InHap*pily Ever After (Incidental Happenstance)

by DeSalvo, Kim

  These weren’t his people. Back in the day, when Tia and Nick were dating, he and Lexi would hang out here occasionally; mainly for St. Patrick’s Day parties and when Tia was singing on the little makeshift stage with her fiancé’s band. They were nice enough, but most of his socializing over the past few years was with stuffy old lawyer types; going to operas and tremendously boring dinner parties or hanging out at the country club in his constant effort to make partner at his firm so that he could truly enjoy the finer things in life and provide a good future for himself and the family he would one day have. Lexi seemed in her element, however, pausing to wave at him periodically from across the room as she moved from group to group, sometimes lacing her arm through Dylan’s and encouraging him to help her tell a story.

  Aside from that, he may as well have been invisible. All attention was focused on the happy couple and on Dylan in particular—especially from the ladies, he noticed. They couldn’t seem to take their eyes off of him, and batted their eyelashes while regarding him with coy smiles whenever he tossed a glance their way. He was obviously used to this kind of attention and smiled warmly at everyone, accepting hugs from the ladies and hearty handshakes from the men as he and Tia mingled with groups and Dylan tried to laugh off the many requests for him to take the stage and sing something for the patrons.

  Ryan looked at his watch and frowned when he realized they’d been here just shy of an hour. No way this party was going to be breaking up anytime soon, so he leaned back, sipped his beer and watched from a distance, the brew bitter on his tongue and the isolation chewing on his ego.

  Chapter 7

  Tony Granger was one rich motherfucker, as Dylan eloquently put it. He not only hosted the most popular late night talk show on television but was also a shrewd businessman, and he was seriously loaded. His home was a sprawling estate north of San Diego, and his private helicopter flew him in to work each day. He had an obsession for classic cars, owned an entire island in the Caribbean, and had several private jets; one of which Dylan and Tia boarded late Sunday morning for the start of what Tia had coined their “media blitzkrieg.” Tony also happened to be one of Dylan’s closest friends outside of the band, and was the reason that they were making the West Coast the first leg of their trip—he’d apparently jumped at the opportunity to be the first to satisfy the public demand for more of the “love triangle” story that was still big news, especially when Dylan offered Tony their first public appearance as a couple.

  They flew into a little airport near San Diego, one often used by celebrities who want to avoid the constant paparazzi that camp out at LAX, and were quickly hustled onto the helicopter that would take them directly to Tony’s estate. Because Tony had offered the station the shot at an exclusive—the answer to the big question, “who is the mystery woman who stole Dylan Miller’s heart and sent Oscar nominee Penelope Valentine over the edge?” he’d been given a Sunday night slot and time was of the essence. Tony also wanted to make damn sure that the news broke on his show, and not in the social media universe. He’d been fretting since yesterday, worried that pictures of the mystery woman would show up on the internet—and they had—but since there were literally thousands of pictures of Dylan with different girls on the web, with many of them claiming that they were the “mystery woman,” even Tony’s crew hadn’t been able to figure out which one might actually be Tia.

  When he got the call from his pilot that the chopper was in the air, he poured himself two fingers of scotch. It was way early, but he was ready to do some celebrating—he was looking forward to seeing his old friend, and was adding up the dollar signs that his appearance would add to Tony’s own bank account.

  Tia had had an amazing time at Paddy’s, and considered the first hurdle of her new public relationship with Dylan a success. Being with her friends, it was fairly easy to push the next one to the back of her mind, but as her first appearance on live TV loomed closer, she was freaking out a little. Maybe more than a little. Never in a million years had she imagined that she’d be the subject of anything that had the word “international” in front of it, and she certainly never dreamed that she’d be the much-anticipated guest on a television show that was expected to have viewers in numbers on par with the Super Bowl.

  Thankfully, Jessa was already in LA, and was working on putting together enough of a wardrobe to get Tia through the first few appearances. The plan was to prep at Tony’s house—normally the producers would be in contact with upcoming guests over the course of a few days to go over the questions that would be asked during the interview, but since they didn’t have that luxury, the producer would meet them at Tony’s and they’d do a crash course there. They were scheduled to arrive around 11:30 (thank goodness for the extra two hours the time zone difference would afford them, Tia thought), and they had to be at the studio by 5:00 for hair, make-up, and prep before going live at 6:00.

  Tia was also thankful that Jessa was handling their schedules; which would be nothing short of insane, in her opinion. During the week there would not only be a frenzy of appearances, but shopping trips to buy even more clothes—God knew you couldn’t make a public appearance in the same outfit more than once. Dylan had also scheduled a preliminary meeting with his attorney to discuss their part in the upcoming legal proceedings against Penelope and potential civil suit as well as sit-downs with record producers and tour managers to finalize the band’s studio time and dates for the fall tour. Since she didn’t want to think ahead any farther than the next item on her to-do list, Tia was more than happy to put it all in Jessa’s capable hands.

  They were both looking very forward to seeing her again, but they weren’t going to have much time for a reunion—their public commitments were going to more than fill their waking hours. Wednesday morning they were off to New York to do it all over again, and then to Sydney on Friday, where she’d meet Dylan’s entire family. Could I fit a few more things in a week? she thought wryly as she stared out the window at the landscape unfolding below her. Maybe I could climb Everest, or win the Nobel Peace Prize.

  “You OK?” Dylan asked, taking her hand and pulling her from her nervous thoughts.

  She looked at him and smiled. “I’m good,” she said, leaning up to kiss him tenderly. “I’m just coming to terms with a few things, I guess.” She sighed, and leaned into him. “It’s kind of hard to believe that my whole life is going to change in just a few hours.”

  “I know,” he said, shaking his head sadly. “I’m sorry.”

  She looked at him, her eyebrows raised. “Don’t you for a minute be sorry! It’s going to be different, is all, and you,” she said, squeezing his hand, “are more than worth it.” He smiled down at her, and rested his lips on the top of her head. “Really, Dylan, I knew this was going to happen eventually. I hoped for it even, because it would mean that we could really be together. I just didn’t expect that there’d be so much freaking hype about the whole thing, you know? I kind of thought it would be like a little burp; a quick story and maybe my fifteen minutes of fame. It’s just a bit more than I expected.”

  “A burp?” Dylan chuckled. “That’s an interesting way to describe it. But you’re right; if it weren’t for the damn Penelope situation, it would’ve been a lot simpler. She really fucked this up for us.”

  “I know,” she sighed. “I’ve thought about it a lot, but in the end it really doesn’t matter because you are what I want, Dylan, no matter how crazy it all gets. Those months without you…”

  “Are behind us, and are never going to happen again,” he promised, pulling her closer.

  “I know that, and I know it’ll be easier when you go back to Colorado because…”

  “Tia,” he whispered, “I don’t want a long-distance relationship. The last thing in the world I want is distance between us. I want you to come and live with me in Colorado.”

  “Oh!” she gasped. It wasn’t as though she hadn’t considered the possibility of moving to be with him—she’d dreamed of it over
the past seven months actually, a lot—it was just that things were happening so quickly in the past couple days that she hadn’t had time to really think about what came after Australia. She felt a huge bubble of joy rise up inside her and surface as a smile.

  “After you left me in Europe I felt like I’d lost a part of myself. No matter how small, and believe me, the bed in that trailer was small, every bed I slept in felt empty without you beside me. I don’t want that feeling ever again.”

  “Oh Dylan,” she said, unable to find the words she wanted.

  “You don’t have to decide anything right now—I didn’t mean to put another thing on your plate when it’s already so full—you have plenty of time to think about it…”

  “Are you serious?” she exclaimed, pulling away to look at him so he could see the conviction on her face. “I don’t have to think about anything! I’ve already been dreading saying goodbye to you again. I’d go anywhere to be with you.”

  “That’s what I was hoping you’d say,” he said with a smile. “I meant it Tia, when I said I never want us to be apart again. I mean, there’ll be traveling for me, sure, and we’ll work that out, but I never want permanent distance between us again.”

  “Me either.”

  “All the next steps we take together.”

  She pulled away to look up at him. “You know the funny thing?”

  “What?”

  “I still haven’t decided if I’m more nervous about appearing on TV in front of millions of people or about meeting your family. I don’t really care what the rest of the world thinks of me, but I care a lot about what they think. I really want them to like me.”

  “They’re going to love you, trust me. Not just because I do, but because you’re an amazing person. All you need to do is be yourself. My parents are very down to earth and easy going. You should be a lot more nervous about meeting Tony. Now that guy’s a trip!”

  Jessa was there, waiting on the tarmac, when the copter touched down on the massive estate. Tia stood back and let Dylan embrace her first, her heart melting as she overheard the apologies he whispered into her ear.

  “I know,” she said, stepping up on her toes to kiss his cheek as an uncharacteristic tear fell down her own. “I’m sorry too, but it’s behind us now and I intend for it stay there. There’ll be a little bit of time for a reunion later and you can tell me how much you missed me and couldn’t live without me; but right now, we have a lot to do.”

  “Bloody hell it’s good to have you back.”

  “It’s good to be back.” Jessa threw her arms around Tia next. “I can’t even begin to tell you how sorry I am,” she whispered. “I can’t believe that bitch got the upper hand on me! I’m so glad you’re together again.”

  “I’m glad we’re all together again,” Tia replied honestly. “And she fooled all of us, so you have nothing to be sorry for—seriously.”

  Jessa hustled them onto an oversized golf cart and they drove the winding trail to the main house. As they pulled up, Tony sauntered out the front door and smiled. “Dylan Miller, you crazy bastard!” he said. “Guess Hollywood finally caught up to you, eh?” Dylan grinned as Tony pulled him into a quick embrace. “Your assistant is a bit on the fiery side, isn’t she?” he said quietly before releasing him. Dylan smirked and nodded slightly.

  “Good to see you, mate!” Dylan replied. He stepped back and looked Tony over. “You’re looking pretty fit for an old man!”

  “Yeah, well, divorce agrees with me, it seems,” he said lightly. “Although the alimony payments are a serious bitch! But,” he shrugged, “what can you do? None of them seem to be able to keep up with me.”

  “What was this, number four?” Dylan mused. “Did I even meet this latest one? What was she around, a couple months?”

  Tony smirked. “Number three, and eight months,” he said, “but can I help it if it just wasn’t meant to be?”

  “Yeah, well I’m sure the right one’s out there somewhere,” Dylan joked.

  “That remains to be seen,” he said, “but you know I’ll have a hell of a lot of fun looking.”

  Jessa stepped up to them and cleared her throat loudly. “I hate to break up your little reunion,” she announced, “but we have a lot of details to cover in a very short time, and we really need to get to work.”

  Tony rolled his eyes at Dylan and strolled toward Tia. “So, you must be the beautiful mystery woman the world is dying to know about!” He took Tia’s hand and lightly kissed the back of it.

  “Tony Granger, meet Tia Hastings—number one and only,” Dylan said proudly.

  “Very nice to meet you,” Tia said shyly. Dylan was right—this guy was a trip. He was an imposing figure; Dylan was six foot two, and Tony had at least another couple inches on him. His overall demeanor dripped with confidence and self-assurance, his voice commanded an audience, and he carried himself with an easy grace that made it seem as if the world were his for the taking. His smile, however, was genuine, and she knew that if Dylan called him a friend, he had to be the real deal. She met his eyes and tried to smile confidently.

  “The pleasure is mine,” he beamed. “It’s good to see Dylan Miller serious about something in his life,” he joked. “Now maybe I can be at the top of the most eligible bachelor list for a change!”

  He swept them inside and into a comfortably furnished room that was about the size of Tia’s entire house. A huge spread of sandwiches, salads, and desserts was laid out on a long table, and Tony poured wine from his own vineyard into crystal glasses. For the next two hours, they went over the format of the show and the information they wanted to cover in the hour time slot. As much as Tia loved reliving the happy details of their relationship, especially since she had to keep them hidden for so long, she was becoming increasingly aware that soon the stories would no longer belong to her, Dylan, and their inner circle of friends and family; but to the whole world. Their private lives would be discussed over water coolers and in break rooms everywhere, and the thought made her a bit uncomfortable. As much as she tried not to think about it, she wondered what her life might be like if the public didn’t find her worthy of Dylan Miller—if they were disappointed in his choice.

  “What do you say, Tia?” Tony prodded, pulling her out of her own melancholy thoughts.

  “What?” Tia said, shaking her head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch what you said,” she murmured apologetically.

  Dylan moved closer to her on the couch and took her hand. “Tony asked if you feel comfortable with the “spontaneous introduction,”” he repeated.

  “Oh, sure, fine,” she said, trying to pull herself back into the present. The spots the network was running to advertise the show planted the seed that they might just fill in the question mark in the “love triangle,” and wanted to make the audience wait until the second half of the show before bringing Tia on stage. If nothing else, it gave her another half hour to calm her nerves and practice with Jessa and a coach from the show. There was no turning back now, so she really just wanted to get through it; hoping that each subsequent appearance would get easier. “I’m up for whatever you decide,” she said, forcing a smile.

  “Excellent!” Tony said, clapping his hands together. “I really appreciate you giving me the first shot, both of you. The ratings are going to be through the roof, I promise.” Then, turning to Tia, he added, “Don’t worry though, darling—the audience will be fairly small. Just ignore the cameras and pretend we’re sitting here, a few friends sharing a conversation…”

  “Just picture them all in their underwear, right?” Tia joked, taking a deep breath and a small sip of the Chardonnay.

  “Something like that,” Tony smiled, reaching over to pat her hand. “Don’t worry about a thing, really. It won’t be as hard as you think. You’ll be great!”

  Tia had to spend a lot more time in make-up than Dylan, so he and Tony moved to their shared dressing room to catch up; avoiding the self-important TV execs and managers that buzzed around the Gree
n Room texting and barking orders into their cell phones.

  “It really is damn good to see you, Dylan,” Tony said sincerely. “It’s been too long.”

  “You too, mate,” Dylan replied. “These damn crazy lives we lead don’t leave much time for some of the things that really matter, do they?”

  “You can say that again,” he agreed. Tony waggled his eyebrows. “So, as long as we’re on the subject of things that matter, I have to ask…and this is friend to friend—not for the show.”

  “Shoot.” Dylan raised his eyebrow and tilted his head.

  “I have to tell you, the two of you are really adorable together, and I don’t say that very often—I mean, I can’t even believe that the word “adorable” just came out of my mouth. Is this thing between you and Tia pretty serious?”

  Dylan smiled, and decided to let Tony in on the secret. “Serious as a bloody heart-attack, my friend. Tomorrow, while the girls are shopping, I’m meeting with someone from Harry Winston. I’m going to ask her to marry me on New Year’s Eve.”

  “No shit!” he said, standing and pulling Dylan into an embrace. “Congratulations in advance! Spectacular man, really, although a lot of hearts are going to be breaking around the world when that announcement comes out!”

  “I’ve never given a damn about the rest of the world Tony, you know that,” he said with a grin. “But it is big. It’s going to keep us in the spotlight for longer than I feel comfortable, that’s for sure. But she’s the one, there’s no doubt about it, and I don’t want to waste any more time not having her be my wife.”