The Last Rule of Makeups

by Nina Crespo

  Angus represented performing artists, including DJs. The small agency was a good one, known for taking care of its clients. And Angus wanted to sign him.

  Grey pushed himself away from the wall. He’d terminated his relationship with the agent he’d had a couple of months ago, and he didn’t need a new one. He was giving up music and joining Latham Reeves.

  That’s what he should have told Angus, but instead, he’d listened to the man.

  “I heard that you’re using ‘Liam’s Song’ and possibly an album of his work to raise money for his family. You touring and featuring his music would bring them even more…”

  That’s what Angus had told him. A tour would help expose Liam’s music to a wider audience and provide more money for Liam’s sister or even a charity in Liam’s name. Wouldn’t sticking around to complete the tour be the right thing to do?

  Grey got out of the shower and dried off with a towel. As he wrapped it around his waist, he caught his reflection in the part of the mirror not covered with steam above the bathroom counter. He didn’t need a gut check about whether or not to do the tour—the truth was staring right back at him. Signing with Angus and going on tour wouldn’t just be for Fallon or a charity. It would be for him. It would be his way of saying good-bye to Liam.

  Grey wiped steam from the mirror and looked himself in the eye. But if he made that choice, there would be losses. And one of them could be Cori.

  …

  Cori cradled the mug of Green Mountain Blend coffee in her hand. As she took a sip, she glanced at the clock on the stove—six a.m. She should have been sleeping in on a Saturday, but she’d been wide awake for the past two hours thinking about Grey.

  He’d probably call her before he left for the airport in a few hours. After that, she’d see him in person when he walked through her front door later that afternoon.

  Excitement turned into flutters of anticipation. Was this how she would feel in the future whenever he was on his way to see her or when she went to see him? She’d never been in a long-distance relationship, but she knew of people who made the trek back and forth between states. And she had the option of telecommuting for a few long weekends every now and then.

  A vision started forming in her mind of Grey, the corporate executive, meeting her at the airport in polished lace-up shoes and a suit and tie. The vision expanded into him out of the suit, showering for work in the morning. She’d peek in on him admiring the view while she brushed her teeth and tried not to drool. When he was done, he’d come over to her, smelling wonderful, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. Maybe he’d make it to work on time…and maybe he wouldn’t.

  A laugh escaped her. She was getting way ahead of herself, but she just couldn’t help it. Saying yes to Grey felt so right, she could easily imagine them together as a couple.

  Yesterday, she’d gone by her parents’ place and found the abstract paintings she’d bought that day at the music and arts festival she’d attended with Grey years ago. She’d already hung one of them in her living room. The other, she was saving for Grey’s place. The paintings would be their special connection, even when they were hundreds of miles apart.

  Her phone rang, and she picked it up from the kitchen counter. Grey. He was up? It was five in the morning in Austin. She answered it. “Good morning.”

  “Good morning.”

  Instead of a just-woke-up sexy quality that conjured up images of him in bed, he sounded preoccupied. And he also hadn’t said, “Hey, beautiful.”

  “You’re up early.” Voices grew louder in the background. “Where are you?”

  “I’m at the airport.”

  “I thought your flight wasn’t until this afternoon?”

  “I’m taking an earlier one. But I’ll land in Baltimore around seven tonight instead of three.”

  He was taking an earlier flight but arriving later? That was strange. “Why are—”

  “Hold on.” His voice and the voice of the person he was speaking to grew muffled, then it cleared. “Cori, I’m sorry. I have to run to the gate to make my flight.”

  “Okay. Hurry up and get here. I miss you.”

  “Okay, bye.”

  The line went silent. Hurry up and get here. I miss you. She’d said almost the same thing to Kevin the night he’d told her he wasn’t coming home. Déjà vu swept in, leaving her cold, and the coffee she’d drank churned in her empty stomach. No. She was making a big deal out of nothing.

  As the morning passed, unease along with bad luck plagued her. She burned oatmeal in the microwave, knocked over a plant on the back porch, spilling soil everywhere, and ruined one of her favorite blouses because she’d accidently included it in the wash with the brand-new burgundy towels she’d purchased.

  Maybe she should call Nat or Alexa and talk to them about Grey? And then what? Listen to how neurotic she sounded when she explained how Grey’s flight plans were tying her in knots? He was coming to see her. Why was she worrying?

  Still, unease persisted. At a quarter to five that evening, she embraced happy hour and searched for wine in the bottom cabinet…and managed to knock the bottle of tequila on the floor as she pulled it out. After she cleaned up the shards of glass and alcohol, she poured herself a big glass of merlot and prepared roasted chicken and potatoes in the oven. But the mellowing effects of the merlot failed to mute the clock ticking off the minutes in her head.

  At eight thirty, the doorbell rang, and it felt as if her heart leaped into her throat. She opened the door and launched herself at Grey.

  Caught off guard, a look of surprise flashed across his face before he let go of the handle of his suitcase and caught her in his arms.

  “You’re here.” Embarrassed by threatening tears of relief, she buried her face in the navy T-shirt stretching across his chest.

  He embraced her. “Yeah, I made it.”

  As she waited for the greeting she’d gotten accustomed to hearing, an invisible wall prevented Cori from sinking into Grey’s arms. Leaning away, she looked up at him.

  He gave her a small smile, but there was no happiness in his eyes.

  Cori slipped from his arms. Why was she getting the feeling that it was a bad day not to have any tequila in the house?

  She turned and walked toward the living room.

  Grey wheeled his suitcase in with him and shut the door.

  Unable to hold back any longer, she faced him. “Just say it.”

  “Say what?” He joined her by the couch.

  “Whatever it is you’re trying to figure out how to tell me.” She stalled his forthcoming response with a raised hand. “Don’t. I know you. I could tell something was wrong when you called from the airport, and I can feel it now. Does it have something to do with you taking an earlier flight but getting here later?”

  Grey rubbed the back of his neck and briefly looked to the floor. “I flew to New York to talk to my father. It was a rough conversation.”

  He and his father had clashed over something? That wasn’t unexpected. “What happened? Is he adding stipulations to you working for him?”

  “No.” Grey looked into her eyes, and what she saw raised dread. “He’s angry because I told him I’ve decided not to work for him.” He took hold of both of her hands in his. “I’m not cut out to be in a business suit, stuck behind a desk, working twelve hours a day, six days a week like my dad. I’d hate it.”

  “Oh.” The daydream she’d envisioned earlier that morning of their life together dissipated.

  What she wanted, he hated. When Kevin had broken up with her, he’d said he’d felt trapped with her in a life he’d hated.

  Grey squeezed her hands. “Say something.”

  “If that’s what you want, I’m happy for you.”

  “I know it’s not what you expected to hear from me, but a career in music is where I belong. I’ve signed with
a new agent. We’re planning a big tour. Surely you understand why I changed my mind? You know me. And you also know we’re still going to be okay, right?”

  Commuting back and forth between where she lived and one other city was one thing, but traveling all over the country, maybe across the world, to make a long-distance relationship work. That was too much. “Like I said, I’m happy for you. But us…”

  “Ditch all of this and come with me.”

  “What?”

  Urgency filled Grey’s eyes as he cupped her face. “Come with me.”

  Cori slipped from his grasp and stepped back. “I can’t go with you.”

  “Can’t? Or won’t?” A look of determination angled his jawline as he lifted his hands, gesturing at the surroundings. “Living here and working at the fund—this isn’t you. I know you want more than this.” He held out his hand to her. “This is our second chance, Cori. To get back what we missed having together six years ago. What you missed out on with your dreams. Come with me.”

  Give up her home and leave her family and her job behind, just like that? She couldn’t. If Grey really understood her, he’d know that. And as far as her knowing him like he’d claimed, did she? She’d suspected Grey would have difficulties working for his father, but that he’d hate that life? He’d never mentioned that to her…and she hadn’t suspected it.

  She’d spent years believing Kevin was fine with his life and that their relationship was good. Maybe her “we’re okay” radar was off with her and Grey, too.

  Sadness and resignation filled her to the point of near suffocation. Cori forced herself to breathe then looked up at him. “No. This is your second chance…not mine.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Grey practiced in the studio in his apartment, listening to the track in his headphones while he adjusted the levels on the mixer to blend in the next song. Instead of a smooth transition, he ended up with something that would make people shudder, not dance. Or boo him. And he’d deserve it. Fuck! In three days, he’d be at the 1 Oak club in West Hollywood with a crowd in front of him. He couldn’t show up for his Saturday performance sounding like an amateur.

  He needed sleep. He needed Cori.

  “This is our second chance, Cori…”

  “No. This is your second chance…not mine.”

  Cori wouldn’t even hear him out about how their relationship could work. She’d told him to leave. And he’d witnessed that stubborn look on her face and guardedness in her eyes enough times to know she’d made up her mind. There was nothing he could do about it.

  Grey scrubbed his hand down his face and mentally shook off the frustration and despair he’d felt at that moment, still lingering inside of him now. Cori had made her choice, and it wasn’t him. Just like years ago, they were headed in different directions.

  The next afternoon in California, he sat across from Angus at a four-top table in a trendy restaurant in Los Feliz, known for its innovative Californian fare.

  The buzz of conversation, the clinking together of glasses at the bar, and silverware on dishes echoed off the high wood-beamed ceiling.

  The wiry thin agent forked in a big bite of crispy fish with capers in brown butter sauce. The way his neck rose from his charcoal jacket and crew neck combo made the clothes look almost too big for him.

  Grey had ordered the same meal, but the more his newly hired booking agent talked about the upcoming touring schedule for the next six months, the more Grey lost his appetite. But after what Angus had organized, he’d definitely earned his 15 percent.

  Angus paused between bites. “I also got a call from the Empire Garage and Control Room. Since that’s in your backyard, I think we definitely need to squeeze it in after your appearance at Liv Miami and before the Haven in Atlantic City.”

  The mention of the Haven sat in Grey’s stomach, along with the coldness of the water he’d just drank. That’s where he’d been when he’d gotten the news about Liam. He wasn’t looking forward to being there again, but he’d get through it. He was learning that getting over losing someone took time.

  Angus tapped on the screen of his cell phone that was lying on the table. “I’ll shoot you some details later today, as well as what I have in mind for an international tour. Once you look it over, tell me what you think. I also need to know how your personal life is going to fit into the schedule. The more I know up front, the easier it is for my assistant to build in flights, hotels, and passes for your girlfriend. And if there’s a spa or something that she’d like to check out at any of the places you’re going, let us know that, too. We can probably arrange it.”

  “Cori isn’t…” Grey cleared this throat. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”

  “Oh, from the way you were in a hurry to get back to Maryland, I thought you had something serious going on.” Angus swiped through more screens on his phone. “Well, if that ever changes, keep in mind what I mentioned. Other agents and managers might not think it’s important, but I know from experience the happiest performers are the ones who work hard at fitting their personal life into the equation.”

  Angus went on to the next topic, music artists who were interested in collaborating with him. But Grey only half listened, envisioning what Cori traveling with him could have looked like.

  He would have deejayed the best sets of his life. His inspiration wouldn’t have come from the crowd dancing and cheering for him to keep the music going, but knowing he’d see her when he got off stage.

  Grey projected his thoughts into the future, based on the schedule Angus had planned for him. Flying on a plane to a gig. Living a false high on stage that would end as soon as his set ended and he got back to his hotel. Or he might have to hop right back on another plane that same night, hoping to get a few hours of sleep before the wheels touched down someplace else. And then he’d start the process all over again at the next destination, alone…and missing Cori.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  In her bedroom, Cori fastened the buttons at the nape of her knee-length pink and navy dress. As soon as she finished, she slipped on matching chunky-heeled sandals then grabbed her matching purse and the flat box wrapped in beige paper and a green bow from the dresser.

  Her parents’ anniversary party started at noon, and she was running behind. Hopefully, she could get through Saturday traffic and make it there by twelve-thirty. She’d stayed up late last night reviewing the selection packets that would be emailed to the five entrepreneurs the angel investors had chosen.

  She could have waited until Monday to do the work, but she hadn’t been able to sleep, so she figured she’d make good use of her time. But it had taken longer than usual to review the files because her mind kept straying to Grey, wondering where he was. Miami? Los Angeles? Vegas? She still loved him. It just really hurt that he’d made a decision that impacted their relationship without talking to her first, just expecting her to blindly follow. She’d started to rely on him and the future they’d have together. She’d never anticipated he’d blindside her. Just like Kevin.

  On the drive over, she rehearsed the answers to the questions that were bound to come up about Grey while she was at the party. No, Grey wasn’t going to stop by later. He’d gone back to Austin to resume his life, and she was happy for him. She just had to remember to smile through her responses.

  After a fairly smooth thirty-minute drive, she walked through the door of her parents’ house.

  At least two dozen of her family members and her parents’ friends mingled in the living room and adjoining dining room that had been cleared of furniture. Buffet tables with chafing dishes filled with an assortment of hot hors d’oeuvres and artfully arranged platters of fruits and vegetables were lined up along the wall. A portable bar was set up in a corner.

  Like everything her mother did, this party had style and a sense of understated elegance.

  As Cori put her present on the g
ift table off to the side, her father walked toward her dressed semi-casually in a gray chambray suit and blue button-down shirt. He carried a tall glass filled with pink liquid and garnished with a lemon wedge, blackberries, and a sprig of rosemary.

  “Happy anniversary, Dad.”

  “Thank you, Tater Tot.” He kissed her on the cheek.

  The sudden remembrance of going into the engagement party with Grey and walking over to her father to say hello popped up. Bittersweet nostalgia tied knots in her stomach. She needed a drink if she was going to get through this.

  Cori slipped the glass from her father’s hand. “What’s this?”

  “Some fancy drink your mom and the caterer cooked up. They named it after your mom and me. It’s called an AdiJay.”

  “Cute.” She took a sip. It tasted like berry lemonade with a kick. “It’s good. Where’s Mom?”

  “I think she’s out back.” She went to hand him his glass back, but he lifted his hands in refusal. “Oh no, you keep it. I’m not into that frilly froo-froo stuff. Your mom is allowing me one drink with alcohol, and I plan to make it a good one.” He playfully wiggled his eyebrows and walked toward the bar.

  Cori couldn’t hold back a laugh. The release of pent-up air in her chest made her feel a little lighter. It was really good to see her dad doing so well.

  As she slipped through the crowd in the living room, she exchanged quick hugs, hellos, and brief chitchat with friends and relatives. A few asked about Grey. The answers she’d practiced in the car came in handy. But by the time she finally made it to the open French doors leading to the sunny backyard, the glass her father had given her was gone, and the smile she’d plastered on her face had started to falter.

  After handing the empty glass to a passing server, Cori stepped outside.

  Just past the raised patio, under the trees, her mom sat on a padded metal garden bench, holding the newest addition to their family cradled in her arms. As she smiled down and playfully shook her head at the baby, her hair brushed the shoulders of her jade-colored dress.