Doyle hadn't expected her interview to generate the response it had. She ended the speculation about everything except Gray. Her relationship with Gray was no one's business. Luckily, reporters couldn't afford to stalk her when she never left the house, so even her romantic life or lack of it wasn't a story anymore.

The new story was the number of girls who posted videos on TikTok revealing their experience with the band. The rockers treated women like sex objects and not humans. It wasn't just Unhinged Rage; women had similar experiences with other bands. Their stories helped Doyle feel as though her experience had a purpose. After all her talk about standing up for women and fighting misogyny, she had somehow started a wave of females fighting back. She missed Gray every day, but felt a sense of purpose she had never had before. She posted on TikTok to support the others.

The gossip hounds didn't care about what was happening on TikTok. They had better stories to uncover like Tate's wedding. Amelia worked overtime to keep it trending. It caused some heated arguments between mother and daughter. Doyle felt sorry for Tate, not really she was marrying her true love, but the youngest daughter was glad to be off her mother's radar.

Because she joined her parents for meals and took photography gigs, Amelia considered her over her foolish attraction to the chauffeur. Her mother's cavalier words were like a blow to her abdomen. Still, she hid it and pretended she was fine.

To prove she was the old Doyle, she put on a tight dress which showed most of her thighs and took an Uber to meet her friend, Aubrey. Doyle hadn't been a good friend since she joined the band. First it was Mick, then her recovery, but her time talking to Gray really put her friend on the back burner for months. Thankfully, Aubrey could forgive.

Maybe a night spent dancing with strangers would reset her brain. None of the men at clubs would pass Amelia's standards, and it was not a road she intended to go down again.

The lights flashed, and the music boomed as the two women entered the club. Doyle never had to wait in line. She flashed her smile and pointed to the security camera. Someone watching from afar gave the okay to the bouncer, and they received a bracelet which allowed them into the VIP lounge with a bar that wasn't mobbed and comfortable seats with a view of the dancefloor.

Aubrey pulled her towards the dancefloor. Doyle pulled her to the bar. "I need a drink first."

There were a lot of VIPs, and Aubrey smiled at a group of men. Doyle only gave them a passing glance as they cheered on a round of shots. Two of them went from cheering to standing behind them at the bar.

A guy with blonde hair and a perfect smile greeted them. "Ladies, it's nice to see you this evening."

His shaggy blonde Owen Wilson look didn't match his expensive jeans and Italian loafers, he dressed like Baxter had in Vegas. "Have we met before?"

He smiled, and his blue eyes crinkled. "Not officially." He held out his hand. "Harrison Alden."

She nodded in recognition. The Aldens were another old Boston family. "Did we go to school together?"

He shook his head. "I went to Phillips Exeter."

"Shipped away?" To a prominent boarding school.

He shrugged. "A family tradition. My family is very traditional."

Doyle snorted and quickly covered her mouth. "Sorry."

He smiled. "No need. What are you drinking? Allow me."

Aubrey said, "Thanks. Cosmos."

His friend had been quietly watching their exchange. She nodded to the dark hair guy dressed like an ad for Brooks Brothers' weekend wear. "Were you two roommates?"

They laughed. "Just good friends."

The quiet one stuck out his hand. "I didn't get shipped away. I'm Eli Hathorne."

"I'm Doyle and this is my friend, Aubrey."

Eli said, "Doyle Kane, it's nice to finally meet you." He handed her a sweet drink, before handing the other to Aubrey. He had a scotch, but Harrison had a gin and tonic.

She looked at him sideways. "Finally?"

"Sorry. That came out wrong. I'm a Suffolk County assistant DA. I." Doyle frowned. "Well, never mind."

"Definitely never mind. It's Saturday night." Last thing she needed was to talk about the court case.

Aubrey said, "I want to dance."

Harrison looked behind him. "It's a bachelor party."

Aubrey laughed. "Not for you?"

"No. For the drunk one." Eli laughed.

"Is he celebrating or mourning?"

The two guys looked at each other. Eli said, "It's hard to say. I heard his bride is a little intense."

Harrison shook his head. "Priscilla isn't that bad."

Eli pushed his shoulder. "Only because your whole family is intense."

"Priscilla?"

Harrison said, "She's a lawyer, but she didn't grow up in Boston."

Doyle's gut clenched in recognition. "Not Bates?"

"Yeah. That's her. You know her?"

Doyle nodded. "My brother dated Silly a few summers ago."

"Silly?" Harrison laughed.

Doyle smiled. "My nickname for her. If you want to get under her skin, call her that."

"So you don't like her?" Eli asked.

"Not for my brother. He is happily married. She is one of those girls who tells her friends, um, bedroom secrets."

Eli whispered. "That speaks volumes."

"I'm glad she found someone. Another of your prep school boys?"

Harrison nodded and looked at his friends. "Most of us are, but not the legal beagle here."

Eli groaned. "Okay stoney."

Harrison ignored his friend. "You wouldn't want to be my plus one for the wedding?"

She put her hands up. "No. Aside from dating my brother, my father and future brother-in-law were instrumental in the demise of Bates Financial."

Eli put his hands up. "I can't discuss that part of her family."

Multiple employees had accused Silly's cousin of sexual assault and rape. Jimmy had exposed Junior's sins, including paying the victims for their silence out of company funds.

Aubrey sucked up the last of her drink. "Come on, let's dance."

Doyle put her half finished drink down. "I'm coming."

She didn't care if the boys followed them or not, but as she reached the dance floor, they were right behind her. She laughed at Harrison because he had no moves, but she doubted Gray would either. Don't think of him.

Eli danced better and was the better looking of the two. She would like to see him through her lens, developed in black and white. He had that photogenic quality to him. Gray did too, even though their coloring was totally different.

Doyle felt awful, because both men wanted to dance with her. When Harrison grabbed her waist, she smiled. "Aubrey could be your plus-one." For the wedding or potentially more. Then she spun away to her friend. Eli wasn't as forward, but his eyes were on her not Aubrey, even though Aubrey was beautiful with bigger breasts.

Eventually, they went back to the VIP lounge for another round. When tequila shots appeared, she shook her head. That stuff was as destructive as cocaine. Eli turned to the bar for another round, and Harrison whispered, "Don't tell the narc, but I have stuff if you want to get high."

She shook her head. "I'm not into that anymore."

If she was looking, Harrison Alden was off her list. In the ladies' room together, Aubrey wanted to know who she liked. Doyle shrugged. "Not Harrison. Neither actually."

"Are you sure?"

"Yup. Take your pick."

Apparently Aubrey liked ice blue eyes. Maybe she should have warned her about the drugs, but Aubrey didn't use. She wouldn't start, especially since she never approved of Doyle's former habit.

With Aubrey and Harrison grinding on the dance floor, Doyle stood by the group from the bachelor party. A few had women on their laps. There was a bachelorette party which mingled with the bachelors.

Just as she was debating leaving, the focus of the woman changed. They all reached up to smooth their hair and sit up with their chests out. Doyle thought of peacocks and wished she had her camera set up for a series of continuous shots. She looked up and laughed. Her heartthrob brother sauntered over to her and kissed her cheek. "Having fun?"

She shrugged. Kasper's two model friends chatted up the girls Kasper left in his wake. "I'm out so that counts for something."

"Who are your friends?" He nodded to the guys.

"Phillips Exeter prep boys out for a bachelor party." She jumped up and down before whispering. "You never guess who the bride is?"

He looked around. "Over there. Did they end up together like on our Vegas trip?"

Baxter's bachelor party and Ivy's bachelorette collided when Tate and Jimmy booked the same hotel. She laughed. "No, this is better."

He shook his head. "Who?"

"Silly!"

He laughed. "Seriously. Which one?"

"The drunk one. He's kind of bluh looking." Definitely not photogenic.

"I should go shake his hand."

"Please don't."

Eli approached with another Cosmo. "For you."

"Thanks. Eli Hathorne, this is my brother, Kasper."

He stuck out his hand. "Good to meet you. I've seen you on TV."

Doyle snickered. "You watch reality TV."

"Yeah. It clears my mind. My job isn't always happy."

"What do you do?" Kasper asked.

"He prosecutes criminals."

"Cool. Maybe I should have gone to law school."

Doyle laughed. "Maybe you should use the degrees you have."

"Where's the fun in that? Doy, wanna dance?"

"Maybe after I finish this."

"I'll get a drink then."

Eli watched Kasper walk away. "He's nice, are you two close?"

Doyle laughed. "We're twins."

"Seriously? Wow! Hey, do you want to get dinner sometime?"

Did she? "I'm taking a break from dating after everything I went through."

"I suppose after your boyfriend's manager tried to kill you."

"Maybe not kill me."

Eli shook his head. "We had a medical specialist willing to testify that if he continued, he would have killed you."

"Jesus."

"I know. My job is pretty heavy because it's people's lives."

"You're a nice guy. Maybe we'll run into each other again." She kissed his cheek. He smelled nice, but she didn't even feel a tinge.

Kasper returned with his eyebrows lifted. She pulled on his sleeve. "Finish your drink. I'll tell Aubrey I'm ready to go home."

One week later at an event at the Boston Harbor Hotel. She felt nauseous when Monty and Sofia arrived. Was Gray outside waiting for them? She sat at her table hoping to avoid the Whitbys. What would she say to them? She'd probably embarrass herself by peppering them with questions. How is he? That wasn't bad, but she would continue until she asked the one she wanted to know the most. Does he miss me?

After the meal was over, Kasper pulled her out of her seat. "Come with me to the bar."

She sighed. "You want me to wait in the long line."

"I don't want to stand there alone. Earlier a woman propositioned me."

Doyle laughed. "Was she young?"

"Not young enough for my tastes and she's married."

"Poor you." She laughed.

From behind her in line, she heard, "Hey."

Doyle turned to see Eli and Harrison. They both looked like they had been born in their tuxedos. She smiled. "You two clean up nice. Harrison, how's Aubrey?"

"Who?"

"My friend who you slept with and oh, that's right. You left in the middle of the night and never called."

"Oh, that Aubrey. I don't have her number."

"I could give it to you, but she would probably never speak to me again. She said you were selfish in bed."

His face looked like he ate a handful of Sour Patch Kids candy. Doyle and Kasper used to love the watermelon flavor.

Eli laughed and patted his friend on the back. "He never listens to me."

Doyle stomach clenched as she wondered if Eli was more skilled than his friend. If only she liked his green eyes.

As Harrison frowned, Eli smiled at Doyle. "How about a dance?"

Doyle nodded. He didn't deserve to be turned down twice. As they left the drink line. She said, "As friends."

Once she was in his arms, he whispered, "Are you sure? I'm not selfish."

He checked every box. Handsome. Kind. Funny. Well educated. Wealthy. He even smelled nice. While pleasant it didn't make her heady. If she hadn't met Gray, she would definitely like him. Gray, she couldn't stop loving him.

She and Eli danced two songs before Kasper cut in. "Mother is tired. They want to leave soon."

"I'm ready."

He smiled. "Beware. She's very excited you are dancing with the Hathorne boy." She shut her eyes and grimaced. Kasper laughed.

As they exited the hotel, Monty and Sofia were behind them. Just before she climbed in the SUV, she looked down the row of cars. She couldn't see Gray, but knew he was there. She silently sent a message. I love you.

As Kasper climbed in the car, he slipped. Mac said, "Are you okay, sir? It's not a mountain." Doyle laughed.

Amelia said, "It's so nice to see you happy and with the Hathorne boy."

Doyle said, "I can't date him. He's an ADA and knows about my case." That shut Amelia up.

Eli seems nice Thanks for voting ⭐️