by Magan Vernon
Yeah. This wasn't my first rodeo. I'd been filling out the FAFSA forms for the past two years in community college.
"Um, yes, I've done all of that. I was just hoping you'd have some other insight to give me, maybe anything specific for music business majors?"
Reina folded her hands on her desk, finally looking up from her damn computer. Of course she never really looked at me, maybe some quick glances, but her eyes kept going to Jay. "USC has a very competitive admissions process, as you know, and a lot of people don't even make it as far as you have. I would fill out the FAFSA, if you haven't already, and continue to look for scholarships or even private loans if it's a financial situation. "
It wasn't financial. My parents had more than enough money to go around. I just wanted something. Something that would show them I belonged. But it seemed like nothing was going my way in Los Angeles and now I was too emotionally exhausted to continue the fight, so I just nodded.
"Thank you for your time, Ms. Stowe, I'll look into that." I stood up and she followed suit with Jay slowly standing next to me. I didn't even look in his direction and just shook Reina's hand before walking out.
Reina kept trying to keep up a conversation with him, but he followed me down the stairs and out to the warm spring air.
"Hey, are you okay?" He spun me around, forcing me to meet his eyes.
"Yeah. I guess I just hoped that would go better," I muttered.
"Look, not everything goes as we want it to. We can go in with these big hopes and dreams and then have them crushed because it didn't turn out exactly as we expected. Do you know how many times I've lost out on a medal in competition? How many times I've gone in thinking I had it down and this was going to be 'it' and then it wasn't? Did you know I tried out for my local swim club team twelve times before I actually made it? As soon as I was old enough to make the cut for Olympic trials, I kept chasing that glory. At fifteen, I made it to trials and then didn’t even place on the leader board. Some people said I should have just given up, gone to college, or whatever. But I didn't, because I knew it was what I wanted. I wanted that gold medal around my neck and I didn't stop until I had eight of them."
I sucked in a deep breath. I didn't know about all the tryouts. I figured he was always in good shape and that the guy could do no wrong. "But I'm not you. I'm not an Olympian."
He licked his lips and shook his head. "You don't need to be. You just have to know what you want and go for it. You've already gotten farther in one try than I did in ten tries. You got into your dream school, now we just have to go and find you some scholarships and maybe we'll tour a dorm, or look into apartments. I can even call some people and see about getting you a job at the local swim club or the gym I work out at. Whatever it is, you've got me as your teammate."
I smiled in spite of myself. "I think that's the first time anyone has ever referred to me as their teammate."
Jay laughed and put his arm around me. "I could go back to girlfriend or maybe lovah or something else like that?"
I shook my head, walking in step with him through campus. "How about we stick with girlfriend?"
Chapter 18
Before any of the wedding festivities happened, we had to go to dinner at Jay's parents’ place.
This wasn't just a normal "first time meeting the parents" type thing. This was meeting his parents, his sister, her fiancé, oh and having it all televised for a reality TV special that was featuring her wedding.
I was bloated. The nice little black skirt and flowy top didn't do anything to hide that I was retaining water and about to burst with the chocolate that I should have said no to, but Mrs. Flow insisted that I eat at least one piece of cake. Or three.
I kept fidgeting with the hem of my skirt and staring out the window as we went through Los Angeles and the Hollywood hills to Malibu. I thought it was just some kind of surfer place, but I was way wrong.
The house was nestled in the hills with a large, wooden gate and hedges on each side. Jay pressed some code on the side of the gate and it opened, revealing the lit up white house with floor-to-ceiling windows that looked right through the second story and out to the Malibu pier.
There were at least a dozen cars in the driveway and I swallowed hard, wondering what the hell I had in common with these people and what I would even talk about at this shindig.
"You ready? I told Ashley and my parents to be nice, but...I can't promise they won't try and grill you. You're the first girl I've brought home in a while." Jay squeezed my hand after helping me out of the car.
I didn't want to think of the other girls he'd brought home, especially since the last girl he was rumored to date was Layna Downs, Ashley's co-star.
But of course the car right in front of me was a bright red Ferrari with custom plates that read "Layna".
Balls.
I followed Jay, hand-in-hand, up the long cement stairs and to the front door. He opened it to a small foyer and yelled, "Anybody home?"
Of course they were.
Chatter sounded from one of the many rooms. Seriously the house was huge and full of white walls and windows everywhere.
Before we could even get down the long hallway, a guy in a black shirt with a long beard handed me a clipboard. "Can you please fill out this waiver?"
"Um, what?"
He groaned. "This is the waiver so we can show your face on television. After you sign it, we'll get you mic'd up in the guest room."
I looked at Jay and he winked.
I guess this was just the start.
After signing a few forms, I followed the guy into a bedroom with views onto a large swimming pool and some people gathered around an outdoor fire pit.
"Okay, Lia, I'm Mike, the sound guy. What we're going to do is hook this pack up under your skirt on your underwear line and the mic is going to go on the front of your shirt, right at your chest. I'll do a few tests to see if we can hear it before we go out there."
Uh...
I wished Jay would have come in the room with me, but he was out in the hallway chatting to the producers or something.
I hooked everything up as well as I could and then stared at Mike for approval.
"Okay, testing, testing. Just say your name and where you're from."
"Uh, Lia Conti, Friendship, Texas."
Mike nodded, listening in on a giant headset. "Okay, good. We got it. Now let’s get back out there and Billy is going to discuss what's happening."
I followed him out the door to a smiling Jay who was looking at a young guy in a Dodgers hat. Jay took my hand and squeezed it as soon as I walked out.
The guy, who I assume was Billy, clasped his hands together. "Okay, now that you're both here, I'm going to have you guys enter again and we're going to film it. Introduce Lia to your parents first, we'll be filming a bit of Ashley's reaction and Layna's then we'll signal you to walk over to Ashley and Ry.
My heart was beating wildly. My first real boyfriend. My first time meeting his parents and an ex-girlfriend and it was all going to be televised.
No need to panic.
Totally panicking.
"Okay. You good, Lia?" Billy looked over at me, blinking his large, green eyes.
"Uh. Yeah. Totally."
I followed Jay back out the front door and outside. Jay leaned in and placed a quick kiss on my cheek then whispered, "don't worry, it's not as bad as it sounds. Try to relax or just sing “The Edge of Glory” in your head until it's over."
Finally I smiled, wondering if that was exactly what he was doing.
Jay pushed the door open and yelled, "I'm home!"
The cameras were right in our face. I tried not to stare directly at them but it was hard not to.
We made our way into the large sitting area that opened to a kitchen that would have been my mother's dream with restaurant grade stainless steel appliances, white cabinets, and beautiful granite.
Mike and Billy backed up, turning the camera slightly.
My eyes zeroed right i
n on the petite brunette, Layna Downs.
Her gaze was situated on Jay. Those eyebrows of hers were in a permanent 'surprised' position and she was wearing the tiniest little orange dress I'd ever seen.
I pried my eyes away when a man in a dark suit with salt-and-pepper hair and a very trimmed beard walked up to us, along with a tall woman in a shift dress and a bright white smile. "Lia, these are my parents, Meg and Phil," Jay said, gesturing toward them.
Meg hugged me stiffly. Jay and his dad shook hands then Phil came over and I thought he was just going to shake my hand, but he pulled me in for a hug. He whispered before he let me go, "don't let all of this intimidate you."
Easier said than done.
Ashley's heels clicked on the wooden floor as she walked toward us, beaming brighter than all of the wild blonde hair styled around her head. She had one hand on a drink that I hoped was water, and the other on the leather jacket clad arm of Ry Stone.
"Jay! So glad you could make it!" Ashley hugged her brother and then her eyes went to mine, her smile fading just a bit. "And you must be the new girlfriend!"
She hugged me but it felt stiff, her plastic chest barely grazing me.
"Yeah, Ash, Ry, this is Lia." Jay looked at me and smiled. "You and Ry are definitely going to have to talk if we get some time since he's a music producer."
Jay squeezed my side like some sort of proud papa bear. "We visited USC today. Lia's going there in the fall for music business."
"Oh, does that mean you'll be moving back home?" Meg asked, closing our circle.
Jay rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean, I probably need to look into getting my own place soon. Something near the pool. Maybe downtown LA."
Ry laughed, taking a swig of whatever was in his rocks glass. "Or near USC for the girlfriend. Before we know it, Jay's gonna be walking down the aisle and we'll have a big Italian wedding on our hands."
The blood rushed to my face. The last thing I wanted to talk about was my future wedding, especially to a guy I'd only been with for a month and a half.
Not that I didn't think about a future, it was just more about hopefully losing my virginity and maybe a few slumber parties when I went to USC. If I went to USC.
Man, now I knew why people drank.
Meg laughed a nervous laugh. "Let's get one wedding done first."
"Yes! Did you get everything you're supposed to wear? You know we're doing jeans and white button downs. Sleeves rolled up," Ashley said, blinking her big false eyelashes.
Jay smiled. "Yeah, yeah. Ashley. I got it all. Don't worry about it."
She huffed. "Of course I'm going to worry about it. Last time we went to a wedding, the groomsmen challenged you to a race and you jumped in the pool with your tux on."
"Hey, when a member of the royal family asks if you want to race, you take off your shoes and you race."
Jay laughed, but Ashley just shook her head.
Ry smiled and finished the rest of his glass. "So, if I challenged you to a race right now, you'd jump in that pool with me?"
Jay raised his eyebrows. "Are you challenging me?"
"Ry, don't," Ashley said, putting her hand on his elbow, but I saw the hint of a smile. She knew exactly what she was doing and what would help ratings. This would be the promo spot for the entire ordeal.
Ry stepped back and whipped off his polo shirt, revealing a lot of tattoos, some that didn't exactly look like they were done in a tattoo parlor. "Show me what you got, Golden Boy."
Before anyone could object, Jay had his shirt unbuttoned and threw it down on the floor, removing layers of clothes as he followed Ry out the glass door.
Mike and Billy ran after them like two eager puppies and I tried to follow but got lost in the crowd that gathered around the pool.
I stood on my tippy toes behind some girls and watched as the boys stood together at one end, wearing nothing but their boxer briefs.
A guy in a black button down shirt and jeans, stood in the middle of the crowd. "Okay, the rules are, these two are going to swim to one side then back to the other, using whatever stroke they want. Winner gets bragging rights!"
Everyone yelled, putting their fists in the air. Which was about all I could see.
The guy yelled "Go!" and I heard the splash of the water, but still couldn't see anything.
"Don't look so desperate, honey," someone muttered.
I tried to ignore her. I tried to ignore all of it, but then I saw it. Right in front, right next to Jay as soon as he got out of the pool was freaking Layna.
As soon as he was out and onto the cement, he gave her a big, wet hug. She giggled like a freaking hyena and smiled huge for the camera before whispering something in his ear.
I'd never had much to be jealous of, but seeing the girl paw all over the guy who brought me here, the guy who was clearly with me, made me want to march right over there and do something crazy.
Not like pee on him, but something to stake my claim.
But before I could even walk over, he was surrounded by another crowd and then soon disappeared into it.
One minute he was across from me and I could definitely see him and the next minute he was gone.
I looked around for someone familiar. Anyone to talk to.
But there was no one.
I was completely and utterly alone.
So I slumped down on one of the deck chairs and pulled my phone out of my purse. I sent a quick text to Sonny when I get in town but hadn't talked to my parents yet. This really wasn't the place to call them either.
Opening an app, I scrolled through some pictures. People were already posting shots from the party and tagging #GettingStone. Not the hashtag I would have come up with, but I scrolled through it anyway.
A lot of selfies with Ashley and Ry. Some of the house.
Then some new ones popped up.
Ry and Jay swimming.
Jay getting out of the pool.
A selfie of Jay and Layna with his arm around her and a cheesy smile.
I should have stopped there.
But of course, I was a glutton for punishment.
The next picture that popped up, was like looking at a mirror image.
It was me, sitting on the deck chair. By myself. With the hashtag #suckstobeher
Screw this.
I didn't even know the party guest who posted it and I didn't care.
Pushing through the crowd, I made my way past the pool and the fire pit. The camera crew was on Ashley who was laughing with a group of her friends and doing a toast.
That was going to be the first place I looked for Jay and now I had absolutely no idea where he was.
Until I heard her laugh.
Layna's laugh.
I scanned the large yard and finally made my way to the side of a smaller guesthouse. Walking through a cloud of smoke, I saw Ry and Jay, both with vapes in their mouth and right next to them, lighting up a joint, was Layna.
Who the hell got high when there were camera crews around?
Jay's blue eyes finally looked up and met my gaze. "Oh, hey, babe, I was looking for you!"
He slowly walked over to me. At some point he had put on his jeans which were hanging low on his waist and giving a great view of his wicked V. But I was mad. I couldn't focus on how sexy he was when I was mad.
"I kind of doubt you were looking for me if you were smoking when you know there are camera crews around." It came out with more snark than I intended, but I blamed it on PMS.
"Whoa, Golden Boy, I didn't know you were dating your mom," Ry laughed, a huge puff of smoke escaping his lips.
I glared at Ry then looked at Jay, crossing my arms over my chest. "Look, I'm not trying to be a bitch. I'm not. I'm just looking out for you, okay?"
Jay smiled, putting his hands on my shoulder. "Babe. It's fine. No one is going to rat me out."
I doubted that. Layna was already taking another selfie with Ry.
"Well, I may not be the one to post anything, but I've been looking
at this wedding hashtag..."
Jay rolled his eyes. "Why?"
I smirked. "Don't ask why, just come here and selfie with me."
"I think I can do one better than that." Jay winked and turned toward Ry. "Hey, Bro, can you get a picture of us?"
Ry handed the joint back to Layna. "Sure, man."
Jay nodded to me. "Give him your phone. I have no idea where the hell mine is. It may be broken or in the pool or something."
Digging through my purse, I grabbed my phone and made sure I had the camera pulled up and nothing else he could see.
"All right, are you two ready?" Ry held up the phone.
"Almost," Jay said.
Before I knew what he was doing, he had me in a fireman's carry and lifted me up in the air, placing a big kiss right on my mouth.
I giggled and squirmed, but was really enjoying every minute of it and almost didn't want him to put me down.
When my feet touched the ground, Ry handed me back the phone. "You two are too damn cute."
"Thanks," I said, scrolling through the millions of shots he took.
I found one that may have been silly but you could clearly see it was me being kissed by the great Golden Boy and then I put it up on my feed with the hashtag #GettingStone and another one for good measure #Doesntsucktobeme.
Chapter 19
I always had this grand idea of what it would be like to sleep in bed with a man that wasn't Sonny when we were forced to share a bed while visiting relatives.
None of those bed-sharing ideas involved Jay snoring or kicking off the covers. It especially didn’t involve him getting up at five AM to go swimming before getting ready.
Day two of Mrs. Flow and I was pretty sure that I was going to die of cramps.
I didn't want to get in a pretty dress and there was no way in hell I was going to get in the skimpy underwear.
Just as I finally dragged myself out of the bed and got ready to hop in the shower, Jay came bounding into the room wearing nothing but a pair of gym shorts and a large grin. "Morning, Sunshine. Want a protein shake?"
I raised an eyebrow. "You're very cheerful this morning."
He grinned. "What's not to be happy about? The sun is shining. The birds are singing and I get to see you in a little dress all day."
