by Autumn Reed
“I better let you finish getting dressed.” He pulled me into a hug and kissed my forehead before standing. “Thank you again for doing this. I’m sorry I ruined the surprise, but it has given me something to look forward to.”
“You should wait to thank me until after I’ve successfully performed the song without making a fool of myself.”
“No way.” He walked backward toward the door, smiling the entire time. “No matter what happens, the fact that you wanted to do this for me is enough.”
I avoided thinking about the impending event while I finished dressing, my palms starting to sweat at the mere idea of walking out of my bedroom in the suggestive outfit I’d bought for the occasion. I’d wanted something edgier than my usual attire, so I’d taken a very willing Kara shopping with me. After considerable reluctance on my part, she talked me into a low-cut jade top, black leather jacket, jeans so tight they may as well have been painted on, and tall black leather boots with stiletto heels. I didn’t feel like myself, but I considered that a good thing—I wanted to feel as bold as I looked when I stepped on that stage.
All five guys were congregated in the living room when I appeared, guitar case in hand. It took a few moments for them to notice me, but as they did, the room fell silent. When no one visibly reacted, I shifted uncomfortably, but then Liam whistled and Theo muttered, “holy stilettos.”
Knox shook his head and said, “I’m going to end up punching someone tonight, aren’t I?”
That was all the validation I needed. I’d wanted to look hot tonight—for them and myself—and I was pretty sure I’d succeeded.
When we entered the bar fifteen minutes later, I immediately second-guessed my choice of venue. I’d selected it based on reviews stating it served cheap food and beer to cater to the local college crowd. Considering the number of patrons around my age, the reviews were right. I just hadn’t been anticipating so many people. Every table in the place appeared to be overflowing, and bodies were packed in around the bar in the corner.
Thankfully, Chase called ahead and convinced the manager to reserve a table for us by promising a huge tip. A waitress in tiny shorts and a tight T-shirt seated us, and the guys ordered appetizers and a round of drinks. I was too anxious to eat anything, so I sipped on ice water while we waited for the performances to begin.
When the lights lowered except for a spotlight, I was grateful for the distraction. I only had to watch six other singers before I could get this over with. Chase, apparently noticing my trepidation, drew my hand to his knee and threaded his fingers through mine. Though his silent support helped, every minute that ticked by was excruciating. I wasn’t sure if I wanted the clock to speed up or slow down.
The guys ate and kept the mood light even as I withdrew and made only a minimal effort to stay engaged. When it was my turn, my knees almost buckled as I climbed the steps to the stage, and I wondered if I should use the stool sitting off to the side. Between the larger, rowdier crowd and the five sets of eyes I knew were watching me with rapt attention, this experience felt a million times worse than when I’d performed at Percolate.
Why had I thought this was a good idea? At the very least, I could have chosen another small coffee shop and stopped Chase from inviting the others. That wouldn’t have been nearly as terrifying.
Deciding that dragging the stool to the middle of the stage would add more stress to my current situation, I reluctantly walked to the microphone and placed my guitar strap around my neck. The lights directed on me were brighter than they’d seemed from my seat, making me squint as I attempted to adjust. A few wolf whistles and jeers rang out, and I instinctively tugged at my neckline, hoping to hide the cleavage I knew was on full display.
I stepped back from center stage and strummed a few chords to warm up. My heart was pounding so hard, I almost believed I could hear it over the noisy crowd. The sick feeling that had been building in the pit of my stomach for the last hour grew until it was suffocating me. How would I get through this performance? I could barely breathe, much less sing.
Panicking, I searched for Chase in the audience. Would he hate me if I wasn’t able to go through with this? It was supposed to be all for him, after all. When I found our table, I was surprised to see the outline of four guys instead of five. My eyes roamed over each of them, slowly making out individual figures in the low light. Chase was missing.
Sensing movement to my right, I glanced over to find him striding toward me. He pulled me farther back so we were shrouded in darkness behind the lights, and his hands cupped my jaw. “Haley, you don’t have to do this.”
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. It would be so tempting to walk away and never look back. But now that he’d given me the choice, I felt even more determined than before. I was doing this for him, not for all those strangers.
“Yes, I do. Will you stay up here with me, though?”
“Absolutely.” He gave me the sweetest kiss followed by a reassuring smile. “You’ve got this.”
With a renewed sense of purpose, I nodded and returned to the microphone. I immediately closed my eyes and began the song, willing myself to tune out everything and everyone other than Chase standing by my side. When I sang the first few lines of “Wonderwall,” my voice was too timid, too soft. Focusing on the lyrics, I forced myself to keep going until muscle memory from hours of practicing replaced the fear coursing through my body.
Opening my eyes, I looked at Chase—who was watching me with something akin to awe—before seeking out Theo, Liam, Jackson, and Knox. Although I couldn’t see their expressions, I felt their encouragement, and it calmed me. These five men were my support. They were my inspiration. They were my world.
That was the moment I stopped caring about the performance and sang to all five of them. I wanted them to feel the depth of my emotion spilling out through the words. They’d saved me in so many ways. I needed them to know. To understand.
After I played the last few notes, the sudden, exuberant applause startled me out of a somewhat dreamy state. I removed my guitar and walked straight into Chase’s arms. He squeezed me tight, and I laughed, feeling giddy now that it was over.
“God, I love you so much,” he said just loud enough for me to hear. “That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.”
“Really?”
“Definitely. You have no idea how much I want to get out of here right now.”
The wicked gleam in his eyes betrayed what he had in mind, and I bit my lip, more than ready to take him up on it. But we couldn’t leave in the middle of our group date to go make out . . . or whatever.
When we descended the steps, the manager approached. “You were great. When can I add you to the schedule again? You’re exactly the type of performer I need on a regular basis.”
I looked at him oddly. Did he not see my almost-panic attack? “Thank you, but this was a one-time thing.”
His eyes narrowed. “Are you sure?”
“Very sure.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. “Okay, but let me know if you change your mind. My regular performers are paid well.”
Even though I would never take him up on it, I accepted the card and smiled. It was flattering that he’d asked. “Thanks.”
After the manager left, I turned to Chase. “That was strange.”
He slung an arm around my shoulder and grinned. “I don’t think you understand how magnetic you were up on that stage.”
“If you say so.” I heard the doubt in my voice, but it didn’t diminish the elation I’d been feeling ever since finishing the song.
My good mood instantly sobered as we approached the table. Three college-age girls had appeared in my absence—a blonde, a brunette, and a redhead. Was this the beginning of a joke?
Liam was attempting to extricate himself from the blonde, who had both hands pressed against his chest, and Theo had placed one hand to the side of his face to keep the redhead’s plentiful cleava
ge out of his face. Knox’s deep scowl aimed at the brunette told me he’d already made it clear that the girls weren’t welcome, and was Jackson laughing?
For the first time in my life, I understood the concept of seeing red. My vision grew hazy, and the voices and loud guitar riff in the background were drowned out. I could only see and hear the girls coming on to my guys, and I was not okay with it.
Almost as if I’d been possessed, I shrugged Chase’s arm off my shoulder and shoved past the blonde to plant myself on Liam’s lap. He jerked back at first, but when he realized it was me, he didn’t hesitate before taking my mouth in a scorching kiss.
“You were unbelievable up there, gorgeous,” he said quietly, not taking his eyes off me, even when the girl standing behind us huffed loudly.
I finally tore my eyes away from Liam’s fierce gaze when the blonde spoke. “Well, no matter. There’s still three of you—” She must have caught sight of Chase, because she sent him a sultry smirk. “Make that, four of you and three of us.”
“Sorry, but they’re taken,” I replied in an equally sugary voice.
The redhead looked pointedly around the table before speaking to me. “There don’t seem to be any other girls here. What their girlfriends don’t know won’t hurt them.” She added a wink that made my stomach turn. Did she have no shame?
I opened my mouth to retort, but then I saw the look of utter amusement and adoration Knox directed at me. Suddenly, this situation didn’t seem nearly as dire as it had a few moments before. These girls could hit on the guys all they wanted; that didn’t mean they’d receive even an ounce of encouragement in return. I knew that with every fiber of my being.
I blinked innocently at the redhead, who looked ready to pounce on Jackson. “Have at it, then. I wish you luck.”
Theo’s mouth fell open, and I felt rather than heard Liam’s laugh. I bit back my own smile as she placed both hands on the table, forcing Jackson to acknowledge her. “What do you say, sexy? Want to buy me a drink?”
“That’s a real nice offer,” Jackson drawled in a pseudo-Southern accent before turning his head to stare straight at me. “But I’m already with the most beautiful girl I’ve ever known. There’s no way I’m going to mess that up.”
The rest of the guys nodded their heads in agreement, and the redhead looked between me and Jackson with suspicion before glancing at the others. Finally, she straightened and threw up her hands. “Come on, girls. They’re not worth it, anyway.”
I got a whiff of the blonde’s cheap perfume as she passed behind us and heard her whine, “But they’re so hot. It’s not fair.”
When they were out of earshot, I felt the attention of all five guys on me. Keeping up the innocent act, I asked, “What?”
They all started laughing, Theo the hardest. “I didn’t know you had it in you, firecracker, but I’m glad. That was totally hot.”
I rolled my eyes but was surprised to find that I was amused rather than embarrassed or dismayed. I hadn’t exactly come right out and said, “stay away from my boyfriends,” but I felt like it was a win, nonetheless.
After all of my doubt about our unconventional relationship, maybe it was more doable than I realized. They were going to have to start wearing “I’m taken” T-shirts when we all went out in public together, though. I couldn’t handle dealing with a scene like that every time. And, considering how attractive they were individually, I knew they’d always stand out as a group. It was inevitable.
Realizing I was still sitting on Liam’s lap, I started to get up, but he took hold of my hips and kept me in place. “Stay.”
It came out as a plea more than a demand, so I didn’t protest. I did watch for Chase’s reaction, since this night was supposed to be about him. He appeared completely at ease and not at all bothered that I was snuggled up against Liam. Had things really changed that much for him in the last month? Was he as okay with everything as he seemed?
“Can we finally talk about how incredible Haley’s performance was?” Theo asked.
“No.” I shook my head for emphasis. “We don’t need to talk about it.”
“You were, though,” Jackson said. “Incredible.” Liam squeezed my waist in agreement, and Knox nodded.
“Thank you.” I was beginning to sound like a broken record, but I didn’t know what else to say.
A new singer took the stage, and I used the interruption as an opportunity to both move off Liam’s lap and allow the subject to drop. It wasn’t that their praise bothered me, but it felt like too much. I didn’t want anyone making a big deal of tonight when I was so determined to never repeat it. From now on, I was only performing for an audience of five.
5
Good Fortune
Haley
“Haley, take a seat,” Diana said from behind her desk.
I sank into a chair opposite her with mild trepidation. It was rare that she summoned me to meet with her in person since we mostly communicated by e-mail. As one of the Zenith asset coordinators, she was responsible for helping me complete the program on time. While I didn't think there were any concerns on that front, I was still anxious to know why she'd called me into her office.
“I wanted to check in and see how your training is going. I noticed that you've been completing the assignments more quickly than we even anticipated.”
“Is that a problem?”
She gave me a warm, reassuring smile. “Not at all. We encourage everyone to learn at their own pace. My only concern is making sure you continue to feel challenged by the material.”
“The program is rigorous, and I'm very much enjoying the challenge.”
“I'm glad to hear that. Please, feel free to let me know if that changes.”
“I will,” I promised, a sense of relief washing over me.
“In light of your accelerated progress, I'd like to discuss some additional training opportunities with you. The first is an intensive Spanish review to ensure that you're fluent by graduation. In addition to your regular assignments, you'd participate in daily immersion studies with a native Spanish speaker.
“The program is very flexible and conducted entirely through the online portal. You simply schedule a convenient time to connect with one of our Spanish coaches, login, and video chat for an hour or more four to five times a week. Is that something that would interest you?”
“Definitely.”
I'd been practicing my conversation skills with Theo, and while he was a great tutor, I needed more of a challenge. As he often reminded me, he was proficient, not fluent. He was surprisingly well-versed in the curse words, though, which was ironic considering his aversion to swearing in English.
“Excellent. I'll send you the link so you can get started.”
While she composed the e-mail, I glanced around her office, noting the lack of personal items, the absence of family photographs. Was it a safety precaution in a business that valued security at all costs? Or was it because she had never married, placing a higher priority on her career than her love life?
“The second opportunity,” she said, interrupting my speculations about her life outside the office, “is a course taught by D.C. Regional Director, Kenneth James. As one of our leading strategy experts, he offers a focused training session each year. I believe you could benefit from his leadership, and I'd like to nominate you for it.”
I stared at her with my mouth agape. She wanted to nominate me? My fellow trainees were willing to do almost anything to get an in with one of the directors—since they had the final say on whether we were offered a position with Zenith—and this had practically fallen into my lap. Not only would it be a great opportunity for me to learn from one of the best in my field, it could also boost my chances at being offered the strategic coordinator position I wanted after graduation.
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes, absolutely. Thank you.”
“I can't promise anything, but I think you have a good shot.” I nodded, hoping she was right. “Unless you
have any questions for me, I'll let you get back to it. I apologize for cutting into your lunch break.”
My stomach growled as if on cue, and I stood from the chair before it could broadcast its desires even louder. After a morning of hand-to-hand combat practice, I was starving.
“Thanks again, Diana.”
“Of course. Oh, and Haley,” she said, and I paused at the door, “I'll keep you updated on the nomination, but it will likely be a few weeks before I hear anything.”
I nodded and slipped out of her office, wishing I could skip down the corridor. Every day, every simulation, every online module was a chance for our instructors to evaluate us. I now understood, better than ever, the pressure Jackson felt to succeed on his own merits and not because of his relationship with Patrick.
Ever since Chase disrupted class to collect me, and I'd subsequently missed several days of training to go to Dallas, everyone knew of my connection to Team Jaguar, even if they didn't fully grasp the true nature of it. I sensed that they wavered between awe, jealousy, and worse still, disdain. Regardless of what my fellow trainees thought, I was determined to show that I could outwit, outsmart, outshoot, and outrun the best of them.
After class, I headed to Liam's penthouse, looking forward to spending a relaxing evening alone with him. Fresh from the training center, I was sporting the uniform required of all recruits—cargo pants, Henley, and boots. It wasn't the sexiest look, but in my rush to beat traffic, I hadn't stopped to change after class ran late.
When the door swung open, I was completely unprepared for the sight before me—Liam was tall, dark, and mouth-watering in a black tuxedo. The fabric was perfectly tailored to his lean figure, the dark sheen of the material in stark contrast to his white shirt and black bow tie. His gray eyes sparkled with excitement and an emotion I couldn't quite name.
Surprised by his unexpected attire, and trying to calm my heart that was beating at a rapid clip, I blurted, “Are you expecting someone else? Maybe a leggy blonde in a ball gown?”
