14. Hazel
HAZEL
After we shower, get dressed, and eat a quick room service breakfast, it’s time to pack up and head to the rental house Conal told me about.
In the limo on the way there, he and Bron are on their phones, which reminds me that I should check mine.
Yesterday, in addition to all the reporters calling, I had several messages from friends, and from a few people I could barely remember, all of them saying they heard about my marriage and wanted to know if it was true.
There were too many to even try to respond to, and now there are several more.
The majority are texts, but there are a few voice messages too, and one of them is from Ember.
“Hazel, there are reporters and paparazzi camped outside Mom’s house.
She doesn’t really want to talk to them, but they’re making it hard for her to leave the house. ”
“Oh, crap,” I say, and Conal looks up from his phone.
“What’s wrong?”
“There are reporters at my mom’s house. Apparently, a lot of them, because she’s having trouble getting by them. Can you do something about that?”
“Yup. Call you back,” Conal says into his phone, and then he clicks off and makes another call.
“Jack, get a team down to—what’s your mom’s address?
” I tell him, and he relays it to Jack. “They’ve got media people at the house.
Keep them at a distance, and especially make sure they don’t bother the daughter. Right. Thanks, Jack.”
“Thank you,” I say when he hangs up. “And thanks for remembering my sister.”
“No problem. Just let us know if anything else like that happens, and we’ll take care of it.”
I go back to my phone, and another voicemail that came in just half an hour ago catches my attention.
“I’m calling to offer you the accounting position we discussed, if you’re still available,” the man from the CPA firm says. “Please give me a call to discuss details.”
I grimace, and Rafe puts a hand on my leg. “What’s wrong? Is your mom upset?”
“It’s not that. I just got a job offer. I nearly forgot about it, because I interviewed right around the time I was taking finals.”
Rafe’s brow furrows. “Is it here in Vegas?” Conal and Bron are looking at me now, too.
“No, it’s back in my hometown.” I give them a smile. “I’ll tell them my plans have changed.”
“Are you sure?” Conal asks. “If it’s something you’re interested in, we can make it work.”
I shake my head. “It’s a relief that I’m unavailable, actually. I was looking for accounting jobs out of obligation. I realized too late that it’s not the right path for me.”
“What do you want to do, then?” Bron asks.
“You don’t have to do anything,” Conal says before I can answer. “We’ll take care of you.”
“Of course,” Bron says. “I didn’t mean Hazel had to work, but maybe she has another passion.”
When Rafe squeezes my knee, I realize I’m biting my lip again. I need to break that habit .
“I don’t know what I want to do,” I tell them. “I just know I don’t want to spend the rest of my life working with numbers. I should’ve realized it a lot sooner, but I was so focused on getting good grades, I didn’t pay attention to whether I actually enjoyed what I was learning.”
“Maybe something will find you.” There’s a fire in Bron’s eyes that’s inspiring.
“When did you all know you wanted to be musicians?” I ask.
Rafe shrugs. “I don’t remember not knowing.”
“Me either,” Bron says.
“I started wanting to be a singer right around the time I started liking girls,” Conal says. “It seemed like the best way to get the prettiest ones to like me back.”
It’s impossible to conceive of a time when girls weren’t going wild for Conal. “I’m trying to imagine what you all looked like,” I tell them. “What were you like?”
Conal points to his brothers. “These two were little shits.”
“We were all a handful,” Bron says, “or at least that’s what our mom likes to tell us. ”
“I’ll bet you were.”
As Conal’s telling me about a prank he played on Rafe and Bron at Christmas one year when they were little, our car pulls into a driveway blocked by a gate. After a short pause, the gate slowly swings open and we proceed up a wide circular drive to the biggest house I’ve ever seen.
“Home sweet home,” Conal says.
Of course, the mansion is nowhere near as big as the massive casinos on the Strip, but compared to the average home, this one looks more like a museum than a house.
Actually, maybe villa is a better word to describe it. The Spanish architecture makes it look warm and inviting, despite its imposing size. The limo comes to a stop between a beautiful fountain and a grand entrance lined with flower pots that are nearly as tall as me.
Once inside, I try to keep my jaw from dropping, but I’m not sure I succeed.
It’s hard to take it all in, from the gleaming marble floors and the huge wrought iron chandeliers to the stunning filigree detail on the railings of the staircase that gracefully curves up to the second floor.
Another staircase curves down to a lower level, and other rooms lead off in several directions .
I can’t believe we’re going to be living here. Yet the men walk in as if this is just another day for them.
They head directly upstairs, where they deposit our things in an enormous bedroom.
It’s so big, it contains a full living room area with a couch, chairs, fireplace, a tv, a large desk, and a wet bar.
Of course, there’s an extra-large bed, and the sight of it stirs up images of what they did to me this morning.
I can only imagine what we’ll be getting up to in this bed.
“Those are for you,” Conal says, gesturing to a stack of shiny pink shopping bags and boxes on the desk. “Just some underwear.” The wicked grin he gives me contradicts his nonchalance.
Before I can respond, he says, “Sorry we have to run, Hazel. We’ll be in the studio downstairs. Make yourself at home, feel free to explore, and I was told there’d be food in the kitchen, so help yourself when you’re hungry. You’re welcome to stop in and listen to us if you want.”
As I nod, he adds, “Don’t be alarmed if you hear people coming and going. There’ll be others joining us in the studio; we’ve got some session musicians helping out. Our assistant might stop in, and there’s a housekeeper around here somewhere, too.”
“Sounds good. I hope you have a productive day! ”
“Thanks, babe.” Conal kisses me, followed by Bron and Rafe, and then they start for the door.
“Wait!” I call after them. “Don’t forget you told your PR manager that you’d call him this morning.”
Conal shakes his head. “He can wait. Thanks for the reminder, though.”
Then they leave, and I’m alone for the first time since I got married. I take the opportunity to draw in a deep breath, pause, and try to mentally and emotionally catch up with everything that’s happening. Thankfully, my hangover is gone, but my head is still spinning.
In the silence, I’m surprised to find that I already miss the Curran brothers. Not in the I can’t live without you kind of way, but I’ve gotten used to being around them, and I enjoy their company. Apparently, drunk me makes pretty good choices.
Before I go exploring, I make a quick call to the CPA firm, thank them for the opportunity, and politely decline. I’m still surrounded with uncertainty about what my future will look like, but turning down the accounting job feels good.
I also peek into the pink bags and boxes, and internally blush at the sexy things I find.
There are a few sets of what I’d call practical underwear, but most of it is satin and lace in reds, pinks, and black.
There are bras, see-through panties, camisoles, teddies, and nighties.
I can’t help but imagine how the men might react when they see me in these things.
I wonder if I’ll be brave enough to wear everything.
When I leave the bedroom, I feel a little like Alice in Wonderland. It seems I’ve taken a drink that’s shrunk me down to the size of a rabbit, because the house I’m in is completely out of proportion for a normal-sized human.
There’s so much open space that I’m sure there would be an echo if I were to yell. It’s ridiculous, actually.
There are several more bedrooms on the second floor, along with a study and a room with a full bar and a pool table. Downstairs, I find a small movie theater, a gym full of exercise machines, a sauna, another room with a full bar, multiple sitting areas, and an honest to god elevator.
Nearly every room has a view, and those are stunning.
The grounds are beautifully landscaped, and from the back of the house, the Vegas Strip is visible in the distance.
There’s a large putting green off to one side, and a huge pool that spans the length of the house with rock features and a waterfall .
When I finally stop gaping at the grand size of everything, I start to notice all the beautiful details.
The staircase is especially gorgeous with its ornate black railing, and the view of the tops of sun-dappled palm trees through the windows in the towering entryway holds me transfixed for several minutes.
Finally, I pull out my phone and take a few pictures just so I can move on.
It feels like I’ve walked for miles when I finally come to the kitchen, and I’ve definitely worked up a thirst. Though the room is immaculate, it looks lived-in, with a big bowl of fresh fruit on the counter, a fancy coffeemaker with a stack of mugs beside it, and a big dispenser that appears to be filled with water with slices of cucumber floating in it.
The oversized refrigerator is well and fully stocked, and there’s a deep walk-in pantry with shelves full of food.
I pour myself a glass of the water, which is incredibly refreshing. After I drink half, I top it off and carry it out with me. Believe it or not, there are still parts of the house I haven’t seen yet, including wherever the men are working.
It turns out that they’re not far away, relatively speaking, as there’s an enormous recording studio here on the ground floor. I’m reminded that Conal said their record label owns this house, and it looks like they’ve invested a lot into turning it into a great place for musicians to work.
I go through a solid wood door to get to the studio area, which is divided into smaller sections.
The men are playing a song in one of them, and I watch them through the window.
There are sound technicians in an attached booth, along with loads of impressive-looking equipment.
The band stops a few times, has some discussions, and starts again.
I don’t want to disturb them, but Bron eventually spots me and waves me in.