by Layla Hagen
“Hey, don’t laugh, or I won’t tell you that I love you too.”
“Oh really, you won’t?” he asked between fits of laughter.
I shielded my mouth, afraid I was going to scare him away. “Yes, I love you. Now stop laughing.”
He didn’t, of course.
Grabbing the clutch, I headed to the bathroom in the guest bedroom where I’d been with the team today. I sighed in relief when I glanced in the mirror. I didn’t look like Ronald McDonald. I’d made a mess, but it wasn’t that bad. Diana had told me it was very resistant to wiping, but I didn’t really believe it.
I was pretty sure I’d removed three layers of skin as well by the time I’d gotten the smudges Brayden made off. I wasn’t sure if the skin around my mouth was red from all the rubbing or because there was still a hint of lipstick left. I carefully applied foundation around my mouth, then lipstick on my lips. It didn’t look as perfect as when Diana had done it, but it would do. I didn’t have any make-up remover. I’d packed it and my overnight things in the small bag Peter took to the Waldorf Astoria. We were spending the night there because the band was expecting reporters to wait for them in front of their apartments after the event, so it was a way to avoid the madness.
Brayden flashed me a huge smile when I joined him, fixing his gaze on my mouth.
“So much for not kissing.”
“You made me lose my head,” I admitted.
“I know.”
“Hey, a love declaration will do that to a girl. Don’t judge me.”
“I don’t. I think you’re adorable.”
I pointed a shaky finger at him. “Don’t make me lose my head again.”
“I’m tempted.”
“No, no. I won’t have any of that. Let’s go.” I tried to keep my resolve, but as we walked out the penthouse door and stood at the elevator, I couldn’t help but think what a lucky girl I truly was. But would this last? Brayden’s world was so different from mine, and I wasn’t sure if I was really going to feel comfortable with it... or if I’d fit in.
Chapter Twenty
Isabelle
Twenty minutes later, Paul dropped us off at the venue on the Upper East Side, and my nerves were absolutely shot. There was a red carpet from the point where the cars stopped all the way to the entrance. It was flanked by a huge crowd on either side. As far as I could tell, there were reporters on one side and fans on the others; the reporters had those huge flashy cameras up while the fans were holding phones.
This is happening.
As if sensing my apprehension, Brayden squeezed my arm.
“I love you, beautiful. Are you ready?”
My shoulders relaxed a little at his words. I nodded.
Brayden pushed the door open. The crowd was already calling his name. Holy shit!
He got out first, taking my hand and helping me out as well. The crowd went absolutely berserk. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, just focused on putting one foot in front of the other. Brayden squeezed my hand, smiling widely, which in turn made me smile. I leaned into him, suddenly feeling shy. Dozens of flashes went off at once.
Security guards were stationed every few feet along the red carpet, and a bunch more plus New York’s finest were around the entrance. One of them opened the door for us.
Inside, my ears needed a few seconds to process the shift in volume. The band was already here, posing for the few reporters who had VIP access and were allowed inside.
The entrance area was elegant, with huge flower vases at the corners. Were those hydrangeas? The double doors leading to the main room where the party was taking place were closed. The band was on a small elevated island with a white backdrop. Sasha was at the foot of the island, behind the photographers. Her hair was styled in a braid, and it contrasted beautifully with her glam golden dress and strappy black heels. Next to her was Cami, Thomas’s wife. Brayden had mentioned to me that I could talk to her about how to manage all of this, but we hadn’t done that yet.
She looked fabulous too in a dark green dress that brushed the floor. Her black hair was held on one side by a clam hair accessory with a huge white orchid.
Sasha hurried to us. “GQ is taking pictures right now. Everyone’s been asking for you, Brayden. First, take pics with the band, then some exclusively with Isabelle.”
Brayden nodded, squeezing my hand before joining the guys.
“Are you nervous?” Sasha asked as Cami also joined us.
“Oh yeah.”
Sasha gave me a sympathetic smile. “It’s not easy, but I promise the press’s attention will fade eventually. Cami can tell you all about that.”
Cami nodded. “She’s right. They were all over me when I first started dating him. It was very annoying, and difficult. But after a while, they stopped paying attention to me. Tonight they snapped a few pictures of us, but we’re not news anymore. You are.”
“The label went all out with this party, huh?” I asked.
Sasha beamed. “Oh yeah. Sales are definitely up now to where they want it. Hard to tell if it’s just because the guys communicate with fans more, but either way, the label executives are pleased.”
I laughed nervously, looking around. There were several reporters holding cameras in the lobby. They all had name tags, but they were too far away for me to be able to read them.
After the photographers were done with the band, Brayden came to me. Sasha and Cami wished me good luck before heading inside the main hall. Brayden put an arm around my waist, whispering in my ear, “Show them what you’ve got, sassy girl.”
I laughed, feeling my shoulders relax again. The next few minutes were a blur as the reporters threw question after question at Brayden.
“How long have you been dating?”
“Is it true that she’s met your parents?”
“Are we going to cover your wedding soon?”
My mind was spinning, but Brayden was very efficient and laid-back. I noticed he only answered the questions he wanted. Sometimes reporters repeated the questions he ignored, but he just kept ignoring them.
“Okay, guys, that’s it. You will get no further comments from us tonight,” Brayden said after what felt like hours. It had probably only been a few minutes though.
He guided me toward the party room. Behind us, there was a lot of commotion as more guests came in.
The party room was not what I imagined it to be. For some reason I’d expected tables and chairs, similar to a wedding or gala setting. But instead, there were brown leather armchairs and couches around the room, with small round tables at the sides or in front of them. There were buckets with Dom Perignon bottles in them on almost every table, as well as glasses. The room was rather dark, courtesy of the dim lighting. The ceiling was peppered with spotlights that cast a moody but romantic glow over the room. They looked a bit like stars.
“The reporters aren’t going to come in here,” he said.
“How come?”
“Everyone is more relaxed knowing the party is private. During the first few launch parties, we had photographers and reporters inside, and it made no difference in how much coverage we got. It annoyed everyone. How are you feeling?”
“Like all of this isn’t quite real,” I admitted.
He brought his mouth to my ear. “How about I make it real?”
“Oh, how would you do that? From your voice, I’m guessing something naughty.”
“Very.” He trailed his fingers on my bare back seductively.
“Brayden!” I admonished.
“What? I aim to please. See those corners? There are dark corridors behind them. The things I’d do to you there... You’d love them. Beg for more.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks. In fact, my whole face felt on fire. But I loved his flirty comments. They had the unexpected effect of calming my nerves, and I suspected he’d realized that, which was why he was even more shameless than usual.
I elbowed him lightly, still blushing. “Hey! Remember the lipstick incid
ent? Don’t make me lose my head.”
“But that’s exactly what I want. You’re fucking amazing when you forget about everything except me.”
I licked my lips, shaking my head. He winked but didn’t say anything else, just guided me farther inside the room.
As the first guests arrived, Brayden managed to introduce me to them. I made a fool of myself, getting completely tongue-tied in front of a few of my favorite stars. But then everyone started arriving in larger groups, and it was impossible to greet them in person.
Brayden led me to one of the couches, pouring Dom Perignon for both of us. We clinked glasses before taking a sip.
“So let me get this straight. First time I met you, you gave me shit, but you’re quiet as a mouse when I introduce you to Hemsworth?”
I smiled. “Don’t take it personally. I didn’t know who you were. And I thought we agreed I wasn’t giving you shit.”
“No, you said that. I’m still not convinced it’s true.”
“I wouldn’t give shit to someone I want to work with.”
“Yes you fucking would. It’s how you roll, Ms. Gallagher. Sassy all the time. Except when it comes to Hemsworth.”
Well, he did have a point. I guess I just found out what it would take to make me tongue-tied.
I batted my eyelashes at him, leaning in to him and whispering, “I’ll make it up to you later. I promise I’ll be extra dirty.”
He growled, which made my evening.
***
We weren’t joined at the hip the whole time. He mingled with his friends, and I made my way over to the band members and chatted with them as well as with Sasha and Cami.
“He can’t keep his eyes off you,” Cami said in a conspiratorial tone while we stood in one corner of the room, sipping more champagne with the band. “I’ve been watching him. He’s looking at you right now.”
I glanced over my shoulder in Brayden’s direction. She was right. He was in a conversation with someone, but his gaze was fixed on me. I blushed, looking down at my glass. I had no idea how he could make me feel like we were alone in this crowded room with just one glance, but he did.
Lars put an arm around my shoulders. “I agree. He’s always either talking about you or thinking about you. Even while rehearsing.”
“How do you know he’s thinking about me?” I asked.
“He has a sort of vacant expression, like he’s lost in his thoughts.” Lars comically mimicked the look he was describing.
Harvey nodded. “It’s scary.”
Thomas rolled his eyes. “It’s normal. On the plus side, he’s even more creative than usual. Which means he’s busting our balls even more now, but it’s for a good cause. Usually while we’re preparing for a tour, we don’t play any new songs, but now he’s got creative spurts every other day, especially after you spend the night with him, so I’m going to assume there’s a link between amazing sex and creativity.”
I choked on my champagne. I couldn’t believe he said that out loud.
“Lars,” Sasha admonished.
“What? I only make sex jokes with people in our inner circle.”
“He really does,” Harvey added.
I recovered quickly and said playfully, “You guys know how to make a girl feel special.”
I raised my glass to them. “We’ve come a long way. I thought you were going to kick me out the first time we met.”
We clinked glasses, and after that, we separated. They mingled with the crowd, and I decided to check on Josie. I took stock of the new guest arrivals on my way toward one of the corridors that Sasha said led to a quiet back room.
To my intense distaste, Lilian was also a guest tonight. She was one of the last ones to arrive and only smirked at me without even saying hello. Whatever, it wasn’t like I planned to have a conversation with her at all. I hadn’t seen her since Lars’s birthday, and I wasn’t interested in anything she had to say.
She was annoyingly attractive though. Her blonde hair was slicked back with gel, but it made her look sophisticated, not ridiculous. She was wearing a red suit. The jacket had a deep V-line, and it was obvious she wasn’t wearing a bra.
I stepped outside, into one of the corridors, dialing Josie’s number. She’d been so stressed out today, and I felt guilty that I hadn’t been able to drop by and lighten up her evening. I held the phone to my ear, hoping she’d pick up this time.
She answered after a few rings.
“Sis, all is good here. Focus on your fancy party,” she said.
“Hello to you too. Are you sure you’re okay? You were all stressed out today.”
“I know, but Tess and Skye dropped by with dinner and some perspective, and it’s all better. Thanks for the advice.”
“Oh, great!” I was relieved but still feeling a little guilty. And a bit jealous that a girly evening was happening without me there. “Hug them for me.”
“I will. Now go. You don’t need to baby me.”
I was going to anyway. I was going to plan another breakfast with the sibs, or another girly evening... or both.
After hanging up, I headed back through the corridor, where I ran into Lilian. Was she waiting for me?
“Oh, you,” she said.
I smiled, seeing no reason to not be cordial. “Hey, Lilian.”
“Nice dress.”
“Why thank you.” I hadn’t expected the compliment.
“It’s not a designer dress, right? Looks like that. Nice.”
Right. So it hadn’t been a compliment.
“It’s off-the-rack, if that’s what you mean. But it doesn’t matter, does it? The important thing is how it looks on me.”
She smirked again. “It looks like it’s off the rack, but nice.” Running her hands down her suit, she said, “This is a Dior.”
“It’s lovely.” I honestly didn’t have the energy to waste on her.
“I’m surprised Brayden didn’t want to pay for something more expensive. It’s a red flag, if you ask me.”
What a snob. I almost laughed but held my composure. “Actually, Lilian, I bought this myself. I love it.”
Her smirk fell, but she recovered quickly.
“Well... you need to do better. You’re playing in the big league now. If you don’t want to learn the rules, you’ll lose.”
I rolled my shoulders, standing even straighter. What did that even mean? Did she think she could intimidate me? I’d thought we’d been through this before.
“I think I’m doing pretty well. At least I don’t have this burning need to belittle others to feel better.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I’ve been around longer than you. I know how to bide my time.”
“I’ve heard you’ve been waiting for him to give you the time of day for years. If I were you, I’d take a hint.”
With that, I just strolled past her, enjoying the anger in her eyes. I slipped the phone back in my clutch as I scoured the perimeter for familiar faces. Brayden was talking to Sasha in a corner. He waved at me, then playfully wiggled his forefinger in a “come here” motion.
“Are you ready to go? I am,” he whispered once I was next to him.
“Brayden! We can’t bail on the party after two hours.”
“It’s only been two? Feels like a million.”
“Parties really aren’t your scene, huh?” The rest of the boys were taking it in stride. Lars had drunk half a bottle of champagne and was laughing his ass off with two friends. Thomas and Cami were dancing intimately between two couches.
“Is Josie okay? You look nervous.”
I caught myself twirling a strand of hair between my fingers. “Josie is great. Tess and Skye are with her.”
“Then why are you so on edge?”
I bit my lower lip, not wanting to talk about it. I was very annoyed. If Lilian was going to become a problem, Brayden needed to know, but I wanted to address this later.
“Isabelle. Tell me.” His tone was strong and commanding.
“Later, o
kay? Let’s just enjoy the party.”
He stared at me. I was determined not to give in.
“Isabelle, if something bothers you, tell me. If someone bothered you, I want to know that too. You’re mine, do you understand? We’re in this together.”
I gave him a quick peck on the lips, caressing his cheek with the backs of my fingers. I had thick skin, but I was still annoyed. People like Lilian were insecure, and the only way they could make themselves feel better was by putting others down.
He clasped my wrist, pinning me with a hard stare. I shook my head. I simply wanted to pull myself together a bit. I decided I would tell him at another time—I wasn’t going to let her spoil our evening.
Chapter Twenty-One
Brayden
I was pissed off but also worried. Why wasn’t she saying anything? I wanted to know what she was thinking, why she was so on edge. But she was closing up right in front of me, and I instinctively knew that if I pushed more, she’d just shut me out completely.
This was so unlike Isabelle that I was completely thrown. She was always saying what was on her mind. I needed to find a way to get through to her, but I needed to be alone with her for that. Right now, the guys were approaching us.
“Gang, let’s take the insider pics before I’m too wasted,” Lars exclaimed. We always shared photos from the party on our social media the next day.
“I definitely don’t look like myself when I’ve had too much to drink, and everyone wants more of the sexiest man alive,” he added.
Isabelle gave me a small smile. Even though she was trying to act as if there was nothing bothering her, she looked vulnerable. Fuck. What’s going on?
“Lars, you’ve never been the sexiest one,” Harvey said.
Thomas nodded. “Yeah. Checked the top one hundred sexiest men alive lately? Harvey, Brayden, and I are in front of you.”
“Whatever,” Lars exclaimed. He took out his phone and snapped selfies while we all gathered behind him in front of a couch. Harvey was holding out a bottle of champagne. Thomas had his fingers in a V behind Harvey’s head.
I kept Isabelle firmly next to me. “Stay. I want you here,” I whispered in her ear.
