InHap*pily Ever After (Incidental Happenstance)

by DeSalvo, Kim

  Bo grinned. “Hell, darlin’, I’m Superman. No doctor’s gonna tell me what I can and can’t do. No way I was missing this little party. I’m your biggest fan, you know.”

  Dylan pulled her close. “Second biggest,” he said, “at best. It is great of you to come, mate, but I’ll ask the same question. Did you get this trip OK’d by your docs?”

  “I’m here, aren’t I?” he said, then patted Dylan on the shoulder. “Chill out, Strummer Boy. The docs OK’d it, and I wouldn’t have come if I wasn’t sure I could do it.”

  “Why doesn’t that make me feel any better?” Dylan mused. “Ah, what the hell, I’m really glad you’re here. It isn’t the same without the best man.”

  “I knew you’d miss me,” Bo grinned. “So you got anything to eat in this dump? I could use some real food—my nurse has been force-feeding me these horrendous green smoothies, and my body’s more than ready for a rebellion.”

  Tia was tugging him by the hand. “There’s tons. But first, I want to introduce you to my parents. I’ve told them so much about you.”

  Bo grinned and shook Will’s hand, then took Danielle’s, turned it over, and kissed it, in his typical style. “Well,” he said warmly, “I can certainly see where Tia gets her good looks, Mrs. Hastings.” Danielle blushed, and he continued. “I have to tell you that I just love your daughter. She’s an incredible person, and she’s so perfect for Dylan.”

  “Bo is Dylan’s best man,” Tia smiled. “He’s the drummer for Inhap.”

  Recognition lit up in their eyes. “Of course!” Will exclaimed. “I’ve heard so much about you, Bo,” he said, glancing sideways at Lexi, who was watching anxiously from across the room. Bo’s eyes were scanning the crowd, and he seemed nervous himself. “All good, of course,” he added quickly.

  “Well, probably only half of it’s true then,” Bo joked. “I’ve heard a lot about you as well. Tia had a real internal struggle about keeping Dylan’s true identity from you guys, you know.”

  “We know,” Will agreed, “but we definitely understand why she did it. We also understand that you were a real help to her on a number of occasions, Bo. We appreciate that you’ve been such a good friend to her.”

  Bo shrugged it off. “That was nothing,” he said casually. “Glad to do it.”

  “We’re so relieved to see that you’ve recovered from your accident,” Danielle said. Are you pretty well healed?”

  “Almost good as new. Better even,” Bo smiled.

  Lexi’s heart beat a little too quickly for her liking and she could feel the blood rushing up to flush her cheeks. Ryan had made no secret of the fact that he didn’t want to be here, and seemed to be purposefully making sure she didn’t have a good time. For the first week after they made up, he’d been attentive and apologetic, but ever since then he’d been edgy and unpredictable. She tried to be the supportive fiancé, not complaining about his long hours and seemingly endless meetings, but something had definitely changed in their relationship, and she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was. He was hot and cold—mostly cold—and she could feel a distance between them that had never been there before. He didn’t respond to her texts for hours and often didn’t even pick up the phone when she called. God, she couldn’t even remember the last time they’d had sex. She knew going in that he was going to be less than thrilled about attending this party and being diminished; in his own mind; under Dylan’s shadow, but she hadn’t expected him to sulk the whole time they were here.

  Ryan had staked out a place in the back of the room as soon as they’d arrived, and only moved to get more food or alcohol. He refused to mingle, and made little snide remarks when she returned after making some rounds to chat with people. He was aloof whenever she introduced him, and barely even said hello to Tia’s parents. And now, Bo was here.

  She watched as Tia led him over to meet Will and Danielle, and seeing him turn on his usual charms made her feel a sense of relief and lightness. She’d have to say something to him, obviously, but already felt the discomfort of not only the way they’d left things the last time they saw each other, but of Ryan’s increased tension. “I see you freaking looking at him, Lexi. I know you’re just dying to go over and say hello.”

  “Damn it, Ryan, you’ve been a downer all night…what’s up with you? He was in a serious accident that almost killed him, and he’s a friend. Yes, I want to say hello and see how he’s doing. Don’t worry; I’m not going to ask him to sneak over to my place later, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

  “Maybe not, but if I wasn’t here, you’d be running into his arms so he could tell you how beautiful you are.”

  “You need to ease up on the cocktails, Ry,” she snarled between gritted teeth, “and you seriously need to get over yourself. He’s a great guy—give him a chance.” She hoped that Bo would give her a chance. Maybe seeing her with Ryan would dispel the suspicion that she’d been hitting on him; although Ryan was being a serious an ass and they weren’t exactly coming off as the couple of the year. She hated that she felt awkward about seeing Bo—it was the complete opposite of the relationship they’d built in England.

  Bo decided he liked Tia’s parents right away, especially after they told him how many great things they’d heard about him. He chatted with them for a few minutes, and then excused himself to get something to eat. He stopped in the middle of the room and swept it with his eyes—and then he saw her. The instant their gazes connected it all came flooding back to him and he was back there again—in the hotel room with her in the leopard print outfit, his strong urge to kiss her, his unexpected and uncontrollable desire. Even from this distance he could see the regret in her eyes as well, and he knew then that his asinine behavior had ruined a beautiful friendship. Still, they were the maid of honor and best man, and they’d do right by their best friends regardless of their own shortcomings. He lifted his good arm in a casual wave, and made his way over to their table to say hello.

  “Doesn’t look like I’ll have much choice in that matter…” Ryan mumbled.

  Lexi took a deep breath and tried for a casual smile. “Hey Bo, it’s great to see you—how are you feeling?”

  Every muscle in his body ached to pull her into an embrace; to whisper apologies into her ear and take away the sadness he saw in her eyes. But he didn’t know if she’d accept it, and her fiancé was glaring at him with something that looked like a dare, so instead he shook her hand as if she wasn’t someone important to him; as if she hadn’t permeated his thoughts day and night for the past few weeks. He willed his voice to stay steady and not betray the rush of emotions currently swarming in his brain like a hive of angry bees, and forced a crooked smile. “I’m good, Lex—almost good as new. I think maybe that bump on the head knocked some sense into me,” he joked, hoping she might get the hint. He smiled bigger and extended his hand to Ryan. “Bo Collins,” he said with a friendly grin. “You must be Ryan. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  “Have you now?” Ryan said, almost suspiciously as he stood and shook Bo’s offered hand.

  “Don’t worry, it was all good,” Bo said. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

  “Forgive me if I don’t add ‘finally’ to my greeting. I kind of just found about you a few weeks ago when I saw the two of you together on TV. I mean, I knew who you were, but I didn’t realize that you and my fiancé had…bonded.”

  Bo considered himself to be a pretty good judge of character—and there was something about this guy that just didn’t sit right with him. It was impossible to miss the warning in his tone and the fake smile, and although the last thing he wanted to do was cause problems for Lexi, he wasn’t going to just slink away with his tail between his legs. Especially when the dude put his hand firmly on Lexi’s shoulder and pulled her to his side, placing his own body between them.

  “Well, you have yourself a fantastic girl here,” he said. Ryan shot an angry look at Lexi and Bo’s protective instincts reared up. He stood up taller, looking down at Ryan
from his large frame. “You’re a lucky man; I know you appreciate how special she is.”

  The dude glowered at him and wrapped his arm tightly around Lexi’s waist. “As if I need anyone to tell me that,” he spat.

  They continued their silent face-off for a moment longer until Tony walked over and put his hands on Bo’s shoulder, breaking the tension. “Bo, Lexi—great to see you two together again,” he smiled. “Great ratings for your show, by the way, did Jessa tell you? Thanks again for coming on; especially on such short notice.”

  “Glad to do it, Tony.” Bo forced a smile, and couldn’t help but get in one more dig before he made his exit, for the moment, anyway. “I couldn’t have asked for a better co-star.”

  “She’s got a face for TV, that’s for sure,” Tony agreed. “You look great, Lex.”

  “Thanks, Tony,” Lexi said awkwardly. She could literally feel Ryan’s anger in the way he was digging his fingers into her hip. “This is my fiancé, Ryan Stallworth.”

  “Ah yes,” Tony said, shaking his hand. “You’ve got a great girl here, Ryan. Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials.”

  “Thanks,” he replied coldly before practically pushing Lexi back down into her chair and taking a seat himself. “We’re very excited.”

  Tony looked at Lexi with raised eyebrows and she shrugged. He took the hint, and made his exit. “Well, nice meeting you,” he said, adding, “Take care, Lexi. See you again soon.” Bo followed him, leaving Lexi with Ryan’s wrath.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Ryan asked as soon as they were out of earshot. “You running off to California again or something?”

  “I’m sure he means at the wedding, Ryan,” she said, exasperated. “He and Dylan are good friends.”

  “How nice for them.”

  Lexi glared at him, but kept her voice low. “You know Ry, I really thought you were over this whole jealousy thing. This is my best friend’s engagement party, in case you hadn’t noticed, and you’re really sucking the fun out of it. What’s up with you?”

  “It’s all about you, isn’t it? You’re just soaking this shit up. Pardon me if I’m not impressed that you’re on a first name basis with all these celebrities.” He slammed the rest of his drink, and pounded the glass onto the table. “Maybe you’d have more fun if I left—then you could do your schmoozing without me getting in your way.”

  “I want you to be part of my life, Ryan, not exclude yourself from it.”

  “I don’t know what your life is anymore, Lex,” he slurred. “But I do know that I’m having a harder and harder time fitting into it.”

  “That’s bullshit and you know it. I’ve included you in every…”

  “Included me?” he interrupted. “You mean put me neatly in a corner so you can go about your business, right? Because that’s pretty much the way it feels on my end.”

  “That’s your fault, not mine. You’re the one who’s behaving like an ass.”

  “Yeah? Well I’m so sorry that I’m an embarrassment to you.”

  Lexi sucked in a big breath and let it out slowly. It wasn’t that she hadn’t noticed that Ryan separated himself from the group when they were out together, but she really hoped that he and Dylan would get to be friends and made a point to try and include him. “Listen, Ry. I understand that you feel left out of the whole equation, I do, and I’m really sorry about that. I also get that I have a history with some of these people and you don’t. I know it’s hard to understand, but these are real people, regardless of what they do for a living. And they’re nice people, the ones I know anyway, so it’s not fair that you don’t even give them a chance. Dylan’s a great guy; so is Bo—and Tony, too. If you got to know them, you’d realize that, and you’d build your own friendships with them.”

  Ryan mimicked playing a very tiny violin. “And that’s where we’re never going to agree, Lexi. I’m not going to bend over backward to impress your celebrity friends.”

  “I’m not asking you to impress them, Ryan—I’m just asking you to be yourself. It’s like I don’t even know you sometimes, and I don’t like it.”

  “And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what we call irony,” he said, tipping his empty glass in her direction. “Do you know how many times I’ve thought the exact same thing about you?” He stood up to get a refill and left her wondering what the hell was going on. She scanned the room while he was at the bar, and watched with a heavy heart as Bo flirted with Joi Dowling, lead singer for Sparrows at Sunrise. Apparently, it was going to be another stressful evening.

  Chapter 32

  Tia sang along with InHap’s first album as she folded laundry and watched the snow fall outside the window realizing, not for the first time, that since she’d met Dylan she found herself drawn to the harmonies rather than the melodies. It felt good to be doing mundane things like sorting socks and folding sweatshirts; it was a nice, normal thing to do on a Friday morning.

  Her life was full of harmony lately, and it was about time, in her opinion, The media buzz had dwindled to a low murmur thanks to Hollywood and its seemingly endless supply of marriages, breakups, babies, arrests, and rehab check-ins. Dylan had left for Seattle, but the distance between them was proving to be manageable—there was only a two-hour time difference between them, which allowed them to keep in close contact on a daily basis. Jessa was staying with her on and off, dividing her time between working for InHap and keeping an eye on Tia. She knew that the primary reason Dylan was having her stay was because Tia insisted he ease off the constant security once their story died down, but she didn’t mind at all—Jessa was a great friend and was positively invaluable when it came to the wedding plans. Lexi was a great help, as well, and Tia was impressed with the positive attitude she’d maintained since her own wedding had been put on the back burner. It hadn’t gone unnoticed that Ryan was a bit of a shit at the engagement party, but for the most part, Lexi and Ryan seemed to be getting along better lately, too, which was a relief after the tension they’d had between them for the past few months.

  Her friends had gotten over the initial hoopla over Dylan’s real identity and although she was still wary with strangers, she’d fallen back into pretty normal relationships with the people who mattered to her. As normal as they were ever going to be, anyway, she figured.

  Harmony was good.

  Tia put the clothes away and turned on the television as she started pulling bowls and pans out of the cupboards and placing them on the counter in the kitchen. She had another task to master today, and she was really looking forward to it.

  “Hi everyone, and welcome to Chit Chat! Please welcome your host…Dottie Miles!” said a disembodied voice as the camera panned over a live studio audience. A lithe redhead appeared at the center rear door and danced down the main aisle, high-fiving and fist-bumping audience members before deftly leaping onto the stage and taking a bow.

  “Oh thank you so much, really, it’s great to be here today!” She waved at the audience, deep red lips peeling back from impossibly white teeth in a genuine smile. “Please help me welcome my co-hosts…two of the most fabulous people I know, Abigail Cross and Lynne Davies!” Another wave of applause rose as a a blonde and a brunette darted out from the two side entrances and made their way toward the stage, waving and similarly sharing high-fives with the guests. They, too, leapt onto the stage where they joined Dottie in a group bow before taking their seats behind a long table dotted with the usual coffee mugs and several colorful flower arrangements.

  “Thank you, thank you very much!”

  Tia might have turned the channel if she wasn’t up to her elbows in ground beef and spices. God, she hated daytime television with its cornucopia of talk shows sandwiched between quick-loan and injury lawyer commercials; but it was some background noise—a distraction—as she tried her hand at something new. She decided, after a revelation that Dylan had actually never had homemade meat loaf, that she was going to try cooking so that she could make him a proper meal when they were back toge
ther again.

  “You’ve never had meat loaf. Seriously?” she had said when they were talking about their favorite childhood food memories.

  “It isn’t really an Aussie thing and anyway, once I was on my own, the word ‘homemade’ was very rarely in the name of my usual meals. Now Alicia, my sometimes cook-slash-housekeeper-slash-surrogate Mum in Colorado makes a mouthwatering chicken meat pie and her fried chicken is to die for—can’t wait for you to meet her, by the way—but I don’t remember hearing the name ‘meat loaf’ ever mentioned.”

  “Wow. I can’t even imagine making it to adulthood without ever eating a meat loaf. What about hobo steak? Pot roast? How often are you even at the house in Colorado?” It led to a huge discussion of Dylan’s favorite foods growing up and things he’d never tried; and Tia decided that while he was in Washington, she would take the time to practice cooking not only foods that she had loved as a child, but Dylan’s favorites, as well. She’d spent hours chatting with Kelley and had pages of recipes and tips about how to cook meals Dylan had enjoyed as a boy. She’d even found a couple of places close by that carried some of the meats more common in Australia; and although her mouth wasn’t watering over cooking or eating things like kangaroo, emu, and alligator, she looked forward to surprising Dyl with a little taste of home as well as sharing some of her own favorites. Today, she was making meat loaf the way her mom always made it. She scooped the chopped celery off the cutting board and added it to the bowl, mixing it in with her hands.

  “Thank you again for inviting us into your living room today,” Dottie continued. We’ve been getting some great feedback about the format of the show, and are really excited to make it what you want it to be! Keep sending us those emails, tweets, and don’t forget to like our Facebook page so you can be part of the Chit Chat community. Remember, we like to talk about pretty much everything, so send us your story ideas, too, and we may even invite you to video chat with us live on the show.”