Keys to Love (9 page)

Kenny looked at him. “Yeah, that’s exactly what he’d say and it doesn’t help either. What do you say?”

Evan smiled. “I say she must feel the same way about you, if she’s willing to pay just for some time alone with you.”

Kenny nodded thoughtfully. “I like that better.”

Having announced the line-up for the next items, Jesse walked off stage while a crew brought out a white grand piano, and to give the audience a moment to catch their breath and gather their Keys to Love
65

wallets. Evan handed him a bottle of water and Jesse took it while smirking at Kenny. “So, what do you think of your winner?”

Kenny stared at him. “You were behind this, weren’t you?”

“Well, I didn’t work alone.”

Kenny shook his head slightly, as if still in disbelief. “I don’t even know what to say, how to thank you—”

Jesse held up a hand, stopping Kenny’s words. “You don’t have to say anything, and you sure as hell don’t need to thank me.

You’d weird me out of you did.”

Julian couldn’t help but smile at seeing Kenny’s grateful one.

The moment broke as Robbie muttered, “Shit,” the stress in his voice clear even with its muted tone. Robbie’s gaze was beyond everyone, and Julian turned to see what had his attention.

His own breath caught at the sight of Kyler Christenson storming toward them. Normally Kyler’s sharp features were beautiful to behold. Now Julian saw a mix of determination and anger in the singer’s expression.

“I can’t believe you were serious about doing this!” Kyler said.

Though Kyler’s gaze was focused on Robbie, it was Evan who marched forward to meet him.

Julian held his breath. It was a gross understatement to say Evan’s and Kyler’s personalities clashed. They were capable of being civil to each other. They even banded together to take down the Swiller boys after Evan found out they were behind the attack on Jesse, but all it took was one wrong word, one misplaced look, and they were at each other’s throats.

Evan’s voice dipped to a threatening growl. “I don’t know what bullshit is going on between you two now, but there’s no way I’m going to let you fuck up this auction. You need to cool your ass.”

Kyler took a half step toward Evan, leaving only inches between them. “And what you need to do is get out of my face.”

His hands moving in a flash, Evan slammed Kyler on the chest, sending him flying backward several steps before Kyler
66 S.J. Frost

caught his balance.

Evan advanced a step and pointed at him. “Now I’m not in your face. And I’m not going to tell you again, cool it.”

Jesse leaped in front of Evan, shielding him to stop Kyler from coming at Evan, though it wasn’t needed. Robbie rushed forward to stand in front of both Jesse and Evan, facing Kyler.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Robbie snapped.

“What’s wrong with me?” Kyler said in disbelief. “What’s wrong with you? You’re the one selling himself to the highest bidder!”

Robbie rapidly shook his head. “What are you talking about?

I’m not selling myself to anyone!”

“You said that was the whole point of this thing! Everybody’s hooking themselves except those two!” Kyler jabbed his finger toward Jesse and Evan.

A cough came from Robbie’s throat as if he was trying to find his voice, but from how he held his hands up in utter frustration, he seemed unable to speak for several seconds. He took a breath and tried again. “I can’t believe it. I don’t know why I can’t believe it because it’s completely typical of you, but this one really takes it.”

Confusion dimmed the anger on Kyler’s face. “What are you talking about?”

“You never listen to me! I’m not hooking myself out! I told you, everyone is offering up different things! The only one whoring himself out is Kenny!”

Kenny choked out a gasp. “Hey, I didn’t—”

“But I thought…” Kyler started, “then you’re not selling a date with you?”

“No! I’ve autographed one of my custom guitars and that’s what I’m donating.” Robbie gestured to Julian. “He’s giving away a private piano concert.” He pointed next to Brad. “He donated drum lessons.”

Keys to Love
67

Julian watched as one by one, Robbie named what all of them had put up in the auction and how Kyler’s posture relaxed, despite looking flushed and embarrassed.

Robbie let out a fatigued sigh as he finished. “You really screwed this one up, Ky. I think you owe everyone an apology.”

Kyler lowered his head. He gave a few small nods. “I’m…

sorry, guys.”

Evan made an attempt to step around Jesse. “You need to pull your head out of your ass and get your act together, Kyler.

But if you really want to make it up to everyone, then figure out what you want to donate because you’re going up on the block.”

Kyler jerked his head up. “Are you serious?”

“Would I have said it if I wasn’t?” Evan said.

A smirk spread over Robbie’s lips. “What about your Lamborghini Gallardo? That’d be perfect.”

Kyler waved his hands in the air. “Whoa! I’ve got a lot of other things. I’ll come up with something else.”

Robbie rolled his eyes. “It’s not like you can’t buy another one.

And it needs to be something personal. Everyone knows you and that car.”

Kyler gazed at him for a long moment, then bowed his head.

His voice was barely audible as he mumbled, “Fine.”

Evan turned to Jesse. “You better get back out there before people get antsy. You can apologize for the delay and say as a special treat to help make up for it, a new item has been added by a guest celebrity, and announce Kyler and his car.”

Jesse started walking for the stage. “Got it. But be a good boy and no fighting without me having your back.”

Evan winked at him. “I’ll do my best, gorgeous.”

Julian let out a relieved sigh now that it appeared the situation was defused. Jesse’s cheery voice rang out from the stage talking about Kyler and his Lamborghini, followed by wild shouts and excited applause. He watched Kyler follow Robbie away, the two
68 S.J. Frost

clearly needing a moment of privacy. He heard Brandon laugh softly and looked at him standing with his arm around Shunichi.

“Well, at least no one can say Kyler doesn’t care,” Brandon said. “However twisted it is.”

As everyone chuckled, Jesse’s voice called Julian back.

“And now, ladies and gentlemen, we have something very special for you to bid on. I don’t suppose there’s anyone here who would like a private piano concert performed by the once famed classical pianist and now famed rock star, Julian Forrester, is there?”

The crowd erupted in applause.

Julian snapped his tux jacket down and nodded to the others.

“Looks like it’s my turn.”

“Good luck!” Brad said.

Julian took the stage, waving to the audience as he walked toward the white grand. He took a seat at it, stretched out his fingers, then settled them on the keys. The crowd quieted in anticipation. He struck the first soft notes of Conquest’s famed and much loved ballad, “Shattered.” The people cheered, then hushed once again as they listened to the instrumental version.

Jesse turned to the audience. “And now with Julian offering this teaser and me wanting to sing really badly, we’ll open the bidding at five thousand.”

Julian saw a flash of white paddles raise. The bidding went quickly, soaring to ten thousand, fifteen thousand, and continued to climb. With how the piano was positioned, he couldn’t get a good look at the audience. He did face the phones, and one in particular had the holder constantly waving a number.

As the bidding hit twenty-three thousand, many dropped out.

When it reached twenty-five, all but the person on the phone and one in the crowd remained. Julian tried to see the bidder in the audience, but the person was seated in the last row, a sea of heads blocked them, and all he could make out was the paddle numbered thirty-three popping up to counter each bid from the Keys to Love
69

phone caller. The bidder didn’t speak, only snapped up their paddle, so he couldn’t even tell if they were male or female.

“Twenty-seven. Can I get twenty-eight?” Jesse said.

The phone holder waved his number.

“Twenty-nine?”

The in-house bidder held up their paddle.

“C’mon, give me thirty!”

Again, the phone holder retaliated.

As “Shattered” drew to a close, Julian shifted into a rendition of Conquest’s most recent single, “Twisted Destiny,” and started rocking out the piano, though his mind spun at how high the bidding was climbing. Jesse called out thirty-one thousand. The in-house bidder responded. With the next bid at thirty-two, Julian gazed anxiously at the phone holder, who was speaking animatedly to the mystery person on the line. After a moment’s pause, the phone holder looked up and shook his head.

Jesse raised his gavel high. “Thirty-one thousand going once!” He paused. “Thirty-one going twice!” He waited. “Sold!”

He slammed the gavel down.

As Jesse announced a brief intermission, Julian rose from the piano to applause. He bowed and waved, his eyes scanning the back of the crowd for the winner. Without them holding up their number, he couldn’t pinpoint where they were sitting. He sighed and turned to walk off stage with Jesse at his side.

“You didn’t by chance get a look at the winning bidder, did you?”

Twirling the riding crop between his fingers, Jesse shook his head. “They were seated too far back. But you should have their name by the end of the night. They’ll have to file it when they pay. Ev and I weren’t about to have any deadbeats bidding, so all payments have to be done before they can collect their prize.”

He paused, looking from side to side. “You don’t see a trash can around here, do you? I wanted to throw this thing out.”

Julian looked at the crop. “I thought you said it’d be going to
70 S.J. Frost

the winner.”

“I already told Krista what we had planned for embarrassing Kenny and asked her if she wanted it to keep teasing him, or to actually use on him, but she said she wouldn’t need it to keep him in line. And she was certain I would do a good enough job of embarrassing him that she wouldn’t have to continue it.”

Julian pulled the crop out from Jesse’s fingers, feeling its pliability, but was also amazed at how supple the leather was on the handle and popper. “You don’t want it?”

“Ev and I might like to get kinky, but we’re not into that kind of play.” Jesse smirked at him. “You want it, don’t you?”

Julian attempted a nonchalant shrug. “Well, it’s too nice to just throw away.”

Jesse snickered. “People would be so surprised if they knew what a dirty boy you are underneath that façade of propriety. You can keep it, but you better know you’re going to pay for it with me teasing you mercilessly.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less.” Julian gave Jesse a tap on the shoulder with the crop. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Julian glanced forward to see Evan with people from the cancer research foundation, a woman holding one of his hands in both of hers, her gratitude clear as Evan humbly accepted her thanks.

Jesse stopped, a soft smile on his lips as he watched. “He’s really found what he was meant for now.”

Julian halted also. “Charity work?”

“Yeah. Look at how happy he is. You should’ve seen him this past week. He was so excited about this auction and what it was going to do. So many people would think his calling was music, even I would’ve thought that before I met him. Now I understand the true reason he was gifted with such musical talent. It wasn’t so he could dazzle the world with catchy rock songs and wild concerts. His music was just a stepping stone to this. I think he’s Keys to Love
71

realized that also.”

“I think you’re right.” Julian laid his hand on Jesse’s back.

“And you better go share in his happiness before you have to go back out there.”

Jesse looked at him. “Thanks for helping with this.”

“Like I told Evan, thanks aren’t necessary.”

Jesse nodded and moved to join his husband.

Julian walked away to find the others, hoping they’d offer distraction until he could find out who he’d be performing for.

From the wooden stage, Julian gazed over the empty hall in the Symphony Center. The hall was grander than what he needed, able to seat around a hundred and fifty, but the winner had paid a large amount of money for this, so he didn’t see the harm in being a bit extravagant. The lights over the front seats were dim, the ones toward the back completely black. The stage was well lit, a black grand piano sitting in the center. Two security guards sat in the first row.

Julian took a seat at the piano, thinking of how well the auction had wrapped up. Jesse’s original handwritten sheet music sold for fifty thousand dollars, Evan’s piano one hundred and twenty thousand, dinner with both of them for fifty-five thousand.

He couldn’t believe the success of it, or the prices people were willing to pay for such things. Probably for many, it was about the prestige of getting to personally interact with them, and he knew why Kenny’s bidder had bought him. What the bidders thought really didn’t matter, though. All that did was the money raised for the foundation. As for himself, he discovered the person who won the private concert was a man named Martin Spencer.

Julian glanced at his watch. His winner should be arriving at any moment. He felt anxious, not for meeting this person or for performing, but for wanting to get it over with. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to do it, but it seemed anything he did that distracted his thoughts from Morgan frustrated him. He was starting to get as bad as Kenny with his hopeless crushing. Though, Kenny’s wasn’t so hopeless any longer.

He flicked a piece of lint from his shirt. He hoped the winner wasn’t expecting him to be dressed up. Well, he sort of was, but not in the typical way. He opted to go rock star tonight, wearing a tight, violet long-sleeved shirt and black leather pants.

If someone had told him two years ago he’d wear leather pants frequently, he would’ve laughed at them. But he’d picked up the
74 S.J. Frost