Kate hugged her. “I’d sooner have brain surgery without anesthesia. But you look fantastic.”
“Hey, Kate!” It was Vivienne, looking pristine and perfectly put together, albeit slightly nervous. She fumbled with her purse and then dropped it.
Make that very nervous.
“Riley, I’d like you to meet my friend, Grace.”
Grace held out her hand. “I’ve heard so much about you; it’s great to finally meet you. I’m the voice in Kate’s head—the sane one.” She threw Vivienne a broad smile.
“I’ve heard a lot about you. Nice to meet you.”
“Where’s your brother?” Grace asked. Kate elbowed her gently.
Vivienne fidgeted with her purse. “He’ll be around later. He had some stuff to do at his stores.”
“Vivienne, let’s get you upstairs and settled in. The books are here, they’re bringing them up shortly.”
“Kate, I’ll hang down here for now. If you need anything, give a shout. Nice to meet you again, Riley.” Grace winked.
“Very nice to meet you, too.”
As they walked up stairs, Vivienne said, “Kate, I’m nervous.”
“Of course you are. It’s normal. This is the big time, but I’ve assigned Lulu to take very good care of you. She won’t leave you alone for a second.” As they approached the landing, Kate put a protective arm around Vivienne.
“We will take very good care of you, I promise.”
“I really can’t believe this day is finally here.” She smiled, “I used to take random notes in school and write these silly stories, and now I’m here. I’m not sure how that happened.”
Kate’s smile broadened. This is why she was in the industry, for just this moment.
“Soak it in. This is your time. This is what you’ve worked for. If I can give you any piece of advice, it would be to enjoy every single second of this day and all of the days to come, because I can promise you, this will be one of the most exceptional times in your life.”
CHAPTER 124
By six o’clock, the room was buzzing with book people, media, and some trusted friends. Kate spotted Andrew and James through the window and went to the door to greet them.
“Andrew,” she hugged him tight, “it’s so good to see you.” Andrew wrapped her in his arms, and then she turned and hugged James, who said, “It’s good to see you, Katie.”
“Great that you could make it, both of you.” Kate smiled from one to the other; they held hands, forming a small, tight circle. Then Andrew leaned in and said, “Is Nick here with that soulless beyotch?”
Kate shook her head, “I haven’t seen them, but I suspect I will any minute.”
“Excellent, then we got here just in time, and may I add, you look dazzling tonight.”
Andrew extended his arms, pushing her back slightly to look at her. Kate wore a white, formfitting Max Mara dress that accentuated her curves and stopped just above her knee. She wore a pair of black Jimmy Choo pumps to match the black edging in her dress. Kate’s hair fell in soft waves around her face.
“I love Jimmy,” James smiled, “and Andrew is right, you are breathtaking.”
“I really needed to hear that, thank you.” A nervous smiled played on her face.
“Now where’s the guest of honor?” Andrew asked, plucking two glasses of champagne from the tray as the server walked by. He handed one to James and the other to Kate.
Kate motioned to the loft. “She’s upstairs.”
“Excellent, then I shall go say ‘hi,’ and we’ll mingle. Let us know when you-know-who arrives.” Andrew winked and walked towards the staircase.
Kate felt a sense of dread as Andrew walked away. She was really grateful to have so many friends here. At least she wasn’t facing this day alone. Kate stood by the entry as people walked in. Any minute now, she knew that Nick and Mrs. Nick would arrive and walk through that door. And she wasn’t at all looking forward to it.
. . . .
If this hadn’t been his sister’s big day, he would have definitely skipped it. There wasn’t a good reason in the world to get dressed up and go to anyplace that Kate would be. No good reason at all. But yet here he was in support of his sister. However, she wasn’t technically his sister, tonight. She was Riley O’Connor, at least for another week or so until it would be announced that she was, in fact, a Lavigne.
The cab started shaking as it rolled over the cobblestones indicative of this part of town; they were getting closer to the venue. After the wedding and the night on the town with Greg and Vivienne, Nick had taken a few days off and headed to the mountains. He stayed in a cabin and tried to figure out his life. But the only thing he came back with was a tan from all the hiking and no clear picture on what he’d do next. One thing was sure: Women were evil, and he was giving up dating for a good long time. The whole mess, first with Kate in Mexico and then the non-wedding and non-baby, left him feeling edgy and slightly pissed off. Not to mention humiliated. Thankfully, word had spread at his stores and no one brought it up or asked where Stephanie was.
Nick still felt compelled to not tell Kate and to not involve her in his drama. He was in full on survival mode. And besides, it was just better this way. Kate had her life, he had his, and he had wounds to heal. Many of them. The last thing he needed was sympathy from Kate.
The cab pulled up. It was now or never. He could tell Vivienne that he’d gotten sick or gotten lost or whatever, and he was certain she’d take the news with her usual cheerful self. But he couldn’t and wouldn’t do that to her.
Show up, support her, leave.
That was the plan.
. . . .
Kate was still standing near the door talking to a group of bloggers who were raving about Vivienne’s book when Nick walked in. He was wearing a dark suit and white shirt that set off his impossibly perfect tan, no tie.
Naturally.
His hair was a tad lighter, no doubt from all the sun in whatever exotic location he’d taken his bride for their honeymoon. Kate craned her neck to see his wife, although she didn’t want to. The impulse was hard to fight.
Nick smiled at the gal who checked his name off the list.
He was alone.
Kate tried hard to pay attention to what the bloggers were saying. Suddenly, it all became white noise and her ears buzzed, but not from the conversation. They buzzed from the blood rushing through her and her heart jackhammering in her chest.
. . . .
Nick spotted her the minute he walked in, and suddenly the room moved in slow motion around her.
And there it was again, that sense of longing for Kate that nearly dropped him to his knees.
No. No more.
May as well get this over with, he thought. And he walked directly towards her.
The bloggers turned as he approached. Nick was hard to miss, and most of them knew him from Allan’s book.
“Kate,” he half-smiled at her. Then it hit him: The last time he’d seen her was in Mexico. She was asleep and he was watching her, stroking her hair after they’d made love a half a dozen times in that big, oversized bed.
Then he left without saying goodbye. Not his proudest moment.
I can’t.
“Nick, hi,” Kate’s voice had a shaky, nervous edge to it that she tried to stuff down. “Good to see you. Where’s your wife?”
There, she’d said it. It was out there.
Although she probably should have built up to it a bit, you know, asking how was the flight? How are the stores? Instead, she dug right in. May as well. Annie Awkward just walked up and would probably hang around a while.
Wife.
Your wife.
The knife turned again and she almost couldn’t breathe.
Wife.
You had your chance.
Nick jammed his hands in his pockets. The humiliation of all of it ate at him, but he forged ahead. “She’s, eh, home, in California. Not really up to traveling.”
Kate tipped her head. It
seemed odd that she wouldn’t stick to Nick like a fly to flypaper. She imaged that Stephanie would drag herself, whatever it took, to be on the arm of her husband. But maybe, by some small maternal miracle, being pregnant was changing her.
“Nick!” Grace walked up, distracting Kate from her thoughts, and threw herself around Nick. Her welcome, unlike Kate’s, was quite a bit less edgy.
“Wow, it’s good to see you!” Nick hugged her back and smiled.
Shit, that was a good smile. Also that scent. How he managed to smell like a fresh ocean breeze in the middle of Manhattan was beyond her, but he did.
Grace looped her arm around Kate’s. Kate was lost in her beach metaphor and had stopped paying attention. Probably better anyway. Clearly, she had nothing intelligent to add to the conversation.
“Kate’s done a great job, hasn’t she?”
Nick nodded and smiled.
Kate felt her knees buzz. She needed champagne or a chair, maybe both. Or maybe a different city with a new job doing something mindless, benign, and simple. Simple would be a welcome change. But right now she also needed to keep her head about her. This was Vivienne’s event, after all, not her sorry-sad-life-reunion sprinkled with all of the choices she didn’t make.
“Guys, I need to go check on Riley.” She turned to Nick. “Good to see you.” Then she turned and walked off, and it wasn’t until she was upstairs that Kate felt like she could breathe again.
CHAPTER 125
Mac walked up the block and spotted the venue where Vivienne’s launch party was being held. He missed Kate. He missed his old life. He missed waking up next to her. He and Carolyn were in some awkward, odd limbo, which was to be expected when you sleep with the woman you cheated on for years and then cheat on the woman you promised to marry. Carolyn was in Paris and he had promised to visit in a week so they could “figure things out.” However, he wasn’t even sure that was possible. He loved Kate and yet felt drawn to Carolyn in ways that surprised him.
He was an ace at bad decisions, and maybe this one was just another step closer to putting him in front of that runaway train that seemed to be barreling down the tracks towards him. He wanted to show Kate his support since this was her biggest title of the year, but he also realized that maybe the best way he could support her was to not show up.
Mac stood across the street and watched as people entered the party. He’d spent a few hours in a bar, drinking and pondering whether he’d go. Now he was here slightly inebriated, which wasn’t the best idea. But drinking had felt good. At least it helped lessen the sting of his messed up life. He continued to watch people enter from across the street. Some were people he knew. Kate was smart to invite the publishing community. Some were media, another smart move. And he was certain, if he knew Kate, that she’d invited every influential blogger in a sixty-mile radius. And a few, he was pretty sure, would have flown in for this event and the chance to meet this extraordinary author in person.
Most publishers didn’t do elaborate book launch parties anymore, which is why this was the must-attend event.
Mac jammed his hands in his pockets and considered his options. He also considered that he could just stand here and watch like some publishing stalker, or he could man up, go inside, and revel in Kate’s success.
Mac decided for the latter and crossed the street.
. . . .
Kate was talking to the staffer at the front desk, checking to see who had already arrived and who hadn’t checked in. Then the door opened and in walked MacDermott Ellis, Prince of Darkness, all masculine and predatory and smiling that bright center-of-the-universe smile.
Kate looked up and her heart kicked in her chest. She was pretty sure today was the day she’d die of a heart attack.
“Hello, Kate,” he said in his ridiculously sexy, river of dark chocolate kind of way.
Kate took a deep breath and felt slightly dizzy. Excellent, just pass out. That should make the papers again.
Finally, she said in a forced-calm voice, “Hello, Mac. I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
The girls at the desk looked from Mac to Kate. The tension kicked up about one hundred notches. The air became thick and heavy, like it does before a storm, before the skies open up and start pouring down.
Mac nodded and smiled to the girl at the desk. “MacDermott Ellis,” he smiled to her. “You won’t find my name on the list, but I was hoping I could come anyway.” His last sentence was directed at Kate. His eyes leveled a stare at her.
Kate motioned for Mac to leave the front entrance. She pulled him into the room and took him aside.
“Mac, what are you doing here?” she asked. She realized she was still holding his arm, so she quickly let it go.
He smiled and nodded to someone he knew, then looked back at Kate. “I’m sorry, Katie. I didn’t mean to upset you. I just wanted to come here and support you.”
“You mean network to find a job.” The comment cut through him.
“I do need a job, yes, but that’s not why I’m here. I came here because this is a big title, because I know how many hours you worked on this book, and I know how important it is to the house and to you. I still care about you, Kate.”
She stiffened. “You have a funny way of showing it.” Then she sniffed. “Have you been drinking?”
Mac only smiled.
. . . .
Grace was upstairs with Nick watching an elated Vivienne sign her books. Nick was busy taking a million pictures of her. She spotted Kate and could tell from her body language, even at this distance, that something was up. Grace moved closer to the railing that ran along the upstairs loft area. From there, she had a perfect view of everything that went on below. She saw Kate pull someone into the room and huddle in a corner.
It was Mac.
“Damn it,” Grace said as quietly as she could, but Nick heard anyway and moved beside her.
“What’s wrong?” Nick asked, but her words were cut off, because he saw it, too. Mac was there and Kate did not look happy.
At all.
Nick gripped the railing as he watched them.
A whole series of memories flooded back, none of them good. Mac’s insisted on inserting himself into Kate’s life after they broke up and she was living with Nick in California. Mac sent letters, showed up—he found out later that Mac had flown out twice and snuck into events he knew Kate would be at. Just like now. Nick was certain, very certain, in fact, that Mac hadn’t been invited. Then he saw Mac touch Kate’s arm, and a white-hot knife of jealously slid between Nick’s ribs. For a second, he was blinded by it.
Then he snapped.
Nick bounded downstairs and didn’t even hear Grace call him. Grace looked behind her. Thankfully, Vivienne was still signing books surrounding by adoring fans. Grace walked over to Lulu and leaned into her.
“Whatever you do, make sure Vivienne does not go downstairs. Keep her busy,” Grace whispered. Then she turned and raced downstairs.
. . . .
“Mac, really. I think it’s best you leave,” Kate said just before she spotted Nick. Nick, looking slightly enraged, approached them.
Clearly, Annie Awkward had pitched her tent and planned to stay a while. Kate’s stomach clenched and a vague sense of dread washed over her.
“Get out,” Nick said, his voice dark with anger.
“Nick, it’s fine. He was just leaving.” Kate put her hand on his arm, trying to prevent what she dreaded would happen next.
“Look, Nick, this isn’t any of your business. Kate is fine.” Mac sounded cocky, which only increased Nick’s anger.
Nick stepped forward and Kate instinctively took an unsteady step back.
“I said, go.” Kate hardly recognized Nick’s voice. There was an edge of something in it she didn’t recognize.
Mac only smiled. “I am not leaving, not unless Katie tells me to.”
“I think it’s best for you to go,” Kate said to Mac.
“You are such a selfish jackass!” Nick
hissed when Mac still didn’t make a move.
Then, Mac grabbed Nick by the collar and shoved him against the wall. Nick raised his arms to push Mac away, and that’s when Mac pulled back his arm and slammed Nick in the jaw, sending him sliding across the wall and then to the floor.
Nick pushed himself up and rubbed his jaw. “You fucking lowlife!” Nick stood up and Kate prayed this would be the end of it, but then Mac took another swing at Nick, slamming him in the gut.
And that’s when the fight really started.
People around them started to move out of the way.
“You think you can come back here and just fix it with Kate, after what you did to her?”
Nick slammed him this time, hard in the gut, sending Mac to his knees. Mac recovered quickly and yanked Nick by the collar.
“So you think you can swoop in here and she’ll take you back? Don’t forget that she left you for me, you sorry bastard.” Mac slammed him through the jaw.
Kate, desperate to get the fight under control, kept trying to pull them apart and asking them to stop as quietly as she could.
She felt someone pull her back.
It was Grace. “Stay out of their way,” she said.
“I have to stop this. This is a disaster.”
Grace shook her head, “No it’s not. Clearly, Nick has some pent up anger. I think he deserves a chance to let it out. Don’t you?”
Now the men were really going at it and the crowd parted, forming a half circle around them. Nick slammed Mac in the stomach, and Mac doubled over.
“You rotten piece of shit. How could you do that to her? You never deserved her.”
“Oh, and you did? You’re no match for Kate. That’s why she left you.”
Nick couldn’t even think. All he saw was white-hot rage. The anger he’d always felt for Mac and the hurt of losing Kate to someone who treated her like an afterthought.
Being lied to by Stephanie.
Which was, despite the embarrassment, the least of his worries.
Climax: The Publicist, Book Three Page 42
