TWENTY-ONE
HER PARENTS THREW PARTIES. Threw might be the wrong word as they didn’t exactly tear up the tiles. Held seemed more apt though suggested something much drier. Bingo, drier, that was a Sear house party to a tee.
At those events, she played hostess-lite, deputy, understudy. Well, no, that wasn’t quite right. Rather than host the guests exactly, she spotted her mom, running around and offering a sounding board for her mother’s venting.
At those parties, her mom was always tense. Always. Always. Always. The guests didn’t know it, or they didn’t say anything if they did, but tension often seized her mom.
Huh, at Bram’s party she hadn’t seen much of her mom. That may come back to bite her at some point.
There, at Brogan’s, she was center stage. Not so much gaped at, but responsible for keeping things going. And the funny thing? She wasn’t tense. Roxie’s people had come through, Jenna was amazing, and Brogan’s place was beautiful.
The music was just right, the lighting… She wouldn’t tell her mom, but Brogan’s party was much more refined and beautiful than those at their family home. It could be argued she was slightly biased, but, hey, she had a buzz. For now, she’d take it.
“It’s outstanding,” Brogan said, appearing at her side, offering another glass of wine.
Even though she shouldn’t, she took it. “I said I wasn’t going to drink too much tonight.” She’d told him while getting ready. “And this is the third glass of wine you’ve brought me.”
“You deserve to enjoy the party. You’re the star of the evening.”
Guests smiled, chatted, danced, it was a wonder how quickly it all came together.
The kitchen was blocked from view by temporary screens that fitted in perfectly with the decor. Anyone unfamiliar with the place wouldn’t think anything of it. The apartment might be in costume for the night, but she still recognized the space that had become part of her everyday life.
The air aroused and comforted. This was her place. For a short time only. For the first time she could belong somewhere as she’d never belonged anywhere else.
Admiring the glow, her gaze floated south. Though she hid her smile behind her glass, Brogan obviously saw it.
“And you’re thinking…?”
She relaxed until her upper arm came to rest on him. “We’ve had sex on the floor right there,” she whispered.
“Yes, we have.” Her eyes rose to his. “Would you like to do it again?”
Laughter leaped out. “Right now?”
“Why not?” He shrugged without a hint of amusement. “We own the joint.”
“Isn’t Roxie the one due to make a spectacle of herself?”
He tipped up her chin with a finger. “As soon as I kiss you, you’ll forget everyone else.”
Yes, she would. With him, everything in the world melted away.
They could go upstairs to bed, no one was up there.
Security kept partygoers away from anything vital.
And valuable. Good thing too. Brogan’s gifts were stacked up in her closet; there had to be a good few mill just laying around.
Most of the guests were friends, and rich in their own right, that didn’t stop her slight tilt toward paranoia.
“Cousin!”
The call came just a second before someone slapped a hand to Brogan’s shoulder. Cousin? Did he—the last person she expected to see was the security chief.
“You made it back?” Brogan asked.
“Got everything straightened out.”
“Carver,” she said unintentionally. “You’re Brogan’s cousin?”
“Last I checked.”
“I—how—”
“His mom’s my dad’s sister.”
Wow, okay, she didn’t know that.
Brogan didn’t have a great relationship with his mom. That was too kind a way to put it. His mom abandoned him long before and was no longer a part of his life.
Strained ties with biological family was something they had in common. She’d assumed. Turned out that had been hasty. Family. They talked about hers. Beyond his parents, they hadn’t touched on his.
Her world view was kind of limited. No one could deny that, including her.
Until Brogan and Roxie opened up her view, it hadn’t occurred to her to object.
In her charitable work, she met people who’d known nothing but misfortune.
How could she complain when she lived in luxury by anyone’s standards?
She hadn’t thought much about her parents keeping her locked away. Except others didn’t live that way. It wasn’t any evil plan; her life was just light on the socializing because her parents were old skool. Old, old, old skool.
Crimson opened her eyes to the world. There she put faces to names she’d heard like mythical legends in a storybook. Popular people as part of the “scene,” they lived in the same city and state that she did, yet they’d never met. How could that be?
That was a question for another day. Brogan was so chill. Had she let him down?
“Why didn’t I know that?” she asked, appealing to Brogan.
Carver answered. “You’re supposed to be a front.”
So why should she know? Was that it? Did he want to shut her up or hope they’d admit something else?
“You could have introduced yourself properly.” Keeping their relationship a secret would be odd. “Are you ashamed of your family?”
“Not as much as Brogan,” Carver said and addressed his cousin. “Peyton’s here.”
Brogan replied, “Did she bring him?”
“They’re married. Traditionally people count their spouse as their plus one.”
“That family’s a disgrace,” Brogan said, a familiar snarl in his lip as he scanned the room.
And that was her cue. “Okay, try not to look at everyone with disdain.” She gave him a little more of her weight, encouraging him to remember their role. “We invited them to be here.”
“If we took on our parents’ crimes as our own, there wouldn’t be many innocent parties left,” Carver said. “Peyton loves him, what’s she going to do? Guy’s having issues.”
“Not your issues,” Brogan said like it was the final word. “Cut him loose.”
“That’s Peyton’s call. Unfortunately.”
“You should be advising her. He’s never been her equal.”
“Since when has Peyton listened to any of us?” Carver asked.
“Saw Bann.” Apparently Brogan wanted to change the subject. “He working for you?”
“Any time Zaria’s in the room he’s working.”
Okay, she didn’t know these people. “I’m going to find Roxie.”
“She’s on the terrace,” Carver said. “Zairn’s on his way, they’re about to do their thing.”
Which meant she should stay away?
“I’ll be quick.”
Peeking up at Brogan, she wished for a kiss, but knew better than to ask.
Wine in hand, she shared smiles with those she passed on her way out to the terrace.
She expected people and expected Roxie; the fully deployed camera and crew were less expected.
Equipment had been brought in earlier. It hadn’t really clicked it would lead to step one, two, three and this.
At Crimson was one thing. This was the first time she’d seen Roxie, at this particular party, under the spotlight.
“Hey, Gia,” Roxie said like the circus wasn’t in town, calling over the clowns and acrobats. “You need me?”
“No, I’m good.”
In the front far corner, only the city glowed behind her friend.
There were other non-Roxiverse bodies out there, loitering behind the crew, out of shot.
Some watched on, others tried to edge into the light.
Roxie wasn’t alone, but she didn’t recognize the people with her.
That didn’t mean they’d never met; partying at Crimson meant various faces and names passed through. Introductions didn’t always stick.
“Eagle’s landed. If everyone could stay quiet, we’d appreciate it,” Struan said. They’d met at Crimson. Guy was huge and an absolute sweetheart, especially around his girl. “Want to be in the shot?”
Oh, that was for her?
“No. No,” she said and quickly shuffled out of the terrace doorway to make space.
“We’re supposed to be revisiting that code name,” Roxie called as the camera was set.
And just like that, Zairn appeared in her previous spot. Roxie’s surprise was Oscar-worthy.
“You’re…” Roxie said in a gasp. “What are you doing here?”
“Couldn’t stay away, LoLo.”
“You’re supposed to be working,” Roxie said as Zairn went toward her, cool in every step. “You’re supposed to be on a plane.”
“Only thing I’m flying tonight is you, baby.”
“Smooth, Casanova,” Roxie said as the couple’s arms went around each other. “Real smooth.”
The couple’s kiss might’ve garnered applause if it wasn’t for the request for silence. Her eye caught on something through the window to inside: Brogan.
Leaving these spouses to their intimacy, fake intimacy, she supposed. They lived in the public eye but didn’t go around making out in front of—oh, no, wait, she took that back. Even without the camera, they often got cozy in Crimson.
Putting herself in front of him, she joined the lone Brogan.
“We had dinner with them last night,” she said. “They’ve barely been apart but…”
“That’s the nature of reality TV.”
That things had to be hammed up?
“I get that. But camera or not, they love each other, they feel whole together. They’ve been together for…” She didn’t know how long. “They’re the proof.”
“Proof of what?”
“It does exist.”
Could be saying that to Brogan was a bad idea. She wasn’t implying anything about them. Yet, she did feel better. Brogan was an incredible guy but wasn’t interested in anything long term. Maybe one day she’d find someone to rescue her from the proverbial tower at her parents’ house.
Gazing up into him, stupid or not, she couldn’t see herself enjoying intimacy with anyone except Brogan.
“This is our party and…”
He opened his hand. “It wouldn’t be inappropriate,” he said, reading her mind. “For putting this together, you deserve a token of my appreciation.”
As he guided her, hurriedly, across the room toward the stairs to their bedrooms, she put her glass aside unable to hide her grin.
They were sneaking away, from their guests.
This would put her high on the Sear Naughty List. Turned out she wasn’t too averse to breaking their rules.
Her mother was right, Brogan was a bad influence, except she left out the part that it would be in the most incredible way.