Chapter 37

CHAPTER 37

GEMMA

C hristmas had come and gone, and as wholesome and special as the holidays had been with Noah by my side, I was pretty excited to be getting out of Austin with him the day after. We were jetting off to New York for the final planning meeting for their big New Year’s Eve party and I was completely giddy about it all.

I’d been working on the arrangements, and not only was I excited to share my progress with the band, but I was also going to be getting to present it to their management company. Since this event would be larger and fancier than their team party, there were a lot more people involved in the race to finalize it all and more stamps of approval to gain.

It was hands down the most exclusive event I’d ever planned, and it was in New York City to boot. I’d never done a solo event in Manhattan, but I was desperately looking forward to putting one on.

Most of all though, I was excited about getting to spend another week with Noah. We hadn’t worked out any of the logistics yet about how we were going to handle my living in Austin while he lived all over the place, but at least for this week, we would be in the same place.

I grinned at him as we got off the plane. His hand was in mine and my backpack was slung over his shoulder. “Are you really not going to let me listen to any of it before the event?”

They were releasing their new album on New Year’s Eve, and he’d been completely secretive about it so far, refusing to even hum a single bar of one of their new songs to me. City Lights would be live on stage at their event when the release happened, and apparently, he wanted to keep it as a surprise.

Why, I didn’t know, but I was super excited to find out. Noah slipped an arm around my shoulder as his bodyguards swarmed around us. He pressed a kiss to my temple. “You’ll hear it at the party. Trust me, it’s worth the wait.”

“No doubt.” I’d really been getting into their music these last couple months. Knowing how many of the songs Noah had written and talking to him about the stories behind them had just made me love it that much more. I glanced up at his handsome profile, my gaze flitting across the teasing smirk on his lips. I pursed my lips at him. “I don’t understand why I have to wait, though.”

“Because good things come to those who do,” he said quietly but playfully as we approached the exit doors. “Do you want to go ahead without me? I’ll catch up at the car, but it’s bound to be pretty crazy out there.”

“Crazier than Nashville?”

He nodded. “You, uh, you weren’t with me the last time I landed here, but let’s just say there’s a reason I didn’t offer to walk you out after that first flight we took together.”

I stared into the vibrant blue depths of his eyes. “Do you want me to go ahead without you?”

He pulled me closer. “Not a chance, but my privacy is already busted. You still have yours. If they see you with me again, though?”

“I don’t care.” I decided on the spot, winding my arm around his waist with my heart pounding in my chest. “I love you and they’re going to find out sooner or later. It might as well be now. At least it’ll be on our own terms.”

“You’re sure?”

“I’m sure.”

It really was just about him. Sure that I loved him and sure that I didn’t care who knew. What I wasn’t sure of, however, was how to handle the actual national media caring about who I loved. It was still mind-twistingly difficult to comprehend.

When we walked out there, there were going to be real reporters waiting and they were going to have questions for us that they’d want actual answers to. Meanwhile, to me, we were only Gemma and Noah, two people who had met by happenstance and were trying to navigate a logistically nightmarish relationship, but I was going to have to learn to live with the world caring, I supposed.

Looking deep into my eyes, Noah smiled and inclined his chin in a nod. A guard went up behind his eyes, like he was steeling himself before the onslaught. He turned back to the doors. “Alright, then. Let’s go public with this thing for real.”

I inhaled deeply but fell into stride beside him even as I wondered what that even meant as a grownup. Going public wasn’t something I’d thought of since I’d had my first boyfriend in middle school and we’d both been too embarrassed to let anyone find out at first that we were boyfriend and girlfriend .

As the doors slid open in front of us though, I realized that having the school jerks find out about a crush had been nothing in comparison to the media finding out. They recognized me instantly this time, and they didn’t miss that his events planner was nestled against his side, his arm protectively around her shoulders and her body turned into him.

Despite the bodyguards accompanying us, cameras flashed and questions were yelled. Noah didn’t respond to any of them, but he did kiss the top of my head as he ushered me to the waiting car, holding me close and not letting go until we were inside it.

“Sheesh,” I said as I buckled up. “That was intense. They really do know you’re here, huh?”

“Yep, but it’s usually only that crazy at the airport. Sometimes around the hotel. Mostly, I can still move around freely on the streets if I’m alone, and wearing sunglasses and stuff, but not when I’m with the other guys. It’ll also be a little nuttier than usual after the new album releases, so be warned.”

I chuckled when I saw the worried furrow appearing on his brow. “Consider me warned, but I’m okay, Noah. I might not be used to this yet, but I’ll get there. You don’t have to worry about it scaring me.”

“I don’t?”

After wondering if I should be taking it more seriously, I shrugged, brought my hands to his face, and made sure he was looking at me when I replied. “It is scary, and it’s weird, but I love you and I’m not going anywhere. I’m here for you, darlin’. I don’t give a damn what anyone else thinks about it.”

That was the gist of it, wasn’t it? I loved Noah, just Noah, but I also loved Noah Parks , the lead singer and heartthrob of City Lights. The guy with all those followers on every social media platform who had thousands of fans screaming for him at every concert they did.

If I hadn’t thought I would be able to handle the public eye on him—on me, even—I never would’ve let this go as far as it had. But I could handle it. I really wouldn’t let it scare me off. It was freaky and I wished it was different, but I loved him.

Simple as pie.

Noah stared back at me for another beat before he grinned and claimed my lips for a deep, loving kiss. We only broke apart when the car slowed in front of the building housing their management company’s offices. Noah held my hand as we walked inside, stopping at a coffee cart to grab a yummy drink before we headed upstairs.

A young, dark-haired lady was waiting for us when we strode off the elevator. As soon as she saw us, she made a beeline for me, an apologetic smile already on her lips. “Gemma, I’m Alana. That whole thing with you being introduced as his events planner was my fault. I’m so, so sorry. Honestly, I thought it would send some business your way. I never meant to cause any trouble between you.”

I slid my hand into hers when she offered it. “Apology accepted. Noah has already explained, but really, I should be thanking you. I wasn’t happy about it at first and I definitely would’ve preferred to know it was happening, but your plan worked. I’ve had so many requests from potential new clients and it only started making sense when Noah told me why you’d had me introduced that way.”

She chuckled and shook with me firmly before she withdrew her hand. “Women in business need to stick together. Please follow me. We’ve got the conference room all set up and a team in there ready to help with whatever you need.”

“Hello, Alana,” Noah said teasingly. “Gee, it’s so nice to see you too. I’m very well, thank you for asking.”

She laughed. “Welcome back, Parks. Are you sitting in on the meeting?”

“You know it,” he said. “I told you I’d take point from the band’s side, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, but that was when you were still trying to get her attention.” She jerked her head at me, flashing me a surprisingly friendly smile. “I kind of figured now that you had it, you’d be leaving all the hard work to us.”

“No way. I’m ready. Put me to work.”

Alana’s eyebrows swept up like she was surprised but pleasantly so. I would’ve liked the chance to get to know her better, not having even met her at the Christmas party although I knew she’d been there, but we spent the rest of the day in meetings, going over all the details for the event and doing a final review of the schedule. A few kinks came up along the way, but we ironed them all out as they reared their heads.

The team Alana had put together was happy to follow my lead, and it was amazing to work with them, but by the time we finally left that evening, I was glad to be done. It felt good knowing all our hard work had prepared us to throw an awesome party, but I was exhausted and I was looking forward to our bed.

Noah’s driver took us back to the hotel where Mariam and I had stayed together the last time I’d been in New York, and when I walked into Noah’s suite knowing I would be living in it with him this time around, I shook my head, disbelief sinking in.

“Can you believe how far we’ve come since the last time we were in this room together?” I asked, shrugging out of my coat as I strode deeper into the suite.

He came up behind me, sliding his arms around my hips and gripping the hem of my shirt, bringing his mouth to my throat and speaking against it. “I knew even then that you were different, darlin’. If memory serves though, you ran out of here pretty soon after. I’m really glad you won’t be doing that again this time.”

With that, he pulled my sweater off over my head and I turned in the circle of his arms, winding mine around him and pushing up on my toes to speak against his mouth. “That makes two of us.”

Our lips came together softly at first, but as always, the world around us faded into oblivion as our kisses turned more passionate. I would happily spend every day of my life working alongside him and every night making love to him.

I adored my company, but I couldn’t deny that it had been so much more fun having Noah with me as we’d planned these events. He and I truly made a great team, and while I knew he wouldn’t be planning every event with me from here on, I also knew he would always be happy to be my sounding board and to listen as I ran ideas past him.

Just like I would be happy to work on his music with him and to support him no matter what. When Mariam had moved on, I’d been worried that I’d be alone in business and in life, but I’d been wrong, and I’d never been more blissfully joyous about it.