*****
"Have I told you that you look fucking amazing?" Linc asked me in the back of the limo on our way to the label party.
"You might have mentioned it a couple of times already," I giggled and glanced down at our entwined fingers. It made me happy to know that I had picked a dress he liked so well. After trying on numerous dresses, I'd settled on a simple, form fitting, strapless, black dress that stopped mid-thigh. That, combined with some simple jewelry and a pair of black stilettos, made the perfection combination, and Linc could not keep his eyes off of me.
"You two going to make goo-goo eyes at each other all night? If you are, please tell me now so I can steer clear of you two. I don't want you cramping my style while I'm trying to hit on the ladies," Chance said, causing us to laugh.
"Oh please. Even if Janet Jackson were here tonight, I'm sure she'd see right through you. She's too sophisticated for the “hit it and quit it” scene that you're into," Linc teased.
"Oh Ms. Jackson, if you only knew just how nasty I am," he said, causing us all to burst into laughter.
The limo rolled to a stop in front of the venue, where there was a steady line of celebrities walking the red carpet, on their way inside. The limo door opened and Linc stepped out, offering me his hand to help me out. The amount of camera flashes going off at one time had me momentarily blinded and I had to rely on Linc to guide me inside. Once my vision cleared and there were only a few spots remaining in my vision, I could really take in the place. It was set up like a strip club. There was VIP seating upstairs, a DJ booth to the right, along with a curved bar. There was a dance floor in the middle with several poles for dancing and seating areas scattered throughout. I was in awe of all the celebrities that were there and the way they were dressed. I was definitely overdressed, judging by some of the outfits the ladies were wearing.
"Hey, what are you thinking?" Linc asked; his mouth next to my ear so I could hear him over the music. I couldn’t help but smile as a familiar tingle ran down my spine and stopped at my core. I looked up at him and took a moment to appreciate how happy he looked and how clear and vibrant his eyes were.
"I was just thinking about how lucky I am to have you in my life," I said, kissing him gently on the lips. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me tightly against his strong body.
"Baby, I'm the--" he began but was interrupted before he could finish. The head of the record label greeted the guys, praising them for staying at the top of the charts for the past two months. He told them he could see bigger things coming their way, which meant they would be on the road twice as much. I thanked my lucky stars Linc had decided to take some time off to work on songs for their next album, and also to focus on his health. There was also the fact that we would be spending even more time together. I was very much looking forward to becoming Mrs. Lincoln McKay. My heart stopped when I spotted Court standing across the room with Courtney on his arm. "What the fuck?" I said, elbowing Linc lightly in the side to get his attention.
"What'd you do that for?" He asked, rubbing his side as if I'd just cracked a rib.
"Look!" I lifted my chin in the direction of where Court stood on the other side of the room. Just as he was about to say something, Jinx, Chance, and Levi stepped in front of us, blocking our view of the two.
"Did you see that?" Jinx asked, hooking his thumb in Court's direction. "That explains a lot. Don't you think?" He said.
"What are you talking about?" I asked, as nothing he said made sense to me.
"He's had a thing going on with Courtney that he has kept hidden until now. That explains why Sweet Misery was forced on us for the tour. He hasn't been looking out for our well-being; he has been looking out for theirs. He has been using our success to promote them," he explained, his hands balled into tight fists at his side.
"I never liked that fucker. I knew something wasn't right," Linc said.
"I'm calling our attorney tomorrow and telling him everything. We're suing his ass for everything he's got. I'm going to make sure he doesn't work in this business again," Jinx said, and all the guys voiced their agreement.
I spotted Teagan from the corner of my eye, standing at the bar, talking with some unsuspecting guy. I should have walked over there and warned him of just what she was all about.
"I'm going to grab a Diet Coke from the bar. Would you like a bottle of water or a soda?" I asked Linc.
"No, baby. Don't be gone too long, though. I miss touching you," he said next to my ear, his warm breath making me shiver. I walked straight to the bar and stopped in front of Teagan. She looked at me with wide eyes that were full of surprise, but she showed her true colors as her lip curled into a snarl.
"Well, well. To what do I owe this pleasure? Shouldn't you be over there, standing guard?” She asked, her snarl turning into a devious grin. The poor guy that she had been talking to turned and walked away. I supposed he didn't want to get in the middle of a cat fight. Usually guys get excited when they think two women are about to pull hair. "Aren't you afraid of what will happen if you leave him alone?" She asked. The bartender interrupted to take my order before she could continue. "I guess you know he's meeting me later tonight," she claimed.
I lifted my brow in question as the bartender slid a glass of diet coke in front of me.
"Oh? Do tell. You think, just because you left him a message at our room, promising him-- What was the word you used? Oh yes, phenomenal sex. It would be enough for him to drop his fiancée and come running, open arms, to you?" I asked.
The look on her face changed in the blink of an eye. She looked like a woman possessed, and all I could think about was what would happen if the paparazzi took pictures of us in that moment? They would probably write something about Linc's jilted lover and his new fiancée fighting over him at the label party.
"Oh honey, please. You really think he is going to marry you and settle down? This,” She motioned around the room with her hand, “is in his blood. He was born to be a rock star, just like he was born to live that lifestyle. He will come back to me and back to the drugs. It is only a matter of time, so you keep telling yourself he loves you, because one day, he will show you just how much he loves his drugs," she said.
I snapped. I pulled back my arm, and was just about to deck her when someone grabbed me. I jerked my head around to find Chance standing beside me, holding on to my arm.
"Let it go, darling’. She's not worth it," he said.
I opened my mouth to speak but he continued, "Let me guess, she's been telling you all about how Linc loves her and how he's going to leave you and go back to her. Am I right?" He asked, and I nodded, unable to speak because there was a huge lump in my throat.
"Take your drink and go on back to Linc. I'll take care of her. Okay?" He said, and at that moment, I had a whole new respect for Chance. He was no longer the colorful-haired, Mohawk wearing, goofball guitar player for Dirty Affliction; he was now a good friend.
I grabbed my Diet Coke and walked across the room, straight into Linc's arms.
"What's wrong, baby?" He asked. He obviously hadn't seen me talking to Teagan, so I decided not to bother him with it when I shouldn't have started it to begin with.
"Nothing's wrong. Dance with me?” I arched a questioning brow?
Grabbing my hand, he led me onto the dance floor, where we danced close, grinding our hips together and stole kisses every now and then. After the third song finished, I downed my Diet Coke and excused myself to the restroom. "I'll be right back," I said, kissing his cheek.