GRIND

by Stephanie Brother

  Doubt started rising in the back of my mind, pushing past the foggy thoughts of playing keep away from Liam. What on earth was I doing to myself? Just cutting him out completely? Even if Liam was an actual jerk, some kind of playboy that had little concern for others, the least I could do was talk to him and make him understand why I didn't want to spend time with him anymore.

  Plus… Every night I spent without Liam was one more night that my feelings and all the lust that had been simmering between us just kept building up inside of me. I was so close to bursting at the seams, wishing to touch him, to taste him on my lips again, that I was already going stir crazy just after a week.

  I knew I had allowed my lust and all my crazy hormones from being stressed out over Josh and the bar exam get to me, and I let them all out quite literally on Liam, but there was more to it than that. I just knew it.

  When Sage and I finally came back to Napa, Mom had exciting news for us. "You're never going to believe this! Guess who is being honored as one of the top sommeliers in California?"

  Tears filled her eyes as she went on to explain how after the event was over, she had been nominated to be part of a very prestigious black-tie event where she would be honored with not only a plaque and five-star rating, but a gracious check from the largest country club in Napa Valley, for her years of service with them. I couldn't have been more proud of her after all the hard work she’d put in.

  To celebrate, Mom insisted on letting us shop for new dresses for the special event. And who were we to turn down our mother's request? Sage and I grinned as we pored over the dresses at Sage’s favorite boutique downtown, Georgia's, the soft fabric gliding over my fingers.

  "What about this one?" Sage asked as she pulled back the curtain, revealing the flowy baby pink ball gown she was wearing.

  "Nah, I'd rather see you in something more elegant than that. That looks like a prom dress, Sage."

  She huffed, closing the curtain behind her. "It's your turn," she yelled out to me.

  It went on like this for at least an hour, Sage and I taking turns trying on dress after dress. We finally decided on a plum dress with a heart-shaped neckline for her, and a gorgeous champagne trumpet dress for me, one that clung perfectly to all my curves. Deep down, I couldn't help but think that Liam would most definitely approve.

  After dropping Sage off at her friend’s house, I quietly made my way back to Mom's home, exhausted after the shopping trip. Sage sort of always had that effect on me, dragging me from one place to another, but I loved her for it anyway.

  I yawned as I pulled open the door, a beautiful scent of something sweet and earthy hitting me all at once as I did. The lights inside were already on; Mom must've been upstairs already, but as I stepped in, clutching my purse, my jaw dropped.

  On one of the small antique tables in the foyer, there was a basket of at least two dozen red roses with a little note card that simply read 'Aly' on it. I immediately pulled it off the plastic stick, tearing it open and frowning when I realize that it wasn't from Liam. Josh's messy scrawl mentioned words like 'miss you' and 'please call me.'

  Bile started gathering in my throat. Was he serious? Didn't he understand that when I broke things off with him… But something else caught my eye.

  There was a large circular table that usually caught most of Mom's junk mail and bills before she had a chance to sort through them, but instead it was absolutely filled to the brim with the hugest bouquet of gorgeous wildflowers all mixed together, easily bigger than the basket Josh had sent for me. My heart leapt. In a small card next to the bouquet, there was only a signature in the 'from' space: Magic Fingers.

  I bit my lip, unable to control the huge smile on my face. I tentatively brought up one of the flowers, pulling it from the dozens of others in the bouquet, inhaling its gentle scent. It was perfect, and I knew these flowers were the same ones that grew around Vail during the spring and summer time. It was so sweet that I nearly teared up at the gesture.

  Maybe I would finally talk to him and explain to him why I left last week. It might not be the way I wanted to, but I could ask him about the other women he slept with… and if he wanted something more with me. It terrified me, but I knew deep down I really wanted to know.

  Another thought occurred to me as I looked over at the smaller basket of red roses from Josh. How the hell did he even find me? The last time I checked I never gave him Mom's address from when she moved houses a couple of years ago. It didn't seem like it was important, especially since I figured we were going to be married, and he could just ask me.

  It sort of skeeved me out that he went through all this trouble just to send me flowers. Since when did Josh even care enough about me to do something like this? I never received flowers when we were together, so what changed now?

  Whatever the case was, it didn't matter. I needed to talk to Liam right away.

  Chapter 14

  LIAM

  I slipped inside the limo that pulled up, thankful to be off my feet. It had been a long day working at the spa, back to back massages and having to help fill in again when one of my coworkers didn't come in as they were scheduled. It never seemed to fail—as much as my father vetted everyone who came to work for him, there were always slackers in the bunch.

  "And where we going tonight, sir?" Maxwell, my father's driver, asked me from upfront.

  "I don't know the address offhand, but Dad did tell me it was at the Convention Center downtown. You know where that is, Maxwell, right?"

  He chuckled as he looked at me in the rearview at the stoplight. "An event at the convention center, eh? Do you need me to stop by your house first?"

  I glanced down at my work uniform. The Dockers and the polo shirt, while professional looking, weren’t exactly fit for a black-tie affair. "No, that's okay. I've already arranged for my tuxedo to be stored by the hotel’s staff upfront. It shouldn't be a problem."

  All I could think about on the way over to the gala was seeing Aly again for the first time since her mother's wine hosting event. Adrenaline was coursing through my veins, reminded me of those last few minutes before each match I ever participated in started. I wanted to sweep her into my arms, take her right then and there, apologize for whatever I did wrong, and beg for forgiveness. I had no idea what was getting into me, but I wanted to show Aly how serious I was.

  The wide open courtyard was already filled with people streaming inside, cameras going off from the local press, people pausing in front of a photo backdrop, smiling for the photographers. I hadn't realized how big of a deal this gala would be, but glancing around and seeing some of my father's business acquaintances, I started to understand.

  I was just about to jog up the steps to the entryway when I heard someone yell out from behind.

  "Are you magic fingers?"

  In any other situation it would've been laughable, especially since it was coming from some guy standing there at the bottom of the stone steps, glaring up at me. But I could feel the tension rolling off of him in waves. He didn't seem like a very happy camper.

  "And who the hell are you?" I asked simply, getting ready to turn back and keep going.

  "I'm Joshua Banks. Does that ring a bell? As in the Banks from Texas? You know, the ones with the huge oil refinery? Or maybe you might know me better off as Aly's Josh."

  A silent fury raged behind my eyes. No one was Aly's anything… Not if I had something to say about it. Especially this dickless bastard who never gave a single damn about Aly to begin with. But I played it cool, shrugging as if I had no clue. "No, sorry. Never heard of you."

  He scoffed behind me as I turned again, taking another step up until I was on the top landing leading up to the convention center's doors. "Right, of course you haven't. Let me ask you this, guy, are you fucking her?"

  I knew that if this motherfucker didn't step down and mind his own damn business, he was going to deeply regret it. I didn't care who he was. "Who?" I asked evenly.

  There was a seriously screwed u
p glint in his eyes as he replied, "Don’t play stupid with me. I saw your flowers at Kay's house. And I saw you with Aly in Vail, and that little soirée on Sage's Instagram."

  The dude was getting redder by the minute. "So now you're a stalker?"

  He chuckled darkly to himself, taking another few steps up. "Listen, country club wannabe. You'll never measure up to me. I mean, look at you… and look at me. Aly could have all she ever wanted with me, and you? You're just some brainless jock she's banging on the side just because she misses me." His voice got lower as he took the last step up, leaving us both on equal ground. Pointing to the logo on my shirt, he slowly shook his head. "It's so sad to see such a classy woman slumming it just for kicks."

  I knew I shouldn't rise to his stupid insinuations, but hell, I was a man. And I cared about Aly and was damn sure not about to let this asshole talk about her in that way. "Wow, man. You really just have no clue, do you? Why the hell would I want to measure up to you? I don't need to lower my standards to meet Aly's. Believe me, I've met them time and time again already. Much to her satisfaction, which is more than I can say for you." I leaned in closer, unable to keep the smirk off my face as I thought about the way Aly moaned and squirmed under my tongue. "Maybe you should ask her just how many times I made her come in just one weekend."

  His fist connected with the edge of my nose in an awkward move, part of me almost wanted to laugh seeing how Joshua's aim was shitty enough that I knew he was aiming for my fucking eye. But when I felt the first drop of blood stream down from my nostril, I was seeing nothing but red. This motherfucker ruined my God damn work uniform shirt!

  Without any humor, I laughed and stripped the shirt right off of myself, holding it up to my nose since it was already ruined, helping to stop the flow of blood. "You have no fucking idea who you're dealing with, bro. I'm not just some asshole off the street. And you're going to regret sucker punching me."

  Joshua watched me warily. "Yeah? I doubt it."

  “Just what in the hell is going on here?" Behind me came both Jackson and my dad, who looked as though he was ready to go down swinging himself. If there was one thing Randy Satterwhite hated, it was anyone making a scene.

  "Who's this prick, Liam?" Jackson asked, jutting his chin over to Joshua. "Did he just fucking hit you?"

  "I mean, I guess you could call it that," I admitted, shrugging as if it were no big deal. But I knew my brother better than anyone else, and to no surprise at all, he stuck Joshua with a quick uppercut as if he were working a bag, Joshua's head bouncing backward.

  "Boys!" Dad hissed at both of us, pulling Jackson back before he struck again. Around us people were starting to take notice, so Dad plastered on his usual charming smile and waved everyone on. "Just a misunderstanding, everyone. No need to be alarmed. I hear there's some delicious hors d'oeuvres being served right now if you hurry to catch up!"

  "You stay the hell away from Aly," Joshua spit, blood splattering down on the ground.

  "I don't think Joe Banks would appreciate his youngest son gracing the Napa society pages in this manner, do you?” my father retorted, his eyes like a hawk. "Now, you have five seconds to get off my property before I have you escorted out by security."

  Damn, even I didn't know that Dad owned the convention center and hotel, too. That man was always snatching up new investment properties every time I turned around.

  "That's right," I added for effect, crossing my arms, chin held high. I couldn't help but smirk at Joshua's dumbstruck face. I think he finally understood just who he was fucking with.

  Taking one last look at us, Joshua took his sorry ass back down the steps and out of our sight for good. I let out a long breath, rubbing at the bridge of my nose, which was still burning.

  "Are you all right?" Jackson asked, clapping my shoulder.

  "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine."

  Giving me a quick nod, my brother headed back inside, probably getting ready to feed about three thousand different people. Even with everything that’d just happened in the past few minutes, I didn't envy him.

  My dad turned to look straight at me, narrowing his eyes. "Is it true, son? What that boy said about you and Aly?”

  Shit. I looked down at the ground, unable to keep it to myself anymore. I sighed, "Please don't tell Kay, Dad."

  He kept looking at me, working something out in his head, I could just tell. "All right. All right… It's our secret as long as you enter another tournament. I've told you, you're ready, son. You’re meant to be on that court. Since Kay and I will be traveling for half the year anyway, making sure all of the restaurant's wine lists are prepared according to the season, I think it will give you enough time to figure things out."

  I didn't exactly see it as blackmail, and maybe, just maybe he was right. "Okay…" I let my voice trail off.

  "One thing is for sure. I don’t want you to stop whatever it is you're doing. Liam, I haven't seen you that focused, that fired up on the court while we were in Vail, in a long time. I know it's a lot to consider, but just hear me out, okay?"

  I nodded, clapping my dad on the back as he leaned in to give me a brief hug. "I will."

  Dad went on ahead, gesturing for me to follow along. "Well now, I do believe it's time to watch my lovely girlfriend walk her fine ass across the stage shining in her moment of glory, don't you?" He gave me one more wink and kept going.

  Something in the back of my brain hoped beyond everything else, that if Aly and I were meant to be, we’d find ourselves just as crazy about each other as my father and Kay seemed to be.

  Chapter 15

  ALY

  * * *

  "And our next guest of honor is no stranger to the limelight. Napa's own Kay Waterhouse, owner of Sun-Kissed Leaves, came from a humble background…" the speaker's pleasant voice announced at the front stage podium, everyone clapping and even Randy whistling loudly as the speaker gestured to Mom sitting on the stage.

  Sage, who had just plopped down into the reserved seat next to me in the front row, leaned in. "Oh my God, Aly."

  "Shh! They're talking about Mom," I hushed her, nudging her to be quiet.

  Sage huffed and nudged me right back. "I know, I know, but you are never going to believe what Jackson just told me!"

  The mention of Liam's brother sparked my interest right away, and I was torn between wanting to respectfully listen to my Mom's eventual speech and wanting to know what exactly my sister was going on about.

  "Hint—yes, it's about Liam."

  Okay, so curiosity won out. "Fine. What is it?" I hissed back.

  Glancing around to make sure no one was paying attention as the speaker continued on, Sage said, "I was in the back, talking to Mom before she went onstage, and Jackson came in, looking seriously pissed, and asking if I could find him some ice. He was holding up his knuckle and his fist was slightly bruised. It turns out that he'd punched Josh!"

  I whipped my head around, bumping right into hers. "What?! Josh as in… Josh-Josh?"

  Sage nodded. "Yep, one and the same."

  "Why did he punch Josh? And what the hell was Josh doing here in the first place?"

  "Well, Josh ended up talking to Liam and one thing led to another. According to Jackson, Josh sucker punched Liam right in the nose. So naturally, Jackson stuck up for him."

  My face flushed a deep red and my heart raced. I hardly cared that Jackson hit Josh, especially since there had been plenty of times where I myself had wanted to do the same… but Josh hitting Liam? My eyes went wide. "Is Liam okay?"

  "As far as I know. I don't know where he is, but I think I know why Josh showed up," she said slowly, looking sheepish. "He saw us on Instagram since I guess he still follows me, and he tracked down Mom and asked if he could surprise you."

  I slumped over, my head in my hand. "Ugh, Mom and her soft heart. I can't even be mad at her though. It's her special night."

  Sage agreed, squeezing my shoulder. "Yeah. We can't let this ruin her night."

  We both looked up at
Mom, who had just taken the stage, looking beautiful in her navy dress, giving us a quick wave before going into her speech.

  Once she was done, I wiped at the tears in my eyes, so incredibly proud of her, before quickly texting Josh, surprised that I still remembered his phone number by heart even after deleting it.

  Hey. I want to thank you for the flowers. They were beautiful, Josh. But I really meant what I said. We can't be together, and it's not a temporary thing. It's over.

  I sent it, then chewed on my lip, adding in a little bit at the end to help soothe the sting.

  I wish you the best, Josh. I really do.

  I looked up from my phone, satisfied with the way I’d handled things with Josh, just in time to see Randy sneak up behind my Mom as she stepped away from the podium with her award. He hammed it up with the crowd, holding his finger up to his mouth as he grinned.

  Mom looked flabbergasted as she spun around to sit, only to run right into Randy's chest. They both laughed, and Randy leaned into the podium. "Sorry to interrupt you and your much deserved award receiving, dear, I just had something I wanted to say before you sat back down."

  Looking slightly confused but ever the trooper, Mom shrugged. "By all means."

  This garnered a true smile from Randy, who took Mom's hand in his and pulled her away to the other side of the podium where everyone could see them. "Kay, you're one tough cookie. You've been through a lot in your life, and I should know, because I have too," he said, clearly talking about the loss of their spouses. "I didn't think I'd ever meet a woman who can keep me on my toes quite the way you can. Or one that could stand me long enough."