Alone, with the one-sided conviction that she and Gavin were meant to be together, she felt like a failure as a woman. She didn’t know how to flirt or use her feminine wiles. Heck, the one and only time she had tried to use false eyelashes made her look like a racoon.
Each time she felt a small crack opening to initiate anything romantic between them, he put out a no-trespassing sign physically and emotionally to shut her out immediately, and then she would have to start all over again. This morning, the air had a distinct chill when he was waiting for her outside her apartment door. Brusquely asking for the plans of the day, he severed any attempts of normal conversation. She reluctantly stopped trying to engage him five minutes into the fifteen-minute drive to the nightclub when he started texting on his phone. Arriving at the nightclub, he headed directly to the spot he was at now.
Ginny noticed the other security personnel gradually edging away from him, putting more space between them. The security’s team wariness emphasized the isolation that Gavin wanted from others. Gavin’s appearance alone would put the fear of God into any sane person, coupled with the aloofness he wore like a second skin by overlooking them, broke her heart a little piece at a time. One word or overture from him would ease their apprehension. They’d be able to look underneath the tattoos, imagine his hair neatly trimmed without the wacked off hair, and with a warm smile from him beckoning them closer, they would see the man she saw, the man she fell in love with on first sight.
She still felt the tingle in the palm of her hand when she had touched his jaw and saw the beautiful soul that couldn’t be hidden no matter how hard he tried to disguise himself. He was and would always be Gavin to her.
“Why is Alec standing on his head?”
Ginny looked at Alec, Kaden’s head of security talking to Kaden, and saw that he certainly wasn’t standing on his head.
Kimmy grinned. “Just checking. I see I’m not the only one appreciating your new candy.”
Blushing at getting caught, Ginny fiddled with a button on her cream jacket.
“I have a thing for tats myself,” Kimmy whispered conspiratorially as one of the light technicians approached their table.
“Morning, girls.”
“Lawrence,” Ginny greeted him, looking away when he bent and kissed Kimmy’s upturned lips.
It was everything Ginny could do to hide her disgust when Lawrence raised his lips to send a smug look toward the men in the room, observing them before sitting down next to Kimmy and placing a proprietary arm around her shoulders.
“Where were you this morning? You told me you’d pick me up at nine.”
Kimmy frowned up at her boyfriend. “You told me that you didn’t know how long it would take to make the changes Nick wanted, so you’d drive yourself.”
Lawrence frowned back. “I did, but after Nick called and said that the changes weren’t major, I told you we could ride together.”
“I must have forgotten. I’m sorry.”
“No harm. Just didn’t want to have to deal with Kaden if I missed the meeting. He fired Bruce for missing the meeting last month. I have a bills to pay and a girlfriend to spoil.”
Ginny wanted to gag. The only one who wanted to be spoiled was the man who was trying to guilt-trip his girlfriend.
Ginny couldn’t understand what Kimmy saw in Lawrence and why she was dating him. Ginny had shot him down each time Lawrence had asked her out. The situation changed, though, when they moved to Nashville. Personally, Ginny believed Kimmy started seeing him to deal with her loneliness.
The only person who disliked Lawrence as much as she did was Nick, Kimmy’s brother, who constantly begged her to stop seeing him.
“Bruce wasn’t fired for not coming to the meeting,” Ginny spoke up to correct the untruth. “He was fired for being drunk during the show the night before. He didn’t show for the meeting because he knew Kaden was going to fire him.”
“I wasn’t aware of that.” Lawrence didn’t bat a lash at being corrected. “Then I don’t blame Kaden.”
He was full of crap. How could Lawrence not have known? It had been a source of gossip for a good week after Bruce had shown up to give Alec his work identification.
“The day he came in to turn his badge and I saw you talking to him, he didn’t tell you?” Ginny called him out on another untruth.
“No.” Lawrence shrugged at her. “I guess he was too embarrassed.”
“I guess so.” It was either partially agree with him or call him a liar. With the fib she told Kimmy about Gavin being attached, she couldn’t throw stones at him, much as she wanted to.
Lawrence condescendingly patted Kimmy’s hand that was laying on the table. “When you move in this weekend, all the confusion about rides won’t matter, anyway. We’ll be driving together all the time.”
The news that Kimmy was moving in with Lawrence came as a surprise. Her friend had two previous long-lasting relationships, and with both she had adamantly refused to move in with them.
“I thought we planned to move me next weekend. I haven’t told Nick yet.” Kimmy’s confusion was obvious.
When Lawrence shook his head at Kimmy as if her friend was a child, Ginny twisted her jacket button so hard it came off.
“You were supposed to tell him last week. What’s the holdup? He knows we’ve been dating two months. He’ll understand you wanting to move out of the apartment you share with him.”
Ginny stared worriedly at Kimmy’s demoralized countenance.
“I’ll talk to him at lunch.”
Lawrence shook his head at her, not content with Kimmy trying to make amends. “We’re having lunch with Darla to meet her fiancé. My sister is just as important as your brother.”
“I didn’t ….” Kimmy pressed her fingertips to her forehead. “Of course she is … It just slipped my mind. I’ll talk to Nick after work.”
Lawrence pulled her closer to his side. “You should ask Kaden if you can take a couple of weeks off so you can get some rest. I’m starting to worry about you. Your look tired, and you’re forgetting a lot of stuff lately.”
Ginny gripped the button so hard she felt the small holes denting the palm of her hand. Disliking the man more and more, she couldn’t help herself from butting in.
“I think you look great. I don’t think anyone else here would agree that you look tired. Cleve and Terrel nearly cried when you didn’t say hello when you walked past by them.”
Kimmy gave her a thankful glance. “Thank you. That makes me feel better.”
“That makes you feel better?” Lawrence removed his arm, stiffly pulling away from Kimmy. “My mistake that I cared enough to be worried about you. I’ll see you after the meeting.” Sliding out of the chair, he let them know he was clearly affronted.
Kimmy started to get up to go after him, but Ginny didn’t give her the opportunity. She would have tackled her to the ground before letting her apologize to that domineering man again.
“The meeting is starting.”
Kimmy settled back on the chair.
Kaden going over the instructions for the performance tomorrow night prevented any further talking. Ginny was so frightened at the dramatic change in her friend that she barely listened to Kaden’s words.