by Amiee Louise
We all laugh and take some pictures of all three of us together. We definitely scrub up well. Ruby is wearing a black, lace, knee-length dress, sky-high black heels, her dark hair is poker straight and glossy, and she looks like she would be at home on a catwalk. Danny is looking extremely dapper in his outfit he bought on our shopping trip. His hair is perfectly styled into a side quiff, which seems to be his new way to style his hair. He is wearing black eyeliner, which makes his dark blue eyes stand out, and his golden tan completes his look for tonight.
He pulls on his newly-purchased, Armani, leather, studded jacket and asks, “How do I look?”
Ruby and I start giggling.
“You look beautiful, sweetie!”
We both kiss him on the cheek. I look up at the clock, and it is almost seven. I feel butterflies start in my stomach and I take a deep breath.
“Are you all right, babe?” Ruby brushes my arm.
“Yeah, babe, just really nervous.”
She smiles and hands me a glass of rose wine.
“Here, drink this. You’ll be fine, honestly, you’re with one of the most famous rock stars in the world right now. If the public doesn’t like you, then fuck them, babe!”
I take a long glug of the wine and smile at Ruby’s optimism, but I can’t seem to shake the feeling that something bad might happen. I take another deep breath and plaster a bright smile on my face.
“I have some news.”
Danny and Ruby stop admiring their reflections and turn to look at me.
“You’re not knocked up already, are you, babe?”
I narrow my eyes at Danny and slap his arm playfully.
“No! Of course I’m not pregnant!”
Ruby looks at me—she looks relieved.
“Come on then, spill, babe.”
I smile. “Seb’s expanding the shop to the States, and he has asked me to manage the shop in London.”
They both start shrieking and whooping. They throw their arms around me, and we start jumping up and down.
“Congratulations, babe, that’s fantastic! I’m so happy for you.”
Ruby seems genuinely pleased for me, even in her current unemployment situation.
“Double celebration tonight then, babe, let’s get wasted!” Danny says brightly and we all laugh. I have to admit I am in good spirits. I am grateful for having such amazing people in my life, my family, Ruby, Danny, Seb, and Sam.
The buzzer goes, signalling that Cole is here. We all head downstairs to the waiting dark limo at the kerb. Cole smiles warmly and tips his hat.
“Peyton.”
I smile. “Cole, nice to see you again. These are my friends, Danny and Ruby.”
He nods to both of them and smiles. He opens the car door and waits for us to get in before closing it behind us. It doesn’t take us long to get to the exclusive venue Neon Nights, in the heart of the West End near to Leicester Square. Cole opens the car door and flashbulbs from the waiting paparazzi instantly blind us. I smile robotically at this surreal situation we have been thrust into. Danny is posing and putting on his best pout with Ruby. He is a total natural and plays up to the camera, loving the attention. We all walk arm in arm down the red carpet. I feel like a celebrity.
We get to the club’s entrance, and I instantly recognise the doorman from the gig at the o2. He is tall and very muscular, broad across the shoulders, and looks uncomfortable wearing his dark grey suit. His hands are covered in large sovereign rings and look like they could do some real damage if connected with someone’s face. He has a shaved head, and he smiles menacingly, showing a gold tooth at the front.
“You must be Peyton. I’m Skip, a friend of Sam’s and security extraordinaire. He is expecting you, and I must say you are looking rather ravishing tonight, Miss Harper.”
“Thank you. It’s nice to meet you, Skip.”
He lets us through the red velvet rope. We all step into the club, and it gives off the feeling of luxury and decadence. We walk further into the club, and my ears are instantly filled with Rancid Vengeance’s familiar hits. Danny whistles.
“Le swank.”
He looks mesmerized, and I giggle at his childlike enthusiasm. Ruby looks around.
“Wow, Peyton this place is amazing.”
I’m speechless. The walls are decorated with opulent black and aubergine wall-coverings, the main area of the club is open with purple plush sofas all around the edges, and the tables are black granite and chrome. The fully stocked black granite bar takes up the whole back of the venue. Danny goes to the bar to get us some drinks, and I see Jax place his hands over Ruby’s eyes. She spins around, he pulls her to him, and she throws her arms around him. They make such a cute couple, I smile at the two of them together, and Danny rolls his eyes. I see Sam standing at the end of the bar with the boys and a few people I haven’t met before. He is standing with his one hand casually tucked into his trouser pocket, sipping a glass of amber liquid. I see Lucas nudge him and his face lights up as he sees me. He puts his drink down and his eyes cast down my body. He strides over purposefully, scooping me up into his arms.
“Hey, baby, you look … Fuck, you look absolutely stunning. Amazing. Wow.”
I laugh. “Hey yourself, rock star!”
He sets me down on my feet and drinks me in.
“I’ve missed you.”
I look up at him, and he is looking especially delicious tonight. He is in all his tattooed and pierced glory, looks as if he has two days’ worth of stubble, and he looks ruggedly handsome. I resist the urge to run my fingers through his spiky hair. He is dressed somewhere in between Sam and Bolt tonight, and I start to wonder which one I am going to be graced with. Even though he has brought me as his date and publicly declared me as his girlfriend, my nerves are on edge. He pulls me into his hard chest and wraps his arms around me, breathing me in.
“God, I’ve missed you so fucking much, babe. I’ve been counting down the days.”
He kisses me passionately on the lips.
“I’ve missed you too, Sam. After Brighton, I feel like we found out so much about each other, I felt so close to you.”
His green eyes lock onto mine, and he tips my chin up.
“I’ve thought about nothing else other than being here with you tonight, finally going public about our relationship. That TV interview yesterday I got a little carried away. I was so excited about seeing you tonight I kind of lost myself for a second. That’s what you do to me, Peyton, you make me lose myself. Being in your arms in your bed the other night was the most content I have felt in such a long time. Leaving you the next morning just about killed me, baby.”
I look up at him, and my eyes glaze over at his sweet words.
“Everything about you overwhelms me, Sam. The way you look at me, the way you make me feel. Just seeing you from across the room I felt like I was about to melt into a puddle right in front of you!”
“Glad I’m not the only one, babe. I’m happy that you like the dress. I wasn’t sure you’d like it, but as soon as I saw it, I thought of you.”
“I love it, thank you so much, honey.”
He leans down, and I am hit by his pure Sam smell. The smell I always miss so much.
“You look fucking gorgeous. You take my breath away, angel.” He nuzzles my neck, and his lips skate across my shoulder. “When I saw it I thought of you and how amazing it’s going to look in a pool on my bedroom floor.”
His voice is husky and laced with a seductive promise. I feel heat between my legs, and I don’t know how he manages to reduce me to a sex-starved nymphomaniac with just the power of his voice. I bite my lip, and he looks down at me, stroking my face as he releases my lip from my teeth. He shakes his head.
“Please don’t bite your lip or I’m going to find a quiet corner and fuck you until you can’t remember your own name,” he whispers, and our reunion is interrupted by the presence of a couple. The man is tall—at least six feet tall, if not taller—slim but heavily muscled, with tribal tatt
oos on both arms, and dark-brown collar-length hair. His eyes are pale-blue, he has his ear pierced with a simple diamond stud, and if I were to guess his age, I would say he was around thirty. He looks extremely handsome, and I start to wonder if all the men Sam surrounds himself with are as good looking. I suppress my smirk.
“I’m so sorry to interrupt, mate.”
Sam shakes his head. “Not at all. Alistair, this is my beautiful girlfriend, Peyton. Peyton this is our record company boss, Alistair.”
I smile, and we shake hands.
“Pleased to meet you, sweetheart. This is my wife, Lexi.”
I smile sweetly at the striking female on his arm. She is tall, slim, has olive skin and inky-black wavy hair. Her eyes are wide and an unusual shade of silver, her cheekbones are perfect, and she is wearing a short white dress, which compliments her olive complexion. Her legs seem to go on forever. She smiles a warm, dazzling smile, instantly making me feel at ease.
“Nice to meet you, Peyton.”
I smile and shake her hand. “It’s really good to meet you too, Lexi.”
“It’s so nice to meet someone who seems down-to-Earth. I usually feel so out of place. These record company types are such a pain in the arse.”
She dramatically rolls her eyes and we both laugh. Alistair kisses her on the cheek.
“Hey! We’re not all bad, honey.”
She pinches his bottom, and I instantly like both of them.
“I’ll catch up with you later. Sam.” Alistair slaps him on the back. He nods in my direction, and Lexi winks at me. They both head off towards the bar.
“They seem really nice.”
Sam nods. “Yeah, he is a good guy, and we have become really good friends. His fiancée died in a car accident four years ago, they have a six-year-old boy together. I was shocked when he told me. I couldn’t imagine losing you ever, and I would totally lose my mind. Just the thought of it tears me up inside.”
“I’m not going anywhere, baby, I promise.”
I press a kiss to his lips and J.D. interrupts us this time. He is wearing a navy suit with a white shirt open at the collar—he looks a little dishevelled. He smiles a little too brightly at me.
“Peyton, how nice to see you, sweetheart.”
He kisses me on both cheeks, and I cringe at his stale alcohol breath.
“J.D., nice to see you too,” I say tightly, and Sam senses the tension.
“What’s up, J.D?”
He looks me up and down, ignoring Sam’s question.
“You’re looking ravishing as always tonight, Peyton, darling.”
I smile. “Thanks.”
Sam taps J.D.’s arm. “What’s up?”
J.D looks at Sam and brushes Sam’s hand. “I need a word, Sam.”
He nods curtly. “I’ll be right back, baby.”
He kisses me on the cheek and leaves me standing in the middle of the club. I observe him carefully. His energy and sense of silent authority has all the women in the club turning their heads, fawning over him, and hanging on his every word. I am reminded that he is not Sam tonight. Not my shy, loving, adorable Sam. He is Bolt—the cocky, egotistical, arrogant, womanising, and in-demand rock star. They might be the same person, but they couldn’t be more different.
As I watch him from across the room, he is smiling his familiar panty-dropping smile, and I can see the change in him. He leans in to whisper in a young attractive woman’s ear—she is twirling her hair around her finger and giggling at whatever he has just whispered to her. The green-eyed monster stirs in my consciousness. Danny comes over with two drinks in his hands and snaps me out of my green-eyed reverie.
“Baby girl, the totty in here tonight is to die for!” Danny says in a high pitched, sing-song voice. He hands me a glass of champagne and I down it in one gulp.
“Steady on, girlfriend!”
A waiter with a tray of drinks passes us, and Danny grabs us both two more glasses. He hands me another glass, but I take this one a little steadier.
“It’s just seeing all these women all over him,” I say through clenched teeth and Danny looks at me.
“As long as he is going to be in your bed tonight, baby girl, fuck them!”
We both laugh and look around the club taking in the crowds of people.
“Fuck,” Danny curses, and I look up at him.
“What’s wrong, babe?”
I follow his line of sight and see Callum.
“What the fuck is that snake doing here?”
Danny shouts over the music, and I brush his arm to calm him down.
“It's OK, babe, honestly. We kind of had a heart to heart the other day, and we decided to put the past behind us.”
Danny’s mouth forms a perfect O shape.
“Fuck me you, need your head testing, baby girl, after all he put you through.”
Before I can reply, Callum is standing in front of me. His eyes widen, and he smiles brightly.
“Peyton, wow. You look absolutely beautiful. Totally knockout.”
He pulls me in for a hug and kisses me on the cheek, the familiar scent of his aftershave filling my nostrils.
“Thank you, don’t look so bad yourself, Cal.”
We both laugh, and a woman joins us. I recognise her instantly—Savannah Sam’s sister and the girl who Callum cheated on me with. I have to admit she is even more stunning in the flesh. She is a tall, large-chested waif with bronzed skin, dark, unfriendly eyes and long, dark hair tied up in a loose chignon. She is wearing an off-the-shoulder, long, red dress that accentuates his slim figure. She looks me up and down. The expression on her face is one of amusement crossed with contempt. I don’t meet her eyes and suddenly feel awkward at the situation I am thrust into. Me, my ex, and the woman he cheated on me with.
23
Peyton
“I’m Savannah. I don’t think we’ve met.”
Her voice is husky and reminds me of Sam. Her accent is a mixture between English and American. She reaches out her hand, but I don’t take it. I know it’s rude but why should I be polite? She withdraws her hand.
“I’m Peyton.”
I try to sound confident. It is taking everything I have not to reach over and scratch her eyes out. From the corner of my eye, I see Sam dismiss his conversation. He shakes the hand of the man he is conversing with and rushes over, quick to diffuse the situation.
“Sav, I didn’t know you were going to be here.”
Sam smiles and rests his hand at the small of my back in a gesture of reassurance. His touch instantly relaxes me.
“I couldn’t miss my baby brother’s big album launch.”
She throws her arms around him, and he reluctantly hugs her back.
“It’s been so long. Is your phone permanently diverted to voicemail?” she drawls, and he shakes his head.
“No, it must be broken; I’ll get a new one and be sure to give you my new number,” he dismisses her, and she smiles.
“I’ve just been introduced to the lovely, Peyton.”
The way she says that phrase tells me she feels threatened by my presence. Ha. Bitch. One nil to me, I think! She puts her arm around Callum, and Sam gives Callum a death stare. He takes a long pull on his drink, and I can tell Sam is silently seething at Callum’s presence. Savannah pulls Callum to her, and she kisses him on the cheek—the public display of affection looks forced and rather pathetic. I see Danny from the corner of my eye taking in the situation unfolding in front of him. He looks bemused. Callum looks to me for support, and I shake my head slowly in warning.
“Do you want a drink, babe?” Callum breaks the silence and Savannah nods.
“Yeah, actually, I would love one, sweetie. Catch you in a while little, bro.”
They both stride off, and I let out the breath I didn’t realise I was holding.
“I’m so sorry about that, babe, I didn’t know she was going to be here, I swear.”
I shake my head. “It’s OK, honey, honestly. I’m fine.”
Danny looks at me and rolls his eyes dramatically. “What the actual fuck was that? If looks could kill, I think we’d all be dead by now!”
We both laugh awkwardly, and Sam wraps his arm around my shoulder protectively.
“You shouldn’t have had to endure that, babe. I can’t apologise enough.”
I squeeze him before saying, “I’m fine as long as I have you, baby.”
