Page 85 of Holly Freakin' Hughes

“Yeah,everything’s good. Controlled. Listen, I have a woman here saying she knowsBrandon. She has an invitation but she’s not on the list. What do you want meto do?” Paul looked away from me, as though to pretend I wasn’t right there ashe discussed my situation.

Apainful thirty seconds passed. “What’s her name?”

Paul’seyes shifted back to me. “Name?” he asked, suddenly forgetting I hadfunctioning ears.

“HollyHughes.”

Paulparroted back into the Walkie, and waited for Nick’s reply. I pictured that tall,lanky man discussing my fate with Brandon, and I crossed my fingers that hewasn’t as mad as he had been a couple days ago.

“Keepher there, Paul. I’m coming out.”

Itook that as a good sign.

***

Nickapproached me wearing a tuxedo and a big business-like grin. “Holly! So good tosee you again. I got this from here, Paul.” He unclipped a velvet rope andwelcomed me through before securing it back into place. When Paul had walkedaway to return to his post, Nick’s demeanor changed to something a lotfriendlier, and way more comfortable. He lowered his mouth as close to my earas he could. “So, where the hell did you get an invitation from? Was it Scott?”

“Yeah,”I breathed, stepping through the glass doors, taking in the lavish stream-linedlobby of the hotel. I could see my reflection in the marble floors, and I couldhave successfully cracked eggs on the sharp edges of the white leather couches.It was more luxurious than anything I had ever seen.

“He’sa good guy when he’s not too busy getting stoned,” Nick said with a littlesmile and a shake of his head. “Look, Brandon doesn’t know you’re here and heisfreakingout. He hates this shit. So, I’m not going to say anythingyet, okay?”

“Yeah,he was pretty pissed the last time he saw me,” I grimaced, remembering theincident at Reade’s just a couple days earlier. Nick nodded his sympathy, and Iassumed he had been told. But then, I smiled. “Wait, he gets stage fright?”

Nicklaughed. “Oh, my God, yeah, andbad. But he doesn’t throw up anymore, soI guess that’s an improvement.” He placed a hand on my back and pushed me alongthrough the shining lobby. “I’ll take you to the table, but then I have to getback to him. He’s probably paced a groove into the floor by now.”

Heled me to a dimly lit ballroom clustered with at least twenty large roundtables. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, tossing rainbow-coloredspeckles over the floor and tables. We stopped at a table with a few familiarand unfamiliar faces. Birdy, Bill, and Jessie clapped immediately at the sightof me. An older couple and a younger woman eyed me with curiosity, as Nickpulled out a chair for me.

“Thisis my wife Ashley,” he said, placing a hand on the shoulder of the pretty youngwoman with auburn hair. “And over here is Jack and Carole Davis, Brandon’sparents.” He laid a hand on my shoulder comfortably, as though he had known meforever. “This is Holly.”

Thethree strangers burst with excitement. Cheering and clapping as though I myselfwere a celebrity, and I thought the doughnut I had eaten earlier in the day wasgoing to end up on the white tablecloth.

Nicklaughed. “Okay, guys, don’t scare her away. Anyway, I’m going to go keep HisHighness from going insane, and I’ll be back soon.” With that, he was gone,walking across the large dance floor and up a wide, grand staircase, leaving mealone with the people still grinning at me.

Thebeautiful older woman I had learned to be Carole had her hands folded in prayeragainst her mouth. She sniffed, and I realized she was crying, or at leastclose to it. “Holly, we weren’t sure we would ever meet you, with the wayBrandon talked, but …”

Jack,the man Brandon clearly got his size from, put an arm around his wife’sshoulders. “What she means is, we’re very happy to meet the woman our son caresabout so much.”

Witha lip trembling more than I would have liked, I said, “It’s nice to meet thepeople who raised him.” I grabbed the wine glass of water in front of me, andtook a big gulp, startled by a nudge in my ribs.

Ashleysmiled at me like she had known me for years. “I can’t believe you’re here.This ishuge. Scott gave you his invitation?”

Inodded, and Bill chimed in. “He’s a good boy when he wants to be. If only wecould get him to meet a nice girl, and—”

BeforeI could wrap my head around what exactly was happening, a clearing throat camethrough the speakers, and the lights dimmed a little more. I turned my head toface the dance floor behind me, and saw a middle-aged woman wearing anexpensive pantsuit. She held the microphone in both hands, smiling at the crowdwith blinding-white teeth.

“Welcome,everybody,” she said in a voice that suggested she started smoking at seven andnever stopped. “My name is Patricia Wahlberg, publisher at S&SPublications. I want to thank you all for joining us tonight in celebrating theanniversary of a very, very special book, written by an even more special man.He has touched so many with his charm, wit, and talent, and I can see that byhow many faces I’m seeing here tonight.” She did a dramatic turn of her head,beaming in every direction.

Ashleyleaned close to my ear as Patricia rattled on about the charities they wererepresenting that night. “I hate this woman,” she whispered, and I stifled agiggle. “Seriously, she’s obnoxious.”

“Now,I’d like us all to give a round of applause for the man behind the scenes. Theman who helped make it all happen, Nicholas Bolton.” And with that, Patriciawalked to the bottom of the stairs to kiss Nick on the cheek and handed him themic.

“Hello,hello! I’m seeing a lot of familiar faces here tonight. Ben, good to see you.”Nick waved to a table near us, and I couldn’t stop my gawking.

“Isthat—” I whispered to Ashley.

“BenAffleck? Yeah, he’s buddies with Brandon.” She laughed at my wide-eyed expression.“It takes some getting used to. Trust me, I’ve known these guys sinceelementary school. It’s still weird for me sometimes.”

Nickbegan a nonchalant walk around the dance floor, his hand stuffed into a pocket.He treated this as the most natural thing, like he was strolling down a quietstreet, and I had to smile as he talked.

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