Chapter 35
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
DEIDRE
“C ome on, Dei!” Mandy shouts from the hallway, most likely popping her head out of the doorway from the sound of her voice.
“What?” I whine, not enjoying her nagging.
“Victoria will have your ass if you don’t go tonight.”
“I don’t want to fucking go,” I snap, angry and frustrated about the party and Victoria more than Mandy.
“Well,” Mandy begins with a sarcastic tone, appearing in my doorway a second later. “You could have had a different date for the event, but you’ve been too chicken to call Luke.”
“Hey,” I quip. “You’re supposed to be my friend.”
“I am your friend. Sometimes being mean is my role as being your friend.”
“No,” I argue.
“Besides, it’s not like today is even Valentine’s Day.”
“Close enough,” I whine.
“You hate Valentine’s Day, so what’s the big deal?”
“Don’t start with me.” I’m on the verge of crying again.
The last thing I want to do is go to another fucking event all for the sake of business, surrounding myself with people who don’t even really know me, let alone care about me.
On top of that, I have, or had, a boyfriend whom I should be happy with right now, but I’m not.
Instead, I’m stuck going to a bullshit party with some guy Victoria set me up with as part of a promotional piece.
This isn’t easy, but it’s a little easier since it’s not actually happening on Valentine’s Day.
“You’ve had plenty of time to call him, or go see him,” Mandy reminds.
“And he’s had plenty of time to do the same, meaning he really doesn’t want to see me,” I snap back in an attempt to hide my feelings.
“Maybe he feels the same way.”
The thought of Luke being like I am breaks my heart, causing a tear to trickle down my cheek.
“Don’t,” Mandy soothes.
“Why not? It’s all my fault.”
“It’s both your fault,” Mandy debates.
“How so?”
“There are two people equally responsible in every relationship.” She snorts. “Unless it’s a polyamorous one.”
“That doesn’t help.”
“Yeah, it does,” she counters with a giggle.
An hour later, Mandy acts as my date until we connect up with Victoria and my setup boyfriend for the evening.
Despite Victoria’s protest, Mandy is tagging along at my insistence.
She’s the only one who can keep me calm and sane.
She’ll make sure I won’t do something I might regret, especially where it could hurt me and the business.
“Where’s your security man?” Victoria pries, not even saying hello to Mandy.
My hand clenches around Mandy’s arm.
“Not the point man today,” Tony says, offering his hand.
Victoria offers a questioning glance. “How many men do you have on the team?”
Tony crosses his arms. “Apologies, but for security purposes that’s confidential.”
Victoria looks back and forth between us for a few beats before moving away.
“Thanks,” I sigh.
“Nice, Tony,” Mandy praises, high-fiving him.
“A woman like that needs to be put in her place,” he states.
The night moves by in a bit of a hazy blur as Victoria carts me around from group to group, introducing me to everyone.
It feels more like she’s showing me off.
I never noticed it before, but Victoria dominates the conversations in a manner that strikes me as a bit odd, especially when it pertains to me.
She barely lets me speak and only talks directly to me when she’s directing me to say something, like confirming a story she’s sharing, or tells me to do something.
I’m starting to feel like I’m right back in the middle of dealing with my mother again, and I don’t like it.
Come to think of it, this is how it’s been during my whole business relationship with Victoria, but it’s been a bit more demanding of late.
I need to figure out a way to get out of my contract with her.
“In thirty minutes, Justin will come to get you and the two of you will sneak out a side door,” Victoria directs. “You’ll pretend that the two of you have gotten caught when you see the paparazzi out there as you two play kissy-face with each other while you get into the SUV. Then….”
My mind wanders, not bothering to process anything else she’s saying, as I feel like I’m losing more control over my life—control I once fought so hard to get.
“Deidre,” Victoria’s cold, sharp tone of voice jolts me from my thoughts.
“What?” I whine, feeling as if I’m dealing with my mother.
“Are you listening to me?”
“No,” I snap back. “And if you continue to boss me around like I’m your fucking child….”
“What?” Victoria inquires when I stop mid-sentence, narrowing her eyes at me.
“I heard you the first two fucking times,” I state coldly. “Leave me alone.” Without a second thought, I walk away from her. To escape, I head to the bathroom and text Mandy and Tony the plan to get out of the event.
“Hey, Deidre,” a familiar female voice calls from my left.
I spin to find the face that goes with it. “Rox! How are you?” I open my arms and lean in to hug her.
“Good,” she confirms, kissing me on the cheek. “How are things?”
“Okay,” I huff. My hand darts out and grabs a full wine glass off a tray from a waiter who is passing by us. “You?” I down the entire drink in three large gulps.
“I’d take it easy if I were you,” Rox suggests sweetly, heading into a bathroom.
“I’m fine.” I lean against the door so no one else comes in.
“Hey,” Rox says, stepping closer. “I just wanted to tell you to be careful.”
“I am,” I say. “I’ve got my girl Mandy here and my bodyguard isn’t too far away.”
“No,” Rox replies with a soft giggle, inspecting her appearance in the mirror. “I’m not talking about the drinking.”
“Oh.”
“I was talking about…you know….”
“Know what?” I ask, following Rox out of the bathroom.
“You didn’t hear this from me,” she prefaces, glancing around the room.
“Hear what?”
“Just be careful…with Victoria,” she states oddly.
“What do you mean?”
“Protect yourself,” she says quickly. “Get out of working with her if you can.”
My brows come together, trying to process what she means.
“I’ve got to go. It’s been good seeing you. If you ever need anything, call my people, and I’ll have them give you my cell.”
“Protect myself?” I ask as my brain frantically rushes to understand what’s going on.
“Take care of yourself, Dei,” Rox encourages. “I’ll see you soon.”
My eyes dart around the faces in the crowded room as the flashing lights start to become distracting while I try to follow after Rox. I suddenly become dizzy, feeling my feet falter and fail me.
“Easy there,” Tony says, catching me by the arm.
“Where did she go?”
“Who?” he asks.
“Rox.”
“I didn’t see her,” Tony states.
“Did you just admit to messing up about not having your eyes on me twenty-four seven like you say,” I tease.
“No,” Tony denies. “You were imagining talking to her.”
“I’m not that drunk.”
“You’re not that sober which concerns me since I’ve never seen you like this.”
“There’s always a first for everything,” I snicker.
“That doesn’t mean there should be.”
“You know…you’re cute when you’re serious and stern,” I say with a smile.
Tony offers a slight, unimpressed expression.
“How old are you again?”
He ignores me as he continues to escort me somewhere.
Tony’s a bit too muscular for my taste. He’s not much older than me, but his OCD habits would drive me insane if we did ever date, not that I have ever considered it or thought about it.
He’s easy on the eyes with his build and has a rugged, boy-next-door kind of face that would melt most panties.
If he didn’t work for me, and we met under different circumstances, I would probably have slept with him at some point.
He could never compare to Luke. Tony has that strong, silent type exterior who never really talks and always seems pissed off.
Luke—he’s one to dream about. That tight ass, those strong hands that can be so gentle, and his lips and what they can do.
Shit! I need to get my mind off of Luke, or else I’m going to start bawling here in front of everyone. What were we just talking about? Who was I just talking about with him?
“You didn’t do your job for two seconds, and you’re trying to make me think that I imagined talking to Rox,” I tease.
“I can’t have my eyes on you when you’re in the women’s room.”
I giggle.
“Looks like you’ve had enough to drink and time to go home,” he declares, taking the glass from my hand that I just snagged off a tray when we walked by it.
“No,” my voice cracks as he manages to get it from me. “Hey.”
“Mandy’s already in the car waiting for us,” Tony informs.
“Victoria says that I’m supposed to do something,” I reply in an exaggerated, whiny voice.
“Not tonight.”
I giggle. “Victoria will sink her teeth into you if she doesn’t get her photo of me doing whatever the hell I’m supposed to be doing.”
“She can bill me for it.”
“I don’t pay you enough for what she’ll charge you.”
“Let’s go,” Tony says, firmly but gently, guiding me out to a side hall.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Victoria’s voice questions, booming off the walls.
“You don’t have to shout,” I whine.
“I’m not shouting,” Victoria says heatedly.
“She’s not feeling well, Ms. Moore,” Tony says.
“She needs to be seen with Justin,” Victoria replies.
“That’s his name,” I blurt with a laugh. “Justin. I forgot his name.”
“She’s going home,” he informs.
“Not until?—”
“Ms. Moore, Ms. Lawrence’s safety is my contractual duty, and I will fulfill my obligation with or without your approval. There will not be a picture, not tonight. Use any one of the ones that were taken before the event started or during the event. Ms. Lawrence is going home,” he returns.
I snicker at his confidence and the look in Victoria’s eye.
“What’s so funny?” she asks.
“Nothing,” I lie, covering my mouth to hide my smile.
“Since this is the first and only time I’ve seen Deidre….” She looks me over. “With a challenge. I’ll excuse it. But just this once. It will not happen again.”
“Ms. Lawrence is a grown woman, Ms. Moore,” Tony states.
“She has a contract,” she reminds.
“Exactly. You’ve got a contract and nothing more. Regarding said contract, you’ve got plenty of photographs to work with for your marketing plans,” he replies.
“They’re not?—”
“You didn’t stipulate in writing what exactly the photographs were to be about,” Mandy says, interrupting Victoria. “There have been plenty of photos of Deidre and Justin from tonight that can be used.” Mandy crosses her arms. “Is there anything else?”
Victoria’s jaw clenches. “No.”
“Good,” Mandy replies. “Seeing that you’re not her bodyguard, nor her mother or boss, Ms. Moore, Dei is leaving.”