Erin had a glow about her. She was the bell in the ballroom. Her smile brings radiance to her face casting her in an innocent glow. That smile; the crack in her mask is irresistible to him. Her infectious and contagious smile that she's spreading to every person she walks past. Jay follows closely behind her, not wanting to be too far away from her because they were planning to leave the charity dinner soon. It took them three hours to drive to Indianapolis for a charity event hosted by one of her longtime friends –Mayor Peter Stone. It'll take just as long to drive back, maybe a little shorter, since they don't have to worry about traffic. She had donated –he did too- and before they could actually leave, she wanted to see her friend who was a social butterfly throughout the night, never sitting down for a long period of time and going from person to person to greet them and advocate for the charity of the night.
Peter had been wrapping up a conversation when she appeared behind him. She bites down upon her lower lip and taps his shoulder until he whirls around. A smile that involves her eyes portrays the genuineness of her friendship with him –a friend Jay has never heard of until they were road tripping the three hours to Indianapolis. He felt his shoulders tense however the curve to her smile always sets everything right. His shoulders relax even as Peter's arms circle around her waist and lift her into the air as she squealed. He set her back down and steadied her, "I'm so glad you made it, Er," he pulls her into his arms, hugging her tight, "how are you?"
"I can't complain," the dimples in her cheeks appear, "how are you? This event is wonderful. You've done an amazing job. I've always said you had a knack for event planning."
As Jay listens to their conversation and watches them interact, he thinks back to their conversation in the car and how Erin debriefed him about the charity of the night and about her friendship with Peter. Never did she mention how much her friend likes to flirt and touch. Every point in the conversation, his hand was somewhere on hers, whether it was her waist, her shoulder, her wrist or just casually holding her hand. He's a bit too handsy for Jay's liking. This guy liked her; he had a crush. That much Jay could tell just from a casual observation. He was probably hoping no one would notice how affected he was by Erin's smile even after all these years. He hadn't said a word or noticed his presence, but it doesn't last long once Halstead clears his throat.
"I'm sorry," Erin excused herself, looking at Jay with honest regret, "How rude of me? I didn't introduce you," she took a hold of Jay's hand firmly and her voice held that hint of pride when she added with a smile, "Peter, this is my boyfriend, Jay Halstead," Erin looked from the mayor to Jay, "and this is Mayor Peter Stone. I've known him since law school. He was a year above me. And I actually campaigned for Peter earlier this year, I think?"
Peter nodded eagerly, "Yeah, it was earlier this year."
Jay stretched out his arm, giving the mayor a firm handshake and a condescending smile. Even though Mayor Stone was polished, confident and poised, Jay had felt some kind of off-putting energy lingering around them. Jay observed the way Peter looked at his girlfriend; he saw the once over he gave her, he witnessed the look of longing on his face and he saw a look, one that he recognized because he's held it countless times, it's a look of knowing, of knowing what she felt like in his arms, what her lips tasted like in a kiss, of how her body shuddered when her body reached the inevitable release that dedicated passion would bring. His relationship with Erin exceeded beyond friendship. He knew her on an intimate level. That much Jay was sure.
Peter took a hold of his hand and gave him a firm hand shake, one masked in masculinity as they tried to out-shake the other -whatever that means. Peter is the first to pull his hand away to tuck it into the front pocket of his gray suit pants, "I've been trying to convince your girlfriend for the past two years to relocate over here and work with me on starting our own charity, bridging relationships between the community and the police and using that law degree of hers to work the system in our benefit," Peter said with good humor, looking between Jay and Erin with a smile, "however, it seems Erin's just as stubborn now as she was when I met her four years ago."
Some underlying message in his words convinced Jay that whatever Erin turned down, it wasn't just work-related. And before Jay could control it, he instantly developed abhorrence for the mayor who honestly could have been a nice guy.
"I've been following your career Erin and I must say I'm impressed," Peter continued and Jay only wished he would stop talking, "I do hope you'll reconsider a political career sometime in your near future. You'd make an honest politician."
"That's an oxymoron if I haven't heard one," Erin chuckled; she only paused briefly in continuing the conversation to grab a glass of champagne off a server's tray as she moved throughout the room, "And as of right now, I don't think career politics are my thing, but I have been following your career Peter and I must say, you're doing amazing things. I watched your speech at California State University a few months ago on the criminalization of the mentally ill and the stigmas that follow a diagnosis. And I must say, you have one of the kindest hearts and I know since your sister's diagnosis, you've spent time and money on traveling to spread the word and to lessen stigmatization of mental illnesses and I commend you for that," Erin said, genuinely invested in the topic of conversation, "If only those assholes in college could see us now; you're a former district attorney, a current successful mayor, who started his own charity and goes around the country to raise awareness on mental illness while staying up to par on your mayoral duties."
Jay rolled his eyes at that. His expression rested flat, settling on a subtle glare as Peter soaked up the compliment before responding, "Me? What about you? You're a prominent civil rights attorney, an avid charity donator and volunteer and you are the first daughter of the president. I follow your career just as much as you do mine. You've spoken at colleges, you've given graduation speeches. You speak at public events, stressing the importance of community-police relations, health care, climate change and so much more. I've always loved how passionate you can be about the things you love. And that's just the surface things, events that I can easily google, no one really knows much about your regular charitable contributions to my charity every year –one you attempted to do under a false name."
"How'd you know?" Erin questioned suspiciously.
He shrugged; his lips twitching up into a smile, "We may haven't spoke in a while, but I know you and when you donate the same amount every year on the same day, my birthday I should add, it seems a little personal like whoever the anonymous donor is may know me."
"…or they could simply know someone who benefits from your cause?"
"Nah," he gave a half shrug, "I know it's you, but if you prefer to stay anonymous then we'll do it your way," Peter leaned forward to brush a loose curl behind her ear.
Halstead tried his absolute hardest not to roll his eyes at the topic of conversation, at the way Peter was looking at his girlfriend, buttering her up in a way that seem to approach the fine line between flirting and just being overly friendly. He was happy that Erin was reunited with her college friend, he truly was, but he couldn't help but feel a little left out. He had nothing to add to this conversation and it was obvious that Peter wanted to keep her attention trained on him.
He tucked his hands into his pockets and it's like Erin sensed something was wrong because she took a step back and looped her arm through Jay's arm, "You alright, babe?"
"Yeah, just tired…" he lied, stretching the truth by adding a yawn to the tale.
She nodded and sighed a bit glumly. She hadn't seen her friend since early in the year, before she and Jay met, and she didn't know when she would see him again. She stepped towards Peter and smiled sadly, "I guess we should be heading out," she watched the smile on her friend's face fall, "it is always a pleasure seeing you, Peter."
"We can't wait so long to see each other again," he says, grasping her hand gently with his fingers, lifting it to kiss the back of her palm with his lips, "I miss you. Next time you're in Indiana or nearby, call me. We have to do brunch one day if our schedules permit."
"Of course," she agrees before waving him off. He had other guests to greet. However, Peter didn't budge right away; instead it took for Jay to pull her hand out of his hold for him to get the hint, "She said of course buddy, what else you waiting for? Go attend to business."
Erin was embarrassed; especially the moment Peter's eyes met hers. She nodded for her longtime friend to go on –she'll be fine- and the second she turned around to give her boyfriend a piece of her mind, she discovered an absence or a lack of Jay's presence behind her. She glances around only to see him exiting the ballroom and entering an empty corridor. She lifts the bottom of her red gown and picked up speed to follow after him, "Jay," she calls out; he must doesn't hear because he's still walking, "Jay," he continues walking, "JAY!"
He comes to a stop but he doesn't turn to face her. He says nothing. The hallway is eerily silent.
"That was rude," she scolded, picking up her pace until she caught up to him; the only sound in the hallway is her voice and her heels, "What's your problem?"
"You slept with him!" He immediately turns around and the accusation in his voice hits her hard.
"Wait, what?"
"You slept with your friend." He calms down when he notices the look on her face. However, her silence or the fact that she didn't quickly deny his allegation sends the tension from earlier back into his shoulders.
"Is that what this is about?"
He notes that it isn't a denial. It's an answer to his statement –it's just in the form of a question.
Jay whispered, "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because it wasn't important, it's in the past and it was a one-time thing!"
He responded through gritted teeth, "The way he was looking at you didn't make it look like a one-time thing!"
"It happened twice," she underplays it by shrugging her shoulders, "Just two times, but never since me and you knew each other, never since we met."
"When?"
"Are you serious right now?"
"When?"
"Do you honestly want to know about my past sex life?"
He repeats himself, this time more forceful, "When, Erin?"
"The first time was back in law school. We had both just gotten out of relationships and we comforted one another. One thing led to another and we slept together. The day after we just pretended like nothing happened." She found herself explaining even though she owed him no explanation. It was in the past. It was way before they even met each other.
"And the second?"
She didn't hesitate to answer this time, "It was when I was helping him on his campaign for re-election."
"And when was this?"
"…back in February."
He shouted, "Erin!" A mask of disappointment, a look of hurt crosses his face.
"What? I'm no saint!"
"I'm not saying that you are, but you should have told me."
"It was two months before we even met. And besides, you don't tell me about all the people you've slept with and I prefer to do the same."
"None of the women are friends of mine."
"We rarely see each other! I haven't seen him since February!"
"You had a whole history with this guy and I didn't even know about it. You had me looking like an idiot, shaking his hand while this whole time he's seen you naked!"
Now she's rubbing her temples and she's starting to pace in frustration and annoyance, "Don't you think you're overreacting just a little?" It was all in the past. It would never happen again.
"Why are you defending him?"
"Jay, what is your deal? The way you treated him for something in the past was rude."
"I'm your boyfriend," he growls with his fists clenched. She grabs his hands and he relaxes and lowers his voice, "the guy was all over you, Er. I had to set him straight."
She shot him a cold stare, "You had to set him straight? Why is that? Is it because I am unable to make it abundantly clear to men that I'm taken, that I'm with someone else, that I love someone else and I'm not fucking interested?" She was starting to get angry; she was starting to yell.
He had pushed a button –a button that he clearly didn't want going off. She released his hands and resumed her pacing. And the speed of her pace steadily increased as she looked at him, waiting for an answer, "That wasn't a rhetorical question."
"I know you are but guys like him don't get the hint."
"Guys like him?" she repeated, coming to an abrupt stop, "You don't even know him. You didn't even try to get to know him. You didn't even give him a chance! And why? Because you're jealous! I just wanted to catch up with him, that's all. I just wanted to reminisce and talk about old times! I just wanted to catch up with an old friend. I'm dating someone. He's dating someone. We're both happy in our relationships with other people."
"Oh…"
His response catches her off guard. She stops pacing and looks at him in disbelief. After their whole argument, that's all he had to say. No, she needed more.
"Oh?" She repeated his last remark, "Is that really all you have to say? Why were you so rude?"
"I just saw the way he was looking at you and I thought, considering whatever past you two had and what you tried to keep from me I thought he was…I thought you were-"
"Wait, wait, wait!" Erin practically shouted and Jay immediately shut up, "You're kidding me right now. Are you fucking telling me that you thought I was going to sleep with him?"
"Shit Erin," he muttered, running his hand through his hair, "No, I just…I just don't want to lose you. Ever. And the guy seemed like a threat and because of that, I got a little jealous."
Erin wanted to stay angry; she wanted to continue fuming and pacing and shouting but she couldn't. She found his answer somehow calming her down. She found herself appreciating the honesty. Without any control of her actions, she decided against fighting the smile that threatened to spread across her face, "A little jealous?"
He relaxed, knowing he wasn't in trouble anymore. "Okay, a lot jealous," he admitted.
She appreciated the personal growth within her boyfriend. She remembered the last time he had gotten jealous when they were on a date at a cooking class and he couldn't even admit it. He thought admitting it would make him vulnerable and weak. It's amazing what time would do to a person. She calmed down and took slow, measured steps towards him before wrapping her arms around his neck, "You have absolutely nothing to be worried about, do you hear me?" She could feel him nod against her shoulder, "You're never going to lose me. I don't want anyone, and I mean that, I don't want anyone but you Jay. You're amazing. You're perfect."
"I'm not perfect," he slowly withdrew from her arms.
"You're perfect for me."
And like previous discussions he's had with her, the right words seem to always fall out of her mouth when he needed to hear them the most. Jay may have withdrawn from her arms, but after her words, he regretted that immediately.
It takes approximately ten seconds for him to run his thumb along his bottom lip, weigh the pros and cons of his next thought and deciding to take action. He takes three long steps across the room, pulls her into his arms and kisses her hard. Jay walked her backwards until her back hits the door to a public restroom, the door swinging backwards, allowing them to stumble inside. His hand wraps below her ass and he lifts her up and places her onto the counter; he stands between her opened legs. He makes quick work, lips still on hers, his hands remove themselves from her body and begin working his belt, unbuckling it, unbuttoning his slacks and pushing the fabric down to his knees.
They didn't know how much time they were working with; this was the only bathroom –male or female neither of them knew which one they stumbled into and neither cared enough about it to stop kissing and take a look around to find out. Time was of the essence. Her guards would come looking for them sooner or later and after having her mother walk in on them, the last thing they needed was for one –or all four- of her guards to barge into the unlocked restroom.
Both of them seem to be on the same page –rushing. Erin feels him pull her towards the edge of the counter and before she could register the slight burn from her skin that sliding across the countertop so fast had caused, he was entering her in one solid, hard and deep thrust. Her mouth involuntarily opens in a silent plea; he continues to kiss her hard. He was rough. He was strong. He was jealous. He was protective. He was possessive. All of this contributed to this moment.
"Move," she growled.
He pulls away and pushes back into her, bringing sparks to her eyes, her breasts bouncing with the movement. He sets a steady pace, filling her up.
"Fuck," he grunts in front of her and she arches, closing her eyes and taking in the overwhelming sensation that the drag of his member inside of her has caused. She can feel the pressure, the pleasure and the intensity coiling in her stomach, "You have nothing to worry about," she whispers as her nails raked down his back, catching in the fabric of his shirt with every drag of her fingers. She gripped his shirt tighter when the coils in her lower stomach started to unravel, started to push her over the inevitable edge of bliss and passion.
And when she fell from her high, he did too. Her body pulsated around him. Both are out of breath and flushed. She held onto him and he held onto her, maybe a tad tighter than her grip. She moved her head, angling it in order to press her lips against his, but he moved his head away. For some reason, he was unable to meet her eyes. Even as he pulled out of her and adjusted his pants, he couldn't look at her. That was, until she gripped his chin and turned his head to face her, "You know I love you, right?"
"I do," he nods.
"And I'm not going anywhere."
He smiles; it's a little weak, "I know."
"I mean it."
The smile became more genuine, "I know. And the same can be said for me," he brushed a quick kiss against her lips, before extending his hand towards her, "come on, we should get out of here before someone walks in. And besides, I need to do a little packing before we leave for Los Angeles in a few days."
-x-
Erin gripped the railing outside of a private jet rented by the band to transport them from Chicago to Los Angeles. With careful steps, she walked up the narrow stairs, with two guards in front of her and two guards behind. She was tired. The sun hasn't even come up yet. She'll have to get sleep on the plane because the time they land and check into a hotel, it'll be time for her to get ready for the awards. She takes another step up the stairs and her foot slips off the edge. Atwater, behind her, grabs her waist to steady her as her heel falls to the ground.
"I got it," Roman who was trailing up the rear announced.
"Sorry," she whispered, coming to a stop on the stair as she waited to be passed her shoe, "I don't know where my head is at right now. I'm all discombobulated."
The door to a limo slams shut, "It's too early for big words," Rixton complained, dragging his suitcase over to one of the flight attendants.
"Dude, are you drunk?" Jay grumbled, assisting Will with removing their luggage from the taxi that drove them from Natalie and Will's house to the airport.
Jay's question went ignored as Rixton dragged his feet over towards the stairs. He gripped the railing and squeezed through the people already standing on the stairs, waiting to board. Rixton was not in the mood; the steps to get on the plane were narrow and the railings shook but it didn't bother him much as he slid his body through Erin's guards. However, he never made it onto the plane because by the time he even attempted to slide past Erin, two of her guards grabbed his arms and held him back –it was the two he already maneuvered past.
"Hey," he complained; he squint his eyes even though there was a lack of sunlight; his headache was made worse when Roman removed the sunglasses off his head.
"Wait your turn," Atwater ordered, setting the heel onto the stair and steadying Erin by holding her shoulders as she slid her foot back into her shoe.
A humorless smile escaped her, "Thanks."
Once the shoe was safely secured back onto her foot, all movement continued. Kim and Natalie leading the line walked onto the small private plane. They were followed by Sorensen and Dawson, before Erin and then Atwater and Roman and finally Rixton. She maneuvered through the short row of seats. Rixton had flopped down into the first one he saw. She moved towards the back, the further away from him she was, the better for everyone. She sat in the second to last row, near the window while her guards took hold of the row in front and behind her. The seat beside her remained empty awaiting the behind of her boyfriend. She watched him outside, talking with Will, Ruzek and Mouse, about who knows what. It was too early for her to be curious. She leaned her head against the window since his shoulder was currently not present to provide her with some type of comfort. Her eyes fluttered closed and only reopened the second she felt him adjust her body, gently pulling her from leaning against the window to lean against him. His arm circled her shoulders, caressing her upper arm as he laid a soft kiss against her head.
The flight from Chicago to Los Angeles was supposed to be four hours. She had planned to get a four hour nap in, but the way Rixton's hangover works; it's if he cannot rest, then neither can anyone else. He was currently grunting and groaning from the front of the plane because apparently the wind caused turbulence and the turbulence caused his headache to increase in pain. She had gotten about two hours in before she started stirring awake. Her eyes fluttered open, "Jay, is this your friend's first hangover?"
"Nope," he sighed; he wasn't able to get any sleep. It's a little difficult for him to sleep on planes, "he's just acting like a little bitch because he forgot to bring ibuprofen."
"Does he have to make everyone else suffer?"
Jay tightened his arm around his girlfriend and snuggled her up closer to his chest. He didn't respond to her question, at least not directly, instead he shouted, "Rixton!" he waited for the keyboard player to turn around in his seat and lean his head into the aisle, "Shut up! It's not our fault you decided to challenge your tolerance level with alcohol last night!"
"I'm suffering right now!"
"Suffer in silence, you're bothering people," Jay retorted.
Rixton covered his ears and attempted to suffer his hangover in silence. The last two hours on the plane went by smoothly because of this. Erin was able to finish off her nap in silence with Jay gently brushing the tips of his fingers against her shoulder. It tickled a little. It wasn't enough to wake her from her nap. However the hard landing the plane did on the tarmac was enough to pull everyone from their sleep and cause an already in pain Rixton to groan loudly. Erin actually felt bad for the guy –not bad enough to actually do anything about his discomfort. The landing was rocky enough for the pilot to come over the intercom and apologize. No one on the plane really wanted to hear it. For the first time since cuddling up in her boyfriend's arms, Erin pulls away to slide her heels onto her feet, "I think I rather fly coach next time."
"Well you'll have to fly private jet one more time when we go back home."
She glared at him, "Between the turbulence, the landing and Rixton's whining, I'd take my chance in coach with a toddler kicking the back of my seat."
"It wasn't that bad," Jay laughed.
"It was close."
Slowly, but surely, everyone files out of the plane and carefully take the narrow steps down to the ground. Rixton has never been happier to be on land. Even with the shouting fans and the paparazzi in the distance, he was grateful to be off the flight and onto a solid and sturdy surface.
"Oh great," Kim sighed, intertwining her hand with her husband's, "who called the paps?"
"Our ride can't even get in because they're blocking the entrance," Natalie groaned, as Will furiously dialed a number on his cell phone. Their luggage was being unloaded from the plane as they waited to figure out what's to be done about their ride, the paparazzi and the fans.
"Guys," Will hangs up from his brief phone call, "be prepared for the paparazzi and fans to come in. The car can get through if they're not in the way." Just as he gives the warning, the crowd moves in –the paparazzi faster than the fans since they get paid for every good photo taken.
Erin moved her head from side to side to work out the stiffness in her neck. She wasn't too worried about the approaching paparazzi and fans. She had four large men protecting her. As for everyone else, it was basically every man for himself. She stood up straight, placed one hand on her hip and used the other as a visor to block the sun from her eyes. Fans were closing in on them, holding magazines and pens out with the purpose of practically forcing the band to sign autographs. Ruzek moved his wife behind him. Rixton rubbed his temples. Natalie and Will stepped to the side knowing neither one of them were wanted by the fans. Mouse moved towards the staff of the plane, offering help to unload their luggage from the storage compartment. Jay, maneuvered through her guards to take her hand; he wanted to get her in the approaching vehicle before the chaotic fans and overwhelming paparazzi get closer.
Just as the car is parked and Erin and Jay step through her guards, the swarm of people have arrived. It's a flooding crowd. People are screaming, pushing and shoving each other out of the way just to get a picture, a video and an autograph. Jay's hand found her lower back as he started guiding her through the crowd. He heard Rixton attempting to silence the screams so his head would stop pounding but it was a fruitless effort; they seem to have only gotten louder. The crowd was swarming around them, closing in, accidentally knocking Kim out of the way and away from her husband. Ruzek happened to push two fans to the side in an effort to reach his wife. Jay dropped his hand from Erin's lower back and swooped his arm around her shoulders, he pulled her against his chest just as someone accidentally bumped into her. She stumbled away. And all he saw was red. His short fuse, his hot temper and his anger peaked causing for him to grip the man –a paparazzi who had dropped his camera- by the arm and shoving him as far away as his strength would allow. The guy stumbled backwards until he lost his footing and landed on his behind. Jay glanced up and met the eyes of his girlfriend –her worried eyes immediately calmed him. She squeezed through the fans that closed in on him, she grabbed his hand and started to yank and if it wasn't for her guards, then the couple wouldn't have made it to the car without a few bumps and bruises.
Atwater had practically lifted her up and thrown her over his shoulder as Dawson, Roman and Sorensen cleared the way for Jay. Her feet didn't touch the ground until they were at the car. Kim climbed in first, followed by Rixton, Mouse, then Erin and finally Jay. Will and Natalie were calming the crowd and doing damage control.
"That was crazy," Burgess whispered out of breath.
"That's California for you," Rixton grumbled, leaning back, closing his eyes and continually rubbing his temples.
Jay shifted in his seat, "Are you okay?" His hands cupped her face as his eyes scanned her from top to bottom. She didn't respond verbally; she simply nodded her head, "Good," he whispered, leaning in and pressing his lips against hers.
"You worry too much," was her reply.
"I don't think I worry enough."
"You didn't have to shove the guy."
"Yeah I did," Jay shrugs, dropping his hands from her face, "he shoved you. It was only right and if anything, it shows all future paparazzi that if they put their hands on my girlfriend then I put my hands on them. There's a better way to get a picture and pushing you to the side isn't it."
It had already been an eventful day and it was only morning. The sun was finally coming up in Los Angeles and even though they had plans for what to do before the awards, just one look on each of their faces had them all in agreement on their next course of action –nap at the hotel.
-x-
Erin had never been more nervous about anything in her life. She'd attended banquets with leaders of other counters, charities with senators and congressmen and women and formal parties with her father – the sitting president- as well as prime ministers, kings and queens.
But this was different, completely different.
For what could have been the first time in her 26 years of life, she was the plus one, she was the date, she wasn't the intended recipient of the invitation. Mounts and mounts of pressure were placed upon her; she had to represent herself as a career woman, as a philanthropist, as a girlfriend to a nominee and as the president's daughter.
For the evening, Jay had chosen a black suit –well technically, Burgess had chosen the black suit. She deserves the credit for the appearance of the band tonight, each sporting pin-stripes, and either black, white or gray suits with varying color pocket squares. Rixton wore a white suit with a red vest and pocket square, Ruzek wore black with a gold vest and pocket square, Mouse wore gray with a navy blue vest and pocket square and Jay wore black with a white vest and pocket square. Each color specified for each band member matched the dress of the date on their arm. Kenny's matched the two dates he held in each arm.
Jay's black pin-stripe suit was tailored to fit and frame his broad shoulders, sculpted chest and delectable ass. She ogled him; she would honestly probably be ogling him all night. The top few buttons of his button-up –three to be exact- were undone.
It's the night of the awards. And her boyfriend and his band were guaranteed to win both.
Her boyfriend hasn't seen her yet. He's too focused on his appearance, standing in the full length mirror with the other band members as he adjusts his pocket square. Once he fixed his pocket square, he grabbed the two ties dangling over the mirror. She's never dressed for such an event. She's never worn an outfit so important because one of the heads up that Natalie and Burgess gave her was that as she walks along the carpet wrapped in her boyfriend's arm, one of the main questions asked of her by interviewers will be queries into who she is wearing for the night. She hoped she didn't disappoint.
Erin stepped further into the main room and the sound of her heels against the tiled floors alerted them all to her presence. Jay's head swiveled around to take her in and by the look on his face she felt reassured that even if the tabloids and the fashion columns didn't approve of her dress for the night, her boyfriend did. Erin had opted for a white formal two-piece gown with a high neck, open back, long sleeve and a long slit going up to her mid-thigh. The high neck and long sleeve portion of the top was made of white lace while the bottom half, the separate portion of the two-piece formal wear was made of a solid, white satin fabric. The material framed her slender form and the white stiletto heels gave her a height advantage, putting her at an inch or two shorter than her date.
The V-neck neckline of the lace half of her two-piece gown swept up into a turtle neck to fortunately cover up a hickey that her boyfriend had unintentionally given her the night before. The beautiful décor of the dress is embellished in lace. The sweep of the hemline falls down to her feet, but manages to stay loose around her curves. The slit in the side of it grants her the freedom to move around while protecting her modesty. The brush of the train on the skirt portion of her bottom piece is swept up behind her in the fully lined, comfortably fitted gown. There's a built in bra which she's grateful for; she hated wearing bras in the first place so to have one already fit in that was pretty comfortable was icing on the beautiful cake that is her dress. A waterfall braid was plaited around her head with curls cascading around her shoulders.
"What do you think?" she asked, leaning her head to the side in an effort to catch his eyes.
It was a challenge since his orbs appeared to be darting all over her outfit in an attempt to take it all in at once.
"You look beautiful," Jay said, dress pants on and shirt only halfway buttoned, holding up two ties in his hands. Erin nodded towards the right one.
Once Jay wrapped the tie around his neck, she moved in closer to tie it for him. She adjusted it according to his comfort before releasing it to lie flat against his button-up shirt. The couple of the night –according to an article that came out announcing that Erin was RSVP'd as Jay's plus one- was ready to set out for the night at the awards. And she kind of had an idea about how the night would go, but being warned about it and envisioning the night days in advance had nothing on actually experiencing it for herself.
Most of the gathered press was going to be more interested in his personal life than his professional one. That was one of the things told to her by Natalie in the limo on the ride over. It came with bringing a date that was just as famous as the nominee. Natalie never had to worry about it and neither did Burgess. Erin had to find a way to keep the conversation on her boyfriend, on his night and his nominations. This night was all about him in her eyes.
The limo pulled up to the crowded carpet. The noise level outside skyrocketed the second the back of the limousine was opened. Each member of his band stepped out, only leaning in briefly to help their dates get out next. It was amazing just how the noise level got even louder when Jay stepped out, leaning in to take her hand and help her outside of the limo. Erin stood at her boyfriend's side; feeling and watching him squat down to adjust the bottom of her dress. The lights from cameras were blinding her eyes as she took in the scene around her. A multitude of celebrities, successful in different areas of music and production were gathered around and spread out on the carpet, posing for photos alone or with their dates, answering questions from reporters or touching the hands and taking selfies with fans.
"You ready?" Jay asked, offering Erin his arm.
Surprisingly, she was more ready than she originally thought. She looped her arm though his and followed his lead. Jay led Erin along the carpet, pausing until Rixton finished with the photographers before taking the hands of his dates and moving along. He allowed the photographers to get a few shots of Erin alone and ask her the most important question of the night –who is she wearing. She answers with grace, before stepping to the side and allowing those same photographers to capture photos of him. Once they were finished, the photographers motioned for her to join him –they wanted photos of the couple together. He tucks her body into his after wrapping his arm around her waist. After a few more shots, one of him kissing her cheek, another of the two of them gazing at each other and a few of them simply in each other's embrace and smiling at the cameras, Erin moved out of the focus of the photographers, allowing them to capture more photos of the man of the hour –at least the one in her eyes.
Erin moved towards Burgess who was casually standing in the back as Adam answered questions from reporters. While sitting in the limo, waiting at a red light, she decided to follow Kim's lead.
It was proven to be harder than she thought. Kim, for all intents and purposes, was just Ruzek's wife in the eyes of the public. She wasn't famous. She wasn't known. Erin, on the other hand, was known by the public for something besides her relation to the band's lead singer. This made it difficult to stay to the side, to hide back and remain standing with Burgess.
For the first two interviews, she hung back, not wanting to take the attention and the shine away from her date. Her presence sometimes had the tendency to do just that. She watched him speak passionately about his love for music, about how he's more than half way done with writing songs for the next album and what is expected from his music career in the next year. Jay praised his bandmates, offering them the props and praises they deserve since it was often hidden and forgotten behind the leading man –him.
Eventually, and unsurprisingly, the conversation shifted onto the topic of her.
"You're here with your girlfriend, the First Daughter of the United States, Erin Voight," Jay nodded his agreement and reached back to pull her against his side. She tucked herself into his arm to take advantage of his body heat and warm up her arms –albeit covered with long sleeves, the lace served zero purpose in actually keeping the slight chill away.
"Are you a fan of his music?" the interviewer asked, thrusting the microphone in Erin's face.
Jay reached over to lower it a fraction as she answered, "Of course I'm a fan. I've learned the lyrics to both albums in the span of three months."
"What would you say is your favorite song?" the interviewer pressed.
"Of the songs that have already been released, I would have to go with Shockwave."
"You heard it here first folks," the interviewer turns back to the camera, microphone back up to her lips as Jay nudged his girlfriend towards the next interviewer.
Erin felt like the proud girlfriend as she stood back once again and watched him answer questions from the rest of the interviewers –even if some of the questions were repeats.
Plus fortunately, no one else asked her questions. She remained the proud girlfriend that hung back in the shadows with Kim and Natalie as the band received their rightful appreciation and kudos. She actually prefers this event over the many events she had to attend. She likes being a plus-one; she doesn't have to do much. She just follows her boyfriend's lead into the arena and sits in her assigned seat. She's between Jay and Will. And besides the occasional people walking to their seats that stop and speak after recognizing her, she isn't bothered. She does her duty, smile plastered on her face and hand intertwined with her boyfriend's.
And as the night carried on, the awards show started, the cameras began filming and the host took the stage. She laughed when the comedic host went into their opening monologue, making jokes at the expense of celebrities in the audience. She was grateful that not one was in reference to her, but she did find herself laughing when District 21 became the butt of a joke. Her boyfriend shot her a look, one that's a mixture of mock hurt and entertainment. He loved that she was enjoying this. He lifted her hand up to his mouth and brushed his lips against her knuckles.
The show carried on. Celebrities walked out in pairs and introduced the award for the night before announcing the winners of the award. Her boyfriend's nomination was up next but the awards show went into commercial break. She used the opportunity to face him, "Nervous?"
He laughed at that, "Never."
"You got your speech ready?"
He shakes his head, "Nope. I'll just talk off the top of my head."
"You're way bolder than I am," she chuckled and she had every intention of following up her remark with another statement, but someone sitting directly behind her had tapped her shoulder, "Yes?" Both she and Jay turned in their seats to face her even though it was Erin she wanted.
"Sorry for the interruption," the woman bashfully whispered, "I just wanted to tell you that your father is doing a great job in office."
Erin's eyes flashed briefly towards Jay before averting back to the woman sitting behind her, "Thank you. I'll be sure to let him know." Erin turns back around in her seat just as commercial break is over and intermission comes to an end.
Jay found his hand intertwined with hers, and while she knew he was going to win the award, it didn't stop her nerves from skyrocketing through the roof. How was it that she's nervous but he isn't? She glances over at him as the two celebrities who will be announcing the winner for the next category walks onto the stage. She watches him. She sees a sparkle in his eye and a crinkle in the corner of them. He's calm. Meanwhile, her leg is shaking. She cups his hand with the both of hers and brings it up to her lips, "Babe, just relax," he whispers; he remains facing the stage but his words were directed towards her.
"I can't," due to their conversation, they missed whatever joke the two announcers were making.
"Be prepared for some short camera action," he muttered, pulling his eyes away from the stage to take in her reaction.
"What? Why? What does that mean?"
"When we win, the camera will be on us to take in our reaction and when I give my speech, the camera will pan by you to take in your reaction after I dedicate my award to you."
His words catch her off guard. And before she's able to probe further, his band is announced as the winner of the Tour of the Year award and her favorite District 21 song fills the arena as it blends in with the sound of applause. The moment happens faster than she's able to keep up. She stands along with the audience; she's clapping. It's an out of body experience because she doesn't register the cameras on them or Jay briefly kissing her. She's still clapping as everyone takes their seats. She only sits the second Will tugs on her arm.
"Sorry," she whispered; it's the first thing she's said since his band was called.
The applause slowly dies down and if she was nervous before, she found herself ten times worse. Her heart was palpitating. Her palms were sweaty. Kim slid into Jay's previously vacated seat and intertwined her hand with Erin's sweaty palm, "Thank you, everyone!" being the leader of the band and the chosen spokesperson, Jay is holding the award in his hand and speaks into the microphone with such ease, "receiving this award, recognizing our band and our amazing tour is humbling. We appreciate it. I appreciate it. We are honored to be here tonight and grateful to be the recipient of this award. We would like to thank our supportive fans, without you guys we wouldn't be here right now. We would also like to thank and have a moment of appreciation for our staff, you guys are amazing, and most importantly, my baby, my Erin. This award goes to you beautiful, I love you."
As Jay follows the announcers off stage, the round of applause that comes from his dedication to his girlfriend metaphorically rocks the arena. It could be heard on the streets. It's slowly rising to top trending on social media. The camera panned to Erin longer than expected and when it zoomed in and focused on her face, she was clapping and suppressing the tears that threatened to come out. The next two announcers walked onto the stage but the audience wasn't finished clapping. They witnessed it here first, known bad boy Jay Halstead, presented another version of himself by declaring his love on stage, in front of millions watching. He still had another award to win, which was announced thirty minutes later, earning the same reaction although the speech was given by Ruzek this time. Jay remained standing in the back, allowing his bandmate to get a little attention and appreciation. And by the next morning when Jay and Erin are boarding onto a private jet with the band to return home, she falls asleep curled into his chest and the selfie taken and posted by him of the two of them with the caption –Crazy about her- becomes the most liked, the most shared and the most commented on photo on social media this year.