Make It Known

DELETED SCENE #1 - Gala

A/N:

I imagined a darker, sadder past for Gavin that would have resulted in a dramatic, sad break-up between him and Mel. I decided to go in a lighter direction so scrapped that plan, but in case you're curious, here is a summary of Gavin's alternate past:

- Raised by a single mom, no siblings/extended family, dad died when he was young
- John Mattheson, the previous editor-in-chief of The Press, was a close friend of Gavin's dad and fostered Gavin's love for politics, writing, literature, and journalism from a young age
- in high school, Gavin's mum died of cancer
- Mattheson, a single workaholic with no close family of his own, took Gavin in and treated him like a son, just out of the kindness of his heart
- He gave Gavin a job at The Press, paid for his education, taught him everything he knew about journalism
- The Press became Gavin's family he never had
- Before Mattheson died, he asked Gavin to take care of his magazine for him, to keep it running well and to preserve his legacy
- Gavin, who felt completely indebted to Mattheson, worked his ass off as editor-in-chief to fulfil his mentor's dying wish
- When he and Mel got serious, he felt guilty and ashamed for potentially jeopardizing the empire Mattheson had built and couldn't sacrifice his commitment to his job and his sense of obligation towards Mattheson for Melanie. Also didn't want to ruin Mel's career, so when Mel confessed her love for Gavin, he shut her out

After all that drama, comes this scene.

Basic context behind this scene:

A very fancy journalistic work networking gala that Mel asks Dylan as her date to after all that Gavin/Mel drama.

I will repeat that this is an ALTERNATE event. Not real.

So. Enjoy.

***

When my front door opens and Dylan sees me, his lips part a little, his bright brown eyes flashing with surprise and something darker. He just looks at me, apparently speechless, for a long moment before he gives me a warm, crooked smile, and it's oddly endearing. "Bloody hell, Melanie." His voice is rough. "You might be the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

And of course, I blush, because I know that Rowley has been with many, many women and such a compliment is simply impossible, but stupidly flattering at the same time.

And damn it, he looks really good, too. His dark suit clings perfectly to his broad shoulders, his thick hair is brushed into place but still faintly messy, the way I like it. His usual dark scruff is groomed to perfection and when he takes my hand in his large, calloused palm, leads me to his car, he's tall and warm and he smells clean and masculine and like some kind of subtle but heady cologne.

I really don't know what I've gotten myself into.

***

Near the end of the evening when we're finished schmoozing and networking, they start playing music and Dylan whisks me onto the dance floor.

He holds me by the waist, flush against him, my hands resting on his strong shoulders, and I can feel the incredible warmth coming off of his hard, muscular body, can feel how solid and sturdy and dangerous he is.

I know that we're pressed a little indecently close. But for the time being, it's comforting and it makes me feel desirable and feminine and his hands don't wander, he doesn't make any silly jokes, he just holds me, and it's... nice. Well-behaved Dylan is strange but pleasant.