Xavier

She was so easy to talk to. We went over what we were planning for the week during the ride to her office. I was glad she didn’t mind me coming there with her. Although I wondered at myself. Why did I want to see all the places that Olivia went?

It felt kind of like a dog pissing all over the place, marking his territory. Was that what I was doing?

Maybe.

She pulled into a parking lot next to an older house. I’d been so deep in my own shit that I hadn’t noticed we were in a neighborhood. Similar to the place we went to dinner last night.

I got out. “I like this.”

Olivia beamed. “Yes, we got lucky. There was a house here, but it burned, and the city had it razed. I got in when they were considering what to do. I said if they let me put in a parking lot, I’d make sure I made the house totally in line with the historic look, and I’d pretty up the parking lot.”

I looked around. “You did a nice job. The lot is almost hidden. It looks more like a garden from the street.”

“That’s the idea. Keep the city happy. I’m sure Momma helped that along, too. She knows everyone.”

I circled my finger around my face, keeping a serious look. “This is my surprised face that your mom is all over the connections thing.”

“You like her, don’t you?” Olivia asked as we walked toward the porch.

“I do. She’s probably not easy on you, but she’s like a tiger, and she’ll always be there for you. I love that. I like her boyfriend, too.”

“Yeah, he’s like my dad.”

“Does he work here?”

“No. He’s our guy in court,” Olivia said with a laugh. “Come on in, you can wait here while you wait for your car.”

“You don’t want me hanging around like some kind of stalker on your front step?” I asked, chuckling.

“Not good for business. Come say hi to Momma.”

She stopped at an office door. “Momma, I’m in, and Xavier is waiting for his ride.”

I peered around Olivia. “Hey, Ms. Marguerite.”

She watched us over the top of her reading glasses. “You two look guilty as sin. No!” She held up a hand as we both started to speak. “I don’t want to hear it. Save it. I am too old to hear lies or confessions. When will we see you again, Xavier?”

It felt like some kind of queen was talking to me.

Olivia said, “Momma, I’m going to go check all the messages and whatever. Can Xavier wait here a minute?”

“Of course. Sit down, young man. And Olivia! The place runs without you, you know,” Marguerite yelled as Olivia left. “As you might have noticed with your recent absences!”

She looked at me and smiled. “I wasn’t kidding. You coming back?”

“I hope to. But Olivia’s coming to New York next weekend.”

“She does need to work,” Marguerite said.

“So do I. I have a tour coming up, and I’m working on some new material,” I said. Which wasn’t entirely true. I was set with my playlist, but I was fooling around with ‘X’s and O’s.’ I wanted to get it done, get it ready—ready for what?

Didn’t know, yet.

“Good to know you do work.”

I barked out a laugh. “How do you think I make a living? Of course I work. It’s funny though, you all seem to think I lay around and drink and party.”

“Don’t you?” She asked sternly, although a smile lurked at the corners of her mouth.

“Sure I party. After I work.”

“Weren’t you in Washington, D.C. recently?”

I laughed. “There were pics? Yeah, my best friend, Tibby, the one I told you about?”

She nodded.

“She got married, and her fiancé and other best friend and I went out. Bryant ended up taking us to a dance club. It’s also predominantly gay men who go there, so of course, there were rumors, and all that shit,” I waved a hand.

But I watched her. I wanted to see what she thought of that if she had any sort of intolerance I should know about.

“Yes, indeed there were. Your ex was rather voluble on the subject.”

“Marcia?” I asked.

Marguerite nodded again. Interesting. She watched me as carefully as I watched her.

“She’s such a pain. I wish she’d get remarried, or at least, date someone long term. She needs a hobby other than riding on being my ex coattails.”

I wanted to cuss, but I’d already gotten the eyebrow of stink at my use of ‘shit’ a few seconds ago. Fucking Marcia. If there was a way to make things sound worse, that woman was right there with a comment. Why couldn’t she let it go?

I sighed. Once news of Olivia and I got out, and I hadn’t missed the pictures people were taking at lunch, I was guaranteed some kind of angry call. And the tabloids would get an ‘exclusive.’

“Well, exes are like that.”

I looked up. “Yeah, they do seem to be.” My phone rang. I picked up, and the driver from the car service let me know he was nearly here.

“I am enjoying our chat immensely,” I said, getting up, “But my ride’s almost here. I want to say bye to Olivia. Where’s her office?”

“End of the hall,” Marguerite said, pointing off toward the back of the house.

On impulse, I stepped around the desk and kissed her cheek. “Thanks for giving me another chance,” I said.

She opened her mouth, but I could tell that I’d surprised her. I stifled a laugh. Keeping people on their toes was a good thing.

“Have a good trip,” she said as I walked out.

I hurried down the hall, ignoring the buzz of conversation I heard off to my right. Couldn’t avoid that people were seeing me.

Olivia was glaring at her computer screen. She looked up as I came in.

“I gotta go. Car’s here,” I said. I closed the door behind me. “Give me a kiss. It’s going to be a long week without you.”

She was in my arms almost instantly. I loved it. She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me. Every time she did, I felt myself alternately go up in flames, and melt a little more toward her.

My phone buzzed.

“Car’s here,” I said. I didn’t want to leave.

She sighed. “I wish we lived closer, but count on me this weekend.”

“Yeah, I got permission from your jailer,” I teased.

“Oh, go on. She likes you.”

“I know. It’s mutual. Walk me out?”

I opened the office door, and holding her hand, walked down the hall. I felt her stiffen as we got close to her mom’s office, and as we kept walking, I saw a guy standing in the doorway. Everything on him screamed angry.

He opened his mouth as he spotted Olivia. Then his eyes went to our linked hands and flew back to hers in such a look of outrage, it was almost not real.

She held up a hand. “Wait with Momma, please. I’ll be in in a minute.”

He said something else, but I heard Marguerite drown him out, and the click as the door to her office closed. I caught a glimpse of Marguerite as she shut the door. She winked.

“The ex?” I asked.

She was trying not to laugh. “Yes. Did you see his face? He looked as lost as last year’s Easter egg!” She gave in and laughed.

I joined her. Sometimes these expressions were just too much.

“Hey,” I said, stopping at the door, “Take care of you. I’ll see you Friday night.”

I leaned down and kissed her, soft, not crazy like I wanted to.

We were in public after all.

Then I hustled out the door, grabbing my bag from where I’d left it when we came in.

Olivia

I touched my lips where he’d kissed them, watching the door and seeing his silhouette bounce down the steps.

I had it bad.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t just go and sit in my office and daydream. No, I had to deal with Royce the drip.

I sighed. He always did ruin a good time. Then I stopped. He did. He always was what Momma called a party pooper. When I would tell him this, he would cross his arms and tell me at least he was an adult, and that I was stuck in being an overgrown child.

Asshole.

What an asshole.

I squared my shoulders. He had no business here whatsoever. We were divorcing, his floozy wasn’t here anymore, and this wasn’t his office.

I slammed the door open, surprising both Royce and Momma.

“What do you want, Royce? There is no good reason on the Lord’s green Earth for you to be here. Was I unclear in any fashion when we last spoke? Anything you need to say goes through my attorney. So while I politely asked what you want, I don’t give a shit. Get out.” I stood at the door, with my arm pointing out.

I knew the two assistants that were sitting in the open area were watching this open-mouthed, and that Jessie, Suzan’s friend, and spy, would be letting her know about it, but I didn’t care.

He was an asshole, and he needed to go.

“I want to talk to you—”

I crossed my arms. “Nope. That time is over. The time for talking was before you were sleeping with the intern—” I rolled my eyes for the benefit of the audience, “And before you both plotted to take over this business, which your girlfriend would kill even without your help dragging it down to the gutter, and before you dropped divorce papers on me. There is nothing for us to say, Royce.”

“Royce,” Momma drawled, standing up from her desk. “You’re in a bit of a pickle. Except for one person here, we have all seen and heard Olivia ask you twice now to leave. Another time and it becomes harassment.” She looked down at her desk, shaking her head. “Not really what your attorney wants to hear, Royce.”

I kept my face stern, trying not to laugh. Royce looked between the two of us, first bewilderment, and then his standard emotion, anger, coming to the forefront.

“You’re both such—”

“I wouldn’t finish that, Royce, were I you. Course, were I you, I wouldn’t have pinned all my hopes on a lush, now,” Momma looked up and met his eyes with a wicked grin. “Oh, didn’t you realize that arrest made the papers? We all saw it. Leave my daughter, and fall in with drunkards. Another unhappy call from your attorney, I would bet. I hope you’re payin’ him well.” Momma stepped away from her desk, taking his arm as she did so. She ushered him out past me.

He glared like I’d run over his dog.

I glared like he’d stolen the dog from me first.

“He is earnin’ every single penny,” Momma muttered. “But that’s good. Make those sharks work for it, right?”

I could hear her suppressed laughter. She was quoting some of his less kind remarks about lawyers. He’d actually said that to her and Lloyd.

That had taken a lot of apologies on my part to smooth over.

Why in God’s name hadn’t I seen all this before? I hated how much I’d been asking myself that recently.

Royce looked back at me, at the office, and then at Momma as she opened the door for him.

“Get ready for court, Olivia.”

I’d never heard such an ugly tone from him. Surprisingly, I didn’t care anymore. Royce—the man I married, the man I thought I knew—he was dead to me. I didn’t know who this was.

Nor did I care.

The door slammed behind him. Asshole. He was trying to break the glass.

But it held.

Just like I would.

I smiled at Momma.

She peered intently at me. “You okay, darlin’?”

“Never better, Momma. Now ‘scuse me,” I said in the most obnoxiously cheerful manner I could find, “I have a plane to book.”

“You can’t have any more time off!” Momma yelled as I sauntered out of her office, not meeting the eyes of either of my assistants, but feeling so smug I could burst. “It had better be your personal time, on the weekend!”

I laughed out loud as I shut my office door behind me. I was out of here Friday night.

* * *

The rest of the week went quickly. Lloyd got a few calls from Royce’s attorney, but he made it clear that if Royce came near me again, in person or via phone, we would be bringing the police into it. I was angry, but it was a good, clean anger. It felt good to be angry at him.

I realized I’d been angry for a long time. I just hadn’t felt I could express it.

Boy howdy was I expressing it now. I smiled to myself as I looked in the mirror. The plane was getting ready to land, and I wanted to check my face and make sure I looked all right.

A little face powder, and then I finished my water. Xavier told me he’d have a car waiting for me. He was annoyed I hadn’t let him send his plane, but I’d insisted. I didn’t mind paying my own way at times. While Xavier had a metric ton more money than I did, I wasn’t hurting. In spite of Royce, I’d saved a lot. I could afford my own plane ticket when I wanted.

A driver holding a card with my name on it met me, and I followed him to the car, impatient to see Xavier. He told me that he’d be waiting in the car.

When we reached the car, the driver opened the door, and I hurried in to be enveloped by warm, strong arms. He smelled good and warm. I could tell he’d had whiskey when he kissed me, but I found I didn’t mind.

Which reminded me—I’d need to check my bag and make sure it didn’t break. I wanted to get Xavier something, but what do you get the guy who can get anything he wants?

I’d found something, and I was excited to share with him.

But first—I had to kiss him.

He beat me to it.

“I missed you,” he murmured into my lips.

“I missed you, too,” I closed my eyes and lost myself. He had the best lips.

The car pulled away from the curb, and I didn’t even care if the driver could see us.

Okay, maybe I did. I pulled away from him and settled into the seat. He glanced forward and smiled back at me.

He already knew why it was I pulled back.

“I’m glad you came,” he said.

“I couldn’t wait to see you,” I confessed.

Xavier laughed. “I’m glad I’m not the only one.”

“Not even close.”

He leaned against me, and I could smell his warm, spicy smell. It enveloped me. He smelled like a man.

Not that I was thinking about Royce all the time, but as I noticed and appreciated more about Xavier, I saw how much I hadn’t been able to enjoy with Royce.

Xavier had problems like everyone else, although his problems were not mine, I thought, but he enjoyed life so much more.

“So what do you want to do this weekend? I’m yours to command, for the most part,” he said.

I raised an eyebrow. “What does that mean? What are the limits?”

“I need to go out to a party tomorrow night, and I was really hoping you’d come with me.”

“You have to?”

“Sometimes you have things you gotta do,” Xavier shrugged. “This is business, and I can’t weasel out, as much as I’d like to. So I might as well enjoy it and bring you with me,” he ended with his wide smile.

Those lips. He had like, the best lips, ever.

“Sure, although you’ve put me in a clothing frenzy.”

“Don’t stress. We can shop tomorrow morning. As long as I can be your personal shopper.” He leered at me.

I laughed. “I don’t want to be arrested if we go shopping. We’ll see. Are you obligated tonight, oh mighty one?”

“Only to you, Ms. Livvie.”

“Well, good. We’re going to stay and in catch up.” I shot him a flirtatious look.

“Oh, I like the cut of your jib, Ms. Livvie.”

“I thought you would.”

I couldn’t wait to get back to his place. I wanted to be next to him sans clothes and spend the whole night in bed with him.

We could deal with tomorrow, tomorrow.

Xavier

I stretched carefully. Livvie was still sleeping. Honestly, I couldn’t believe that I was awake at all. I wasn’t usually a morning person, but having her here made me not want to miss a second with her, even if I woke up first and lay here watching her.

She was so gorgeous, so strong. We’d watched a movie last night, and ordered in, and it had been fantastic. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d enjoyed hanging out with a woman with no destination.

Which was kind of a sorry comment on my own life.

But no matter. Olivia was here now, and if I had my way, she wouldn’t be leaving.

She stirred. “Hey,” she looked over her shoulder at me. “What’s up?”

“Both of us, now apparently,” I said, sliding my arm around her waist and pulling her close to me.

“Oh,” she said. Then, “Ohhh.”

I kissed her neck, loving the warm smell of her hair. I loved how it looked on my pillows, in my bed.

She made to turn to me, and I stopped her. “No.” I ran my hand down her body, taking the time to squeeze her ass.

It was close to noon when we finally got out of my apartment.

Not that I was complaining.

* * *

I pulled my hoodie up over my hat. Olivia looked up at me, a faint smile curving her lips.

“Worried about being seen?”

“I want to spend the day with you, Liv. This helps. New York is better than most places, too. There’s a lot of big fish here, so I’m a lot less special. I have a shot at having a relatively uninterrupted day with you.”

“Relatively?” Her eyebrows rose.

I shrugged. “I am never totally optimistic about these sorts of things.”

“Don’t you have to shop for clothes?”

“I usually get them delivered. I’m not exactly high fashion,” I said with a laugh.

“So what kind of party is this? What will other women be wearing?”

That made me nearly choke. “Well, uh…as little as possible, probably.”

“That is a big ol’ no, Xavier.”

“I don’t want you to look like that!” I held up the hand not holding hers. “I don’t want other guys looking at you. So the less skin you’re showing, the better.”

She gave me a look but didn’t say anything.

After we stopped for a sandwich in my favorite deli, I got us a cab down to some of the places I thought might suit her.

I was prepared, even with Olivia, to be bored out of my mind but having her try things on made me think about taking them off, or dancing with her, or just being the lucky bastard who got to be with her.

It was sexy as hell. Olivia had good taste, and with a little encouragement, chose a dress that made her look like a mermaid. I didn’t say that out loud, though. It sounded so cheesy. But it was that sea-green you see in the ocean sometimes, and it made her skin look like it had a glow. The dress was high necked and sleeveless and almost form fitting. There were also little sparkles or some shit that I didn’t really get, but in the light, she shimmered.

I couldn’t believe this woman was with me.

Please don’t let me fuck this up. It all felt fantastic, but there was a piece of me that felt it was almost too good to be true. Maybe I was cynical, but things were going too well.

Even in spite of the fact we’d fought. It had been resolved like grownups, and that was something I wasn’t used to.

Said more about me, though, didn’t it?

When we got back to my place, Olivia went to take a shower. I could tell that she was nervous about stepping into my world. Until now, we’d been pretty low key. Even though the charity event had been a big deal, it wasn’t part of my professional world like this thing tonight.

If I’d had my way, I would have skipped it. But back when I had a manager—Tibby really needed to get on that for me—he’d set this up, and all the people I worked with would be there, as well as some of the studio heads.

Even though I ran my own show, I had to make nice with the other people in my business. That was just how it was. It wasn’t what you knew, but who you knew. Even for me.

I made a few calls making sure she was on the list with me, and checking in. I’d been a bit of slacker since I’d met her, and this made the nagging business side of me calm down a little.

I heard the shower end, and although it was tempting to go in and delay her further, I thought she might need the time.

Finally, she came out in a cloud of what I thought of as ‘How Olivia smells’ and she smiled hesitantly.

“How does it look?”

“How does it look? You mean, how hot do you look?”

She blushed. I loved that.

“You look fucking fantastic. Everyone there is going to be asking themselves what someone like you is doing with a bum like me.”

“Oh? Now you’re a bum?”

“In comparison, yes,” I grinned, getting up and putting my arms around her waist. I leaned down and kissed her. “You look good enough to eat, or drag to bed, or both. But instead of either of those delightful ideas, I’m going to grab a shower, and we’ll get out of here.”

Another kiss and I went to try and make sure I looked as good as she did.

* * *

We stopped and had some dinner before getting to the club. The booze would be on offer, and I wanted to eat. More importantly, I wanted her to eat.

After dinner, Olivia was fidgety.

“You okay?” I asked.

“Nervous,” she replied.

“You’re going to be great. Most of the people we’ll see are my friends. Those who aren’t…” I shrugged. “We’ll blow by.”

One side of her mouth lifted. “I’m not sure that’s helping, Xavier.”

I held her hand since I couldn’t pull her close to me from the other side of the car. “I’m not going to leave you. Okay?”

“Promise?”

“Totally.” The car slowed, and I could see a crowd waiting to get in and damn it, there were photographers. Paparazzi, actually.

Fuck.

They were often assholes.

But I smiled and gripped her hand a little tighter. “It’s going to be fine.”

This time, I waited for the driver to open the door, and I leaned down and held my hand out to help her out of the car.

“Look ahead, look over everyone’s head, and smile,” I whispered.

As she got out, I saw her exhale, and then she put a smile on that made her look even more amazing than she normally did.

I’d forgotten that Olivia ran her own business, and handled her shit all the time without me.

“You are so fucking amazing,” I whispered as we walked to the door.

The doormen didn’t even hesitate, opening the door before we got close.

“The hostess will take you back,” one said to me over the noise coming from the club.

“X!” The calls came from the people outside the door. “How about—”

I held up my hand as I ushered Olivia in with the other hand. I didn’t want to expose her any more than she would be just by being with me.

The shouts of the paparazzi faded as the bass from the club enveloped us, and a small blond woman appeared with a huge smile. She said something, but I couldn’t understand her. She gestured for us to follow her, so it must not have mattered that I totally missed what she said.

I could hear shouts as I walked by, and I held Olivia a little closer to me. The hostess stopped when she reached a set of four stairs that went up to a raised area, cordoned off with a rope.

“Right up here,” she leaned in to say so I could hear her. “The hostess will get you whatever you need.” The big, toothy smile nearly blinded me.

“We’re here,” I said to Olivia as she walked up in front of me.

I bounded up the stairs and stood right next to her, holding her hand. I knew what it was like to face all these people, and I didn’t want anyone to give her any shit.

A few flashes from the back of the upper room made me blink.

“What the fuck?” I asked, looking around for someone I knew.

Marcus, of all people, came towards me, towing Kristine with him. “Hey, man, thanks for the invite!”

I’d invited my entire production crew to this. Although I really hoped that no one would be out to steal them from me. I thought I paid them well enough to work for me alone, but I never made my team promise to work for me only. That was a recipe for disaster.

“You’re welcome. How was the honeymoon?” I grinned.

He smiled, and Kristine echoed it. The happiness spilled off them both.

“It was wonderful. Thank you for setting up the cruise,” she said.

“Olivia, this is Marcus, who works with me, and his wife, Kristine. It’s their fault I had to cancel that weekend. They kidnapped me,” I said.

Olivia shook hands with both, offering her hand to Kristine first. I saw Kristine give her a fairly appraising look.

“It sounds like it was for a good cause,” Olivia said.

“It was incredible,” Kristine answered for the both of them. “I’m sorry if we messed up your plans,” she directed that at Olivia.

“I made it up to her,” I said, feeling smug.

Olivia hugged me with one arm around my waist. “He did, which was smart of him.”

Marcus laughed. “I’m glad.”

As we made small talk, a man approached me.

“X? How about a picture of the happy couples?”

“No, man, we’re on personal time, if you don’t mind,” I said, moving to shield Olivia. Fuck. Why couldn’t these assholes get it through their heads? We were in a private area—usually, these were off limits.

He opened his mouth to protest, but I turned further and led Olivia away from him. Kristine and Marcus followed. With one ear, I could hear the women talking, and it made me glad to know that Olivia could hold her own.

While I wasn’t close to Kristine, Marcus had been with me for a long time, and it made sense that his gir—wife—would know a bit about me and that Marcus felt protective of me.

Finally, a hostess approached, and I ordered champagne and a glass of whiskey for Marcus and me.

People came and went, many remarking on my continued lack of a manager. Olivia did well, in spite of the fact that she must have been bored out of her skull.

“Hey, I’ll be right back,” I said. I really had to hit the restroom, and I thought I could leave her safely for a little bit.

Still…I leaned down to Marcus as I left. “Keep close to her.”

I saw his nod, and I ran down the stairs to get to the restroom.

Heading down the hallway where they were, the smell of old beer and sweaty people increased. Along with some other shit I’d rather not think about.

“Oh, my God!” I heard a breathless feminine voice, and then I was knocked back into the wall by a very warm person. A woman, apparently, more than one.

The hallway was dark, and I put my hands out to steady myself.

“Sorry, ladies, but I need to—”

My words were cut off as someone kissed me.

Mother of holy hell. I pushed her away and didn’t even try to make an excuse. When I got to the men’s, I shut the door behind me and leaned against the wall, which probably wasn’t a good idea, but shit.

A guy washing his hands glanced over and saw my expression. Then I saw him recognize me. I smiled the XTC head/nod/smile move.

“Crazy night?” He asked.

“Yeah, be careful leaving. It’s wild out there,” I shook my head.

He laughed and left. I chose to go to a stall because being me and trying to use the urinals led to a lot of uncomfortable encounters. Much safer to just go to a stall. I’d actually seen pictures of me taking a leak at one point.

I peered out of the bathroom before I left, but the women who’d been there were gone, hopefully to drunkenly grope someone else.

We left a little later. Business social obligations met, and no real harm was done.

And I still got to unwrap Olivia in that mermaid dress. I wondered if she’d let me peel it off her in the shower.

‘Cause you know, mermaids.