Josie, however, was completely left on the outskirts. Her family didn’t call. They didn’t write. They had never visited her in New York. It was heartbreaking, to say the least.
She thought back to a little over a year ago at this time. How different her life had been. Thoughts of Callan Walsh couldn’t help but drift across her mind. They’d only spent two weeks together, but it had felt like a lifetime. She hadn’t heard from him since her move to New York, but she hadn’t expected to. She’d been pretty clear with him that she didn’t want him to contact her or visit her.
And she appreciated that he’d respected that request.
But at the same time…her heart ached when she replayed the last time she saw him. Refusing him had been one of the most difficult things she’d ever done, and she didn’t know how to bring her heart back from that.
She’d spent the last year so focused on school that she hadn’t even done much socializing. Sure, she’d made a few friends with her classmates, and they occasionally grabbed a quick drink at happy hour or something like that, but dating? That was entirely off the table. The last person she’d been with was Callan, and she had no plans of moving on to anyone else anytime soon.
A knock on her door brought her back into the real world. She turned around and headed across her small one-bedroom loft to the front door. Opening it, she stopped in her tracks.
“Mom?”
Shondra Gray was standing in her building’s apartment hallway, staring back at her. She was dressed to the nines in a gorgeous emerald-green pantsuit that looked absolutely elegant on her. “Hi, Josie.”
“What…what are you doing here?” she asked, stumbling over her words with the shock of seeing her mother. What the hell is happening? Why is Mom here? How did she even find me?
“Hey, sister,” Marcus greeted her, stepping into view beside their mother. “We’re all here.”
Josie stuck her head out into the hallway, and sure enough, Xavier was standing there too. He had his arm around the shoulders of a petite Asian woman who was the perfect height for his short stature. She immediately recognized the woman from the tabloids as the Real Housewives daughter who Xavier had been dating for the last year.
“Are you going to invite us in?” her mother asked, a small, timid smile spreading across her lips.
Josie moved to the side and made enough room for her mother and brothers to walk by her.
Shondra entered the small apartment, looking around. “This is…cozy.”
“Mom,” Marcus warned.
“It’s okay. I know it’s small,” Josie said, not at all embarrassed by its size. Sure, in Las Vegas she’d had a larger apartment paid for by her lucrative job, but since moving to New York City, not only was real estate smaller, but so was her budget. She’d spent most of her savings on tuition and rent for the last year, squeezing every dime she had to the point where now she needed a job…badly.
But she wasn’t stressing about it. She’d put out applications at some of the top restaurants and chains around the country. She was just waiting for one of them to bite.
“It’s not that small for New York,” Marcus assured her, always trying to be the family peacemaker.
“Thanks,” she said, and there was an awkward moment as everyone hugged and said hello to each other. Xavier introduced his girlfriend as Jasmine Xi, and Josie was pleasantly surprised to not smell any alcohol on his breath when he hugged her.
Maybe things had changed with this new romance…
“So…not that it’s not great to see you guys,” Josie began, “but…what are you doing here?”
Shondra spoke up first. “We’re here to go to your graduation, of course.”
“I…I didn’t tell you I was graduating,” Josie said. “How did you know?”
“Darling, you may have stopped talking to us, but we haven’t forgotten about you. I’ve been following everything you’re doing out here, and…” Her mother paused for a moment and then let out a long breath. “Well, I’m really proud of you. You’ve done amazing on your own and in your classes.”
Josie put her hand to her chest, trying to calm the thumping sound of her heart as the pressure began to build and tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. “You’re what?”
“I said I’m proud of you. And, if you’ll have us, we’d love to be there at your graduation to celebrate your accomplishment.” Shondra offered her a small smile that looked almost nervous, as if she was worried Josie was going to turn her down and say no.
“Yeah, sis,” Marcus chimed in. “We’d love to come.”
“Been looking forward to it all trip,” Xavier echoed.
She was touched, not just at the effort they’d made to come all the way out here but at the forgiveness that was underlying everything they were saying. Her mother was letting go of the fact that she’d left the show and nearly cost them their livelihood. Her brother was forgiving the fact that she’d missed his championship fight and slept with his opponent. Sure, it was unspoken, but it was there. She hadn’t even realized how much guilt she’d been holding on to until that moment. It felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and she wanted nothing more than to run into her mother’s arms for a hug.
“I’d love you all to come,” she said, reaching her arms out.
Shondra embraced her. “Wonderful.”
Josie tried to keep the tears from running down her cheeks, but she was unsuccessful. “Thank you, guys. Thank you for supporting me. This really does mean the world to me.”
“Hey,” Xavier said, putting his hand on her shoulder. “We’re family first.”
“Xavier has something he wants to tell you,” Shondra said, nudging her son.
Xav’s face suddenly looked nervous, and he swallowed hard. “Yeah…uh…I owe you an apology.”
“You? I owe you an apology for missing your fight and…that whole thing with—”
“Walsh,” Xavier finished for her. “Yeah, I know. But…that’s not it. I, uh, well, I might have made it difficult for you to find a cooking job back in Las Vegas.”
Josie scrunched her brow. “What do you mean?”
“I kind of told the entire strip that if they tried to steal you from me, I’d make sure their restaurant went under.” Xavier rubbed a hand across the back of his neck, looking sheepish. “Not that I even really have that kind of power, but you know…fame speaks for you.”
“You blacklisted me?” Josie balked. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“I know! I’m sorry,” he repeated, holding his hands up in a defensive position. “I really am sorry, Jos. You were just such a great assistant to me. I thought I couldn’t do it without you. I seriously thought you were the key to my success, but I’ve realized…well, I’ve realized I need to shape up and rely on myself. Jasmine here made me see that.”
He smiled down at the woman he was with. A look of true love passed over both of their faces, and Josie felt an ache in her chest at what—or who—she was missing.
“I’ve stopped drinking. Sober nine months now,” he continued. “I also started a Big Brother-type program for kids in Vegas and the surrounding area who need to get off the street and get into the gym. Help channel that aggression in healthier ways. It’s doing really well, and we’re helping a lot of teens.”
Josie was still angry from his admission, but she had to admit…he really did seem like a changed man. There was just something about his spirit, about his attitude, that came off as an entirely different person. He didn’t seem like her angry, hotheaded brother for whom she’d spent the last five years working. No, he seemed calm. Content, almost. He seemed…happy.
She was glad for him, even if she was still fucking pissed about what he had done.
“That’s impressive, Xav,” Josie said. “But are you telling me I can’t work in Las Vegas ever again now?”
He shook his head. “Definitely not. I’ve righted my wrongs, and I’ve made sure every restaurant on the strip knows that they should hire
you because you’re the best damn chef they’ll ever find. In fact…I set up an interview for you, if you’re interested.”
Now she was just confused. “You got me an interview?”
He grinned like he’d just delivered the best news of his life. “Yep. Monday at noon in Vegas with Michael Rockport.”
Her eyes nearly bulged out of her head. “Are you freaking kidding me?”
Xavier shook his head again, his grin widening. “Nope. I know how much you love that dude’s show and all that crap.”
Her fandom for Rockport had not lessened one iota in the last year. She still watched his cooking show daily and had dreamed of working in one of his kitchens one day. This was literally a dream come true. Any anger she previously had regarding her brother’s devious plot to keep her unemployed was quickly dissipating at the news.
He sure knew how to make it up to her.
“Come on,” Shondra said. “We don’t have time for mushing and gushing. We’ve got a graduation to get to.”
Josie smiled, clapping her hands together. “Wait here. Let me grab my cap and gown.”
She quickly headed back toward her bedroom and opened the closet to find her freshly dry-cleaned gown hanging. She pulled it over her shoulders, zipped it up, and then adjusted the cap on her head, pinning it against her hair.
Glancing at herself in the mirror again, she found an inner pride bubbling up inside her. She’d worked so hard to become this new version of herself, and seeing the payoff was such a reward. Making an impulse decision, she snapped a photo of herself in the mirror on her iPhone.
She opened the long-dormant Instagram app, reactivated her account, and posted the photo of her in her cap and gown. Then she wrote a caption.
You might have noticed I’ve been gone the last year. Well, this is what I’ve been doing. Welcome the Institute of Culinary Education’s latest graduate—Josie Gray.
* * *
#readytotakeontheworld #doingthedamnthing #believeinyourself
The comments began pouring in on her post, and the likes immediately started scaling into the thousands. Turning off her notifications, she smiled at the responses she was getting. People were inspired to go back to school for themselves, impressed that she’d given up fame and fortune for education. They were calling her “girl boss” and #bossbabe, and for the first time in her life…she felt seen for who she really was.
She wasn’t posting sponsored ads and carefully filtered curated content about her reality-star life. She’d just posted an unfiltered selfie in her cap and gown—representing what she really loved and wanted to do with her life.
Spending so much time off social media for the last year had been invigorating for her, and she realized that she had needed the break to find herself again. She’d been living such a staged life for so long, she hadn’t even known what it meant to be…Josie.
She felt ready now to return to social media but to keep boundaries in place. She wasn’t going to let that world overtake her again, and she wasn’t going to hide behind filters and sponsors. She was going to be herself and inspire other people to do the same.
It was a new day, and she was damn freaking excited.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Callan’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He debated not looking at it for a moment, but his lunch partner was currently in the bathroom, so he was all alone at the table. Pulling it out, he glanced at the screen.
@JosieGray just posted a new photo.
He lifted his brows. He’d had notifications turned on for Josie’s account since they met, but she’d been silent for the past year. And now…she was back?
He swiped on the notification, and his phone logged into Instagram and pulled up her picture. It was her. She was wearing a graduation cap and gown that covered most of her body, yet she still looked as sexy and beautiful as he remembered. Her curly locks were sticking out from underneath the cap haphazardly, and she was smiling so brightly, he could practically feel her happiness radiating through the interwebs.
He was glad. He wanted her to be happy and have everything she had dreamed of.
So why did he feel so shitty right now? His heart ached in his chest, and a lump began to form in his throat. He wanted nothing more than to call her, tell her how proud he was of her but also how much he had missed her and needed to see her. Staying away all year had been the hardest thing he’d ever done. She’d asked him for that, and he wanted to respect her wishes, but hundreds of times he’d almost just purchased the plane ticket and said…fuck it.
“Sorry about that.” A gorgeous blonde sat down across the table from him. Michelle Rae, famous swimsuit model and future star of an upcoming reality show following models around their daily lives, moved her napkin back onto her lap and picked up her glass of wine, taking a sip. “Are we ready to order dessert?”
He looked up from his phone, startled for a moment, and then quickly pushed it back into his pocket. “Uh, yeah. Sure. I was actually looking at the chocolate lava cake. Want to split it?”
“I’d rather do the fruit platter,” Michelle commented, pointing to the item on the menu. “My agent will kill me if I’m photographed eating something that fattening.”
Callan glanced sideways toward the window of the restaurant, where about a dozen paparazzi were standing on the sidewalk, taking pictures of them. Yes, he was on a date. His first date in over a year. After spending all his time in the cage and winning three championship fights in a row, Callan had found himself to be one of the biggest names in the business. While that was everything for his professional life, it made his personal life take a nosedive.
The only women who surrounded him were groupies, gold diggers, or—like in Michelle’s case—a setup from their public relations teams to get them both in the tabloids. She needed publicity for her new show, and he needed to be seen in public with a woman. His PR team was aghast that he’d stayed single so long and was demanding he get out there and make some heads turn.
Frankly, the entire thing was as staged and stupid as he’d been trying to avoid for the last year. Yet, here he was, participating in yet another stunt. Hell, his last official date had been a stunt, too. Even if it had been with a woman where the feelings had been very, very real.
Thinking about that date brought his mind back to Josie’s photo in her cap and gown. He couldn’t keep his mind off her and couldn’t help but start making comparisons in his head between her and Michelle. Josie would have ordered the chocolate lava cake, and she would probably have eaten more than half of it, fighting off his fork with a swing of hers. It was one of the things he’d loved about her.
Love?
The word caught him off guard, and he quickly backtracked in his mind. No, he hadn’t been in love with her. How could he have been? They’d only dated for two weeks, and even then, it had been insanely complex. Now, they’d been apart for over a year. Could those feelings really still be there?
He didn’t like the answer that was ringing loud in his heart.
“Mmm,” Michelle interrupted his thoughts. “This wine is fantastic. Do you want to try some?”
He shook his head, thanking her for the gesture. “Actually, I’m not drinking at the moment. I’m in training for my next fight.”
“Right! In Vegas?” she asked.
He nodded, picking at the corner of the dessert menu absentmindedly. “Yeah. Next week.”
“That’s so exciting. I’d love to come cheer you on,” she practically cooed out her words, leaning her elbows on the table in front of her so she could pull closer to him. “Oh, quick. People magazine just arrived.”
She gestured toward a photographer out on the sidewalk. “I’m going to hold your hand and pretend to laugh.”
“Uh…” He paused, trying to decide what he wanted to do.
“Give me your hand,” she urged. “Now…smile!”
He reached his hand across the table, and she took it. She then leaned her head back and laughed loudly, smiling wide and turnin
g toward the window so more of her face was in the shot. He plastered a smile on his face, but it was the last thing he wanted to do.
“There. That’s good,” Michelle said, letting go of his hand and returning to her dessert menu.
The waiter walked up to them, and she ordered the fruit platter for them to share. Callan just said nothing but was mentally ticking down the minutes until he could leave.
“So, tell me,” Michelle said. “When’s the fight?”
“Friday,” he replied, keeping his answers as short and curt as he could.
She pulled her phone out of her clutch and began looking through her calendar. “Good news. I can make it. It’ll be tight because of a photo shoot I’m doing that morning, but if it’s in the evening, I can get from Los Angeles to Vegas in time.”
“It’s in the evening,” he confirmed. “But you don’t have to come. It’ll be over in a few minutes. That’s a lot of traveling for one fight.”
“Nonsense.” She waved her hand. “I don’t mind one bit. I’ll be there with bells on.”
Callan just nodded, not sure if he actually wanted her there or not. He knew his publicity team would want her there and that it would be good PR for him, but…it felt lackluster now. The connection he’d been hoping to find with this woman was nonexistent, and the reminder of Josie today explained why.
He wasn’t over her. But she’d made her intentions clear. She wanted nothing to do with him.
“You know what, Michelle?” he said, deciding that he wasn’t going to just keep letting life happen to him. He’d let Josie walk away. He’d let assistants and publicists run his life. He wasn’t going to just sit in the passenger seat anymore. Michelle was a wonderful woman, and he respected how hard she worked to make her career take off. Plus, if he was being honest, they had a bit of a past. Sure, it had only been one drunken night together, and he’d certainly never expected it to go anywhere. But he wasn’t one to make connections and just leave. He was going to give this woman a chance. If he had to move on, why not with her? “I’d love to have you at the fight with me.”
Misadventures in the Cage Page 11
