A Lie for a Lie (All In) - Helena Hunting Page 0,103
people you know and not a bunch of random strangers.”
“What about Kody?” Lainey worries her bottom lip.
“I’ve already made arrangements for that. Miller’s offered to have all the kids come over to his place. Kristen’s agreed to help, and Lance and Miller’s nannies are going to hang out and have a little celebration.”
“They’ll have all four of Miller’s kids, Lance’s son, and Kody?”
“And Robbie, Violet and Alex’s son. Don’t worry, they’ve got it covered. It’ll be a fun night for everyone. What do you say?”
Lainey’s fingers go to her mouth. “Will I need to dress up?”
“Yeah, but I’ve already got that covered. I picked up a couple of dresses in your size that you can try on. Vi and the girls have someone coming over to do hair and makeup, and they’ve already reserved you a space.” I check the clock: she’s supposed to be at Sunny’s in a couple of hours if she agrees to go.
“All the girls will be there?”
“Yup, all of them.”
“I’ve never gone out on New Year’s Eve before.”
“No time like the present to try something new, right?” I cross my fingers that it’s something she’s willing to give a shot.
“Okay.” She nods, resolved at first, before she hits me with one of her heart-melting smiles. “We can go out.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
I kiss her—enthusiastically—and it looks like it’s going to turn into a whole lot more until she realizes we’re under time constraints. Parts of me are disappointed, but the rest of me is excited that she’s excited, so I’m willing to delay the gratification.
An hour later Lainey is freshly showered, wearing a loose button-down shirt and jeans, and loaded down with a pile of dresses. I added them to her wardrobe this week with the help of Stevie’s online shopping skills.
I drop her off at Sunny and Miller’s place so she can get her hair and nails done with the girls. Violet greets us at the front door and holds up a hand when I try to come inside with Kody. “Babies and boyfriends are to head around the back. This is an adult-beaver-only zone. We’ll see you in a few hours.” And with that she closes the door in my face.
I drop Kody off around the back of the house where Miller’s brood, Poppy and Lance’s kid, and Violet and Alex’s son are all hanging out with three nannies to support them. I hang out with the guys for an hour, have a beer, then go home and get ready myself.
At seven thirty all the babies are put to sleep in their various cribs and playpens, and the bigger kids are snuggled up in Sunny and Miller’s little movie theater with popcorn and spill-proof cups of juice, so we head out for dinner.
We have a private room in an exclusive restaurant, so we don’t have to worry about fans. Lainey looks fantastic in her slinky black dress, hair styled in a complicated series of braids that wrap around her head like a crown. I’ve seen her in plenty of dresses at this point but never quite this done up, and I can’t take my eyes off her—or keep my hands off her either.
I’m relieved that she seems to be managing just fine, relaxed and comfortable around these women now that she’s had a few months to get to know them. I’ve tried to ease her into my life slowly, giving her the opportunity to face some of her big fears in her own time.
After dinner we pile into the waiting limos and head to the bar. Lainey’s cheeks are flushed from wine at dinner, and she snuggles into my side. “This is fun. I’m glad you convinced me to go out tonight.”
I press my lips to her temple. “Me too.”
A lot of the guys are probably at the club already, since Ballistic sent the invite to the entire team. Even so, we’re a big group, and we draw attention. People recognize us as we’re ushered past the line of people waiting to get in, and a low murmur of excitement follows us.
Lainey glues herself to my side, clutching my arm tightly as we enter the nightclub. Pounding bass greets us, and we walk down the dark, narrow hallway leading to the bar and the dance floor. There are several floors, and the room we’ve rented is up a level. Lainey says something I don’t quite catch. I lean down as we keep moving, the bass growing louder.