“Fuck, you’re all so nauseating,” Nate drawls, and we break apart the same time Alex and Audrey do.
“Then maybe you should stop hanging out with us.” Audrey slants him a fake sugary-sweet smile. I know he gets on her nerves, but he’s on the football team with Alex, and their families are super close, so he’s always hanging around.
“Or get yourself a girlfriend,” I suggest. Nate isn’t my type, but he’s a honed slab of muscle, and he’s not ugly. I know he has his fair share of willing bed partners, but he needs a personality transplant if he expects any of them to stick around for a relationship.
“What an awesome idea.” He rocks back on his heels. “I was just telling Reeve he should introduce me to his sexy co-star.”
Saffron was papped entering the studio last week, so the PR people issued a press release the second she signed on the dotted line, confirming her and Reeve for the parts. Now everyone knows, and it’s becoming real. The books are popular, and social media is going crazy right now with talk of the movie.
Audrey snorts with laughter, while I try to curb the jealous fluttering in my chest.
“Unless you plan to fly to the East Coast, you can forget that plan,” Reeve says, rubbing a soothing hand up and down my back. “I told you we’re filming in Boston and other parts of Massachusetts.”
“I’m sure you can invite her to come and party with us sometime.” He waggles his brows.
Over my dead fucking body.
“I don’t think you’re her type,” Reeve says, and I frown. How the hell would he know her type, and why does it even matter?
“Reeve’s right,” Audrey cuts in, leaning her head back against Alex’s chest. “You’re not rich enough. Old enough. Or powerful enough. Unless you’ve got something she can gain, she won’t even give you a second glance.”
“I didn’t realize you were so judgmental,” Reeve says. “And you shouldn’t believe everything you read online. She’s a nice girl and really fucking talented.”
Audrey purses her lips, and an awkward silence engulfs the room. I don’t disagree with my bestie, even if we are being a little judgy. What bothers me is how quickly Reeve jumped to Saffron’s defense. It’s not like he knows her either.
“I’d still do her,” Nate says. “I’ve never had any complaints about Woody,” he adds, grabbing his crotch.
We all burst out laughing, and it helps to offset the growing tension.
“Butthead is throwing a party on the beach tonight,” Reeve says. “You want to go?”
“Sure.” I could use a drink or ten after the press announcement today.
“Let’s grab dinner at The Shack first,” Alex suggests, and we all nod, agreeing to meet in an hour.
“Feeling better?” Audrey asks, as we dance in front of the fire. Butthead may be a butthead, but he sure knows how to throw a proper beach party. It helps that this strip of beach is private and his palatial home is behind us. It means we have access to toilets and chilled drinks, and the line of chimineas spread out on the sand was kindly supplied by his parents so we don’t freeze our asses off.
“Much,” I agree, shimmying my hips to the pulsing beats pounding from the freestanding speakers. “I just need to get out of my head. This is such an amazing opportunity for Reeve, and I’ve got to quit the jealous girlfriend routine.”
“It’s human to be jealous. All week, I’ve been imagining what it would be like if it was me and Alex, and I wouldn’t like it one little bit.”
We bump hips, and I throw my hands around her neck, smacking a kiss to her cheek. “I don’t like it either, but this is going to be Reeve’s life, and I have to deal. He’s my one true love, and I’m his, and no one or nothing can ever change that.”
Whoops and hollers ring out, and I whip my head around in the direction of the guys. They’re sitting on fold-up chairs around a fire, drinking beers and laughing over something on Nate’s cell phone.
Audrey loops her arm through mine. “C’mon. Let’s find out what’s so entertaining.”
We amble to the guys, stumbling a little and giggling. I’ve lost count of how many vodka shots I’ve downed, but I feel carefree and happy, so I don’t care, even if I will have the mother of all hangovers tomorrow. Reeve reaches his arms out, pulling me down onto his lap, and I go willingly, draping myself around him and pressing my face to his neck. I inhale deeply, comforted by the minty, citrusy scent of his cologne. Brushing my lips against his neck, I silently rejoice when he shivers and his dick hardens under my ass.