,” she says laughing. I smile while studying her, hoping she cuts to the chase soon, so I don’t have to sit and make small talk with her.
“Well, Aly, I know you’re busy, so I’ll make this brief. I’ve heard you’re dating Gavin McNeer. Is that true?” Her tone of voice turns business-like, her eyes studying me for my reaction.
“Yes, it’s true. Is there a problem?” I ask, matching her tone in what I hope shows that I’m not intimidated by her.
“No, of course not. I just wanted confirmation to come from you. Pictures on the Internet can be so deceiving.”
I nod in agreement, silently wondering where this conversation is going.
“I also wanted to check in and see how you’re doing under all the scrutiny of dating a celebrity.
A couple members of the paparazzi were waiting for you outside the office this morning when I arrived.
” She holds up her hand at my horrified expression.
“Now, don’t worry; I told them this was private property and would call the police on them if they show up here again. ”
“Thank you for doing that, Mrs. Davidson… I mean, Kathleen,” I say with sincerity. I hate the fact that these kinds of people are showing up at my work. I’ve enjoyed not having social media anymore, and I have refrained from googling myself and Gavin. “I’m sorry for the disturbance.”
“It’s not your fault; it comes with the territory of dating someone famous. I just wanted to make sure you were handling it okay.”
“To be quite honest, I don’t enjoy the attention, but it’s just something I will have to get used to.”
“Right,” she agrees and smiles at me with sympathy. “And how is Gavin handling this newfound fame? Being a well-known songwriter doesn’t have the attention that a performer in front of big crowds and cameras does.”
“He doesn’t enjoy the loss of privacy, but otherwise, he’s great.”
“Glad to hear this,” she says, folding her hands together and leaning back in her chair. “Are the people at Charisma still treating him well?”
“As far as I know, yes, but we don’t usually talk business.” I tilt my head to the side and look at her in confusion. “With all due respect, Kathleen, why are you asking?”
“I personally have had to deal with Atticus Langston before and know firsthand what a treacherous human being he can be. I just didn’t want to hear that Gavin is being ostracized there, since he’s not dating Atticus’s daughter anymore.
” She glances down at her manicure before continuing.
“We would never do anything like that here, and I think it’s important for Gavin to know he has options if he ever starts to feel that way. ”
I narrow my eyes at her, not liking the direction this conversation is going. “What do you mean by options?”
She smiles, sits up, and leans in closer.
“Imagine how wonderful life would be if Gavin signed with us? We would promote you to be his A plus, I need to pack my bag and change for tonight.
Sosie is supposed to be meeting us at Gavin’s, so the three of us can ride to the game together—something I’m not exactly looking forward to.
I tried to convince Willow to meet us as well, hoping she could be a little bit of a buffer, but she couldn’t get off work early.
She’ll meet us outside of the arena and we’ll all walk in together, since I have everyone’s ticket.
After I accomplish everything I need to do at home and have packed my bag, I change into jeans and a cute tunic with booties, since it’s cold in the arena, and freshen up my makeup. I give Apollo some extra attention and love, since I won’t be home tonight, feed him, and leave for Gavin’s.
While I’m excited to finally see his place, I’m also still bothered by my conversation with Kathleen.
There’s no way in hell I’m going to try to convince Gavin to sign with Big Little Music when his contract with Charisma is up.
I don’t want Gavin to have any doubts about me and my motives for being with him.
Trying to get him to my record label would throw up red flags.
I think it’s best not to tell him what happened, so that way there’s no awkwardness between him and Kathleen whenever they run in to each other, which happens quite frequently at industry events.
I silence the warning bells going off in my head that I should be one hundred percent honest with Gavin on this.
If our relationship wasn’t so new, I would call him up and tell him right now.
But it isn’t, and until I know he trusts me completely, I will stay silent on this matter.
As for Kathleen, I’ll just ignore her as long as possible before she brings the subject up again.
Satisfied with my plan, I focus on my drive to his apartment, which takes me less than ten minutes to get to.
I get lucky and find street parking across from his building.
I grab my belongings out of my trunk and cross the street.
Gavin lives in one of the new, trendy high-rise apartment complexes that just got built two years ago.
I hit the intercom button outside the front door and wait for someone to answer.
“Can I help you?” I look through the glass windows of the door to see the doorman looking at me, a phone pressed to his ear so he can hear me talk through the intercom.
“Hi, I’m here to see Gavin McNeer.”
“Name?”
“Alyson Dawson.” He looks at something behind his desk and nods.
“Come on in. Please have your driver’s license ready for me to look at.”
A loud buzzing noise sounds and I pull the door open to enter. I walk over to his station and hand him my driver’s license. He types my information into his computer and hands it back to me.
“Mr. McNeer has put you on his approved guest list. Please type in your own personal four-digit code for you to use on the outside keypad to get in. After you have your code, please hit the pound sign.” He produces a keypad that is connected to his computer, and I type in four digits I know I will remember.
I hit the pound sign and tell him I’m done.
“Now please enter your cell phone number.” Once I’m done, he takes the keypad back and I hear his mouse clicking a couple more times until he’s finished.
“You’re all set, Ms. Dawson. Elevators are around the corner to my right, and Mr. McNeer is on the fourteenth floor, apartment 1405. ”
I thank him for his help and walk to the elevators.
The decor in the lobby is very cold and modern, making me wonder why Gavin chose this building, since that doesn’t seem to fit his personality.
Yet again, I could be completely wrong, since this is my first time seeing his place.
I push the up button and the doors to my right open immediately.
The ride to up is quick and quiet. The elevators slows to a stop and the doors open to reveal one handsome-looking Texan leaning against the frame, waiting for me.
“There’s my girl,” he says in his yummy, husky voice. He grabs my wrists and pulls me out of the elevator straight into his arms. His lips come down on mine, his tongue immediately demanding entrance through my parted lips.
I sigh in happiness as I kiss him back with equal vigor.
Lord, this man knows how to kiss, and after a few moments, all brain and body activity is focused on him.
I drop my bags to the ground and wrap my arms around his neck to pull him in deeper.
I feel his hands slide into the back pockets of my jeans, cupping my ass, and rubbing me against his erection.
I moan at how good the friction feels, my body aching for him to be inside me.
I wonder if we have time for a quickie.
“Sosie got here early, and I could fucking kill her for it. It was my plan to ravish you before we left,” he tells me in between kisses, as if he’s reading my damn mind.
“There might be a janitor closet somewhere on this floor.” He gives me an evil smile with a wink before continuing his assault on my lips.