Kim Karr: Mended

“Xander. Ivy,” River says in such a drawn-out way that it clues me in that he knows something. Dahlia kisses River’s cheek before circling to stand next to him. River searches Xander, and if I hadn’t been looking, I would never have noticed the slight nod Xander gives him. River grabs Xander around the neck and pulls him forward, and with a not so subtle snicker, he says, “A phone call would have been nice.”

Xander’s eyes grow bright with laughter. “Right, bro. Sorry. I’ll remember next time.”

River lets him go. “That’s better.”

Xander slants him a look. “If that’s not a spade calling a spade.”

Before River can counter Dahlia swoops in. “Congratulations,” she cries, kissing me and then Xander in turn as she wraps an arm around each of us, pulling us together for a group hug.

River ducks under Dahlia’s arm and pops up in the middle. He kisses her on the lips. “Don’t forget me.”

Dahlia releases us just as Garrett comes over. “Awww . . . I missed out on the hugs and kisses. What, because we all work together now, I get shafted?”

Laughing at him, I have to say he is the funniest person I know. He seems to love his new job, and I think he may have even gone on a date or two with Ena. He nods hello to each of us and then in true guy fashion grabs River by the collar and jerks him backward. “You’re late, dick. Come on,” he quips. Then he starts to shake his hips and sing, “LA, let’s get this party started!” He sounds so much like B. Taylor, I actually want to hear him sing the whole song.

Dahlia and I giggle as Xander shakes his head and we all watch as River gets dragged away and pulled onstage for a jam session with the guys. They’re all up there—River, Leif, Nix, Garrett, and even Zane. The crowd rushes the dance floor and throws hands in the air, dancing to a cover of “Hands All Over.” I have to laugh because I know how much Dahlia loves Maroon 5. I also know how much River dislikes them. But he must have planned this for her, for their anniversary.

“Excuse me,” she says, and moves toward the stage. Mesmerized, she watches them, her hands clasped near her heart. She grins ear to ear as River sings to her—the performance seems to make her very happy.

Bell finds me in the midst of all the excitement. She too looks beautiful. She’s so petite, but her vibrant emerald eyes and long coppery brown hair make her look like a spitfire. She’s wearing a green strapless romper with metallic flowers on it, and wisps of thin gold chains adorn her neck—she’s stunning and it looks like she’s also a little sunburned. The red contrast against the silky dark fabric makes her rosy all over. Dragging me over to the photo booth she rented, she has me posing in it for at least twenty different pictures. Then she runs off to use them to decorate the tables so everyone knows who I am—I can only laugh at that.

I spot Xander across the room and wave him over to drag him in with me. I try to get him to make playful faces and whenever I whisper something dirty in his ear, he does. These pictures are for me, not for the tables. When we step out of the booth, I’m a little flushed myself.

Sashaying up to us, Aerie greets us in an extremely bubbly manner despite looking very businesslike—her hair is in a bun and she’s wearing a purple pantsuit with pumps, but surprisingly it’s low-cut and shows a hint of cleavage. We’ve spent a great deal of time together since I came back to LA. We get along so well. She’s even shown me some of her uncle’s music collection. She hugs me and cascades kisses on each cheek, then does the same to Xander, who looks utterly shocked at her exuberant display of affection.

“Where’s Jagger?” he asks her.

She gestures toward the makeshift bar with her wineglass. “Oh, Jack caught him on our way in and they’re huddled somewhere.”

Xander’s gaze follows mine across the room. They’re leaning against the bar with their heads together, each holding a glass of beer. Xander crosses his arms and lifts his brow. “What’s going on?”

Aerie giggles. “Jack wants Jagger to help him move No Led Zeppelin ’s sound track release date up.”

“But it hasn’t finished filming yet, has it?” I ask.

She shrugs. “No, but Jack’s pushing for an early sound track release around Christmas and then a rerelease when No Led Zeppelin hits theaters.”

Xander nods. “Makes sense.”

“Yes, it’s a brilliant idea, but Jagger is still working on perfecting most of the songs,” Aerie says.

“Get River to help him,” Xander suggests.

“They’ve been coconspiring, but I think they might be spending more time playing around than actually focusing,” Aerie replies, rolling her eyes.

Xander chuckles. “Sounds like I’ll need to pay them a visit.”

Now I roll my eyes.

Aerie snatches the sleeve of photos I have in my hand. “Nice,” she says with a smirk. “I like the one of Xander licking your neck.”

He snags the photo strips from her and she laughs.

“Hey, do you think I can talk to you a minute?” Aerie asks Xander.

“Sure,” he says.

“There’s something I think you should know before it’s announced,” she adds, slipping back into business mode. Then she looks at me and says, “And you and I will catch up later. And don’t forget lunch tomorrow!”

I nod my head. She’s such a type A personality. “I’m going to get another drink. I’ll leave you two to talk.”

As I walk away, I feel a pair of hands grip my waist. “You forgot something,” Xander’s deep voice says into my ear.

I turn my head and feel the tickle of his whiskers against my skin. “What?” I purr.

He gently pulls my mouth to his, and a soft brush of our lips has me tingling all the way to my toes. He runs his cheek down my neck and groans wickedly in my ear before releasing me. And for some reason, this tiny display of affection seems so much more intimate than just a simple goodbye kiss—it has me flushing.

I can feel myself smoldering as he turns back toward Aerie. I stand there and watch him as the two of them engage in conversation. When I snort to myself and break out of my lovesick trance, I continue my journey toward the bar just as Phoebe turns the corner in a knockout champagne-colored gown. She sees me instantly and waves, motioning me over. I look her up and down. She’s dressed so elegantly, she even takes my breath away.

“You look beautiful.” I say.

She’s grinning from ear to ear. “Can I tell you something?” she asks, practically jumping out of her heels.

“Of course. You know that.”

“Nix and I got married today.”

“What?” I scream. I can’t believe they got married on the same day I got engaged. I’m so happy for her and Nix. It’s all so exciting and I want to share my news, but Xander and I agreed to let this night be about the album.

“It’s crazy, I know. We haven’t known each other that long, but it seemed like the right time. Nix loves his new job and I love my new teaching position. We decided what better way to start our new lives.”

“Congratulations, Phoebe! I’m so happy for you. And love doesn’t have a meter, so don’t worry about how long you’ve known each other.”

“Thanks, Ivy.” She’s beaming.

“Come on. Let’s find some champagne to celebrate.”

The night has just begun and I already feel like a princess—but not the molded pop princess that catapulted my career. This time I’m my own person, doing what I’ve always wanted to do—singing about life as I know it and putting my own soulful twist on it.

With Xander at my side, I finally went to see my mother last week. Before that I hadn’t actually seen her in years. I’ve supported her and my sisters but had no contact with them. I’m not sure where my relationship with her will go. She told Damon about Xander and me and God knows what else—I don’t trust her, but she is my mother. In the end we worked out an arrangement giving her some time to work out her finances, but I told her I can no longer be her primary source of income. I’ll continue to support my sisters, but that’s it. Surprisingly, she agreed.