The table erupts in, honestly, the most ridiculous commotion I’ve seen in a while, and Jett looks at me like we’ve just turned on the most ridiculous reality show for pure entertainment. Like he’d rather turn it off and just watch me, so he ignores them completely.
“You’re fallin’ for me, Baby?” He runs his hand down my cheek. “That can’t be right, considerin’ they’re all acting like we just met and this came outta nowhere. Our managers hate it, your sister said we’re only allowed to have a fling, and your brother ‘just knows’I’m gonna fuck all my groupies and cheat on you.” He quickly glares at them and turns back to me. “Did you just say it to piss everybody off?”
“Fuck no!” Ilaugh at the absurdity. “I meant it, Jett, like a thousand percent. I’ve never felt like this about anyone. That’s why Ilooked different this morning, right? People only glow like that when they’re falling—”
His hands are in my hair, and he kisses me with those soft lips, a kiss that tastes like we’re going to make it no matter who disapproves. Like I’m all he needs; like I’ve given him the gift he’s always wanted. We drown them out despite everyone continuing the fussing and fighting, until my dad grabs one of his collectable medieval swords from the wall behind him and slams it down in the middle of the dinner table.
The managers and Jett’s parents jump about a foot in the air and gasp, but the rest of us are used to this sort of creative problem-solving from my dad. “Right, if you’re here because you love Matilda and Jett and you support them being together, you can stay, ‘cause Ithrow one hell of a party. If you’re worried about what their love will do toyourcareer, you can fuck right off!”
The managers scatter, and my dad sends my thirty-year-old siblings to their rooms. It’s very satisfying. Things are finally peaceful. Ipour new wine for the mums, and Jett pours scotch for the dads.
Jett’s parents, Sid and Jennifer, are not bad once you give them a drink and start complimenting Jett, which my parents lay onthick.Igush about Jett's first gift to me, running upstairs to grab the puppy I've named Danzig, but have already started calling Ziggy. His parents can hardly decide who gets to hold the pup first. Mum squeezes Jennifer's shoulder and croons, “our first granddog!”
Ifind out the reason they’re so introverted and Jett has such a cool name; they’re gothic literature professors and gaze around our house like everything and everyone in it should be studied and taught. Imention how glad Iam that they didn’t name their son Romeo or Heathcliff. Italk to them about Edgar Allen Poe and Mary Shelley and they gaze at me like I’m the daughter they never had. Itmakes Jett melt into a puddle at my side and Inever want that feeling, that power Ihave over him, to go away.
“Jett has always talked about you, Maddy. Ithought you sounded perfect for him. Inever understood why he dated those other girls instead. They only wanted to use him to advance their own careers, and we know you don’t need him for that,” Jennifer says.
His dad stretches his glass of scotch to me. “We cannotwait for season two. Long live Princess Aerin, and long live Maddy and Jett.”
I feel so relieved that Istart to cry as the six of us clink glasses and talk about our insane last few days, and we promise Jett’s parents to show them our portrait and take them to Nobu before they go. We leave out the bits about my eight orgasms, the sex shop, and why Ilike to call Jett Daddy. They already know we’re weird,thatmight be pushing it.
“I asked Maddy to come to my BBC showcase, they’re recording in London next week, Ihope that’s all right?” My parents nod, and his parents say theycan’t wait to see me there. “Mads is so incredible. She literally called the performance coordinator at BBC, said who she was, and demanded that Iplay three old songs, two new songs, and two covers when they said only five songs, period, to me last week. Are you really surprised Ifell for her?”
The four parents grin. The mums speak in unison. “Not in the least.”
Chapter 26
Maddy
My parents have party planners running around everywhere until an elaborate dinner is served, and no one sits down to eat it but Jennifer and Sid. As punishment, my siblings have to be their dinner entertainment, telling them everything they need to know about the Morningstars. As soon as the rest of the rock royalty starts arriving, Jett’s parents, who really aren’t as cool as mine, like he said, get tuckered out, and we call them a car back to their hotel.
As they’re leaving and I’m hugging Jennifer, Icatch his dad telling him, “Don’t lose her, she’s a fucking star.”
I am floating around on cloud nine after that for so long, Idon’t realize I’m drunk. Jett is deep in a conversation with two-thirds of Metallica, and I’m trying my hardest not to give my mum’s bestie, Kate Bush, spoilers as she’s talking to Mum about my show. Ifeel warm hands on my waist and nearly jump out of my skin before spinning around to see her.
“Mickie!” Iscream and throw myself on her, squeezing until she has to break free like a final girl buried alive in one of my beloved horror flicks. “Come with me, darling, Ihave something to show you!”
I ask the bartender to deliver appetizers and cocktails to us in the pool house, and as soon as he does and no one’s in sight, Ibreak open the bag Isnuck in through the side gate. Her face is electric red as Itoss a full-body leather harness on the couch next to her. Idecide just to pull everything out and ask, “Hot or not?” But Mick is too intellectual for that, and has to tell me what kink is associated with each outfit, and all the reasonswhy someone would want to be submissive or dominant and how it can be perfectly healthy when done well.
I have the restraint system in one hand and the bejewelled collar in the other. “Why am Ilike this, Mickieeeee?!”
She explains everything Jett already said at Nobu, and Iinterrupt to tell her how it was the most romantic dinner of all time and how incredible it felt to let him call the shots, plan the date, regulate my blood sugar, and decide how many orgasms Iwas going to have.
“Forget my psych lesson, girl, Ithink you just needed a real man to step up after pathetic Asshole Archer spent two years asking you where you wanted to go for dinner every night and if he could pretty please have a blowjob three days a week while he gave you approximately one orgasm a year.”
I hug her and ask her how Icould’ve been so blind. “Jett has always been cute, and funny, and a surprisingly good kisser from what Iremember of that dinner party eight years ago. But girl, he is hot asfucknow. It’s not your fault you thought of him as just a family friend for so long,hello,he was!”
She describes that Ishare the same kinks as Jett and how rare that really is. “You’re submissive to his dominant, you aren’t even grossed out by his cum kink or freaked out by his breath play. The breeding kinkissurprising, but the daddy kink is definitelynot.”
I down two shots of Jameson and have her stand by the full-length mirror towatch a scene.Ireenact what it was like opening the bathroom door andseeingJett for the first time, complete with the sleepy toddler eye rubbing like Iwas waking up for the first fucking time. Because Iwas.
“Mickie, you fucking saved my ass with that story. If Ihadn’t read it, Imight not have understood. Imight have gotten scared off. Iwouldn’t have known what the fuck to say when he told me he wanted agood girl. You gotta tell me, Mick, how did you know about all of this? Have you done this … stuff?”
We walk to the couch, but we don’t sit. She puts a hand on my shoulder and looks me deep in the eyes. She sighs. “Maddy, I’ve been fantasising about a man like that, well, it’s called a soft dom, for so long, to be submissive only when Iwant to be, but also loved and cherished andpossessed. But I’mattracted to insecure nerds who could never get on board with it. I… Ilove you, but I’m so jealous of you right now.”
I don’t know whether to thank her or apologize or what to say, and one of my favorite things about mydream boyis that Idon’t have to know because he is tapping on the glass pool house door, ready to take the lead. And it seems he’s picked out the perfect present for Mickie.Holy shit.
“I heard there were two beautiful girls hiding from all the old people out here in the pool house, and I’m so glad the rumour was true.”
