Back to reality, she’d teased. But the reality was she was blissfully in love and aching to be with Trevor on a more permanent basis. That meant getting the loft finished so it was out of her mind and off her to do list.
The Home Depot had been stripped of all Christmas paraphernalia and they were firmly on the ‘get organized in the new year’ bandwagon. Which meant extra savings for her.
She pondered the various options, decided against wire shelving and turned her attention to the hanging drawer units. Retrieving her phone, she started to open the note file that included all the measurements for her apartment but there was an email waiting from Scott, her editor at Barkley.
He was happy with the edits she’d sent in thus far. Thank goodness. She was planning to finish them up today so that would be one more thing off her list. Then she and Trevor could enjoy some quiet time at his new place before she had to fly out.
No sooner had she closed her email than the phone rang. John’s name flashed across the screen and she considered not answering it. But knowing him there’d be some last minute detail she needed to hear.
“Hi, John.” As always, she did her best to be professional.
“What’s this about you dating Trevor Wyatt?”
The phone slipped from her hand and she reacted quickly to save it from crashing against the cement floor. How did he know? She released a sigh; the last thing they needed right now was the pappo chasing them.
“Is it true, JJ?”
“Why does it matter?”
“You’re kidding right? Please tell me you’re not really that blonde.”
He’d been cracking blonde jokes regularly since she’d gone back to her original color in November.
JJ’s chin shot up but she took a deep breath. One day… one day… karma was going to bite the man in the ass. She only hoped that karma had teeth like a piranha and that she got to be there to hear him scream like a little girl.
“If you’re dating the guy, you have the perfect opportunity to get the interview of the century.” JJ was under no illusion that he cared about her or her career. He wanted the interview in his paper. He wanted to unearth a scandal that would put him on the map.
It annoyed her to no end that he was interested in such… such tabloid journalism.
“According to everyone, I already did the interview of the year… with Mathers.” Or even more highly acclaimed: the interview with that scoundrel Morrison. She couldn’t help but rub it in John’s face. He so had it coming.
“Yeah. Whatever. Formal, informal, I don’t care. Just get me something. This could put us back on the map!” She heard the excitement in his voice and her stomach soured.
“I’m not interviewing him.”
“Yes you are. It’s your job. It’s your new assignment in fact.”
“Look, John. Trevor’s private life is no one’s business but his. If he wanted to do an interview, and decide what topics are off limits, then I’d agree. But he doesn’t. So there’s not going to be any interview or any article.”
“Don’t be stupid JJ. He’s a celebrity. His life is an open book. He knew that when he signed up. Speaking of which, what the hell is this about you writing a book?”
“What are you talking about?” She pushed the words through tight lips and gave up looking for the closet organizers. Instead she sank down onto the cold cement floor and leaned back against some boxes.
“Your publicist called and asked if I’d be willing to write a review for your book. I told her she had to have it wrong, you couldn’t possibly have written a book.”
“Why the hell not?” she asked, her temper getting the better of her.
“Well, for one, it might not even be legal. I’ll have to look over your contract and secondly—”
That was all it took for her to snap. She hung up on the controlling little twerp and made a beeline for her car.
Trevor was in the middle of his workout when a New York number flashed across the top of his cell phone. Normally he didn’t answer calls while he was working out, but he’d been distracted all day so it’s not like the call would be interrupting anything at the moment.
He leaned forward on the bench and put the kettle bell between his feet.
“Wyatt.”
“Mr. Wyatt, this is April Reynolds. I’m Julia’s publicist at Barkley books. I was wondering if you had a few minutes to talk.”
“Ugh, sure,” he said, frowning. What the hell did she want? And more importantly, how had she gotten his phone number?
“Great. I’m scheduling appearances for JJ’s new book and I’d like to know if you’d be willing to come to the New York and Atlanta signings to help her promote it. I don’t have exact dates yet, but if you’re willing to attend I’d be happy to work around your schedule.”
Trevor stared down at the newly installed gym mat and felt the walls closing in. Had JJ put her up to this? How did her publicist even know they were dating?
“Why would I do that?” he heard himself ask. It’s not that he didn’t want to be there for Julia. Hell, he’d make every signing he could.
“I-ugh-I’m sorry. Jessica Ross told me that the two of you were dating… and well, your picture was in the paper this morning, so I assumed—”
“My picture’s in the paper?”
“With JJ, yes. Wyatt Partying with Reporter. That’s the headline.”
He massaged his forehead but the pounding ache didn’t go away. So much for being lost in the New Year’s Eve crowd.
“I’m going to have to get back to you.”
He hung up. A little flashing light caught his attention. Geez. He had six voice mails. When had that happened?
He didn’t have it in him to listen to them yet and none were from friends or family. Instead he clicked Brady’s number.
“Hey Trevor. Thanks for getting back to me.” There was a hint of sarcasm in his agent’s voice.
“I didn’t listen to my voice mail yet.”
Brady let out a quiet curse but Trevor caught it.
“What’s going on?”
“You’re all over the papers again, man. They want to know who JJ is and everything else. You know the drill.”
“Great. Fucking great.”
“I’m turning your PR back over to Chastity.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“You know very well I do. It’s her job. She does it well. You need her on your side, Trevor. Give her five minutes of your time so that we can move past this.”
Five minutes. Trevor sighed again. “All right.”
“I’ll have her call you. Keep your phone on.”
JJ stabbed the caramel and chocolate ice cream with her spoon. Snuggling in the corner of one of Gretchen’s matching sofas; she listened to Baby’s latest speed dating adventure.
“I just don’t think you can get to know someone that quickly,” Gretchen said.
JJ agreed but kept the comment to herself. Going on five months and she still have no idea what was going on in Trevor’s head. After the call from John this morning, she’d hid out at her loft, afraid that if she went back to the new house there might be paparazzi waiting. Or worse, following her.
But no one had followed her, luckily. Her phone was a different matter.
“It’s not about getting to know someone well, it’s about seeing you have enough in common to go further,” Baby said.
“So you’re looking for a boyfriend now?” Gretchen asked and topped off her wine glass.
Baby was quick to shake her head. “But I wouldn’t mind dating the same guy more than once. I’ve been on too many first dates and I’ve had too many sloppy first date kisses.”
“So… you’re looking for monogamous sex?”
Baby’s face lit up. “Yeah. That sounds about right.”
JJ thought about the two phone calls from snoopy reporters, the email from that blogger who made it her mission to follow celebrities to the ends of the earth. And the fact that Trevor hadn’t called, texted or emailed all day. She had no real cause for concern… except, she was concerned.
It wasn’t like him to go so long without being in touch… He had to be getting calls from the media. She hadn’t been able to look at the articles since she’d spent the afternoon on edits. And finishing up her closet shopping online.
“Everything okay?” Gretchen asked and JJ glanced over and found her friend staring at her. She tried to shake off her unease.
“Yeah.”
“How are edits coming?” Cindy asked, pouring another glass. The Chardonnay was aged in ceramic rather than oak and JJ had to admit, it was yummy.
“Done. Finished them this afternoon and sent them off to Scott just before I came over.”
“Well, woo hoo for that! We should have gotten champagne again.” Her friend’s smile lit up the room.
“I’ll just take some more Chardonnay, thanks.”
“G, where’s the notepad?” Cindy asked.
Soon they were filling out their thoughts on this week’s wine and Baby broke out another carton of Ben & Jerry’s. Despite the cheer of the holidays, today had called for ice cream. JJ had taken it upon herself to bring eight or nine flavors.
“Cherry is my favorite,” Baby said with a cute smile.
“So how are things with T-man?”
JJ thought back to their weekend in New York, how attentive he’d been. How much fun they’d had partying together, counting down as the ball had dropped. And then that steamy kiss at midnight.
“Earth to JJ. Come in JJ,” Cindy said with a teasing smile.
“It was good.”
“Was good?” Cindy asked.
“Have a good Christmas?” Gretchen added.
“Sorry. New York was good… I just…” She sighed. “John called this morning.”
“This doesn’t sound good.” Cindy sat forward, curling her arms around a pale aqua throw pillow.
“Evidently the publicist at Barkley called to ask him for a review or something. I think he just likes giving me a hard time because I’m a woman. But the story must be out there because Gretchen saw my book mentioned and I’ve had two other reporters calling. One email from a celebrity blogger.”
“Aww, what’s wrong with getting your book out there?” Baby asked.
“It’s the invasion of privacy,” Gretchen told her.
She wasn’t about to tell them what had happened to Trevor, but she now understood why privacy was such an issue for him. If his uncle was still alive or there’d been anyone else to watch over his cousin’s store after the whole ‘theft snafu’ he probably wouldn’t have been working at the store that day.
The thought of not seeing him again, not meeting like that and falling in love with him… she didn’t want to think about it. So instead, she finished off the pint of fudgy-chocolate goodness.
“What does Trevor say?” Baby asked.
JJ let out a long sigh. “That’s the thing. I haven’t heard from him.”
“Since…”
“This morning when I left the house.”
“Did you check your texts?”
“A billion times.”
“No email either?” Gretchen asked.
“Nope.”
They all fell silent. JJ tried not to let her mind run away with her, but she loved him so much. If there was something bothering him, she wanted to be there to help him fix it. And if she couldn’t fix it, at least she could be there to support him.
“Maybe something came up. Or maybe he’s on the phone,” Gretchen said, obviously tried to put a cheery spin on things.
JJ remained quiet. Cindy had been too quiet this evening and JJ noticed her studying the carpet a little too closely. Come to think of it, there hadn’t been the usual discussion about one of her books. Plot problems, nor character antics.
“Everything okay, Cin?” JJ asked.
“You’ve been quiet tonight,” Baby added and they turned their focus on the pensive blonde.
“Adam and I broke up,” she whispered.
She said the words so quietly JJ thought she had to be hearing things. But Baby scooted down the couch and wrapped an arm around Cindy’s shoulders just as the first tear fell.
JJ hopped up to find a box of tissues.
“We’re just—too far apart,” Cindy was saying when JJ returned. “Three years younger—” Hiccup. “—than me.”
JJ settled onto the armrest and kept the tissues at the ready, trying to decipher her friends tear filled words.
“I thought about moving,” Cindy said, reaching for a tissue. “But he didn’t want me to be away from my friends and family. I thought that was sweet. But I— I want to be with him. I—”
She sniffed and blotted her tears. After sucking in a deep breath, she continued. “If I’m honest, I don’t really want to move. I hate the desert. Nice to visit, wouldn’t want to live there.”
“Why doesn’t he move here?” Baby asked gently.
Cindy shrugged. “He didn’t really say anything beyond his company’s there. And it’s still so… young. They only took over three months ago. It’s not like we’re married,” she said and JJ could tell that her friend was trying to justify why the relationship wouldn’t work.
Suddenly, she felt extra blessed that Trevor both loved her and made the move to Atlanta, sparing her the stress of being separated from everything she’d ever known. It couldn’t have been easy for him. If anything, giving up Antonio’s meatballs was a terrible hardship.
“Plus, the relationship’s still so new… I’m just not sure it’s worth uprooting everything for.”
JJ squeezed her shoulder. “When it’s worth it, you’ll know.
Cindy nodded and wiped her tears again. “I’m sorry you guys. I didn’t mean to get all blabby on you. I want to hear about everyone’s Christmas. It’s been forever since we’ve seen each other.”
They all agreed and chatted about presents. Decorations. Food. Always food.
“Did Trevor buy you anymore shoes?” Baby asked. “Because that last pair was To. Die. For.”
JJ smiled. “No. No new shoes.”
“Well…”
“What’d he get you?” Gretchen added.
JJ smiled. “One of his original jerseys. He’s not sure if it’s the one he was wearing the day we met… but that would have been extra sweet. And also, a key to his house.”
“I can’t wait to see it,” Cindy said.
“Me too.”
“Well, we’re thinking of having a Super Bowl party at the new house, if you guys—” Her phone interrupted her. “Are free,” she finished and she glanced at the number.
John. Figured. The asshole had called her again in the middle of the afternoon to discuss her latest “assignment.” She’d let it go to voicemail.