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How was I supposed to behave in front of them in a casual setting?
“I don’t know how to act,” I admitted. “I’ve been so careful to keep my private and professional lives separate, but this is going to take me to a whole new level of notoriety.”
“So? You’re finally going to get the recognition you deserve.”
I didn’t respond since I wasn’t sure that was necessarily a good thing.
My association with Onyx Knight could change everything.
“I just want them to respect me,” I admitted. “I don’t want to be some token female they hired for publicity.”
“That’s ridiculous! Especially since you hide how gorgeous you are with your masculine clothes and ugly shoes. They definitely didn’t hire you for your looks.”
I laughed.
I wore biker boots, Dockers, things like that when I was working, and she gave me endless shit about how masculine they were. She hated my androgynous look, but not many people knew the real reason I did it.
“Oh my.” Greatty’s eyes rounded. “Is this his house? Holy guacamole.”
“Jesus.” I stared too, even as I pulled up and punched in the gate code Z had sent me.
“I should’ve made more cookies,” Greatty whispered, clearly awed.
“We should’ve made a bakery’s worth,” I added.
It was hard not to be impressed.
This wasn’t a house—it was an estate. With guest houses, a fountain, and a separate garage that would probably house half a dozen vehicles. Or more.
We lived comfortably, especially for Southern California, but this was next level.
“Welcome.” Z came to the front door, a dark-haired little boy in his arms. “This is Jeremy.”
“Hello, handsome.” Greatty was immediately smitten. She loved babies. A lot. Nothing would make her happier than becoming a great-great-grandmother.
“Z, this is my great-grandmother, Geraldine Monahan.”
“Very nice to meet you,” Greatty said warmly. “My friends call me Gerry.”
“Nice to meet you, Gerry.” Z grinned. “Come on in and meet everyone. There are a lot of names, so don’t worry about remembering them.”
And he wasn’t kidding.
His family alone consisted of almost a dozen people, not to mention the band, their publicist and her boyfriend, and to my surprise, their roadies and their families. Apparently, they were either an extremely tight-knit group, or they wanted me to meet everyone at once.
It was also surprising that other than Zeke, none of the other guys in the band had dates. I’d figured guys like them were never alone, but if they were dating or involved, they hadn’t brought them today.
“We have flavored water, regular water, beer, wine, and sangria,” Z’s wife Presley said to me. “What’s your pleasure?”
“Sangria sounds perfect for today,” I replied.
The women were all dressed in jeans or capris, definitely a casual vibe, so I was glad I’d opted for jeans too. Presley was pretty in a girl-next-door way, definitely not what I would have pictured for a guy like Z, but they seemed incredibly in love, the way he smiled after her wherever she went.
I didn’t think anyone had ever looked at me like that, and it left me momentarily longing. I’d been single since my last relationship ended about a year ago, and while I didn’t mind being single, it got lonely sometimes. Not that I’d ever admit it. Greatty swore my life would be better once I fell in love, but dating was hard. Relationships were harder. And I absolutely refused to settle. Life was too short for that shit.
“Why do you call your grandmother Greatty?” Z asked as she settled in a chair by the pool.
“When I was little and learning to talk, there was Mama, Grandmama, and Great-grandmama. Apparently, those were hard for me to say, and I got so confused Great-grandmama became Greatty. And it stuck.”
