by Holly Jaymes
I huffed out a breath. “I’ve got some of Lily’s tea if you want.” I was going to have a giant glass of wine. I poured my glass and made Allie some tea.
She and I sat on the couch where the night before, Lily and I had sat.
“Are you alright?” Allie asked me.
“I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?” I wondered if maybe I should haven’t brought the bottle to the couch with me.
“Because you kissed Pax.”
“He kissed me. I was taken off-guard.”
“Hmm.” She sipped her tea.
I gulped down half my glass. “I don’t need you giving me a hard time about this, Allie.”
She jerked back. “I’m not giving you a hard time-”
“Yes, you are. I don’t know what happened tonight, but it was a fluke.” A mistake, his words came back to me.
“I’m just worried about you, that’s all.”
“Well don’t be.”
“He couldn’t take his eyes off you, Victoria. He watched you all night.”
I couldn’t deny a small sense of satisfaction at that.
She continued, “But he’s still Lily’s brother and unless she’s changed her mind, you and him being together-”
“That’s not happening. It was just a moment. Mostly we cleared things up, but now he’s heading back to London and I’ll be going to Vegas, so you really didn’t need to step in.”
Allie studied me. “If that’s true, then why are you so upset?”
Grr. “I’m just tired.”
She nodded. “Me too.”
“Where’s Josh? Why isn’t he taking you home?”
“He’s down at Tucker’s. They had a little gathering tonight for New Year’s with Mason and Willa.” She pulled out her phone. “I’ll text him to come get me.”
“I’m being rude.” That was the problem with Pax. He brought out the worst in me.
“No. I get it. I just want you to be happy and okay.”
“I am. I’m totally okay.” I gave her a hug and when Josh arrived, I walked her out. I shut the door, grateful for the silence and solitude. I was going to go to bed and then get up early to head to Vegas in the morning.
The next day, I woke up feeling like last night with Pax along the lake was a dream. That was good because I could pretend it didn’t really happen. I packed up my stuff and loaded up the car. I was glad I decided to drive from Eden Lake to Las Vegas instead of flying. By the time I drove back west to San Bernardino and then flew east to Las Vegas, it would take about the same three hours. The drive gave me time to push Pax out of my mind, and get my head into the game in dealing with Lisbeth.
I was excited to have been able to set up the meeting with her. She was an up-and-coming star who gave the appearance of being real and grounded. In her interviews, she spoke about her concerns about the environment and healthy living, which fit perfectly with my skincare and cosmetic line.
At this point, most of my customers were mid-twenties to mid-forties in age, but I wanted to appeal to the younger crowd. Lisbeth was twenty-three, but her fan base included many college-age women. I wanted her help in reaching them.
Three hours later, I drove into the city of Las Vegas and to the Bellagio Hotel. Pulling in, I couldn’t help but think of the Ocean’s Eleven movie which then made me think of the old standards played last night at the wedding, which then reminded me of dancing with Pax and of course the kiss.
“Knock it off, Victoria,” I said as I exited my car and entered the hotel. Ten minutes later, I was in my room with a view of the fountain. I kicked my shoes off and lay down on the bed, taking a short rest before I had to meet Lisbeth. Then I took a quick shower, put on a professional yet chic short black skirt, a white silk camisole shirt, and a tailored jacket that flared out over my hips. I combed my hair, deciding to leave it down so I looked less severely professional. I wanted to relate to this young woman.
Checking myself out in the mirror, I decided I was ready. I checked my purse for the samples I’d put in them, and then headed down to the conference room where I was scheduled to meet with her.
“Ms. Sinclair,” Lisbeth’s manager, a man around my age greeted me.
“Victoria, please.” I shook his hand.
“I’m Ethan Garner.”
I arched a brow. “Garner? Are you related to Lisbeth?”
He laughed. “Probably somewhere back in the family tree, but not directly.”
“Huh. How interesting.”
He shrugged. “I think that might be why she chose me to help her. Anyway, she’s expecting you.” He opened the door.
Lisbeth was twenty-three but looked barely twenty. She had an earthy quality to her with her natural light blonde waves and freckles across her nose.
She looked up, and her eyes lit up and a joyous smile spread on her face when she saw Ethan. I couldn’t help but wonder if there was more than a starlet-and-manager relationship. She pulled back on the smile wattage when she saw me.
“Oh. Ms. Sinclair.” She set some paperwork aside. “I’m trying to catch up with business stuff.” She stood and shook my hand.
“Call me Victoria, please.”
“Would you like coffee or something?” she asked.
“Actually, if it’s not too much trouble.” I realized I hadn’t had any coffee in the morning. No wonder I had to lay down when I arrived.
“No trouble,” Ethan said. “I’ll get it.”
I was surprised that he left her alone. After all, as her manager, it was his job to help vet projects like mine. But being a savvy businesswoman, I decided to forge ahead.
“Thank you so much for meeting with me. I’m very excited to show you our Radiance line. The products are made from all-natural, organic, fairtrade ingredients-”
“Are all your lines like that?” she asked, taking the sample of hand cream I handed to her. “I mean, so many companies have a clean line to get that market, but then have other lines that are polluting the Earth and making people sick. It sort of defeats the purpose.”
I nodded. “I know what you mean. Yes, all our lines are organic and fairtrade materials. Plus, you’ll note that we don’t use any plastic. All our products come in glass or stone-based containers. We also use recycled paper, water-based glue, and vegetable ink for our labels.”
“Wow. Did you hear that, bab…Ethan?”
Ethan glanced at me as if he was wondering if I’d caught that she’d nearly called him babe. I feigned ignorance and took the coffee he set in front of me.
“Thank you.”
He gave a nod. “I did hear it. It sounds right up your alley. Of course, there are other considerations.”
I smiled. Even earthy, tree-hugging, up-and-coming stars needed to make money. We spent the next hour with my showing her the line, focusing on the benefits, as well as going over my vision and how she could help. The next half-hour, we talked money.
We were finishing up with a preliminary deal that we’d each have our lawyers look at when there was a knock on the door.
Ethan looked at his watch. “That’s probably Dane.”
Lisbeth nodded. “I wonder what the surprise is that he said he had for me?”
“There’s only one way to find out. But we should finish here.” Ethan glanced at me.
“I think we’re done for now,” I said. “I’d love to meet with you again before you go. Perhaps we can have dinner at some point?”
“I’m doing a small show tonight. After that, we can eat. There is a great vegan place near here.” Lisbeth turned her attention to Ethan. “Can you get her a ticket?”
“Done,” he said.
I stood. “Enjoy the products. Test them out. Let me know what you think.”
She rose from her chair. “I’ve been following you on Instagram forever. It’s so exciting to meet you.”
“Thank you.”
Ethan went to open the door. “Hey, Dane.” He paused. “Holy crap…you’re Pax Ryder.”
My gaze snapped to
the well-dressed man entering the room, and following him was indeed Pax. His eyes zeroed in on me.
“Victoria.”
“Oh my God, Pax Ryder,” Lisbeth gushed.
The well-dressed man, I took to be Dane, patted Pax on the back. “Pax, meet Lisbeth Garner.”
It took a moment but Pax’s attention finally left me and turned to Lisbeth, who he smiled warmly at. “I’m a big fan, Lisbeth.”
Seeing my opportunity, I excused myself.
“Thank you, Victoria,” Lisbeth called after me.
I waved. “See you later.” When the door closed behind me, I sank against it. What cruel bit of fate was working against me that I had to see him again?
Chapter 6: Serendipity
Pax
It took all of my willpower not to follow Victoria out of the room. I was surprised to see her even though I’d known she was in Las Vegas. On my way here, I’d decided I’d look for her despite the fact that she didn’t seem to want to be around me and that Lily would flip out if anything came of it. Victoria was like a drug for me. Now that I’d had another little taste, I had to have more.
To my mind, it was a good omen that she was meeting with Lisbeth. It was a sign that I was meant to find Victoria, right? I just wished I knew if she was staying in the Bellagio or just meeting Lisbeth here while staying somewhere else.
“Oh my God, Pax Ryder, I can’t believe it.” Lisbeth’s young exuberant face lit up.
“I told you I had a surprise,” Dane said, clearly liking the brownie points he’d earned for bringing me along.
“Are you performing here too?” she asked.
I motioned for her to sit at the head of the table where she’d been before, and then I took the chair that Victoria had vacated. I inhaled, taking in her sweet scent that lingered.
“No. I’m here to see you.”
“Oh my God, Ethan…can you believe it?” She took a deep breath. “Sorry. I’m fangirling.”
“It’s okay,” I laughed. To be honest, it did an ego good when another artist got excited about seeing me.
“I’m just… I’ve loved your work for so long. Cripes, the poster of you shirtless in your jeans, holding your guitar in the rain is still on the bedroom wall at my parents’ house.”
Okay, so that was a little embarrassing. That whole photoshoot had been embarrassing. “No decent artist is going to take their guitar out of the case in the rain,” I remembered arguing with the photographer.
He rolled his eyes. “It’s not your guitar and it doesn’t matter. We’re creating rock star porn here.”
That was weird too. The idea that women would get off looking at the poster. I wondered if Victoria had seen it. Did she get off to it? I shook my head. She probably fantasized about my getting a painful disease, not orgasms.
“Lisbeth is playing a small venue tonight to test some of her songs for her album,” Dane said.
“Can you come?” Lisbeth’s eyes lit up with hope. “Victoria will be there. It sounded like you knew her.”
I’d have likely gone to her performance regardless because that was why I was here. But knowing Victoria would be there insured my presence.
“I wouldn’t miss it,” I said.
“Who is Victoria?” Dane’s expression turned serious. I supposed as the record label CEO he didn’t want Lisbeth to be selling her soul to the wrong person.
“She has this awesome line of organic, fairtrade skincare,” Lisbeth answered.
“We’re exploring an endorsement deal,” Ethan added.
Dane frowned. “That’s something you should talk to me about first. We don’t want you getting involved in something that could hurt your career.”
“Victoria will be fine,” I said.
Dane looked at me and arched a brow. “What is she to you?”
The one that got away. “She’s my sister’s best friend. I’ve known her a long time. She’s a shrewd businesswoman. Knowing you’re interested in a natural lifestyle, it’s a good fit.”
Dane wasn’t convinced but he didn’t say more. We stayed for another half-hour and I agreed to attend her performance that night.
Dane and I left, going to a suite to avoid my being seen there, and ordered lunch. While we waited for room service, we had a drink from the mini-bar.
“So, what do you think?” Dane asked, sitting on the expansive couch that overlooked the fountain in front of the hotel.
“About what?”
“Lisbeth? You think she has what it takes?”
I stood at the window, scanning the other windows of the hotel, wondering if Victoria was behind one of them. “She has the talent, no doubt. And if she’s able to start getting endorsement deals, she’s smart. Or her manager is.”
“It’s a little early for that, don’t you think? She has a college following but-”
“If I could have had endorsements before I left the gate, I’d have had them in a minute.” As it was, I didn’t do many endorsements although I was asked a lot. I didn’t need the money or exposure now, but when I was where Lisbeth was now, I’d have done an endorsement. “This business is fickle, you know that. My career could end in a moment.” I sipped my drink.
“I doubt that would happen. You’re squeaky clean. A pop star image in a bad boy body. Perfect.”
I rolled my eyes. “Maybe I’d be more popular if I had a bad boy image in a pop star body.”
“Those types do burn hot, but then they fizzle out fast. You have longevity, Pax. You have talent, and you don’t do crazy shit that makes my life hard. Lisbeth strikes me as having a good head on her shoulders, but she’s young and she doesn’t know what’s coming. That’s why you’re here.” He finished his drink, rose from the couch, and went to the mini-bar to refill it. “I’d also like you to see if you can push back that makeup deal with your sister’s friend.”
“What?” I jerked around to look at him.
“I’m sure it’s fine, but like I said, I don’t want her doing anything that messes up her music career.”
“It’s fucking face goop, Dane. Good-for-the-Earth face goop at that.”
“I know, but we need to establish her as a music star and then she can pawn goop. I don’t want her to be a model turned artist. She was mine first.”
I stared at him like he was nuts. “Everyone knows she’s an artist first.”
“Not everyone. Not yet.”
“I’m not sabotaging her deal.” Jesus, Victoria would rip my eyes out if I did that.
“I’m not saying stop it, just push it off until after we get her album made.”
I shook my head. “That’s not my job. I’m Lisbeth’s peer, not her manager or her boss.”
“As her peer, you can advise her-”
“I’m not doing it, Dane.” I downed my drink and set my glass on a table nearby. I was ready to leave the room.
He held his hands up in surrender, his drink sloshing around in the hand the glass was in. “Fine. Jesus, Pax, what bee got up your ass?”
“I’m not the type of person who does what you’re asking.”
He studied me. “What is it between you and the goop lady?”
My jaw tightened. “I told you. She’s a friend of my sister’s. A good friend.”
“Is that it? Is she your friend too?”
“Yeah, sure,” I said nonchalantly.
“How friendly?”
“Jesus, Dane. She’s my sister’s friend. She’s a good person with a solid business and a massive following on social media. She could help Lisbeth as much as Lisbeth can help her.”
“Fine. Just don’t leave them alone.”
I gaped. “I can’t dictate who Lisbeth spends time with.”
“Then arrange to spend time with your sister’s friend. Keep her away from Lisbeth.”
“You’re being crazy!”
“Am I? I saw how you looked at her when we entered that room. You may not have fucked her, but you’d like to.”
“Jesus.” I turned away, hating t
hat he was right. Hating that he’d seen that in me.
There was a knock on the door, indicating our lunch was here. I took the time to get my shit together and was glad that our discussion moved away from Lisbeth and Victoria to my own career during the meal.
That evening, I entered the small venue Lisbeth was playing at from the back and was escorted to a table off in the shadows so I wouldn’t be seen. I dressed in slacks and a button shirt to avoid that bad boy look that might give me away.
I knew the minute Victoria arrived. It was like the air in the room changed. I watched her from my dark corner. She was still in that sexy short skirt and form-fitting coat that dipped low in front showing a peek of silky white cloth. I wasn’t sure how she did it, but everything she wore was sexy on her.
I waved down a waitress. “Can you send that woman there a glass of your best dry white wine? Let her know it’s from me.” I handed the woman extra cash.
“Yes, Mr. Ryder.”
I was used to being called Mr. Ryder now, even though it was my middle name.
I continued to watch Victoria, feeling like a voyeur as she sat at the table, pushing her long hair back as she settled in and crossed those magnificent legs. Oh, how I wanted her to wrap them around my waist as she’d done six years ago.
The waitress with the wine approached her table. Victoria looked over in my direction. I gave her a small wave. She frowned and looked down at the wine and then back to the waitress. For a moment, I thought she was going to send the wine back.
The waitress walked away. Victoria looked over at me again, and I waved her over to me. I gave her a look that said I’d come over there and expose my presence if she didn’t. I didn’t want to because this was Lisbeth’s night. But I would. I was that selfish.
She blew out a breath, stood, picking up her wine, and made her way to me.
“Are you stalking me?” she asked.
“Would you be mad if I was?” I stood and held out a chair for her.
She sat. “Why are you here?”
“I’m here to see Lisbeth Garner. My record label wants me to help her adjust to the fame she’s about to experience.”
“Oh.” She looked out over the crowd and I wondered if she was disappointed that I wasn’t stalking her.
