Confess To Be Mine

by Suzie Nelson

  “Well done, he didn’t deserve a response. Next time we’ll have him banned from all future events.” Jordan patted Blake on the back as they walked off the stage and out to the back room where Danica and Shelby were waiting for them.

  “It’s disgusting that someone would even ask you that!” Shelby looked livid and was more annoyed than Blake had been. She raised her arms frantically and Blake couldn’t help but admire how her passion made her look irresistible. Dressed in a flowing red dress adorned with gold necklaces and hooped earrings, she was a vision of fire wrapped up in a fleshy woman. “You should have slapped him across the face and thrown him out. That would teach him a lesson!”

  Blake raised his hand for her to calm down but he appreciated how she wanted to rally beside him. “Shelby, I’m not going to give him the satisfaction of seeing me get annoyed. He wanted a reaction and he didn’t get one.”

  Jordan stood next to Blake, proud that his younger brother had acted precisely as he would have done. “That’s exactly right, Blake. Scum like that just feed of lies, perpetuating their false journalism by any bit of gossip or scandal they can find even if it means making it up.”

  “Well, I don’t know how you sat there so calmly. I wanted to rip the hair straight out of his head.” Shelby realized that she was starting to look like an unstable woman as she had no real reason for being so defensive about Blake’s reputation.

  Danica, recognizing that Shelby was starting to get embarrassed, quickly came up beside her and wrapped her arm around Shelby’s shoulder. “You are clearly passionate about the youth center, Shelby. And why wouldn’t you be when it is in your home country? Blake, it seems a little absurd to me that we haven’t involved Shelby more in the project. After all, she is from Mexico and would know better than anyone what will and won’t work there. Plus, she is a very talented designer that would have the skills to help.” Danica squeezed Shelby’s shoulder and looked over at Jordan for his added support.

  Not likely to miss a hint, Jordan quickly presented his thoughts to back up the suggestion. “You’re totally right, my love. I can’t believe we didn’t think of that ourselves, Blake. Shelby, would you be interested in channeling some of that passion into our project? I know we could certainly do with as much help as possible.”

  Blake looked at Shelby wondering how she was going to answer and he was a little embarrassed that he hadn’t already thought of involving her in the project. He had certainly briefly mentioned it to her during their socializing but he had mainly just kept most of the details secret between him and Jordan.

  Shelby hadn’t intended to get involved with the youth center either, although she thought it was an excellent initiative, but when Danica squeezed her and Jordan looked at her with hopeful eyes, she couldn’t say no.

  “I’m sure I could help in some way.” She turned her eyes to Blake who was trying to look anywhere else apart from directly at her and it made her feel like he didn’t want her involved. Her heart sank a little as she assumed that he would have asked before now if he needed her help and it was only down to Danica’s intervention that she was being roped into helping. “But I don’t want to interfere with your existing plans. I’m sure Blake has it all covered already without the need for my opinion.”

  Shelby’s words sounded as though she was trying to politely back out and Blake didn’t want her to do anything involuntarily but he couldn’t lift his eyes and look at her while she looked so stunning in her red dress. Thankfully, Jordan stepped in to prevent Shelby from retreating. “Nonsense, there is still plenty to do when we get to Mexico. Having a local with us will really help speed up the process and your design skills will be invaluable when we start making the T-shirts.”

  “In Mexico?” Shelby looked at Jordan perplexed.

  “Sure, in Mexico. You can come with us next week to help us finalize the launch preparations and stick around for the grand opening. I and Danica are going to London Fashion Week first but we could meet you and Blake in Mexico after London.” Jordan bulldozed over Shelby’s obvious confusion and gave her very little room to wiggle out of the trip.

  “Oh, we will have so much fun together!” Danica clapped her hands together like an excited little girl as she wrapped her arms around Shelby again. “We can all go out and work together, and we have a few free moments we can talk about the wedding preparations.” Danica winked at Shelby and then rushed over to Jordan’s side as Blake remained silent. “Speaking of the wedding, we have a cake tasting that we need to get to. Come on, Mr. Ramsey, let’s get moving.” Danica turned and waved both Blake and Shelby goodbye as she excitedly pulled Jordan out of the room. “Bye, we will talk soon about Mexico!”

  Once Jordan and Danica had left, it felt as though all the energy had been sucked out with them leaving. Shelby and Blake awkwardly stood in front of each other.

  Shelby was still in shock that she had just become involved in the youth center and was apparently now taking a trip to Mexico which she had little time to plan for. Blake was also astonished that with very little effort Jordan and Danica had rearranged the whole Mexico trip leaving him to deal with Shelby’s residual questions.

  “I’m not sure if I can go to Mexico,” Shelby spoke more to herself than to Blake but her voice jolted him back into the conversation.

  “You don’t have to come if you don’t want to.” Blake tried to appease her concern by giving her way out, unfortunately, Shelby took it as him not wanting her to come.

  “Oh, I want to go. I think the youth center is amazing…I just have a lot going on with the studio and Danica’s dress still needs some work. But if you think I shouldn’t go then I can just stay here. I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes.” Shelby tried to read Blake’s body language but she couldn’t see any hint of his interest as he mainly stared down at the ground.

  For the first time, he suddenly looked up, realizing that he was talking Shelby out of coming. “You won’t be stepping on anyone’s toes. Like Jordan said, we could do with your help and you know the area far better than us. You should come.” Blake could feel his hands sweating and his cheeks becoming flushed. Why did Shelby make him feel like a schoolboy with a ridiculous crush?

  “You really think I should go?” Shelby also displayed a moment of vulnerability as her voice cracked from emotions. She looked at him with big brown eyes hoping that he might share a deeper reason for wanting her to attend the trip with them all. Would he finally give her a small hint of his true affection?

  “Sure.” Blake didn’t want her to see his clear desperation and quickly reverted back into playing it cool. “You and Danica will be able to keep each other company and talk wedding stuff while I and Jordan are at the center.” He put his hands in his pockets and looked away annoyed at his own inability to be honest.

  All of Shelby’s vulnerability quickly vanished as she realized she was only invited to keep Danica entertained. “Oh, sure, I’m just your little Mexican friend that you can order around when you decide to take a trip to other side of the pond!” Shelby’s arms started to fly around in rage and her accent became thicker with every word. “I am not the help! You want someone to show you around Mexico, you get a tour guide – I am not your minion!”

  Saying that, Shelby looked at Blake with a pungent sense of disgust and then stormed out of the room while he was still trying to get the words out to correct her.

  ***

  “Who was on the phone, honey?” Danica stretched her limbs out on the couch as Jordan walked over and admired her long tanned legs.

  “Blake.” He sat down next to Danica and she cuddled up next to him with her head on his lap. “He has already screwed things up with Shelby. She won’t be joining us in Mexico.”

  Danica shot up and faced Jordan. “What? Why?”

  “Apparently, Blake said something stupid about Shelby keeping you entertained while we do all the work. I don’t know, he didn’t really explain it very well but the gist is he fucked up the
whole plan. Shelby doesn’t want to be dragged over to Mexico if she’s not really needed and Blake couldn’t manage to keep his cool long enough to convince her.” Jordan ran his hand through his short dark hair and sighed out of frustration. “I really don’t get it. He could have any woman he wanted but he’s in absolute bits around Shelby.”

  “Not everyone is a charmer like you, my dear.” Danica relaxed her shoulders and then folded herself back into Jordan’s lap. “But Blake really has ruined it all. And why would he even say that I need to be entertained? We had laid it out perfectly that she would help with the center doing the T-shirts. Honestly, your brother doesn’t help himself.” Danica twiddled her fingers as the evening light started to turn to dusk outside the living room window.

  “She has to come to Mexico. It’s the only way we can naturally force them to be alone and encourage them to be together. If they both weren’t so pigheaded, I would just leave them to it.” Danica looked up at Jordan and stroked the roughness of his jaw.

  “Well, it will have to be you that talks to her. It would be odd if I rang her and I fear Blake would dig a bigger whole for himself rather than get himself out of this mess.” Jordan raked his fingers through Danica’s long blonde hair as they schemed about their matchmaking.

  “Yeah, she’s not going to listen to anything Blake has to say no matter how unintentional his insult was. It might be best if I just book her ticket and room, and then say it’s all arranged so she can’t back out?” Danica thought it would be simple to just force Shelby to come if everything had already been brought and paid for but Jordan wasn’t as convinced.

  “Although I admire your determination, I think Shelby would still back out unless she feels needed. She needs to become integral to the youth center in some way and then her involvement will be required, no matter what nonsense Blake says.” Jordan thought for a moment about all the people that were involved with the project and if there was any way of bringing Shelby into the fold. “I will go over the team with Barrack tomorrow and find some way to fit Shelby in. If I can give her her own purpose within the center I think she’ll still want to help and you can smooth it over with her?”

  Danica smiled as lifted herself up to kiss her future husband. “I’m sure you will find a way, you always do. Now enough talk about those two, I want all of your attention on me.” She placed her soft lips on his and surrendered to his embrace.

  Chapter 4

  “I don’t even know why you are packing any clothes.” Shelby sat down on Danica’s bed as Danica continued to throw shoes and belts into her suitcase. “Surely every designer is begging you to wear their gowns.” Shelby reached into the case and took out a thin Gucci belt which she played with in her hands.

  “Well, I can’t just rock up wearing my birthday suit!” Danica wandered into the walk-in closet and fingered through the rows of hangers containing numerous designer outfits. “I have some designers dressing me for the main events but I still need to take some clothes for the other days.” Danica picked up a simple white Donna Karen dress which she thought would be perfect for her airport arrival and headed back to the bedroom where Shelby was still rifling through all the luxury accessories. “I still don’t understand why you aren’t coming. It’s London Fashion Week for goodness’ sake, everybody who means something in this industry is going to be there. You ought to go too.”

  “Every designer in the world that is successful,” Shelby added her comment sarcastically but she was gutted not to be attending the fashion epicenter. “I’m just a little start-up label.” She looked down and continued to twiddle the Gucci belt as she dreamed of the time when she would be attending London Fashion Week and other big events as one of the leading designers.

  “But I thought the show did really well? Didn’t you get great reviews?” Danica poorly folded the white dress up into a crumbled parcel and placed inside her case.

  “Yes, the show got great reviews but that doesn’t make me an overnight success. You are the only famous person that wears my designs but it’s starting to pick up. I’m hoping that your wedding dress will really get the ball rolling.”

  “And the T-shirts for the youth center?” Danica intentionally added the comment about Mexico, hoping that she could get Shelby back on board with the project.

  “I don’t think that will be happening. I can’t just drop everything and go to Mexico with only a week’s notice.” Shelby tossed the belt back into the case and then pulled herself up off the bed. She hadn’t spoken to Blake for two days since the press conference and she had ignored all of his calls. Shelby felt as though she had seen a side to Blake that she never thought existed. He had only wanted her to come to Mexico to keep Danica a company and give them a local insight; he had no real intention of using her design skills for the charity. Her blood still boiled when she thought about how he just stood there gormlessly as Jordan and Danica invited her to Mexico.

  Danica already knew that Blake had inadvertently upset Shelby so she wasn’t buying the excuse that Shelby was too busy to help. “Look, I don’t know what Blake said to you but he has been calling Jordan nonstop about how he can make things right with you. He obviously put his foot in his mouth but we really need your help with the center.” Danica didn’t want to be fixing Blake’s errors but she also knew that Shelby wouldn’t come to Mexico unless she intervened.

  “Blake has been working on this charity project for months. I just don’t understand why he wouldn’t have asked me to help out before if he so desperately needed my help? And anyway, it wasn’t even him that asked – it was Jordan.” Shelby stood over by the window and looked out down onto the busy Manhattan street below.

  “Would you believe me if I said that Blake likes you?” Danica knew it was time to lay her cards on the table and reach out to Shelby’s emotional side.

  “No, I wouldn’t.” Shelby wanted to believe but having seen Blake’s inability to act or say anything positive about her coming to Mexico, she doubted everything. “Blake sees me as just a friend, a Mexican friend that he can bestow his help to and order around when he wants the favor returned.” Her words were sharp and full of bitterness which Danica didn’t know how to sooth.

  “You really think that little of him?” She was shocked to hear Shelby talk about Blake in such a harsh way but she also thought that the hate was so strong because really Shelby was hurt that the relationship hadn’t developed into what she wanted.

  “I don’t know what I think anymore but I’m not sure if Blake really is a friend, never mind anything else. The last thing I want is to spend a week with him in Mexico.” Shelby turned away from the window and made her way back over to the bed where Danica was folding delicate pieces of lace underwear.

  “Okay, so Blake is a bit of an idiot. We can agree on that but you shouldn’t let him deter you from helping with the project and furthering your career. Jordan still wants you to help with heading up the T-shirt project and making some awesome designs that will sell. And who knows, this could just be the first center, if it does well it could go national or even global and that would generate more interest for you.” Danica looked up at Shelby and could see that her words were being absorbed.

  Shelby couldn’t deny that she loved the project and would happily do anything that would help the kids of her home country but she still didn’t want to be around Blake. “I would like to help but is there a way I can do it and not have to interact with Blake?”

  That was it. Danica knew that she had won Shelby over and it was just a matter of time before she could get Blake and Shelby to reconcile. “Sure. I and Jordan will be there, so you can just deal directly with Jordan. There is going to be plenty of stuff to do for the project, so I’m sure Blake will be busy dealing with the music side of things.”

  Shelby admired a pair of Prada stilettos in Danica’s case as she contemplated the advantages of helping with the Ramsey charity project. “Okay. I can move some things around and help out.” She lifted her h
and and pointed her index finger at Danica with a serious expression. “But I want your word that I deal only with Jordan – no Blake.”

  Danica smirked in a playful fashion as she pushed another pair of shoes into the already full suitcase. “I pinky promise that you won’t have to talk to Blake. It will be fun! You can show me where you are from and perhaps visit your family?”

  Excitement finally filled Shelby’s heart as she thought about returning home to her beloved Mexico City. She had been born and raised in America by her immigrant parents but they had often visited her Mexican grandparents and cousins. The trips had become less frequent as she had grown but Shelby couldn’t wait to see her Abuelita. “It has been a long time since I have seen my Grandmother but I’m sure she would love to meet you.”

  “Are all your family still in Mexico City?” Danica realized that she hadn’t really spoken with Shelby about family members as they were still relatively new in their friendship.

  “No. My parents are here but they live in Florida. I have some uncles somewhere but I would say the majority of my family are still there. My grandmother, Abuelita, is the most wonderful woman. She has had twelve children and managed to raise all of them as a young widow after my grandfather passed away unexpectedly.” Shelby hadn’t meant to share so much of her family history but as she thought about seeing her grandmother again, she couldn’t help but open up.