33. Found Yourself

The first Saturday in April, two weeks later, Jamie looked at Laken as she turned her back. “Zip me up, baby,” she said.

She wiggled her ass at him in her fitted dress. It wasn’t much of a wiggle because she felt pretty constrained but knew she looked smoking hot too.

She was going to be on Jamie’s arm for a charity event where Jamie and West were being honored for their work in providing jobs to the area.

West and Abby, Braylon and Lily and Nelson would be in attendance too.

There were other companies being honored also in New Jersey for this. It was nice to not have the hustle and bustle of parking and moving around Manhattan.

“As long as I get to unzip you later tonight,” he said.

“You will,” she said, smirking.

She slipped her shoes on and did one more glance in the mirror of Jamie’s massive walk-in closet. It was more like a dressing room. She found it funny he had a better setup than her, but he was the one that was on TV all the time so she had to imagine he wanted to see how he looked before he left in his clothing.

He nudged her out of the way and stood in front of the mirror with lights and made sure his tie was just right.

She slid next to him and adjusted it some more even though he didn’t need it. It just felt like the thing to do. Something she remembered her mother doing for her father a time or two.

Funny how it just popped into her head.

“Do I pass inspection for you now?”

“You do,” she said. “Though I see you in suits all the time. A tux is a step up.”

West would be wearing one too. Not that either had a bow tie on, but she knew that West was always dressed to show his success. She knew that Jamie would want to do the same.

This was just more publicity for Penelope Plush Soap. Which was killing it out of the gate. Even she couldn’t believe how well the business was doing.

“Meaning you want to get me out of this tux later?” he asked.

“I want to get you out of your clothing all the time. Along with most of the women out there that see you.”

“But you’re the only one doing it,” he said. “You trust me, right?”

“Absolutely,” she said. “I never didn’t trust you. Why did you ask that?”

He shrugged. “Just wanted to make sure. I know my reputation and all.”

“That was you being a lost boy then somewhat of a lost man. You’re not anymore. You’ve found yourself.”

“I have,” he said. “I think I finally feel as if I’m enough as I am.”

She moved closer and put her arms up to hug him. “I’m glad you feel that way. I know you’re hurt your father hasn’t called you, but your mother did.”

He sighed. She knew he didn’t want to talk about this, but maybe they should a bit.

“She said the talk went well,” he said. “I get it.”

“It’s a step. You can’t get to your second step without the first. Maybe it’s possible that it’s hard for your father to swallow his pride. You spoke your mind. Your mother passed it on. Your mother is reaching out more. She’s asking about Penelope. You said things with her are different.”

“They are,” he said. “Nothing like you’ve got with your mother, but it’s better than it was.”

“Then take it for what it is,” she said. She looked at her slim gold watch. “We should get a move on.”

They walked out of his room and Penelope came rushing over in her pajamas. “Night, Daddy.”

He picked his freshly bathed daughter up and kissed her. “Night, baby girl. I’ll see you in the morning. I love you.”

“Love you too,” Penelope said.

Anyone who saw this interaction wouldn’t think of Jamie the playboy. That reputation was long gone.

They’d see the loving father and melt all over the place.

Penelope turned and put her arms out for Laken. “Do I get a kiss too?”

“Can I get a hug?” Penelope asked.

She reached for Jamie’s daughter and gave her a big hug and kiss and then set her down. “You have sweet dreams.”

“You look pretty,” Penelope said. “Like a princess.”

“Aw,” she said. “Thank you.”

“I love you too, Laken,” Penelope said and then ran out of the room.

She didn’t even get to say that back. “My makeup is going to be ruined. I think I’m going to cry.”

“A good thing, right?” he asked.

“Most definitely,” she said.

“Then you can tell her in the morning at breakfast.”

She’d spent the night a few other times and Penelope never questioned anything. She’d told Jamie it’d be fine. That his daughter was too young to need too much of an explanation of the relationship and it would just fall into place.

Thirty minutes later they were mingling with guests. West and Abby came in, followed by Braylon and Lily. Nelson had arrived a few minutes ago and was milling around. Her youngest brother had closed on a townhouse not that far from here.

“I’m still trying to get used to these things,” Abby said.

“Me too,” Lily said.

“People will leave you alone afterward,” Laken said. “The worst part is all the gowns you’ll have. You can’t wear the same one again because someone will notice.”

“What a waste,” Lily said. “I just about cried when I saw the price of this.”

“We could swap them,” Abby said. “We are about the same size. All of us are.”

Laken grinned when she heard that. With all the money she and her brothers had, at the heart of it, they were still simple people. “That’s not a bad idea,” she said.

She moved away from her future sisters-in-law and was talking to other acquaintances she’d run into before when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

She turned and came face to face with Alex.

“Look at you all in the public eye,” Alex said.

She hadn’t seen him in years though she knew he still lived in the area.

“I’m not sure what that comment is about,” she said, frowning.

“Come on now,” Alex said. “We know that is why you ended things. You didn’t want to be part of my reality show. You said you couldn’t stand having all eyes on you and yet here you are dating someone who is used to living in the spotlight. The center of attention at all times.”

“I didn’t end things with you because of your reality show,” she said. “I did it because you used me to try to get that show. There is a big difference.”

Alex leaned in close. “Don’t think I don’t know your brother put an end to it before it even started,” Alex said. She’d just get over the fact that she felt more for him than he did for her.

Actually she got over that a long time ago.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said. “Now if you’ll excuse me.”

“Not yet,” Alex said. “And smile. People are watching us. You know it’s going to get out that we are exes and you wouldn’t want to have more talk and make bad press for your brother and boyfriend’s night.”

She felt an arm come around her shoulder. “The only bad press might be me ramming my shoulder into your gut as I slam you into the door. You know, all in good fun for the cameras that I still have those football moves.”

She turned and saw Jamie laughing as he said it. If anyone was looking at the three of them and taking pictures as Alex has mentioned, they’d see Jamie and her relaxed and Alex the one looking not so smug right now.

“You’d never do that,” Alex said.

“I’ve been known to goof off now and again with the guys,” Jamie said, putting his hand out. “You might want to shake my hand so that the press doesn’t think you’re the one with the problem. There are eyes on us. Those same eyes you tried to put on Laken when she didn’t want them.”

Alex shook hands with her boyfriend and she kept her smile in place. What she wanted to do was burst out laughing but wouldn’t.

When Alex stalked off she turned to him. “That was very mature of you.”

“I’m a mature person,” he said.

“You wouldn’t want to ram him into the wall, would you?”

Jamie snorted. “Hell yeah, I would but wouldn’t. I heard what he said to you.”

“He’s bitter,” she said.

“Do you hate having eyes on you like this?” he asked.

She could see he was concerned. “No. I hated it with him. Maybe I’ve gotten used to it. I don’t know. It could be the fact that it’s with you and I know it’s part of your life, but you wouldn’t put anyone through something they wouldn’t want to do. You’d always do the right thing and protect those you love.”

He hugged her close to his side. “That’s right,” he said. “Because someone taught me that I’m enough and that is all that matters.”

She laid her head on his shoulder. “But in teaching you that you’re enough I realized that I am too. I don’t have to be like my brothers. I don’t have to keep killing myself and working to prove anything to anyone. The right people know what they need to.”

“I guess you could say that we taught and learned from each other,” he said.

“My mother would be so proud.”

He laughed at her dry tone. “Mine might be too.”

Just hearing him say that told her that, yes, they’d both come a long way. It was amazing what opening your heart to the right person would do.