Power (The Keatyn Chronicles Book 9) (17 page)

“Um, that would be nice,” I say, looking down at my chipped nails.
 

“And a manicure,” Keatyn says. “She needs something really cute.”

“And preferably not
age appropriate
,” I say.

“Your mother says all dresses must be age appropriate.”

I give Keatyn my puppy dog eyes. I need her on my side.

Keatyn smiles at me then says, “Gracie knows that and agrees with her. But this isn’t a public event. This is her first Homecoming. She needs something sophisticated. Something that’s both sexy and a little edgy. The kind of dress that would knock a boys socks off.” I bounce on the bed happily and silently clap my hands. “And while you’re at it, bring her a really hot dress for the after party along with shoes she can dance in. We’re at the usual hotel. Penthouse.”

After she ends the call, I bounce toward her and give her an excited hug. “You are the best sister ever!”

“Gracie,” she says seriously, holding my arms, “You can always tell me anything. I’m always here for you. Just because the triplets are a few years older than you, doesn’t mean they have the life experience to give you good advice.”

“Except for Avery,” I laugh, because she always gives good advice.

“Except for Avery,” she agrees as there’s a knock on our door.
 

“You two decent in there?”

“Knox?” Keatyn’s face crunches up in confusion. “What the hell?”

When the door opens, Riley and Knox both bound onto our bed. It seems sort of surreal sometimes to think my sister gets to sleep with Knox on screen and then go home to Aiden. My friend—I mean, my former friend—Kylie, used to say Keatyn was one lucky bitch.
 

“Gracie!” Knox says, rubbing his hand across my hair. “Heard you got in a fight last night.”

“Meow!” Braxton says, joining us by flopping his body across the bed.

“What are you doing here, Knox?” Keatyn asks.

“He wishes he went to Eastbrooke,” Dallas drawls from the doorway. “I told him not to come.”

“But here I am anyway. Better than hitting Vegas again, don’t you think?”

“I thought you had to work?”

“Got done early. Took the red eye. I heard you need a date for the dance,” he says, batting his eyes at my sister.

“I already have two dates,” she says, pointing toward Riley and Dallas.

“Fine,” Knox says seriously, holding his hand to his heart. “I thought Riley might need some emotional support. I know what a trying time this is for him.”

“Bullshit,” everyone says at once, laughing.
 

“Fine. I thought maybe I could meet a woman here. A normal one.”

“Ah, now the truth comes out,” Braxton says. “I’ll let you be my wingman. Brax will be on the prowl tonight too.”

“Knox doesn’t believe in being the wingman,” Riley jokes.

“Gotta be in the limelight all the time,” Dallas agrees, while Keatyn nods her head and laughs.

“This is why I want to go to Eastbrooke,” I say, although I didn’t realize I said it out loud until Braxton says, “Speaking of Eastbrooke. Your boy is still crashed on the floor.”

“He’s not my boy,” I say, even though I wish he were.
 

“I’m crushed,” Baylor says from the doorway. God, how does he look so perfect in the morning? His hair is a little mushed to one side, but it just makes him look cuter. And those blue eyes and long, dark lashes.
 

Shit!

I realize that I have no flipping idea what I look like. “Uh, excuse me,” I say, hopping out of bed and rushing to the bathroom.

When I shut the door, I realize how ridiculous I must have looked. Like a two-year old who was going to pee her pants.
 

But then I appraise myself in the mirror and am I glad I did. I mean, everyone has to pee, right?

I brush my teeth quickly and run a brush through my hair, wipe the mascara smudges off my cheek, and dab on some chap stick.
 

“Let’s order breakfast!” Keatyn is saying as I come back out. She jumps up and grabs the hotel phone. “I’ll just order a bunch of everything and we can share!”

I go toward the door. “Hey,” I say, a little awkwardly to Baylor. I’ve never been allowed to spend the night with a boy before. Not that we spent the night together. I just mean I’ve never woken up and they’ve been there.
 

“Good morning,” Baylor says, running his hand through his hair, trying to get it to lie flat. “Can we go out on the balcony for a minute?”
 

“Uh, sure,” I say, following him. Damn. Is he mad at me because I said he’s not my boy?

“It’s chilly,” he says, running back inside to grab a blanket off the chaise. He brings it out and wraps it around us.

“It is,” I say as we sit down next to each other with our shoulders touching. Actually, it’s more than our shoulders. It’s all the way down our arms. “You’re warm though.”

“Gracie,” he says. “I need to tell you something. Dallas asked me about it last night and it’s all I’ve been thinking about. I know we’re not going out or anything, but that girl, Krissy . . . I, um, have been sleeping with her. I think that’s why she’s mad about you being here. She’s older and she’s slept with a lot of guys, from what I understand. I only did it—god, I sound so lame—because I hadn’t before. Most of my friends had done it last year. I had been waiting for someone special, but didn’t want to be the only virgin. And Krissy was interested in me. And she’s older. And I hadn’t met anyone special—so, I just wanted you to know. Maybe you don’t care. You probably don’t. And now you probably hate me. If you do, I understand. I just wanted to be honest with you. I like you.”

I frown, the thought of him with anyone disturbs me way more than I expect.
 

“I’m glad you told me,” I say flatly.

“Um, what about your boyfriend?”

“I don’t have a boyfriend anymore,” I snap.
 

And, I swear, Baylor’s blue eyes sparkle when I do. Not to mention the devastatingly handsome smile that is spreading across his face.

“Bad breakup?”

I let out a sarcastic chuckle. “You could say that. He slept with my best friend while I was visiting Eastbrooke.”

“Oh, wow. I’m sorry. Is that why you decided to come to Homecoming? Are you trying to get back at him?”

“No! Please don’t think that. I came because—”

“Food’s here!” Keatyn yells out the door, interrupting me.

“Because why?” Time feels like it stands still when he reaches up and touches my face, his blue eyes gazing intently into mine.

“Because I like you too.”

Hotel Suite - Connecticut

KEATYN

We have breakfast then the boys go golfing while Gracie showers.

I get a call from my former Eastbrooke roommate, Katie. We were on the dance team together, she took Dallas’ virginity, and was nicknamed Tigger because she was so bouncy. She’s well-endowed and her boobs tend to bounce as much as she does. I haven’t seen her since she came to California on spring break.
 

“I wish we were at Homecoming right now,” she pouts.
 

“I’m actually here.”

“What? You went without me?”

“Yeah, last minute. I’m with Riley.”

“Oh, gosh. It’s his first time back, isn’t it? Maggie filled me in on what’s been going on with him and Ariela.”

“Did she tell you everything? Like about next weekend?”

“The party? I got the fancy invitation for the—wait! No, way! Are you and Aiden getting married?”

“Yes. I hope you can come.”

“I’ll be there for sure. Can I tell you a secret?”

“Yes.”

“I hate my job.”

“I thought you loved teaching?”

“I do,” she says with a sigh. “Maybe it’s that I hate myself. I gave in and slept with the hot young history teacher. Why can’t I date guys my own age? Why do I keep falling for fresh out of college boys? Boys who need a mother more than they need a girlfriend. I mean, can they really not bother to pick up their underwear when they know I’m coming over?”

“I suppose it depends what time you’re going over there and if their mom picks up after them.”

“Oh! Shut up! That was one time!” She giggles. “Oh my god, I will never live that down, will I?”

“You never should’ve told us that his mom made you breakfast.”

“Funny thing is, his mom and I are still friends! I had lunch with her the other day.”

“Well, she is closer to your age than he is.”

“She thinks I’m still in college. I always wear a ponytail when I see her. I’m horrible. So how’s Riley doing?”

“He seems to be okay. Went golfing with the boys. He’ll probably come back drunk enough not to care. And Knox showed up.”

“That man is fine. Why can’t I meet someone who looks like him?”

“If you come to the wedding, you can meet him.”

“Oh, lord have mercy. I’ll probably have a spontaneous orgasm. Or my ovaries will explode.”

“When you meet him, you should ask him the question you always want me to find out the answer to.”

“What I want to know is why in the world has no reporter ever asked him. It’s the
one
question every woman in America wants to know, whether they’d admit to it or not.”

“I dare you—no, I double dog with hot fudge on top dare you—to ask him.”

“I can see it now. I have a few thousand glasses of wine, stumble toward him. He catches me in his arms and I ask him. Only he doesn’t understand because I’m drunk and it sounds like
Knox, do you mumble mumble really and if we mumble mumble would you mumble mumble mine down lower?
”

“Katie! Oh my god! I thought you were going to ask if he bites a girl’s lip when he kisses her in real life! Not if he does it when he goes down on her.”

“You didn’t know that’s what I’ve always been talking about? Every time I see you two kiss on screen that’s all I can think about. Him going down on me. Oh—shit, gotta go, my doorbell is ringing. The hot asshole history teacher is taking me to lunch.”

“Well, that sounds sweet!”

“Okay, I lied. He’s bringing lunch, but we won’t eat it because he will attack me the second I open the door.”

“And that sounds hot. Enjoy!”

“You too. Tell Foxy Knoxy that I’m coming for him.”

I hang up the phone laughing as I let the hair and makeup team in, order some lunch from room service, and then get myself in the shower.

“What do you think?” Gracie asks, holding up her hands and showing off pretty, pale pink nails with black tips. “I got a fun French manicure. Subtle, but cute, right?”

“It’s very pretty and will go with anything you wear.”
 

I pay the hair and makeup team and let them out of the suite as Kym is coming down the hall with two bellmen in tow. It’s already five o’clock, and I was starting to get worried she wasn’t going to make it in time.
 

“Auntie Kym!” Gracie screeches, hopping up to give her a hug. “I haven’t seen you in forever.”

“I dressed you for the premiere just a few weeks ago!”

“Well, it feels like forever,” Gracie smiles.

“You know how to work it, don’t you? Trying to butter me up, so I’ll let you wear something your mother wouldn’t approve of?”

A Cheshire cat grin spreads across Gracie’s face. “Maybe.”

“I swear, you both smile just like your mother,” she huffs, coming over to give me cheek kisses. “It just so happens there is nothing on these racks that she would approve of.”

“Can I see?” Gracie asks, standing patiently by the door as the bellman leave, only to be replaced by Dallas, Knox, Riley, and Braxton, who are tipsy and sweaty.

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite stylist,” Knox drawls, giving Kym air kisses. “How’s married life treating you?”
 

Kym finally tied the knot last summer after dating a real estate mogul for over five years.
 

“It’s good. He’s as busy as I am, working on a new business development in Dubai. We meet up for sex every week then go our separate ways. The perfect arrangement.” She glances at Gracie then says, “You didn’t hear that.”

“My lips are sealed,” Gracie says, pretending to zip her lip.

“I’m going to take a shower,” Braxton says. “Keatyn, wanna join me?”

“Not this time, Brax, but thanks!” I say with a laugh.
 

“Your date, Baylor, is a good golfer. Like, really good,” Dallas says to Gracie, as he makes Kym a drink.

“He beat Dallas for best ball every time,” Riley chuckles as he flops onto the couch.
 

After Kym takes a sip, she rolls the clothes into the bedroom. “You all stay seated on the couch. Miss Gracie and I are going to put on a fashion show. You can help her decide what to wear.”

“You know
she’s
going to decide what she wants to wear,” I say.