Page 40 of Shaded Amethysts
“What’s that?” he asked, sounding ready to assist with whatever I needed.
Hoping that was the case, I began unbuttoning my shirt as I answered, “This office needs to be properly broken in.”
Proving that he was more than willing to help me out with that issue, Gage’s eyes glimmered with desire just before he lunged in my direction.
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Alex and Grant’s movie premiere was the event of the decade in Brunswick Bay Harbor. Heck, it would probably even turn out to be the event of the century.
Both men had insisted that it be held here, rather than a more traditional Los Angeles motion picture opening. Our quaint little town was bursting at the seams with Hollywood royalty, raving fans, and what seemed like every single person who had ever called this place home for any period of time.
Even lovely Violet Markle had returned from the Big Apple to join in the festivities. It still felt strange to see her with anyone, other than her late husband, Dylan, but her new man seemed nice enough, and he was certainly handsome.
Violet saved my day when I managed to get a splinter at the railing of the marina while we watched the boat parade go by with all of the actors from the movie waving at their adoring fans. I hadn’t even realized Violet was near us as we watched the flotilla until she offered me a piece of tape from her enormous purse to help extricate the splinter.
When that didn’t work, she muttered, “I’ll be right back,” and disappeared into the crowd.
Within a few minutes, she returned with a small cup that contained a mysterious white paste.
“What’s that?” I asked the woman, whom I hadn’t seen in years, as she generously applied the goop to my finger.
Violet remained focused on my injury as she answered, “It’s baking soda from the food truck over there, mixed with a dab of water. It should help the splinter pop right out.”
As we waited for her hack to work its magic, Gage turned to the man by Violet’s side. “You look so familiar to me. Have we met?”
“I don’t think so,” the man answered before looking away, obviously uncomfortable with the turn the conversation had taken.
When Violet used a fresh piece of tape from her purse to successfully grab the splinter, she exclaimed proudly, “Voila!”
“You really are the life hacks queen,” the man by her side bragged.
His obvious pride in her unique skills reminded me that I’d heard a while back about Violet having enjoyed a great deal of success with her radio show where she shared tips on how to live smarter. Agreeing with the man’s assessment, I said sincerely, “Yes, you are. Thank you so much for your help.”
“No problem,” she brushed off my gratitude as if it hadn’t been a big deal. Turning to the man by her side, she asked, “Ready to head down to the docks, Oliver?”
Gage snapped his fingers before saying a little too loudly to the other man, “You’re the Heartless Hunk! I can’t believe I didn’t realize it sooner. The guys used to love watchingHot Hunksin prison.”
I loved it that Gage wasn’t ashamed or embarrassed to admit he’d been in prison, but Violet and her man looked a bit taken aback by his bold honesty.
Once Oliver regained his senses, he gave Gage a wide smile before saying, “Reality shows seem to consistently do really well in prisons.”
“Oh, yeah,” Gage agreed before adding, “We never missed an episode. It was absolutely riveting watching you break heart after heart on that show. You were brutal, man.”
“Most of it was creative editing,” Oliver defended himself.
“Well, it looks like things worked out for you in the end.” Gage gave beautiful Violet a warm smile, which made Oliver nod his head in agreement before pulling the redhead closer by his side.
I almost couldn’t believe that big, strong, and brave Gage was fangirling over a reality television star. My fiancé was truly full of surprises.
“We’ll see you later at the lobster boil?” Violet asked us as they turned to leave.
“Absolutely! Avery can’t wait to chow down on some delicious lobster, can you, sweetheart?” Gage teased me.
I elbowed him lightly in the gut as I nodded at Violet and Oliver, hoping the duo wouldn’t think we were total weirdos.
Just after the gorgeous couple made their exit, the final boat featuring the author and star of the movie approached. We yelled, clapped, and waved in the direction of my brother, who was flanked by Claire, Josie, and his three kids, and Grant, who had Scout in his lap and Molly standing just behind his chair.
The kids ran excitedly in our direction as soon as the boat docked.
