As he talked, Hayden subtly shifted his body so that it was positioned between Keith and me. I thought I saw Gigi throw a secretive little smile Hayden’s way.
“Come on, I’ve got a few people you should meet. They have deep pockets and the wine tasting has no drink limit. It’s a great opportunity for your foundation. Let’s go.”
Keith opened his mouth, perhaps to object, but Hayden physically pulled him up from the chair. Before I knew it, Keith was frog-marched away. I was slightly relieved. I guess I was still too emotionally raw to be dating.
Chapter Eighteen: Realizations
I was such a dumbass. That’s all I could think as I watched Judy and Keith. He talked non-stop, making grand gestures and using any opportunity he could find to lean closer or even touch her.
In an abstract way, I knew that Judy would eventually find someone else. She would date and have sex with other men. She could fall in love and marry another man someday. I knew I would have to deal with it.
Still, it was different when it was right in front of me. She wasn’t going to fall in love with Keith, not in a million years. He was a slime ball under all that charm and she’d find that out quick if they slept together. The problem was that she might sleep with him.
She had been rejected by me and now she was free to be with anyone. Ironically, I didn’t feel free like that. In all my determination to avoid labelling what we had as a relationship, I hadn’t noticed that I had belonged to her the whole time. In my attempts to protect myself from a commitment that I was sure would hurt me in the end, I destroyed myself by pushing her away.
I had to fix this. I had to step in before Judy fully accepted my rejection and fully moved on. I had to tell her how I felt tonight.
I watched as Judy and Keith sat at a table with Damian and Gigi. I found myself watching her from afar a lot these days. I saw the moment that Keith made his move. His fingers trailing across her skin filled me with rage. I was sure that I would have to witness their first kiss. I was all the way across the garden. There was no way I could stop it.
Then, Hayden stepped in. Good old Hayden, with his nose that couldn’t stay out of my business, not only broke the moment between them, he took Keith away. I could only hope that he wouldn’t return. I took a step forward, planning to seize this opportunity to talk to her, when a man stepped into my path, looking livid.
It was Elliott, Judy and Gigi’s assistant. Wearing a white fedora and a leather jacket, his skinny body looked slightly bigger, but he was no threat for me. I didn’t know why he looked so mad anyway.
“Do you know what you did?” he asked, clearly fired up for a confrontation.
“Uh, no?”
“You hurt her. You’ve changed Judy.”
“What do you mean?”
“Whatever happened between the two of you a few days ago has dulled her light. She used to be a shining presence that I could aspire to. Now she has this heaviness about her. She tries to hide it, but I can see how hurt she is. I know it has to be because of you.”
I said nothing. I knew I had messed up, but hearing it from a near stranger was rough.
“So? What are going to do about it?’
I didn’t hesitate with my answer.
“I’m going to make it up to her. I’m going to get her back, whatever it takes.”
Elliott narrowed his eyes at me, seemingly thinking over my words. When he accepted them as truth, he nodded and moved aside.
“Then go get her,” he said, approvingly.
I saw that Damian and Gigi were making their rounds through the crowd, socializing. Judy was alone at the table, nibbling on one of the cupcakes we had picked out together. That felt like such a long time ago now. I hoped she was thinking of me while she ate it, remembering the fun we had together.
Movement caught my eye and I realized that Keith was making his way back to Judy. Speeding up, I tried to beat him there. The party had grown a lot since I arrived. There were tons of people in between Judy and me.
I saw Hayden standing with Damian, Gigi, and Aaron. They were directly in Keith’s path and it looked like they had been at the wine tasting, all four were holding glasses of white wine. In my desperate attempt to keep Keith away from Judy, I waved frantically, trying to get Hayden’s attention. It didn’t work, but Gigi noticed me.
As she stared, I pointed at Keith and shook my head no, hoping to convey that they should intercept him and keep him busy for a while. Gigi tilted her head and I was sure that she didn’t understand. Renewing my attempts to reach Judy, I elbowed my way through a group of people I didn’t know. If it had to come down to a confrontation with Keith, then so be it.
“Oops,” I heard Gigi yell out loud. I turned just in time to see the worst fake tripping in history. With an over-exaggerated flailing of her hands, Gigi flew right into Keith, managing to spill her wine down the front of his white tuxedo pants.
“What the hell?” he exclaimed as Damian pulled Gigi away from Keith, looking at his fiancé in bewilderment.
“Sorry, I tripped,” Gigi said, not sounding sorry at all.
“Dude, did you wet your pants?” Hayden suddenly said, his voice at megaphone volume. Every single person in the vicinity stopped what they were doing to look, except me of course. I took this as my opportunity to whisk Judy out of Keith’s sight.
I could hear Keith spluttering indignantly behind me and almost felt bad for the guy. Almost.
Reaching the table where Judy sat, I saw that she was watching the scene with concern. When she sensed my presence, her head snapped in my direction, her eyes wide. I stood beside her and held out my hand.
“Will you come with me?”
I hated that I saw hesitation and distrust on her face. I didn’t want her to feel that way about me, ever.
“Just to talk,” I said, keeping eye contact with her, “Please.”
Maybe it was that magic word that did it, but she slipped her hand in mine and allowed me to pull her up. Placing my hand on her lower back, I guided her away from the party, toward the gazebo by the water’s edge. No one was in this area and I wanted as much privacy as we could get.
Leading her into the gazebo, I reluctantly released her hand and indicated she should take a seat. I remained standing. I had a lot to say and needed to move around while I did it. Taking a deep breath, I prepared to lay it all on the line for love.
Chapter Nineteen: Confessions
J.D. paced in front of me, his hands running through his hair in agitation. I kept my eyes glued to his form. The lean lines of his body were illuminated by the low lighting of the gazebo and the newly risen moon shining off the water of the pond.
“Did you know my parents are divorced?” he asked out of nowhere.
“No,” I responded. I knew very little about his childhood.
“Yeah. My dad left us when I was ten. No explanation other than he ‘didn’t love my mom anymore.’ Then there’s my Uncle Pete. His wife of 30 years cheated on him with a younger guy. They’re married now, and Pete has never gotten over it.”
“Okay,” I said, confused. Why was he telling me this?
“Then there’s my cousin Darlene. She’s head over heels in love with a different guy every few months. None of it lasts,” J.D. stopped pacing and took a seat beside me, his face inscrutable.
“Are you telling me once again why we can’t be together? Because I’m sick of hearing it,” I said angrily. I shot to my feet, wanting distance between us. “So, you’ve seen some relationships crash and burn in your life. Who hasn’t?”
I stepped up to the railing of the gazebo, holding my arm out toward the party. “Look at where we are,” I said, meeting his gaze. “We’re here to celebrate our best friends finding love and getting married. This isn’t the place for your commitment hang-ups.”
“No, it isn’t. You’re absolutely right.”
“And for another thing,” I said, talking right over him, “those relationships may have…wait a minute. What did you jus
t say?”
“I said you’re right,” J.D. replied, amused.
I faltered for a second. I had worked myself up and was prepared for a fight. His agreement with me took the wind right out of my sails.
“Of course I’m right. I always am,” I said, going with an old standby.
“You know, I haven’t seen my father in person in nearly ten years,” he said, staring out over the still water of the pond. He tries to connect with me, to get me to spend time with him. He doesn’t live here, but he visits a couple times a year. I’ve always refused to see him. Maybe that makes me a bastard, but I just can’t move past it. He just left.”
“And your mom?” I asked.
“Oh, I’m a total momma’s boy,” he grinned. “She took it so hard, and I swear she’s still in love with him after all this time.” He sighed heavily. “When he got remarried, she was crushed. They hadn’t been together in years, but she never stopped hoping for a happy ending.”
“That’s terrible,” I said. I understood him so much better now. I wondered of he’d ever be able to let go of the past.
“Yeah, that’s when I stopped seeing him. He’d been in and out of my life for years, anyway. I just couldn’t keep it up anymore.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You know what I see when I look over there?” he asked, stepping up next to me and looking out over the crowd milling around, enjoying the food and drink. The entertainment part of the party would be starting soon now that the sun was down.
“What?”
“I see Damian and Gigi taking the natural next step to grow their relationship. They aren’t just good together, they make each other better. Damian really has been tamed, and he needed it. They are their best selves together. And Hayden? I see him starting a family with Sabine. Creating a tie to her that will never fade, loving her as the mother of his child.”
“I can see that too.”
“What I didn’t realize until now, is that I don’t have a bad feeling about them. I don’t see Hayden leaving Sabine the way my dad did. I don’t think Gigi will cheat on Damian. I don’t think you are going to fall in love with a new guy every time the seasons change.”
“What are you saying?” I asked softly.
“I’m an idiot. Business savvy aside, I’m a complete dumbass. I’ve been so hung up on the idea of love ending badly, that I refused to even entertain the idea that it could last. But the evidence is right in front of me. My love for you hasn’t faded at all, even when I tried to make it go away. Even when I ended our relationship before, I couldn’t make those feelings go away. They wouldn’t stay buried.”
“You love me?”
“Of course, I do. You know that. I’m the one that was in denial this whole time.”
“You’re right,” I said with a grin, “You are an idiot.”
J.D. chuckled, his face splitting into a breathtaking smile. His face was so open, so sincerely happy, and I realized I had never seen him like this. He had always held a little back from me, keeping himself guarded.
Grabbing his shoulders, I pulled him down toward me until our lips met in a fiery kiss. He licked my lips and I opened up for him, fighting him for control of the kiss. I lost when he reached a hand around and pinched my ass, making me gasp in surprise.
“I missed you these last few days,” he said, seriously.
“I missed you, too. And your hot body,” I winked while he rolled his eyes.
“You’re such a horndog.”
“You love it,” I told him confidently. he pulled me into another kiss, this one soft and sweet.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Elliott’s voice once again boomed through the PA system. J.D. broke our kiss, looking toward the stage. “Put your hands together for SABINE!”
Music blared through the speakers as Sabine appeared. The party guests went crazy. Sabine’s career had really taken off lately, her new manager evidently knowing her stuff.
Sabine was dressed in a long white dress, her enormous stomach bulging out in front of her. Her face glowed as she lifted the microphone to her mouth and belted out the beginning of her biggest hit, Just Love.
Wrapping his arms around me, J.D. pulled me into his chest and started to sway back and forth to the music. I sang along to the song. It was one of my favorites and the words had so much more meaning to me now, as J.D. watched me with a warmth in his eyes.
“You know, I love you, too,” I said, completely amazed that he had finally confessed his feelings for me.
“Good, because you’re stuck with me now.”
“Oh no, what have I gotten myself into,” I groaned theatrically. I always had a penchant for the dramatic. If So Good hadn’t worked out, I could’ve gone into acting.
“Hardy-har,” J.D. replied, shaking his head and swooping in for another kiss.
“We should probably head back to the party,” I murmured, pulling away before the kiss could become heated. We couldn’t seem to stop touching each other.
“I don’t wanna,” J.D. pouted and stomped his foot like a child. I giggled and grabbed his hand, pulling him out of the gazebo and across the grass, back toward the party. We were walking along the pond, still on the outskirts of the celebration.
I could see that people were dancing in front of the stage, in an area we had kept clear for a makeshift dance floor. I headed in that direction, eager to join them, when someone stepped into my path.
I was startled to see Keith there, glaring at my hand wrapped around J.D.’s. I had completely forgotten about him. I felt a bit guilty; I shouldn’t have invited him in the first place. What had I been thinking?
“What the hell, Stallworth?” Keith asked, addressing J.D.
“Oh, hey, Keith,” I said, giving him an awkward little wave. This could get ugly.
“You knew I was making a move on her. Pick someone else,” Keith said, ignoring me completely.
Okay. Now I was pissed.
“Oh my god, you didn’t tell me someone else had called dibs,” I said to J.D. pulling my hand from his. “I guess I belong to him.”
J.D. looked perplexed as I took a step toward Keith. I looked up at Keith through my eyelashes, trying to look seductive. It must have worked, because his face split into that signature grin of his.
“Let’s get outta here, baby,” Keith said as I reached him. What an idiot. I placed my hands on his chest and looked up into his face.
“I don’t think so, baby,” I said, pushing against his chest with all my strength and sending him stumbling backwards into the pond. He landed with a satisfying splash.
“Holy shit!” J.D. exclaimed.
I turned to him and shrugged. “He needed to cool off a bit.”
“You crazy bitch!” Keith shouted out as he emerged, dripping from the water.
“Watch yourself,” J. D. warned. I just laughed.
“You really shouldn’t treat women like they’re your prize to have. Feel free to slip out while everyone is still distracted by Sabine,” I said, knowing that appearances were important to a man like him. “You wouldn’t want to make a spectacle of yourself.”
Cursing under his breath, Keith stormed away in a huff.
J.D. threw his arm around my shoulders and we walked toward the stage together, an official couple at last.
Chapter Twenty: Fireworks
It was funny how different the world looked with Judy tucked under my arm. I felt like I could appreciate the party more. The wine tasted better. The scenery was more impressive. The music made me want to dance.
Turns out, I was a fool for love.
Hayden came running up to me, a goofy grin on his face. “You two finally work things out?”
“How do you know anything about it?” I asked with a frown.
“Oh, please. Gigi told me.”
“Gigi told you?” Judy asked, sounding miffed.
“Well, yeah. But it was just so we could figure out a way to fix things.”
“Fix things?” I asked with my eyebrow
raised.
“Don’t be daft,” Gigi’s voice came from behind me. I turned, and she was standing there with Damian. She was wearing a smile identical to Hayden’s. “You must have known we were conspiring. Hayden is a terrible liar.”
“Hey! That hurts. After all this collaborating, I thought we were partners in crime. A modern-day Bonnie and Clyde.”
“I don’t think so,” Damian growled. “They were a couple.”
“And didn’t they die horribly?” I asked.
“Fine then. A modern-day Thelma and Louise. They were just friends,” Hayden said, folding his arms across his chest.
“I think they died too,” I told him.
“Oh, whatever then.”
“I had a feeling you guys were up to something. It was a bit obvious in the diner,” Judy told them with a smirk.
“You should have seen them in Hayden’s office last week. Huddled together whispering like schoolgirls,” I said. “I thought they might be plotting to run away together.”
“Over my dead body,” Damian said, wrapping an arm around Gigi’s waist and pulling her into his side possessively. She laughed and pecked his lips.
Another song started, and Judy squealed with delight. She grabbed Gigi’s hand and pulled her toward the dance floor, leaving us men behind. Aaron joined us.
“So, you and Judy, huh? ‘Bout time,” he said, taking a sip of his red wine.
“Was everyone aware of this?” I asked, exasperated.
“Duh,” Damian rolled his eyes. “You too have had a cloud of sexual tension around you for over a year. That shit makes for good gossip.”
I watched Judy twist her body to the music, dancing without reservation. She was like fire, wild and bright. Her flame spread to those around her and I had been consumed myself.
How did I get so lucky?
A heaviness that I hadn’t been aware of seemed to have lifted. I had been embracing a negative outlook on life that brought me nothing but loneliness. If Judy hadn’t come along to call me on my bullshit, I might never have known I could be this happy.
Tech Titans: The Complete Billionaire Romance Series Page 29
