Page 14 of Between Never and Forever
“I don’t look sad. And I’m not crying.” I looked up from the book I was reading to stick my tongue out at him in his stuffy navy blue suit. My best friend had grown into a successful businessman over the years, just like each of his brothers. The Hardy Elite All-Access Team, HEAT for short, had expanded globally as a hospitality and real estate empire. They now even had a technology brand that rivaled the best in the world. Each of them were billionaires and well-loved. Yet, when it came to showing me any manners that people claimed Dimitri had, he failed miserably.
My overly ambitious intern-turned-PR strategist and hairstylist, Olive, pulled my thick dark hair into a bun as she wrinkled her tiny nose and snorted. “You look like a sad little seal who got stranded out of water even while you’re trying to disappear into another book.”
“Olive, seals don’t get stranded out of water.” I turned off my phone’s reading app so she couldn’t glance over my shoulder to see exactly what I was reading. The romance novels were my escape and mine alone. I frowned into the mirror at her but ended up smiling because Olive was too sweet to get mad at. Her bouncy curls and the pink little plumeria flowers she always put behind her ear brightened my day along with her personality. “I think they can wiggle their way back in, maybe?”
“Youthinkthey wiggle?” Dimitri lifted a brow.
“They probably shimmy or crawl or whatever.” Olive tried to help me out but then Dimitri gave her a look. He’d officially labeled us the dummies of our group.
“Why don’t you go back to working on whatever you do.” I rolled my eyes in the mirror.
“I invest money to make people more of it, Keelani. And your ass needs to let me start investing for you.”
I would if I had money to invest but I wasn’t going into details about that with him. Ever.
“Maybe one day.” I glanced up at Olive who was now brushing my hair. “How’s class, by the way?”
“Online classes suck and I hate them. You know I have that one professor. He’s great but other than that, I just want to work,” she blurted it all out, her dark curls dancing around her face, as her wrist shoved her glasses farther up the bridge of her nose.
“Probably because your online classes aren’t teaching you shit,” Dimitri grumbled, but the new makeup artist who had been brought in heard him.
Although she’d been working quietly for the past twenty minutes, she scoffed loudly as she pushed her razor-straight pink bob out of her face. “Like you learned so much more from sitting your ass in a college seat?”
Interesting. The woman seemed quiet, but her tone had bite. Her tan skin seemed to shimmer, and her pixie-like features made me glance more than once at her ears to confirm she wasn’t an elf.
“Pink.” Dimitri didn’t even look up from his phone as he sighed. “I’m not saying we learned anything from college at all. I learned from practice and from getting my feet wet.”
“That’s what I’m trying to do with Keelani,” Olive pointed out as she smoothed my hair bun. “And because of that, I know that unfortunately Dimitri is right, Kee. You’re only performing for Dom and Clara’s wedding tonight, but they’ll have media coverage obviously. You can’t start your Vegas residency being mopey. It’ll kill your vibe.”
“Okay, but I’m contracted for a month of rehearsal starting after tonight and then five months of real performances,” I pointed out. I wanted extra time for rehearsals to get everything right before I got on stage. It’d been stipulated in the contract I’d been on site at the Black Diamond or in the city for those next six months.
“Yes, but they’ll still write about it on socials. I can already see the comments,” she whined, because as the person who was basically handling my PR at this point, she was going to have to put up with it the most. “Maybe if we talk about—”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” I snipped out. My dress started to constrict over my chest at the thought of what they wanted to discuss.
“So, what you’re saying is we’ll all be drinking and talking for hours later tonight?” Dimitri muttered.
“You’re buying,” Olive said, and then they waited silently for me to cave.
I wouldn’t. Not even if a whole hour of quiet passed.
After one minute though, I blurted out, “I mean, I’d hoped to never seehimagain, but instead, tonight I’m walking into his ridiculous resort.”
“That’s a very luxurious, state-of-the-art casino and resort that is one of the best in the country, I might add,” Dimitri finished for me because he was part owner of the Black Diamond Resort and Casino.
“I know it’s the best, Dimitri. You Hardy brothers did it again.” I waved my hand around theatrically, and the makeup artist—who I didn’t know very well—snickered while Olive laughed outright. The HEAT empire grew every second of every day. I was proud and happy for Dimitri. As for Dex, well, I avoided any news regarding him.
“Stroke my ego some more tonight, and I’ll forgive you.”
I scoffed at his meaningless flirting. Dimitri and I had never so much as kissed. He was a manwhore, and I was the damn good girl of the century.
“Honestly, I do love this resort and casino.” There wasn’t a thing not to love. The casino had high ceilings, crown molding, beautiful views, crystal chandeliers with dim lightning, not to mention world-famous celebrities better known than I who didn’t give a damn what I did. It felt freeing to disappear in a crowd and only be wanted for what I did best, which was sing.
“I know, Keelani.” He grabbed my hand and squeezed it, rubbing a thumb over my knuckles. “You okay?”
“Fine, just trying not to focus on what is bound to be a shitty night.” I glanced around the suite that he’d provided for the night. The plush cream fabrics that draped over the furniture along with the abstract artwork adorning the walls in the living area showcased how much Dimitri was spoiling me. I knew the bedroom had an unparalleled level of comfort and the bathroom was a sanctuary with luxury stonework, expensive toiletries, and a rainfall shower full of buttons with nozzles from every side. “Distract me. How much did this ridiculous room cost?”
Dimitri wrinkled his nose. “It cost less than you’ll be paid for a night of letting people listen to your voice for an hour, that’s for sure.”
