love those pants too; they hug your bottom like a second skin.”
“Heels it is then, and I’m glad you love the pants. Trevor picked them out, but I bought them because I knew you’d like them.”
“I’ll like them better when I get to peel them off you tonight.” He gives me another look and shakes his head before he walks out of the room and down the stairs.
Since we’re going in different directions, we leave in separate cars. Trevor and I meet in the VIP lounge at eight this morning to go over everything for the night. We leave no stone unturned. The band accommodations are set. The greenroom amenities are in place. The Kogi people are scheduled to arrive at six. The band goes on at seven. I know everything is in order because I check it a dozen times, but it will be nice to have a second set of eyes to confirm.
Trevor seems relaxed and happy. “What’s up with you?”
He smiles in his boyish way, then surprises me with his next statement. “Your brother dropped me off. He needed to be at work earlier than me.”
My mouth hangs open. “You spent the night together?”
“Do you want the dirty details or the shortened version?”
I cringe at the thought of getting the down and dirty from Trevor. “Just give me a G-rated overview.”
“You bailed on shopping day for me, and your brother said he’d come along. He has fabulous taste, don’t you think?” Trevor stands and twirls in front of me in the same manner I did for Damon that morning.
“Who picked out the bow tie?”
“Chris chose the whole ensemble, from the pants to the sweater vest and bow tie.”
“He did an excellent job. Do you have matching outfits?”
“No, but we compliment each other.”
“I can’t wait to see what he’s wearing.” A text comes in from Em telling me to break a leg.
My nerves twitch, and my hands shake. “Can you believe it’s happening? The opening. The band. Do you still want to meet Rylan?”
“Chris and I want to meet the band together.”
His statement pleases me, and I smile.
“What are you grinning about?” he asks.
“You really like my brother, and I’m excited about that. You’re both great people. I think I’ll like having you as my brother’s boyfriend.”
“One day at a time,” he cautions with a smile. “How are things with lover boy?”
“Why do you call him lover boy?”
“I see when you come back from lunch. You always have that ‘just laid’ blush about you. I swear if I had sex that often, my dick would fall off.”
“On that note, let’s get to work.”
We go through the guest list and identify everyone and their guests but two. Sam Wilson and Tory Blake have not called in the names of their dates, so we’ll figure it out when they get here. It takes all morning and most of the afternoon to complete our checklist, but things are in order.
“Everything looks good, Katarina. I feel comfortable leaving everything in your capable hands. I’ve never enjoyed an opening, but that changes tonight. I have a date with a hot banker, and I plan to dance his ass off.”
Trevor leaves the lounge with pep in his step. Thinking about how crazy the night will be, I lean my head against the booth and rest my eyes.
“There you are,” Damon says. “I looked everywhere for you. Then I found Trevor, and he said he left you fifteen minutes ago. What are you doing?”
I rub my tired eyes. “How did the press conference go? I wish I could have seen it. Instead, I spent the day with Trevor, going over every detail. The night is just beginning, and I’m exhausted.”
He climbs into the booth next to me and pulls me toward him, so my head rests on his shoulder.
“The press conference went well. It would have been better if you were there with me. Everything is better when we are together. And tonight, I feel like this is our grand opening.”
We lean against the back of the velvet booth and kiss like teenagers. There are so much excitement and tension in the air, and Damon is my Valium. His presence relaxes me. It’s funny how he can calm me and rouse at the same time.
“Come with me to let the masses in. I want you to stand beside me. Emma and Anthony will be there. It’s a big night for all of us.”
We walk hand in hand to the front doors of the lobby. Em