by Meghan Quinn
He was mesmerized by the sway of her hips and the look in her deep brown eyes. She wanted him; it was obvious.
Placing her hands on his chest, she looked up into his eyes and smiled.
“I missed you.”
Biting on his lip, he cringed at her admission. If he was honest, he’d missed her too, but he wouldn’t say that, not with doubts of her intentions running through his head.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, being able to read the stiffness of his body and the icy exterior that took over him.
“We need to talk,” he said, trying to stay strong, even though her beautiful face was wearing him down.
“Okay,” she said, a little confused. “What are we talking about?”
Not missing a beat, Cruz led her to the seating area in his room and sat down with her. Her hands twisted in her lap as she searched him for what he wanted to talk about.
Not wanting to beat around the bush, he asked, “Did you know who I was before you met me for the first time?”
She cocked her head to the side and said, “What are you talking about?”
Growing a little frustrated with the situation he was in, he pinched his nose and said, “Are you using me, Maelani? Are you with me because you want something from me?”
Pure and utter shock crossed her face as her body tensed and she retreated away from him in her seat, as if he’d just slapped her. He instantly regretted his question, because from the look in her eyes, he was way off base. Silently, he was cursing Grey out for getting inside his head.
“Are you serious?” she asked, her voice full of insult.
Wanting to diffuse the situation, Cruz positioned himself toward her and tried to grab her hand, but she didn’t let him, so he spoke softly. “I’m sorry, Maelani, but I was talking to Grey about our relationship, and he was worried about me. He wanted to make sure I wasn’t being used.”
“You really think I would use you?”
“No…I don’t know,” Cruz said, while running his hands through his hair. “It’s not uncommon. We’re used all the time, and your work situation is so weird. I don’t really know what you do, and I can only see you occasionally at night. It seems so fucked up to me. I don’t know what to think.”
“Well, clearly, you don’t think the best of me.” She started to get up, but Cruz pulled down on her arm and made her sit down.
“Please, don’t leave,” a peek of desperation showed through his voice, making him cringe. “Please, just talk to me. I’m so damn confused. Help me understand, Maelani. What’s going on?”
Eyeing Cruz up and down, he could tell she was trying to gauge whether or not he was worth talking to about her life.
After some silence, she settled back in her chair, crossed her arms over her chest, and her legs over one another.
“You really want to know?”
“Yes, I want to fucking know.”
“Fine,” she said casually. “I’m a high class escort for a man who pays me two grand for every outing. I see him about three to five times a week. He pays for all my clothes and required outfits for events we attend.”
An escort? Cruz felt his jaw hit the ground as he tried to calculate in his head how much she possibly made in a week. If he was calculating correctly, she was sitting pretty, but for some reason, she didn’t flash any of her money.
“Oh,” was all he said, as he tried to process everything. In the back of his head, he thought, at least she wasn’t a hooker. Well…
“Do you sleep with him?” Cruz asked, not being able to hold back what he was thinking.
She looked at her nails and then looked back up at him, her demeanor completely different than when she first walked in. She was all business now, the once soft and affectionate girl who’d walked into his room was gone.
“No, not that it’s any of your business. I don’t sell my body for money, only my image.”
“Why?” Cruz asked confused.
Growing a little frustrated, Maelani switched her crossed legs and gave Cruz a pointed look.
“Not all of us are as lucky and as talented as you, Cruz. We have to fight for a way of life. I grew up in a shitty foster care home, where I was treated poorly. The only person who I thought could save me was my boyfriend at the time. I left when I was seventeen, not even completing my education. After years of lying and manipulation, I was able to free myself from his wrath, and the only thing I had on my resume was a pretty face and a thin body, so, I used it. Am I pleased with how my life has turned out? No, but I’m saving every last penny I have so I can go to school and finally get an education.”
Feeling like a dick, Cruz scooted closer to her, hanging off the edge of his chair, and rested his arms on his legs while he spoke honestly to her.
“I’m sorry, Maelani. I didn’t know. I just, fuck, I like you, and I hated that you had this second life I didn’t know about.”
“There was a reason,” she said, interrupting him.
“Well, I’m glad I know now.”
“I’m not,” she answered back quickly. “I didn’t want you to know about that aspect of my life, because now you’re going to treat me differently.”
“How so?” he asked, already knowing that he wanted to give her some money, give her the education she needed, even though he barely knew her. He wanted to give her the world; she deserved it.
“Because, you’re going to think you can save me, but I want to save myself. I don’t need your help, your sympathy, or your support.”
The vehemence in her voice was a bit startling. She was serious when it came to her personal life. When he first met Maelani, he just thought she was easygoing and fun; he never thought she had this other side of her, this strong willed, respectable side of her that only made Cruz want to get to know her more, escort or not.
“What if I don’t offer it?” he asked.
“It doesn’t matter,” she said, while gathering her purse. “We’re done here.”
She was able to slip his grasp and walk to his door, but before she opened it, he pressed his hand against it and kept it closed. He hovered over her tiny body, and he couldn’t help but be sucked into the light flowery scent that was floating off of her.
“We’re not done,” he said, matter-of-factly. “We’re not even close to being done.”
“We are,” she looked him dead in the eyes.
“Why?”
“Because you clearly don’t trust me. You thought I was using you, Cruz.”
Feeling flustered, he stuttered, and said, “Can you blame me?”
Fury crossed her eyes, and he knew it was the wrong thing to say. His asshole ways were not going to get him out of this one.
“I didn’t mean that,” he tried to recover.
“Let me go,” she said, while trying to reach for the doorknob.
“Maelani, please, just listen for a fucking second,” Cruz said, while struggling to keep her in the room with him. She was small, but she was squirrely, and made it a challenge for him to reel her in.
“You’re an asshole, Cruz. I should never have even come back here. I just knew you were going to end up being a dick.”
He couldn’t argue with that. He was a dick for a good percentage of his life, but when it came to Maelani, he felt himself soften toward her. Yes, he wanted to fuck her every chance he got, but he also wanted to hold her, to smell her, to learn about her. He had never felt that way before, and now that he got a little taste of what it might be like to be with her, he didn’t want her to get away.
“I am an asshole, the biggest asshole you will ever meet. I usually give zero fucks about anything, and make it my mission in life to instigate any situation until it blows up. That’s how I’ve been my entire life. I don’t trust easily. Besides my boys, it’s hard for me to actually let anyone past my bastard of an exterior. But with you, Maelani, fuck, you blew past those walls the minute you showed up at my house for brunch. I had no clue what I was getting myself into when we sat down to eat a waffle to
gether, but hell if I would take any of it back. I barely know you, but what I do know, I like, and what I don’t know, I want to learn. Please, give me a second chance.”
She looked him up and down while she bit on the bottom of her lip, deciding what she was going to say.
She adjusted the strap of her purse on her shoulder and said, “Sorry, Cruz, but we’re done here.”
With that, she pushed past him and went out the door, leaving him thinking that he was the biggest moron in the entire world.
He slammed his door shut and screamed out a long “fuck,” while kicking one of the chairs in his room. He sat down in the other one and ran his hand through his hair, while hanging his head low. He pulled at the black strands and thought about how he probably just fucked up the best thing that could have ever happened to him.
**Landon**
“So, what’s the plan?” Grey asked, as he shifted in his seat, slightly paranoid about Landon’s spastic driving.
“Now that we picked up some flowers and an outfit…”
“You’re such a woman, by the way,” Grey interrupted.
“Because I want to look nice for my woman?” Landon asked, while swerving to get to their exit off of the freeway.
“Fucking Christ, dude. Can you not kill us?”
“Who’s the lady now?” Landon teased, while wiggling his eyebrows.
“Fuck off, at least I didn’t spend hours on end in the mall picking out the right pair of jeans. They all looked the same to me, and when did you start caring about fashion?”
“The moment I started dating a stylist.”
“I never cared,” Grey said with mirth in his voice.
“Yeah, and look where that got you,” Landon said with a giant grin.
“Ah, I see. Is this how it’s going to be from now on?”
“Nah, just had to throw that one in. Believe me, I’m so grateful things didn’t work out with you and Quinn, because that means I get to have her.”
Shaking his head, Grey looked out the window and studied the terrain of the Hollywood Hills while he said, “I can’t believe you’re proposing to her. Do you think she’s going to say yes?”
“If I thought she was going to say no, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be asking her to marry me, now would I?”
“I don’t know. Sometimes guys in love do stupid things.”
“She’s going to say yes,” Landon said, a little too sternly.
To say he was a little amped up about what he was about to do was an understatement. He was beyond grateful that he and Grey were able to put aside their differences and move past everything, because proposing to Quinn was something he didn’t want to do alone; he needed his brother.
He knew Quinn was going to say yes, but he was still nervous. He wanted to make sure everything went right. He was a perfectionist when it came to Quinn, and he knew she deserved the world…and tonight, he planned on handing it over to her.
“I like your confidence,” Grey added. “I can’t say that I blame you. By the way she looks at you, I would guarantee that she’s going to say yes as well.”
“I know,” Landon said, growing a little frustrated. That last thing he wanted to do right now was hash out how Quinn was going to respond; that shit made him way too nervous. Instead, he needed to think about the task at hand and make sure all his ducks were in a row.
“I can see by the vein that’s popping in your neck that you’re starting to get a little irritated.”
“No shit,” Landon responded, while running his hand through his hair.
“Alright, settle down. Damn, dude. Everything is going to be fine.”
“I just want to make sure everything runs smoothly. Do you think we got enough candles?”
“Yes, any more and the fire marshal would be banging down our doors. There will be enough.”
“Did you recruit people to help?”
“Yes, Rook and Maisy will be helping, and Kaid as well. We’ll have the pool area lit up for you, no problem.”
“Fuck, do you think it’s lame to do it there? Should I do it somewhere else? I mean, fuck, I’m doing it in the label’s house.”
“Yes, where she will never expect it, dude. It’s all about the element of surprise.”
“Yeah, well, dropping down on one knee in the condiment aisle of the grocery store is a surprise as well, but it’s not romantic.”
“Dude, if you proposed in the middle of the grocery store, I would say no for her.”
“I would never do that,” Landon responded, exasperated.
They pulled into the driveway of their temporary house and started to unload all the bags they’d gathered on their little shopping spree.
“I don’t think you needed three different shirts,” Grey said, while shutting the trunk of the car.
“Better to have more options. Plus, I didn’t know what shoes I was going to wear.”
“I love you, man, but I think your balls have gone missing.”
“No, Quinn just has them,” Landon said with a wink, while he took his stuff upstairs.
“Wait,” Grey said with slight panic in his voice. “What if Quinn is up there? What if she came back early?”
“She didn’t,” Landon responded, continuing up the stairs. “She’s out with her mom right now. They’re having a spa day, courtesy of me, but Quinn doesn’t know that. She thinks her mom is picking up the tab.”
“You should have let her,” Grey said, while dropping onto Landon’s bed and pushing the shopping bags away from him.
“Yeah, and look like a giant douche bag? No thanks. Plus, I’m glad to pay for the spa day. Quinn needed it, she had a horrible headache this morning. I sent her a text earlier asking how she was feeling and it seemed like the spa day was working.”
“That’s good. How does Quinn’s mom feel about the proposal? She knows, right?”
“She does; she’s in on the secret. She’s excited, but she did ask about how our relationship was, as in you and me.”
“Yeah? What did you say?”
Landon tossed his different outfits on the bed next to Grey as he spoke. “I told her we were dueling pistols in our front yard, fighting for her daughter’s hand.” Landon paused for a second and gave Grey a sarcastic grin. “What do you think I told her? I said we had a bit of a rocky start, but we were able to, thankfully, work things out, which honestly, if I can be cheesy for a second, I want to thank you for being so understanding and cool about all of this.”
Grey waved off his brother and said, “Let’s just say, you owe me one.”
“Normally, I wouldn’t go for that, but this situation has me owing you one for sure. Your ability to forgive me for stealing your girl has not gone unnoticed.” Landon smirked at Grey, as Grey flipped him off.
“In all seriousness, will you be my best man when she says yes?”
Grey sat back on his elbows and pondered the question, while he looked up at the ceiling with his lips twisted to the side.
“I don’t know, I mean, isn’t that a big responsibility?”
“Yeah, you can throw the bachelor party,” Landon smiled.
“Ah, you’re right, and that’s something Cruz would want to be in charge of. So, just to spite him, I’ll say yes.”
“Just to piss off Cruz; well, I guess I can be okay with that.”
Laughing, Grey said, “Seriously, dude, I would be honored. Thanks.”
They smiled at each other as silence filled the room. Landon was grateful that he was able to move forward from where he was six months ago. He was about to propose to the love of his life, his career was on its way back up, and he had his brother back in his life; he was one lucky mother fucker.
“Have you talked to mom and dad?” Grey asked, as he watched Landon pick through his shoes and set them up next to his outfits.
“I did yesterday. They’re going to come over later; you’re in charge of texting them.”
“I thought I had to take pictures. Can’t someone else text them?
I mean, fuck, I can’t handle everything.”
“What are brothers for if they can’t multitask? You’ll be fine. You won’t need to be taking pictures later, just when I propose, and don’t forget to take the flash off. I don’t need it looking like a red carpet event out by the pool.”
“I’m not an idiot,” Grey said, while tossing one of Landon’s shirt choices to the side. “That thing is heinous. I don’t know why you got it.”
Landon picked it up and held it out to look at it. “Quinn said I should experiment with different colors.”
“I don’t think she meant mustard and puke green. Dude, that’s a rugby shirt, from like ten years ago.”
“Then why did you let me buy it, you prick?”
“Because I wanted to get the hell out of the store!”
Shaking his head, Landon tossed the shirt to the side and looked at his other choices. He was either going to go with a grey washed jean and black shirt with a sock hat, long necklace, and his black Vans, or he was going to go with the dark wash jeans, maroon Henley shirt, and brown boots.
“Damn, I don’t know,” Landon said, eyeing both outfits.
“I would ask for a fashion show, but I’m really not that interested. I’m going to say go with the jeans and maroon shirt and style your hair.”
“Glasses or no glasses?” Landon asked, tossing the rejected outfit to the side.
“Glasses, you look weird without them.”
Nodding his head, Landon looked down at his outfit and smiled. “I think Quinn would approve.”
Grey laughed and replied, “When you’re holding that giant diamond in front of her, I’m sure she’s not going to care what the hell you’re wearing.”
“Oh, she’ll know. She always knows. I swear, she’ll be out dressing some other artists and I’ll call her, and just from the tone of my voice, she knows I’m wearing sweatpants out in public.”
“Oh, the horror,” Grey faked a shudder.
“You’re being a little bitch today, you know that?” Landon teased.
“Hey, I have to keep things real for you. So, what’s the plan?” he asked, while rubbing his hands together and looking around the room.
