CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Grace
Ruben and Julie took the princess party theme to beyond gaudy. Just as all little girls would dream of on their special day. Pink and glittery silver streamers draped the entire facade of the white Georgian-style home.
Grace couldn’t even see the front door anymore. Pink balloons were stacked on either side of the brick mailbox, forming two castle turrets, and more tied to every spindle of the iron fence along their driveway.
Greeting Princess Daisy’s subjects at the entrance was a giant inflatable princess palace over the gateway, leading through to the backyard to all the festivities.
If their plan was to spoil a little seven year old and dash her hopes for future birthdays, mission accomplished.
She smiled as she pulled through, and parked on the circle front drive. She’d walk the rest of the way. There were already more than a dozen cars on the street. Most visible beyond all the sparkle were two burly men in suits standing at the driveway gate. Checking people in.
Grace gave them her name and ID, and waited for her name to be cleared. One spoke into a radio at his sleeve. She caught a glimpse of his holstered sidearm under his suit jacket.
Wow. They went all out on safety.
They waved her through, and she carried the bright pink and yellow gift bag with gold ribbons dangling in her hand. She hoped Daisy would love her gift. A set of princess glitter-globes, one for each of her favorite movies.
Laughter and excited screams lifted from the backyard, well before she rounded the corner beyond the garage. They weren’t nearly as loud as the DJ blaring girly pop music over the crowd.
What a crowd. When she finally took in the mass of people crowding around several inflatable bounce castles, slides, and ball pits, she managed to lift her jaw up from the grass. More than thirty little girls raced round the expansive space, chasing each other in their precious princess costumes in every color.
Grace eventually spotted Daisy on the top of the jungle gym tower, casting spells over the edge, wearing a bright pink and white gown, reminiscent of the mermaid princess she loved. She couldn’t help but grin. She pulled out her phone and snapped a few pictures.
Her grin dwindled when she caught sight of at least four more men in suits and dark sunglasses along the edges, clearly guarding over the whole event.
Someone behind her screamed.
Grace jumped. A little girl in a blue gown raced by and swung her wand in the air, hitting her present as she went.
“Grace!” Julie lifted her head from the buffet table on the patio, her smile genuine. However, the bags under her eyes had deepened. Like she hadn’t slept in days. “I’m so glad you made it!” She jogged over in her leather sandals, holding her peony skirt down as she ran. When her arms wrapped around Grace’s shoulders, she blew a sigh of relief.
At least Julie doesn’t hate me.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
“Of course,” Grace replied softly. Much less convincingly than she hoped. “How are the kids?”
“Oh, you know Daisy.” Her friend waved her hand to the side. “She’s oblivious to anything outside her fantasy world.”
“And Pax?”
Her smile slipped a bit. “He’s over on the lounge chair by the pool, playing on his video game…and brooding. He’s not used to this many people around. Neither am I, for that matter.”
Ruben’s laugh filtered from across the yard, where he stood around a bunch of other men in buttoned shirts and light jackets.
Either fathers of the girls at the party, or maybe more sycophants pretending they care about his personal life, when really they are just after their chance at fame and connection. It was hard to tell behind all their sunglasses.
Except when the celebrity caught sight of her, and he glowered. That was easy enough to see, despite the shades covering his eyes.
“I’m guessing he still hates me.” She put the gift bag on the table with the others, all wrapped in some kind of pink or sparkly wrapping and ribbons galore.
Julie rolled her eyes. “Just too many hits at once. He’ll get over it.”
“Which part is he more pissed at? My dating a former escort, or Nigel’s backstabbing?”
Her friend sighed, and wrapped her arms around her waist. “Toss up. But it’s probably a good thing you didn’t bring Dorian.”
The words squeezed her chest, and she rubbed at her sternum. Grace had wanted to bring him, so badly. The tabloids screwed that up for her. “Are those rent-a-cops,” she nodded at a few of the security men. “Or do they come with the inflatable palaces?”
“That’s Ruben’s network, living up to their end of the contract.”
“Listen up, my little princesses!” A tall woman in a golden gown complete with gaudy blonde wig, crown and wand emerged from behind the jungle gym. “It’s time for us to play pin the kiss on the frog!”
The girls screamed, and all raced over to the patio, where a large poster hung on the wall. A giant, green frog squatted across the front, waiting for ‘kisses.’
Miss Glinda-The-Good-Witch-Look-Alike gave each little girl two large, red kiss stickers, and they all lined up awaiting their turn.
“Where did you find her?” Grace snapped a few more photos.
“There are about a dozen companies in our area alone that offer character rentals for birthday parties. Ruben hired the most expensive one. He also hired a few makeup artists to give all the girls a princess face when they arrived.” Julie sighed. “In about twenty minutes, the white unicorns will arrive to give pony rides.”
Grace laughed. “You’re kidding.”
She shook her head. “Ruben went all out to make Daisy happy. Probably to make me happy, too. Make up for all the changes.”
Pax glared when a little girl whipped by him so fast, her train slapped him in the face.
“Is Pax all right?”
“I’ve asked him that about twenty times today, and he says he’s fine. We celebrate his birthday next week. You know how Ruben is, celebrating their birthdays separately so they can each feel special on their own day. But he’s been so moody today.”
Grace tilted her head. “Does he look a little pale to you?”
“Daisy, sweetheart, let the other girls have a turn!” Julie sighed. “Hold that thought, Grace. I’ll be right back.” She went to tend to the girls.
Just as Ruben excused himself from his entourage, and slowly made his way over to Grace. He crossed his arms over his chest, and his frown deepened with every step.
Grace mirrored his posture, still gripping her phone. It was in that moment, with his disapproving glare and his gaudy show of financial status, that her confidence bolstered. She’d done nothing wrong.
If he expected her to cower or apologize, he had another thing coming. The fact that he’d rushed to assumptions just like that tabloid journalist—assumptions that were wrong to start with—wasn’t her problem.
He finally reached her side, but looked down at the ground instead of at her.
Fine by her. She kept her gaze on Pax. “You’ve just put Cinderella’s fairy godmother out of business."
Ruben snorted. “You should see inside the house. Looks like she threw up a bottle of Pepto in there. The cakes alone cost me a whole month’s salary.”
“Cakes? As in plural?”
“Two. A pink princess gown made of strawberry, and a castle made of rainbow.”
“I think I need an insulin shot, just thinking about all that sugar.”
His jaw twitched. Ruben still refused to look at her directly. Just kept his gaze on the crowd.
“I’m relieved to see my name wasn’t removed from the guest list.”
“The kids really wanted to see you.”
Nice brush off, jerk.
“Does Pax look okay to you?”
“He’s had a long week.” Her old friend scratched his forehead. “We all have.”
“Contrary to what your publicist is trying to make you believe.” Grace cocked her head at him. “Never once was there any exchange of money between Dorian and I, let alone charity funds.”
“But he is a gigolo. You aren’t going to deny that.” He lowered his voice, to keep the surrounding ears from overhearing.
“The term is escort, and he preferred Knight.”
“You’re dating an escort?”
“Correction. I’m dating a former Knight.”
Ruben rolled his eyes. “This is so not who I thought you were.”
Grace fisted her hand at her side. “I’m the same person I’ve always been. You’re just lashing out at me because of Nigel. I’m letting that go. Go after him if you’d like, but I want no part of it.”
“You have no idea what this is doing to my reputation.”
She ground her teeth. “I could give a shit about your reputation, Ruben.”
He gawked at her.
Grace pushed on. “Mine has been slandered enough in the press—all false, mind you. Despite what preconceptions you have about his former role, Dorian is smart, kind, funny, and he makes me happy. Something I haven’t been in a very long time. We have done nothing of which to be ashamed. If there’s an investigation under the charity’s finances, I welcome it. I have nothing to hide.”
He blinked, and dropped his arms. Ruben stood there staring for several seconds.
Damn, that feels good to say it out loud.
“You don’t have anything to hide either, so there’s nothing for you to worry about. Let your reputation stand for itself. The rest is just noise. Noise that dies down whenever you step in front of a camera.”
“I’ve never seen you like this.”
“Well, stick around.” She had a hard time hiding her smile. Because she was still mad at Ruben, for assuming the worst in her. Grace loved the person she was when with Dorian. “Because I’m not letting any bullshit in the tabloids dictate the terms of my life, or my career. You shouldn’t either.”
He smirked, and tried to cover it with his palm. Grace could see the slight lift in his cheek from behind his hand. Ruben finally took his sunglasses off, and looked at her. Apology was written all over his eyes. “I’ve had a lot of people try to manage me lately, probably because that’s what they’re used to doing with other celebs in Los Angeles. I’ve tried to go with the flow the best I can, but it seems to be creating more mess this way.”
“Your publicist’s job is to sell you, and manage the chatter, not to manage you. So, don’t let him.”
He smiled.
“And for God’s sakes, please pick a different hairstyle.”
Her friend laughed.
Dozens of flashes cut through the crowd.
Grace looked up, and saw three or four cameras from atop the wooden fence at the back of property, clicking away in a frenzy.
Several gasps scattered throughout the party guests, while the security detail rushed over to block the paparazzi.
“Vultures,” Ruben growled. “At my daughter’s birthday party!”
“Daddy?” Pax called.
Grace turned. The little boy’s face was completely white, and his video game slipped from his hand, falling into the pool.
“It’s all right, honey,” she answered. She started to move to him, to help him inside.
More photographers rushed in from the driveway gate, more than the two security guards could handle. Flashes blinded the whole patio. Girls squealed, and rushed inside the patio door to get away from them.
Pax stood frozen.
Grace was only a dozen steps away, when his eyes rolled up in the back of his head.
He knees buckled, and he dropped.
“Pax!” she screamed, dropping her phone.