“You’re impossible, but whatever. I know you’re amazing, and so does everyone else here. Even if you can’t admit it.”
I blushed under her praise. Tonight really had been amazing; better than I could have hoped for.
Two strong arms wrapped around me, followed swiftly by Jackson’s silky voice. “There you are.”
He’d been commandeered by some fans earlier, and Tiff and I had left him to dazzle them, but I was glad to have him back. It had barely been a week since we’d gotten back together, and I was feeling especially greedy.
“Tiffany, can you do me a favor? I need a photo with the most beautiful woman in the room.”
“Why wouldn’t you,” she said, taking his phone while he pulled me into his side, kissing my temple as she took a few photos. Too many photos.
“Ok, enough!” I laughed and squirmed in his grasp, turning to look at him because that’s what I always wanted to do when he was near me.
His lips brushed my ear. “She’s right, you know. Everyone knows how amazing you are.” I buried my blush into his shoulder.
When he took his phone back, he immediately set about posting it to his accounts, the fifth one of us tonight. Surely his fans would be over us by now.
I was ecstatic.
My heart soared further at the caption he added to the photo:
Lost my heart in Chicago. If found, please return to Audrey Adams.
He tasted like rum and bitters when I pulled him in for a kiss.
David was beaming when he came by to say goodnight, pulling me into a congratulatory hug. “Great job, kiddo! I just spoke with Jeff and Julie, and they are thrilled. They’re excited to get going on the next thing.”
“Thanks, David. I’m glad you finally helped me get out of everyone’s way. Tonight wouldn’t have worked out if you hadn’t.”
His hand on my shoulder was firm, reassuring. “Don’t for a second dismiss your efforts here, Audrey. This is all you.”
“As nice as that is, I think Winnie and Jet feel that they could have worked for someone less frustrating.”
He scoffed. “Don’t tell them that. In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen them happier. It might have taken you a minute to get there, but in the end, you were leading them the way that I knew you could.”
I wasn’t wearing waterproof mascara. I couldn’t cry without it running everywhere. How dare he.
Seeing my apparent distress, he pulled me into another quick hug and then excused himself so that he could get home to Nicky.
The goodbyes came in quick succession after that.
Jeff, who looked happy but also like he’d rather be away from all the noise, made sure to shake my hand once more before they slipped out. When Julie hugged me and said, “We knew you could do it,” I’d had to bite my lip to stop it from trembling.
Why was everyone so set on making me cry tonight?
The worst culprits had surprisingly ended up being Winnie and Jet, who rounded out our little group as among the last to leave. Jet quietly thanked me for the experience but mentioned he wasn’t sure he wanted to continue after this year ended. I told him to keep in touch once he knew what he did want because I might have some contacts that could help him. He seemed shocked at this offer like I’d just told him he’d won the lottery.
Winnie, sweet, smart, going places Winnie, had been the one who finally broke my defenses. But how could I not feel overwhelmed when she told me that she’d really looked up to me and she’d requested David assign me as her mentor as long as that was ok with me.
As long as that was ok … Was she kidding? I’d never been called someone’s mentor before.
“Of course, that’s ok!” I said, wiping my damp lashes with my index finger and grimacing when it came back black. “And I promise to let you do more from now on.”
“As long as I can keep learning from you, I’m happy,” she replied. “David was right when he said we’d be learning from the best.”
I cleared the lodge in my throat. One of us was going to have to leave soon, or I’d be a blubbering mess.
Jackson saved me, sweet and proud. We caught up to Tiff as she flirted with a very perky woman with a bright pixie cut, and I saw Tiff swapping numbers with her before we said goodnight.
