16. Garrett
GARRETT
“So…” Theo starts in a way that means I probably won’t like what he’s about to say, “you’ve had a really chill few weeks being married,”—he pauses again for dramatic effect—“but that’s done.”
“Done?”
“Yes, done,” he says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “There’s no reason for you to be married to Emerson if the public isn’t seeing you together.”
“We went to the coffee shop in town just last week.”
He glares and I smile.
“Which is a great start, but you need to go there again and people need to see you. Hell, go every Tuesday and make it your thing.” The words are slow and measured like he’s talking to a child. “This whole ruse is pointless if you’re not using it to help fix the band’s image. Your image.”
I know what he’s saying and I get it, I really do, but the word ruse grates on me. My marriage to Emerson is temporary, sure, but the things I’m feeling for her are real, and I know she feels it too.
I just don’t know if it’s enough for her to give us a real shot.
“Are you even listening to me?” Theo grumbles and I nod.
“Definitely.”
“You’re so full of shit,” he grumbles. “Good news is that next Tuesday there’s a show at Gin who do you think I am?”
“But you’re not going to tell me?”
“I’ll tell you when it arrives because I know you don’t actually care. You’re just trying to distract me from planning your social calendar.”
He’s not wrong.
“What about your social calendar?”
“What about it?” he asks a little too quickly, flustered by my question as his cheeks heat.
“Did you go out with Des yet?”
“No.” He pauses and licks his lips before clearing his throat. “I haven’t figured out if he’s interested yet. Or available.”
“Huh,” I say before I can stop myself.
“What? It’s not like your wife was any help.”
“Do you need help?”
“Not usually. But he’s…guarded.”
“Some people like a challenge.” He opens his mouth, presumably to protest, but I hold up my hand. “You took me on.”
“Yes, and you’ve filled my cup of hard work for the rest of my life.”
“I’m not that bad.” I scoff and Theo’s eyes widen to comic proportions.
“I beg your finest pardon.” He gasps, clutching his nonexistent pearls as Emerson walks in the door, her gaze bouncing between us.
“Am I interrupting something?” she asks wryly, and I take the opportunity to take her in.
Fucking gorgeous.
“Only your husband trying to pretend he’s not a lot of work.”
“Musicians are temperamental,” she agrees and I gape at her.
“I am not.”
“See what I have to deal with?” Theo laments and I roll my eyes.
“I’m a lot of work but I fully admit it.” She winks and that small acknowledgment goes straight to my dick as if her mere presence can jump-start my libido.
And I guess it can.
She’d been plenty of work last night, stress from the day making it harder for her to unwind, but I’m nothing if not dedicated to making sure my wife is satisfied.
And by the end of the night she definitely was.
“He’s planning all the public appearances we need to make,” I tell her, watching as she visibly deflates and makes a face. “Uh-huh,” I gloat. “Not so fun anymore, is it?”
“That sounds terrible.” This time the comment is directed at Theo who slams one hand on his hip and points an accusatory finger at us.
“You got real married and decided to stay and fake it for your reputations. So yeah, you don’t just get to stay home and have sex on every surface of the house.”
“Is he always this grouchy?” Emerson asks me and I shrug.
“Feels normal.”
“You don’t pay me enough.” He groans, looking up at the ceiling. I open my mouth to protest because I absolutely pay him enough, and he just bought himself something with my credit card and also I’m not that bad.
But Emerson just crosses her arms as she leans against the counter.
“What if we trade the second gala for a fancy dinner and you can tip off the media, or maybe there’s a ribbon cutting you can get us into with a sizable donation?”
She bats her lashes as Theo mimics her stance and narrows his eyes.
“And I should do that because…”
“Because I found out something interesting today.”
The words hang casually between them as I watch Theo’s mouth pull into a frown, his expression contemplative. It’s funny watching him try to fight this because more than anything, he’s nosey and there’s no way he’ll be able to make it without knowing.
“Like what?” He tries for vague interest but misses the mark as he leans forward expectantly.
“I need a deal first.”
“You don’t want to see Garrett in a tux at some stuffy fundraiser?”
“If I wanted to get off on him being in a tux, I would just ask him to go put one on right now,” she counters. Theo blushes, and hell, I’m pretty sure I do too.
But also, she’s not wrong.
The only logical question when Emerson Andrews says jump is how high?
“I’m starting to think you don’t have a filter,” Theo manages while she gives him a sexy smirk.
“I do have one, but I use it all day so you get the unfiltered version.”
“Lucky me.”
“Lucky you, indeed. And I think you’ll definitely want to know what I learned before leaving the office.”
“Ugh,” Theo huffs, uncrossing his arms and slamming his hands onto his hips. “This better be good.”
I can already imagine him mentally rearranging our schedule and filing through a million different events and local organizations to accommodate Emerson’s requests.
“Des is single and he finds your voice, and I quote, ‘quite pleasant.’”
This time Theo blushes furiously, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth as he dips his head. The information seems pretty mundane and I feel like I’m missing something.
“I’ll get with Des about the details for your appearances,” Theo says before adding, “and thank you.”
“Of course,” she says, moving around the kitchen to wrap her arms around me.
“Garrett, I’ll see you tomorrow. Emerson, pleasure doing business with you,” Theo yells before exiting through the back door, leaving me and Emerson alone.
“Bye!” she calls, pressing her body flush against mine the second the door clicks shut.
“You barely told him anything.”
“I confirmed that Des is interested. That’s enough for Theo to do whatever he wants with it.”
“I guess I’ll have to stick to bets in Vegas for finding a wife.”
“Well, this wife has possession of you for the next few months, so you can cool it on finding the next one.”
“Possession, huh?” My lips twitch as my palms slide over her curves to cup her ass, my dick already hard from the hint of contact.
“Mm-hmm, and as such it’s time to go to the bedroom so you can properly welcome me home.”
“Bossy.”
“You decided to keep this marriage going and I am merely capitalizing on the perks.”
“I love it when you talk boardroom to me.”
“Well, get moving, Rockstar—there’s plenty more where that came from.”