I curtsied. “Why, thank you.” I’d spent half a day shopping for the “perfect” holiday party dress, something red, sparkly, and amazing…but I hadn’t found it. The red dress I did find, however—pretty, strapless, and just above the knee—wasn’t bad. And I didn’t really mind. I’d learned that I was never going to stand out as a fashionista in New York City, and it felt good not to wrap my self-esteem up in something as superficial as a dress. It made me feel…grown up.
Jake stood up and gestured toward me. “Come here.”
I stepped toward him, and he put his arms around my lower back. “You’re stunning,” he whispered into my hair.
I closed my eyes and smiled.
• • •
We splurged for a cab and were soon standing at the entrance to the New York Athletic Club, a majestic building located on Central Park South, directly across from the park itself. We made our way through the lobby, and as the elevator doors closed behind us, I clenched my hands into fists against my chest.
“You OK?” Jake asked.
I nodded. “Just a little nervous. I’ll be fine.”
The doors opened onto a room full of people I didn’t recognize. The women were all wearing floor-length gowns, some with fur coats draped over one arm. And I was sure they were real fur coats. I tried not to stare, but I was not used to hanging around with people who wore real fur. Or floor-length gowns.
“I didn’t expect to be so nervous,” I whispered to Jake, not sure what to do with the nervous energy I felt pulsing through my veins.
“Let’s get a drink,” he whispered back.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked Central Park on one side and Seventh Avenue on the other. Guests were milling about and socializing, the music not yet loud enough to drown out the cocktail chatter. After checking our coats, Jake took my hand and led me toward the bar.
“Hey, there’s Scotty and Tad.” I gestured to the opposite end of the room.
“Meet you there in a second with drinks?” Jake said.
I smiled at him. “Have I told you lately how wonderful you are?”
“Perhaps, but a man can never hear that enough. What’s your poison going to be tonight?”
I thought for a moment. Given my history, beer or wine was the best choice. I tended to get “emotional” if I drank hard alcohol, “emotional” being a euphemism for “plastered.” And plastered was the last thing I wanted to be at a work party. I’d done that once before and ended up getting super sick—in a public restroom, no less. It was not one of my finer moments.
“I think I’ll have a glass of red wine,” I said, cringing at the memory.
“I’m on it.” He continued toward the bar, and I went in search of Scotty and Tad. The room was filling up quickly, and I could no longer see them. I did, however, see Wendy. She had her back to me, but it was impossible to miss that bright yellow thimble she called “hair.”
Blech.
Should I say hello now?
Get it over with?
I decided to bite the bullet and at least act professional and pleasant, despite my inner angst. I walked over and tapped her on the shoulder. “Hi, Wendy.”
She turned around and flashed her megawatt smile. “Waverly, hello! It’s so luuuvely to see you!”
She was clearly in “sort of nice” mode tonight. Thank God. Maybe it wouldn’t be that painful to chat with her.
She reached for the arm of the tall man standing next to her, whose back was to me. “Waverly, you must meet my huuusband,” she purred.
The man turned around and smiled.
If I’d been holding a drink, I would have dropped it on the floor.
“Waverly Bryson, this is my huuusband, Gary Davenport.”
Oh my God.
It was Paige’s Gary.
I held out my hand and tried to mask the look of horror on my face. He looked equally shocked.
“Um, hi, Gary, it’s…it’s nice to meet you.”
He shook my hand and squeezed it—hard. “The pleasure is all mine.”
I had no idea what to say.
Holy crap holy crap holy crap.
“Waverly works on my show,” Wendy said, oblivious to the tension between us.
“Oh really?” Gary said. I think his forehead may have started to bead with sweat, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at him to confirm or deny it. I just stared at Wendy.
Wendy nodded. “She does a cute little segment a few days a week, a man on the street sort of thing, isn’t that right, Waverly?”
I nodded and swallowed. “Um, yes, it’s called…Honey on Your Mind.”
“Honey on Your Mind?” Gary asked with a nod, putting the pieces together.
“It’s fun,” Wendy said. “She also has an adorable line of products around the Honey concept. T-shirts, tote bags, that sort of thing. I love them.”
I looked at her. Did she just pay me a compliment?
Just then Jake appeared, thank God. He handed me a glass of wine, which I was tempted to knock back in one gulp.
“Jake, um, this is Wendy Davenport from Love, Wendy, and her husband, Gary. Wendy and Gary, this is my boyfriend, Jake McIntyre.”
Jake shook their hands. “It’s great to meet you both. Wendy, I like your show.”
Wendy pushed me in the shoulder, a bit harder than necessary or appropriate. “Why loooook at you, I didn’t know you had a boyfriend.” The gesture didn’t seem overtly malicious, however, and I wondered how much she’d had to drink.
I nodded and took a huge sip of my wine. There was a good reason Wendy didn’t know about Jake. After our initial meeting back on the Today show, I’d never talked to her about my personal life. Ever.
“And all this time I thought you were a single girl, flirting your way around town with the camera crew in tow.” She took another sip of whatever she was drinking. A big sip.
I shook my head, my face still half in my wine, which part of me now wanted to toss in her face. How was I supposed to respond to that comment with Jake standing right next to me?
Wendy put her hand on Gary’s arm. I could tell he was staring at me, even though I hadn’t made eye contact since Wendy had introduced us. “When I met Waverly on the Today show, she was single, and my, oh my, did she have her share of dating stories.” She laughed a bit too loudly.
I looked up from my drink. Did she just say that right in front of Jake? I was tempted to elbow him but didn’t want to be obvious. I’d told him all about crazy Wendy, but he was finally getting to see for himself.
Gary was still staring at me.
I finished my wine and looked at Jake. Professional etiquette be damned, I had to get the hell out of there. “I think I’m going to get another drink and look for Scotty. You ready?”
He nodded, and then held out his hand to Gary and Wendy again. “It was a pleasure meeting you both.”
As we walked away, I could feel Gary’s eyes burning into my back.
“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God,” I whispered.
“Are you OK?” Jake said.
“Wine isn’t cutting it tonight. I need a stiff drink.” I pulled him by the arm toward the bar. Screw my fear of getting hammered at a work event.
He laughed. “Come on, she wasn’t that bad. I expected her to be much worse, to be honest.”
I looked at him, and the second we made eye contact he could tell something was wrong.
“Waverly, what’s going on?”
I glanced over his shoulder at Wendy and Gary, who were now chatting with some people I recognized from the Today show.
“Waverly?”
I looked back at Jake and pulled him deeper into the crowd. “It’s Gary.”
“Gary? What about him?”
“He’s—”
Before I could finish the sentence, I felt an arm around my shoulders.
“There’s my princess. I was wondering when you were going to arrive at the ball.”
I looked to my right and saw Scotty and Tad standing there, both dressed to t
he nines.
“Hi, Scotty.” I kissed him on the cheek, and then did the same to Tad. “You guys remember Jake?”
Scotty smiled. “Of course. How could we forget Jake?” Scotty and Tad had been instrumental in finally getting Jake and me together after a year of mishaps, or, perhaps more accurately, a year of my acting like a total lunatic every time I saw him.
Jake shook both their hands. “Scott, Tad, it’s good to see you. This is quite a party.” He looked around the room, which was becoming more packed by the minute. “NBC knows how to celebrate the holidays, that’s for sure.”
Tad raised his hand. “I’m getting a round. Who wants a drink?” We all put in our orders, including mine for a vodka tonic.
Jake looked at me. “Vodka tonic? You sure about that?”
I nodded. “Believe me, I need it.”
Scotty gave me a strange look. “Everything OK, kitten?”
I smiled and nodded. What could I say? I certainly couldn’t go around telling everyone that Wendy’s husband was cheating on her—especially her executive producer, even though he was a good friend. What do they say—never mix business with pleasure? Apparently “they” are right, whoever “they” are. Damn them.
Jake gave me a strange look too, clearly wondering what was going on.
For the time being, I figured my best option was to change the subject.
I adjusted my necklace and looked at Scotty. “So I was thinking we should get the whole gang together sometime. You and Tad, me and Jake, and Shane and Kristina. What do you think?” I had barely seen Kristina since I’d moved to town, and I hadn’t seen Shane at all.
“That sounds lovely, my dear, but it will have to be after the holidays. Tad and I are running ourselves ragged with all the parties on our calendar.”
“Hey, that reminds me, what are the plans for the show over the holidays? I know we’re doing a big show for New Year’s Eve, but do I need to be around for Christmas or Christmas Eve?”
He took a sip of his drink and shook his head. “I don’t think so. You planning to head out West to see your dad?”
“Maybe. But I looked at flights yesterday, and I wouldn’t be able to come back until the day before New Year’s Eve without breaking the bank. I’ve been so busy lately that I forgot to book a ticket earlier.”
“Oh, sweetheart, you’d have to be back way before then. I’m sorry.”
I shrugged. “That’s OK. I sort of figured the timing wasn’t going to work out this year, anyway.”
Just then, Tad reappeared with our drinks. As he handed me mine I saw Gary several feet behind him, his back to me. I took a huge gulp of vodka tonic and stood as close to Jake as I could without stepping on his feet.
“What did I miss?” Tad said. “Is it time to do shots yet? Are we going to get jiggy tonight?” He did a little dance.
Scotty laughed. “We were just talking about the busy holiday party train on which you and I have once again embarked.”
“Oh yes we have,” Tad said with a wink. “I love December in New York.”
Scotty held his drink up for a toast. “Cheers, everyone. Here’s to people who watch daytime television, or better put, here’s to the bloated advertising budgets of corporate America.”
We all laughed and clinked our glasses together, although my laughter was mostly of the nervous kind. I stole a glance at Gary as I took another sip of my drink, then huddled next to Jake.
“Are you OK?” he whispered. “You’re acting really weird.”
“Sorry, I know,” I whispered back. “Would you mind if we got out of here?”
Before he could respond, Scotty picked up the conversation again. “So, Waverly, how is your dad doing? I haven’t heard you talk about him much lately.”
I smiled. “Actually…he’s getting married.”
Jake looked at me. “Your dad’s getting married?”
I winced. I’d been so busy that I’d completely forgotten to tell him. “I’m sorry, I just found out a few days ago. He’s getting married on Valentine’s Day.”
Scotty, the consummate diplomat, immediately diverted attention away from my faux pas. “Valentine’s Day will, of course, be a big day for Honey on Your Mind, but you can’t miss your dad’s wedding. We’ll work around it.”
I smiled at him. “Really?”
He nodded. “Of course. Don’t worry about it.”
“Thanks, Scotty. That means a lot to me.” One less thing to worry about.
He put his hand on my shoulder. “Waverly, you’re an important part of the show now. At this point Love, Wendy needs you almost as much as you need Love, Wendy, so don’t be so timid, OK? Try to believe in yourself a little more.”
I nodded and eked out a smile. “OK.”
“I’ve been telling her that for months, but she still doesn’t believe me,” Jake said, putting his arm around my shoulders. “What’s your secret to getting her to listen to you?”
Scotty laughed. “I sign her paycheck.”
I laughed as well and pointed at them. “Hey now, don’t you two gang up on me.”
Tad sidled up on the other side of me and put his arm around my waist. “I’m next in line for this girl, so you two be careful, now.”
I rested my head on Tad’s shoulder, the alcohol finally calming my nerves. “Yeah, you two be careful, or I may run off with Mr. Blondie, here.”
Scotty excused himself to use the restroom, and shortly thereafter, Tad disappeared into the crowd to mingle. As soon as they were gone, Jake set his drink on a table and put both hands on my arms.
“Are you doing OK now? You still want to leave?”
“I need to tell you something,” I whispered. “I’m sort of freaking out.”
“About your dad?”
I shook my head.
He scratched his eyebrow, and then gestured toward the enormous terrace. “Want to talk outside?”
I nodded. “I’ve heard the view is amazing, but before I go anywhere I need to empty the canteen.”
“Empty the canteen?”
“Work with me, Jake. I need to pee.”
He laughed. “You’re nuts, did you know that?”
“Believe me, I’m well aware.”
“How about I get our coats and meet you by the door leading to the terrace? It’s cold out there.”
I saluted. “Sounds good.”
I hurried to the restroom. As I washed my hands, I kept one eye on the door, afraid Wendy would walk in at any moment. Next to Gary, she was the last person on earth I wanted to see right then. I looked in the mirror and saw the confusion written all over my face.
Paige’s boyfriend is Wendy’s husband? What? How can that be?
When I emerged from the restroom, I spotted Wendy in a far corner, chatting with a few people I recognized from promotional posters lining the hallways of NBC. I didn’t see Gary. I headed toward the terrace, scanning the crowd for Jake. I was about halfway there when I felt a pull on my arm.
I looked up and saw Gary standing there.
Frick.
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” he asked.
I tried to pull my arm away, but he kept a firm grip on it. “I’m sort of busy right now.”
“Just let me explain, OK?”
I put my free hand on my hip. “Explain?”
“I told you, it’s complicated.” He glanced around the room.
“I’ve heard your wife talk about you, Gary. It certainly doesn’t sound complicated to me.” I remembered how Wendy had bragged about marrying her high school sweetheart back when I’d first met her on the Today show. Her picture-perfect marriage was the ticket that had taken Love, Wendy from a hit relationship-advice column to a hit TV show, but now it turned out that her picture-perfect husband was sleeping with my friend.
“You don’t understand,” he said, still holding my arm.
I yanked my arm away from him. “I don’t think I want to understand, Gary. Now please let go of me.”
As I turned to
go, I saw Wendy approaching us.
Oh, God help me.
“Darling, is everything OK? You two seem to be in quite a tiff over here.” She put her hand on Gary’s arm.
I opened my mouth but couldn’t think of anything to say.
“It’s fine,” Gary said.
“We’re fine,” I said, nodding.
Wendy gave me an icy look. “You sure about that? Several people across the room seem to think otherwise.”
I could feel my face turn the color of my dress.
“Really, it’s nothing. Listen, Jake’s waiting for me outside, so I really need to go, I’m sorry. Wendy, I’ll see you next week, OK?” I turned to Gary and nodded. “It was nice meeting you.”
Before they could respond, I bolted. I walked as fast as I could toward the terrace, looking desperately for Jake. When I finally spotted him, I nearly broke into a trot.
“Whoa, slow down, girl, what’s the rush?” He held out my coat as I approached.
“We need to get out of here. Now.”
“Waverly, what is going on with you tonight?”
“Can we please talk about it later? I just want to go home.”
“OK, OK, we’re going.” He helped me put my coat on, and we made our way through the crowd back to the elevator. I kept my head down until the doors closed behind us.
I didn’t even say good-bye to Scotty.
• • •
“Wow, that’s quite a story. No wonder you were acting so crazy in there,” Jake said.
I pointed my spoon at him. “See? Sometimes I have a good reason.” We were sitting in a booth at Shake Shack, a popular diner on the corner of Eighth Avenue and Forty-Fourth, eating hot fudge sundaes.
“Only sometimes.”
I shrugged. “I’ll take that. I think Paige is in love with him, Jake. She talks about him all the time, and they’re even spending next weekend in Vermont together. This is going to crush her.”
“So you’re going to tell her?”
I sighed. “I don’t know. I guess I should, right? I mean, wouldn’t you want to know? I would.”
He didn’t say anything.
“Well?”
He set his spoon down. “I don’t know, Waverly. His wife is a celebrity. You never know what’s going on inside a marriage like that. I see some crazy arrangements with NBA players.”
Honey on Your Mind Page 11
