Reverie: Chapter 21

I SMILED. The man was fuming but an epic party meant drinks, music, dancing. We’d piled back into our SUV to make our way to Stonewood Tower. After Jett had disappeared so quickly, I slid out of his jacket, uncomfortable that I wanted to be in it even when he didn’t want to be anywhere near me.

Yet, I sat there smiling at his text and smoothed my hand over the jacket on my lap before I responded.

I tried to curb my excitement. I imagined tons of people would show up at the Tower even if they didn’t opt in for the haunted house.

Steven pulled me close in the SUV. I waited for an explosion of feeling or even a small spark. But my stomach didn’t flutter, my palms didn’t sweat, my heart didn’t beat any faster.

Steven wasn’t Jett.

That was a good thing, I told myself. But my body didn’t agree, it recoiled from him much like he’d deserted me in the haunted house.

I tried to romanticize the moment. I smoothed my hand on his chest. “I love you as Peter Pan.”

We were the cute couple finally. After our date, we’d decided to go as a pair to the party. Tinker Bell and Peter Pan had been my idea.

Steven smiled at me so wide, I could practically see his molars. Was his smile always this cheesy, this docile, this boring?

I glared at Brey, her words echoing in my ear. She’d planted the idea in my head, planted my mediocre reaction. I snuggled closer to him and pushed my long ponytail to the side.

‘You look fantastic, Vicky.’ His chuckle burst out of him. ‘Jax, I have to wonder if Jett’s fine with the ladies dressing like this for a work event?’

Jax eyed him for more than a second. Jaydon chuckled to himself while typing on his phone, no doubt very aware of his brother’s overprotective nature with Aubrey. “My brother shouldn’t be looking at my girl’s outfit and neither should you.”

Steven’s smile died while Brey face-palmed in embarrassment. “No, I just meant …”

“Stop while you’re ahead, bro,” Jaydon chimed in, still texting.

I grabbed his phone and turned it off. “Don’t be a dick.” He sighed and slumped back into his seat. “We’re dressed to make jaws drop, Steven. You saw people at the haunted house. We’re all fine.”

He looked my outfit up and down again. For the first time, his incessant need to please the Stonewoods and be part of the pack irked me. I wiggled in place, suddenly uncomfortable.

Jaydon leaned into my ear and whispered, “Don’t, Tinker. You look hot as hell, woman. Perk up.”

I gawked at him, concerned Steven had heard, but Jaydon rolled his eyes like he didn’t care at all.

Steven rambled on to Jax, trying to make up ground, but the frown that crossed his face every time he looked at my outfit reinforced something in my mind. The man I was dating was more concerned that my boss would frown upon my outfit rather than enjoy taking in the view.

We pulled up to Stonewood Tower, and I vaulted out of the SUV. The environment was toxic, and I wanted out. Brey dashed after me. “That was awkward, right?”

“So awkward,” I agreed.

Jax appeared behind her. “Fuck me. This is still not a good idea.”

We turned to see Jax staring directly at her ass.

“Jax, we’re in public. Try to have a filter,” Brey suggested.

“Try to wear some clothes,” he shot back.

I snickered at their bickering. Jax attempted to control Brey, but she had him by the balls. The man followed her into a fire to fetch her for God’s sake.

As we approached the elevator, Brey looked concerned and asked him, “Do you want to go home?”

He beelined for the door. “Yup. Good idea.”

“Great. Vick will make sure I get home safe when the party’s over.”

Jax froze, and his muscles bunched. “Are you kidding me?”

“No. I’m going to enjoy myself. If you can’t,”—she shrugged—“I suggest you go home.”

“God damn it,” he grumbled but then slid his hands around her waist and leaned onto her shoulder to kiss her neck. “Love you, Peaches.”

I looked over at Steven but he was nervously adjusting his green T-shirt and watching the elevator numbers. When the doors opened, he stepped in and smiled. “I’m excited to see what you all planned.”

Brey shrugged. “This is all Vick’s doing.”

“I can’t believe Jett agreed to this last minute.” He looked baffled. “We’re all so busy.”

“Yep. That’s why we need a break,” I explained. “We work hard and so we should play hard when possible.”

My heart rate climbed with the floor numbers though. This wasn’t playing for me. It had been constant planning and organizing for the past couple of days. A business was on the line. A business that saved my life.

The elevator doors opened to strobing lights and fog. The buzz of the employees was damn infectious. Excitement hummed in the air and I turned to Steven and smiled. He looked shocked at what we’d done. I took it as a good sign that I’d pulled off the office party of the century.

Josie shot straight over. “Brey!” She grabbed Brey’s hands. “This is fantastic.”

Brey smiled. “I honestly didn’t do much. Mostly this was the beautiful Tinker Bell, here.”

I bowed a little and Josie’s eyes went wide. “Vick, you look hot as hell. And everyone’s already having a great time.” She leaned in to whisper to both of us, “Also, I’m not supplying drinks. So, that’s always a plus.”

A laugh bubbled out of me, and I relaxed a little. Josie never made it past small talk with me, but her short spunky haircut and positive attitude—even when she was just getting coffees for everyone—made me think we could get along. “How are the drinks?”

“So spooky!” Josie squealed, waving us in.

We left the guys behind so we could admire our hard work. Luckily, Stonewood Enterprises had the space and resources to whip this together in a flash, something Samson and Sons could never have done. Brey and I had worked with Stonewood’s on-site catering and bar, along with a bunch of other vendors, to enhance the party experience. Ghouls served drinks with faux spider webs in them. Vampires proffered trays of eyeballs. Our team’s laughter roared over the “Monster Mash”—the only compliment we needed. Brey beamed along with me as our fellow employees continually thanked us. Most of the company Jett had absorbed was here too. I’d made sure everyone saw the invites and knew this was a big deal.

Gloria stopped us after we each grabbed a Witchy Whiskey Sour, served in a cup that looked like a cauldron. “You ladies pulled this off.”

Brey nodded and peered cautiously between Gloria and me. If I hadn’t been positive about Jett and Gloria’s intimate relationship before, I was now. I shrugged, and my leafy bodice bobbed up and down. “We had a lot of help. When Stonewood Enterprises has mostly everything—”

“Don’t downplay planning it on such short notice. You’ve earned many people’s respect here.”

I glanced at Brey, trying to gauge the sincerity of Gloria’s compliment. The woman didn’t give commendation or talk to me at all, really. She ran the office like clockwork and, as I now knew, had a relationship with Jett. My ankles wobbled in my stilettos as we faced off.

Then she smiled at me. Every severe line in her face disappeared, the tight fist she always held at her side loosened. She rubbed that hand over her other forearm, up and down. “I’m really looking forward to helping you close the deal with Levvetor.”

“I’m sorry. You knew?” I questioned, not sure if she knew this party was a test or if she just wanted me to know that she was on board.

As if she could read my thoughts, she said, “I’m aware of pretty much everything Jett does. His life is work and I am his right-hand man, the hand of the king.”

I furrowed my brow. “Okay.” I dragged out the word, waiting for her to continue.

“The party is a test. He’ll say you failed, but he knows you passed. Also, I told him I’m pushing that deal as hard as I can come next week. I’m loaded and ready to go. We’ll get Levvetor on our books. I promise you.”

The last thing I pictured myself doing that night, I did right then. I closed the distance between Gloria and hugged her. She stood completely still, frozen in shock or discomfort but, for once, I didn’t care. “You won’t regret it. I promise you the company is saving lives.”

“I did my research.” Gloria nodded and took a large step back. “I’ll see you Monday.”

With that, she smiled at us again and walked away.

“I might cry,” I confessed to Brey.

“Me too,” Brey blurted out. “She’s amazing to work with. She’s so reliable, you know? But also sort of different. I just … didn’t picture that happening.”

Jax appeared near Brey. “Whiskey sour, huh?”

She smiled like the two of them had a secret. I scanned the crowd for Steven, ready to give those two the alone time they wanted.

Steven was glued to Jaydon’s side, talking his ear off, and I winced knowing that I would be the one feeling like a third wheel if I joined them. I moved from table to table and took in the costumes and fun everyone was having instead. Coincidentally, Bob had dressed as Captain Hook, so we posed for a picture together.

“You pulled off the costume perfectly,” I told him.

He held his oversized belly and laughed. “I barely made it out the door looking like this, but all in good fun. My wife told me she’s always had a thing for pirates.”

He winked at me, and I felt it. The happiness. The unwinding.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Music pulsed around me, and cobwebs swayed above us. The drinks were over-the-top, as was the costumed waitstaff and the decorations. But one thing wasn’t exaggerated: the spontaneous smiles, the hum of amusement, the unrestrained laughter. I inched myself up against the back wall and people watched for far too long.

“You’re smiling like you think you’ve won,” the Phantom whispered into my ear.

Goose bumps skittered over my skin, and I closed my eyes to quell the attraction his voice sparked. “Haven’t I, dear Phantom of the Opera?”

He crossed his arms, flashing the Oystersteel of the Rolex he normally wore. Even his thicker-than-average wrist, peppered with dark hair and veins in all the right places made my mouth water.

I sighed. “I set your jacket down on the table back there. I didn’t have a chance to give it to you before you disappeared.”

He raised an eyebrow at my accusing tone. “Surprised you noticed my departure. Stevie seemed to have all your attention.”

“And Gloria had all of yours,” I snapped and then winced. “Not that I care. I don’t. I can’t and I won’t. Tonight isn’t about that.”

“You’re right. It’s about you proving a point.” Jett turned toward the crowd. “You think you’re doing a good enough job? You think they’ll come ready to work on Monday? Rejuvenated?”

“I have no doubt. Especially after you crown the costume queen or king with a thousand dollars.”

“I’m guessing you don’t want to announce my vote yourself?”

“Absolutely not.” I clapped my hands together and vibrated with joy. “I want to have everyone line up and show off their outfits to you one by one.”

He winced.

“To music, of course,” I added.

“No one wants to do that.”

“We have fifty-plus employees who signed up beforehand.”

“Jesus,” he grumbled and slid his hand over his face. “You went overboard, woman.”

“Not possible.”

“Completely possible. Look at your outfit, Pix. It’s a damn plant corset wrapped up in sparkle and glitter. Did you dye your hair?”

I threaded my fingers through the tips of blonde that I’d paintbrush-dyed pink and shrugged. “I figured if I lost and had to wear black, at least my hair would pop.”

“Jesus. No one went to the lengths you did for a damn costume. Can’t we just say you won?”

That was all the compliment I needed from him. I pushed off the wall and spun slowly. I knew my corset shimmered and the leaves over my ass and boobs swayed as I rocked my hips to the music. “I’m freaking happy and proud of my Tinker Bell, Jett.”

“And half the room is damn happy you wore it too.”

I winked at him. “Which half?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “You know it’s the male half. It’s completely inappropriate for work.”

“Exactly!” I exclaimed and clapped my hands. “This isn’t work! That’s the point.”

“You should have kept my jacket on.”

“You’re kidding, right? Do you honestly care that much who’s looking?”

“More than I want to, Pix. A lot more than I want to.”

I licked my lips and quivered with his admission. “I’m not too happy about the way your date looks at you either.”

“Ah, at least I get one honest response from you tonight.”

“I’m always honest.”

“You’re always happy, Victory. Even when you’re not. You never let the raw side of you breathe and it’s suffocating in there.” He sighed and pulled at one of my pink strands. “Let’s get this voting going, shall we?”

His words twisted my insides. My throat constricted, my chest tightened, my mind short circuited. Feelings, ominous and wretched, curdled in me. Fears I worked so hard to suppress clawed at the walls I’d built around them.

Would all this be good enough? Would I be happy with my life if I took a turn for the worse the very next day?

I swallowed the questions down and buried them deep where they belonged. If I was suffocating the raw part of me, I hoped I would snuff it out completely.

I went through the motions of emceeing the costume contest, and Jett sat there smiling as person after person showed off their attire.

My mind was on his words though. Had I adopted a positive attitude to the point of my own detriment? Was I losing my grip on reality by denying what I truly felt?

I yelled into the microphone, “I think that’s everyone. Let me go talk to the Phantom.”

Brey in her Catwoman suit sidled up to take the microphone. “Oh, no. Ms. Blakely, you will do your walk in your outfit. You do not get to opt out just because you emceed.”

“Girl,”—I whispered—“this isn’t for me.”

She covered the mic. “I know. It’s for Stonewood Enterprises. Look at them. They want to see you, Vick.”

My fellow employees erupted as I walked over to the runway they’d outlined with their bodies in front of Jett. He sat there, subdued and smiling.

Brey cut to a favorite song of mine. I twirled and swayed to the deep beat of the bass. I rolled my hips a little and got a few hoots and hollers from the crowd. Jett’s eyes burned into me, goading me to end my walk as quickly as possible. Instead, I backed up and dropped low to the floor, running my hands down my body and back up to my glittering wings. I waved a pretend wand, and just as the tempo picked up, random employees threw green glitter into the air above me. Brey held out a bag of it, letting people grab more.

Everyone was laughing, the lights were shining, my heart was beating.

The Phantom was watching.

I made my way to him, leaned over, and gripped the arms of his chair. Glitter fell over both of us as I whispered, “I just think of a happy little thing.”

“Pix,” he grumbled, jaw clenched.

“It’s the same as having wings.”

“Clip your wings, woman. Fall back to the ground where the rest of us are.”

“I don’t need them, Jett. I can already fly.”

His blue eyes held mine as he barked at the crowd, “Tinker Bell wins.” Then he whispered, “Monday, we come back from Neverland, Pix.”

I grinned at him and shook my head of pink locks. “Not a chance, Phantom. We belong here.”