Foolish Games (7 page)

“But watch that one,” I pointed to Hawkins, “he actually bites.”

The crooked smile disappeared from Hawkins’ face as Warren started to laugh, but before Hawkins could retaliate I said to Kosic, “Deal me in.”

Kosic stood up half way as I came around the table to give him a long overdue hug. He wrapped his arms around me and unexpectedly pulled me up off the ground. He groaned happily before releasing me again. My face turned as red as a tomato as I searched for an open seat around the table, but Kosic quickly pulled me down onto his lap with one quick tug of his arm.

“First, I’m going teach you how to play,” he explained to me like I didn’t already know how. My face flushed all over again as his body pressed up against mine. Mentally I tried to switch gears but the twelve-year-old girl in me was screaming yes, yes, yes!

Although I joined the game in spite of Hawkins’ comments, I was a little worried about the drinking part. A smile was plastered on my face so Hawkins wouldn’t know he was right. It wasn’t exactly one of my rules, but I didn’t really drink. Besides a glass of champagne at a couple of weddings, and a sip of my mom’s piña coladas at the beach, that was it. Still, I couldn’t let Hawkins be right,
ever
. To my relief, I noticed that everyone else’s pile of chips looked small in comparison to our pile which made me feel pretty good about my chances of not actually having to drink. That was until we lost the third game in a row.

Hawkins’ distant, soft laughter could be heard as I downed every god awful shot of alcohol. Maybe I needed to work on my brave face since Hawkins seemed to know exactly how I felt about taking the shots. I couldn’t hide the displeasure in my facial features as I slapped down another shot glass on the table. I ran the back of my hand across my mouth. Ugh! My body shivered with the nastiness of the taste. Why would anyone want to drink what smelled like nail polish remover? Ryan called it a night when Warren started to make out with Lizzie on the couch and Hawkins moved in to take the now open seat across from Kosic and me.

“I’m in,” Hawkins said coolly.

“Good,” the drunk in me said to him. “We got to keep those fingers busy doing something besides tweeting on that BlackBerry.”

Hawkins seemed to savor the moment, realizing that his comments had clearly gotten underneath my skin. For a moment he smirked at me before he looked down at his cards. Leaning my head back on Kosic’s shoulder, I gave Hawkins the stink eye since he looked way too happy with himself. Kosic slid our cards off the table like a professional. I felt pretty good with our full house as everyone started to fold around the table but Hawkins. He casually looked across the table at the sight of Kosic and I together.

“We’re going to ante up,” Kosic said as he tossed two chips in the middle of the table.

“Man,” Kosic whispered in my ear, unaware that we had Hawkins’ undivided attention. “Wow, you’ve grown up! I’m so glad Kyle isn’t here to see you like this with me,” he added suggestively. Flushing a tomato red again, I beamed from ear to ear.

“Are you blushing?” he taunted and the twelve-year-old in me giggled.

“I fold,” Hawkins said as he leaned back in his chair. Turning to look over at him, I noticed the delight was gone from his eyes.

“Why?” Kosic asked, seemingly surprised by the decision.

“We won!” I was thrilled since it is one less shot for me.

“Let me see your cards.” Kosic reached for Hawkins’ cards, but Hawkins slammed his hand down on them.

“You know the rules, I folded therefore I don’t have to show you.” Hawkins picked up his cards and tossed them onto the discarded pile.

Kosic, who had also had too many, flipped the cards over and exclaimed, “Who folds when they have four of a kind?”

Hawkins shrugged indifferently as I continued to pull the chips in.

“I’m done,” Hawkins sighed. “It’s getting late.”

“Me too,” Daniels agreed and got up from the table.

I started to get up, too, but stumbled over the leg of the table (who put
that
there) and sat back down.

“Did you have a good time?” Kosic asked me when Hawkins’ eyes flashed to mine.

“God, it didn’t take much to get you drunk, did it?” Hawkins snarled at me before he got up as well.

I was speechless for a second. What did that mean to
get
me drunk? What the hell was his problem?

“Don’t worry about him, he’s just arrogant and smug.” Kosic laughed. “And a shadow of the man that he is on stage, isn’t that what the review said?” Kosic could barely contain his laughter.

Without even looking, I knew that Hawkins had turned around. “I don’t know, why don’t you ask your girlfriend?”

“What are you talking about?” Kosic truly sounded confused.

“Yeah, that’s my cue to go,” I announced.

“That’s probably a good idea,” Hawkins added.

“You’re not going to drive anywhere, you’re drunk,” Kosic replied. He threw an exasperated look at Hawkins.

“Don’t worry about it, Kosic,” Hawkins reassured him. “I’m sure she’s parked just right outside.”

Standing up abruptly, I was infuriated, but also thoroughly embarrassed when I stumbled in front of Hawkins,
again
. Kosic jumped up to help me, but I gently pushed him away.

Hawkins turned towards Riley and warned, “Don’t let her drive tonight.”

“Why the hell do you care?” I asked, coming out a little louder than I meant it to.

“I supplied you with the alcohol,” he said indifferently.

“Wow, you really are a piece of work, aren’t you?” I glared up at him as the room came to a standstill around us.

“And you’re a lousy drunk,” Hawkins retaliated.

“And you’re just plain
lousy
,” I retorted while passing him to head out into the hallway with Riley not far behind me.

I realized when I turned around in the hallway that Kosic had followed after me, too. “I don’t think that either of you should be on the road this late. I’m sure the hotel can manage to find you a room.”

Not knowing how to justify my behavior I just confessed, “I’m so sorry, Kosic.”

“It’s fine.” He waved it off. “The truth is the review was right, he is an arrogant prick. I’m just glad that someone had the guts to finally let him know. Usually everyone just kisses his ass.”

Riley was about to confess that it was me, but stopped when I shook my head at him. I wasn’t proud that I had put Hawkins in his place even if my veins were still boiling over with anger and resentment. Thank goodness for Kosic though, because he managed to get us a room at the already sold out hotel. We were just one floor beneath Hawkins I realized, though I wondered why it mattered to think about such things?

If it wasn’t for my promise to Riley that I would drive him to each concert, I would have walked away from all this drama days ago. It would have been easy to hand Riley the thick stack of cash that my father left for me in his will because it only reminded me that he was gone, forever. The family van that I still remembered so vividly from my childhood, however, still held some meaning which made it virtually impossible to pass the keys over to my crazy, but well-intentioned friends. Still, what enjoyment could I possibly get out of watching Hawkins from the front of the stage night after night while knowing what a miserable person he really was? I tossed back and forth in the bed wondering about this before I fell asleep.

 

I woke up with a splitting headache from a hangover that only got worse when I attempted to sit up. Determined to get a much needed shower, I forced myself to slip out of the extremely comfortable six hundred thread count, white Egyptian cotton sheets that were on top of a plush double-sized bed. Riley was sprawled out on the next bed with his face down in a pillow. I didn’t want to wake him up so I quietly made my way over to the bathroom, closed the door gently and turned the faucets on for a long, hot shower. I imagined every crummy concert washing off me as the water went down the drain. Needless to say I was in there for a while before finally turning the water off.

My empty stomach was the only thing that could tempt me into leaving the hotel room since I didn’t want another encounter with Hawkins. I decided to chance it by making a trip by the hotel buffet. I found yesterday’s clothes, freshly cleaned, hanging outside the door. It was probably the first pair of sweat pants they ever had to wash and press. Riley must have thought to put our clothes out to be cleaned while we stayed at such an expensive hotel. After I got dressed, I left my damp hair down, snatched up Riley’s aviators to block out any kind of light, and grabbed the extra key pass before exiting our hotel room.

I reached the silver elevator doorway and hit the down button. I mentally went over my attack strategy: skip the fruit and go straight for the carbs. Then race back to the elevator while avoiding anyone who might recognize me, mainly one person in particular.

So wouldn’t you know it when the elevator doors slid back open, I shook my head at the sight in front of me. There leaning against the right side of the elevator wall, looking cooler than James Dean, was Hawkins. Behind him was Harrison, his bodyguard. Hawkins’ eyes casually looked up from the ground to my pink rolled up sweats, then shamelessly at the tug of my tank top across my chest, until his eyes peeked for a second at the comical sight of me in Riley’s aviators. He licked his lips, trying not to smile when he asked, “Going down?”

Not that he could see me, but I rolled my eyes and stepped onto the opposite side of the elevator from him. Who knows? Maybe hangovers made you fearless—yeah,
right
. I rubbed my right temple now that my headache had just gotten worse. We were quiet for the ride of eternity down to the lobby, but just when I thought I was about to make a break for the door unscathed, Hawkins asked, “If I don’t like brunettes, red heads, and blondes than who does that leave?”

It was too early in the morning for the realization to fully hit me that he had read the damn comment!

“Paula Deen?” My lips curled up with the insult.

“Funny,” he said, but he wasn’t laughing as he looked over at me intensely. “Do you really want to keep this up?”

“Keep what up?” The elevator doors opened to the lobby. Hawkins gave some type of nod to Harrison before the bodyguard exited the elevator, but when I went to leave he reached his arm across, blocking off my exit, and pushed the elevator button to shut the doors again. My body went warm when Hawkins moved to stand in front of me. He glared down at me. “This blog thing.”

“I was…” I started to explain.

“I don’t want excuses.” He tilted his head down to level with my eyes. “Just promises.”

“I promise not to write about you as long as you promise not to write about me.” I crossed my arms.

“Fine.” Not moving an inch away from me, he continued, “As much fun as it is to see you get all huffy and puffy.” The edge of his lip curled up in a smile. “This isn’t a good time to be around the band,” he stressed. “It isn’t safe.”

“What do you mean?” I felt my face tighten with confusion.

“It’s just not a good time, trust me. I’m trying to be nice,” he added gravely.

I laughed with the memory of last night. “Well, I wouldn’t want to see what
not
nice looks like.”

I hit the open button to the elevator, but he didn’t budge when the doors opened again. People were gawking at the sight of us so close together.

“
Excuse
me,” I said acidly as my jaw tightened.

“Joie, I’m being serious,” he said earnestly. His blue eyes were searching mine.

“Likewise,” I said with an edge at his insistence to repeat himself. “Just remember to keep up your end of the deal.”

“By the way,” he added. “You’re welcome.”

“What?”

“For the hotel room.” He nodded. “You’re welcome.”

Oh, my god! You have got to be kidding me! I rammed the close button to the elevator this time. I turned on him this time, closing in the space, pointer finger out. “Kosic got me that room.” I tapped his chest. “Because he was worried for me so don’t even try to take credit for something you didn’t do.”

“Oh, Kosic,” he emphasized. “Kosic, got you that hotel room?”

“Yes, so I’m not thanking you.” I poked his solid chest again.

“Kosic, the manager of The Larks got you that hotel room?” He leaned into me while looking beyond humored.

“Yeah,” I said, a fraction less sure.

“So, it’s Kosic who foots the bill for all these hotel rooms?” A sexy sneer crossed his face.

“Yes,” I said flatly while knowing the truth now. Damn you, Hawkins!

“Like I said,” he leaned in a fraction more, surprising me with the closeness, when he reached across to hit the open button, “you’re welcome.”

He pulled back from the space while making the emptiness suddenly seem so cool in the elevator. I barreled through the doors behind him while fuming. Harrison was waiting for Hawkins when he exited. “Are you okay?”

Hawkins answered loud enough for me to hear, “I’m fine. She only tried to poke me to death.”

Taking a deep breath, I decided to be the better person by ignoring him. Instead, I headed straight towards the dining area. Passing the plush cream couches on my right and a long receptionist desk made with brown and gold flecked marble to my left, I entered a double doorway to the hotel’s restaurant. Once in the dining area, I noticed that mahogany tables and chairs filled the room. The place seemed to radiate elegance with cream-colored plates and crystal goblets laid out on the tables.