“At least she left,” stated Sarah before taking a long draw from her glass. “We’re not really inviting her to our wedding, are we?” It was her day after all. Why should she have to endure Mia?
“She’s not that bad.” That seemed to be his canned answer when it came to Mia. Jon smiled at Sarah.
She looked back. “You can’t be serious. Have you met her?”
“Will it hurt to invite her?” Jon asked. “She probably won’t even come. She just wants to be invited.” He looked into Sarah’s eyes with his most irresistible expression and added, “If you don’t want to, we don’t have to…but she is my friend. Besides, there will be so many people at our small wedding,” he smiled at her, “that we probably won’t even see her. And she’ll never forgive me if I don’t invite her after I said I would.” He paused, as if waiting for her to respond, but when she didn’t, he continued, “We should go to lunch with her sometime, just the three of us. You’ll like her once you get to know her…I promise.” He kissed the top of her head and pleaded, “Please don’t get all quiet. We’re celebrating tonight.”
Sarah took another sip of her drink and looked at him. “Out to lunch, right…not at the house? I don’t want to see how comfortable she is at our house.”
He whispered in her ear, “I love you.”
She smiled at him and said, “You better.” She couldn’t stomach the idea of Jon’s ex coming to the wedding, but somehow knowing Mia was pregnant with another man’s baby made it easier to swallow. She looked around the club in the direction Mia disappeared as she thought about how this news would change the dynamics of Mia’s hold on Jon.
Just then, a man’s voice boomed from behind the group. “Jon, I didn’t expect to see you out clubbing. I thought you avoided the limelight. Sarah. Leslie.”
The girls looked up over their shoulders to see a broad-shouldered, muscular man with brown, buzz-cut hair and big brown eyes. His nose was a bit too large and crooked, as if it had been broken, but his body was like a giant, 250-pound work of art.
“Jake, I thought you were filming in Tennessee?” questioned Jon.
“We wrapped on Tuesday.” Jake made eye contact with both Alli and Jessica and smiled an alluring smile. Then he pointed an index finger at each of them and motioned for them to move apart, as if he was parting the Red Sea with his fingers. They made room for him, and he jumped over the back of the couch. Settling between them, he wrapped an arm around each of the girls. “So, Leslie, anyone special in your life?”
“Not since Nak. Why?” She looked at Jake suspiciously.
“Just wondering. You know you ruined him, right?”
“I did not. The breakup was mutual.” She scowled at him and then explained to everyone, “Daniel Nackerson and I dated for about a year and a half, if you can call it dating. We were both so busy that we hardly ever saw each other. He was always away filming when I was in town, and he was off when Jon was filming, so we never had time for a relationship. I don’t date actors anymore because of it.”
“You wrecked him. He’s no fun to take clubbing anymore. He misses you too much,” stated Jake. Then he ran his fingers through Alli’s hair and, focusing his attention to her, added, “You have beautiful hair. What’s your name?”
“Alli Cole,” she said with a grin.
“Hi, I’m Jake Gorboni. You’re not an actress, are you?”
“No,” she smiled at him, “I’m studying to be a doctor, or at least I will be in the fall.”
“Impressive. You’re one of Sarah’s smart friends I’ve heard about? Jon, the wedding’s not this weekend, is it?”
“I don’t have any dumb friends.” Sarah laughed under her breath, but only the girls in the group caught her joke.
“No. It’s not this weekend,” added Jon. “You’ll get an invitation. We can’t talk about it here, though—too many ears.”
“Jake, these are my very best friends from Minnesota—Jessica, Megan, and you’ve met Alli,” declared Sarah. She smiled at her friends. Hadn’t they just been talking about meeting Jake Gorgeous-Body this afternoon? And now here they were chatting with him. Sarah was impressed none of her friends was drooling.
“Brains and beauty—that’s new,” Jake stated, looking Alli up and down flirtatiously.
“Jake, what did Nak tell you?” Leslie interrupted in an irritated voice.
“I don’t know. Why don’t you ask him? He’s over at the bar with Liam and Jon’s bodyguard waiting for a signal from you to come over. He wanted me to make sure it was OK with you. I told him I’d ask, if he grew a pair.” Jake laughed.
“What the…Liam’s here?” Jon looked over at the bar and signaled for the guys to come over. The two men headed toward the group. Liam was tall and thin but muscular, like a soccer player, with a golden-brown tan. His hair was short and sandy blond, and his face had a serious expression even when he smiled. Daniel was a little shorter with dark hair, about as dark as Sarah’s hair. He had olive skin and a well-groomed five o’clock shadow. His black high-style glasses accented his deep, penetrating brown eyes.
“Thanks for asking, Jon!” exclaimed Leslie sarcastically.
“Like you’d say no.” He chuckled as the guys approached. “Hey, Liam. Nak. What’s up?”
“Will-Man, what are you doing here?” asked Liam as he fist-bumped Jon. Liam was one of Jon’s good friends, prefame, who still called him Will. He and Nak planted their bodies in the two squat, oversized chairs facing the U-shaped couch.
“The girlfriends are here from Minnesota,” said Jon. Then, spotting the waitress, he waved and added, “Another round.”
“Sarah…your friends are here? I’ve heard a lot about you women. Nick’s going to be bummed he missed you,” Liam said, implying more than was spoken.
Nick was another of Jon’s good friends from school and had a whoring reputation with women. He was the lead singer of a band called EXpireD, and Sarah and her friends had actually met him backstage, before the concert where Jon and Sarah met in person for the first time. Sarah noted Leslie and Nak were already in quiet conversation at the other end of the couch, so she introduced her friends to Liam and then added, “They’ve been told to stay clear of Nick.”
“And you let Jake that close to them?” questioned Liam with a raised eyebrow.
“Jake, you’re not going to defile any of Sarah’s friends, are you?” Jon chuckled.
“Not unless they say please,” answered Jake with a leer. Then in one smooth motion he pulled Alli onto his lap, leaned over, and kissed Megan’s cheek. Next, he turned the other direction, caught a very surprised Jessica on the lips with a kiss, and then proceeded back to Alli’s lips.
“Careful, you don’t know where those lips have been. Jake is not a good choice for nice Midwestern girls like you,” proclaimed Liam, and everyone laughed.
“Grrrrr,” Jake growled at Liam and then helped Alli get seated back on the couch.
“You know, we actually have brains and can make decisions for ourselves. We’re the whole package, not the mindless plastic chicks you’re used to,” declared Megan with a chuckle.
She didn’t seem starstruck at all, though Sarah knew it was an act.
“And that’s why we love you,” proclaimed Jon. “Right, guys?” He squeezed Sarah closer and kissed the top of her head, as Reanna approached with the drinks. The server was able to figure out what the guys were drinking with just a glance, and she brought them refills as well.
“Honestly, ladies, I was just trying to give you a heads up,” said Liam. “Jake’s a player. You need to stay clear of what he’s selling. I’m worried just seeing how close he’s sitting.”
“You’re just jealous I got the last spot on the couch,” proclaimed Jake.
“No you didn’t, dickwad,” challenged Nak, finally joining the conversation. Everyone looked over to see him squashed on the end of the couch, his arm draped over Leslie’s shoulder. He looked relaxed, like nothing was out of the ordinary, but there was excitement in
his eyes. Sarah hadn’t noticed him move. It must have happened when the waitress distracted everyone. Leslie’s face exuded apprehension, but her hand intertwined with his, so she couldn’t be too worried.
“I swear I showered,” claimed Liam.
Just then two girls, identical twins, with short, blond hair in pin curls, approached Liam from behind. One put her hands up to cover his eyes and said, “Guess who. No peeking.”
“Kiss me. I’ll figure it out.” He leaned his head back, and she pressed her lips into his, still covering his eyes. They kissed for several seconds before he broke it off and said, “Nope. Still can’t tell. I guess you’ll have to sleep with me. I promise I won’t peek.”
The twin removed her hands from his eyes and smacked him on the shoulder. “It’s me, silly.”
“Oh. Hi, Tara. Hi, Tina,” he said nonchalantly.
“Don’t sound so excited to see us,” said Tina.
“Who’s the player now?” boomed Jake before smiling and downing his beer.
“Come dance with us?” pleaded Tara.
The twins talked to Liam for about ten minutes while the rest of the group chatted about Jake’s filming in Tennessee, then the blondes headed off toward the dance floor without Liam. Once they left, Liam admitted, “I’m starting to get bored clubbing. It’s always the same.” He looked at Jon. Then, making eye contact with Megan, he said, “Hey, blond chick with the brain, I need some air. Will you walk with me?”
“Her name is Megan,” said Jon.
“Sorry. Megan, would you come with me to get some air? I need someone to buffer,” asked Liam.
“Sure,” agreed Megan as she rose off the couch. She climbed past Leslie and Nak to join his side.
He grabbed her hand and said, “I may have to kiss you, just to throw off the wolves. Is that OK?” He smiled and pulled off his innocent expression.
“Yeah…whatever,” answered Megan, looking over to Sarah with wide eyes.
Sarah was impressed Megan seemed so calm. She had talked to her friends about Liam, and they admitted they sometimes watched his cable TV show. Liam’s character exuded sex and was a self-centered, egotistical ass. He wasn’t that way in real life, though. He was a decent guy. On second thought, maybe it was just Jessica she had told about Liam and that’s why Megan was so calm.
As Megan and Liam disappeared into the crowd, Jessica asked Sarah, “You’re just going to let Megan walk off with him?”
Jon answered, “She’s an adult. Besides, Liam’s not going to do anything. He just needs a woman with him to keep the other women away. Why do you think Jake hunkered down on the middle of the couch? He just wanted to keep the vamps at bay.” He looked over and Jake nodded an affirmation. “That’s why celebrities have entourages.”
“Beards—really?” Jessica chuckled.
“Yeah, why do you think I hung out with Mia all the time? It wasn’t her perky, press-seeking personality. Say that three times without vomiting. It kept the women off me, or at least it helped minimize the problem.”
They talked, interrupted by wave after wave of people stopping by to make their mark with Jonathan or Jake. Some Sarah knew her friends would recognize and others they wouldn’t. She tried to introduce the ones she’d met, but most were people that she had never seen before.
“Do you guys come here all the time? You seem to know everyone,” asked Jessica when there was a lull in the visitors.
“The last time I was here was with Jack and his girlfriend Camille, the night he died.” Jon whispered the last part of the sentence.
Sarah squeezed his hand, knowing how hard that memory was for Jon to recall. He rarely talked about that night, but she’d heard the story. It was Jon’s first real exposure to the frenzied antics of the photographers. He mentioned how happy the attention seemed to make Jack and Camille and how his reaction was just the opposite that night as if he could predict something was about to go wrong.
Just then, three girls approached the table. They were giggling as they surrounded the open end of the U-shaped couch. The brunette spoke up, “Hey, Jonathan. Hi, Jake. Do you remember me, Jake? I was in The Summer Killing with you. I played Candice.”
“Oh, yeah…hi. Aneika, right?” said Jake without much conviction.
The girl acted elated that he remembered her, and it seemed to give her confidence to continue. She introduced her friends and tried desperately to make small talk. Sarah had dealt with people coming up to Jon so many times trying to initiate meaningful conversations, but today it irritated her. Pink’s song “Stupid Girls” came to her mind as she watched the girls toss their hair flirtatiously, trying to catch Jon and Jake’s attention. Sarah just wanted to visit with her and Jon’s friends. Tired of listening to the mindless gibberish spewing from the girls’ mouths, she asked, “Does anyone else need to use the ladies’ room?” She looked over at her friends as she emptied her martini glass. She didn’t want to leave her drink unattended when she left the table.
“Yeah, count me in,” said Jessica, before she downed her drink as well.
“Me too,” added Alli.
Jon declared, “Well…I’m going with you.”
“To the ladies’ room?” questioned Jessica.
“Yep,” he answered without hesitation and stood offering a hand to Sarah. She stumbled just a little when she rose, and Jon caught her with his hand on her waist. Mia had been right about the Chameleon’s Tear sneaking up. When Sarah stood, the room started to sway.
Jake glared at Jon, and Sarah knew it was for leaving him with the three mindless girls. Then he turned and said, “Alli, you don’t have to go, do you?” looking deeply into her eyes.
Alli stood up and leaned over Jake, putting one hand on each of his broad shoulders. Inches from his face, she said, “Don’t worry, Gorgeous-Body. I won’t be long,” and she kissed him on the cheek.
Wrapping one thick arm around her waist and his fingers of the other hand curling around the nape of her neck, he pulled her in for a kiss. Their lips locked. They kissed ardently for several seconds, as everyone stared, before Jake broke it off and said, “Hurry back, honey.”
Jon walked the girls to the VIP bathrooms as Sam followed a few feet behind. The girls were loud and animated when they left him outside the ladies’ room door, but once inside, Sarah looked at them and motioned to lock their lips shut. They stood in line quietly waiting for stalls to open. When they’re needs were taken care of, they met up at the long mirror to freshen up their hair and makeup. The crowd of women they had waited behind had cleared out, so Sarah and her friends forgot about not talking.
“What kind of alternate universe do you live in, Sarah?” asked Jessica.
“It’s just another day in my cracked life,” she smiled, quoting Jon. “Alli, you called him Gorgeous-Body to his face. You’re not supposed to do that—not to his face.” Sarah shook her head as she spoke and stopped it with her hands as the room began to spin.
“Crap! I did, didn’t I?” Alli said with a slight slur.
“And then you made out with him,” giggled Jessica. “You made out with Jake Gorgeous-Body.”
“Oh man, what if Neil finds out?” A puzzled expression brushed across Alli’s face.
“I thought you weren’t dating the teaching assistant,” Jessica stated.
“I’m not…really. I don’t know what it is. We haven’t defined it,” admitted Alli.
“Then there’s no problem,” announced Jessica. “What happens in LA stays in LA.”
“Except for…for you,” stated Sarah, turning to Jessica. “Because, you know…Jeff is my brother.” She smiled apologetically. “I bet Jeff would hate seeing Jake’s arm around you.”
“Nah, but the kiss on the lips would piss him off. Nobody is going to tell him though.” She looked to Sarah, and Sarah smiled. “Let’s show him what a good time we’re having,” Jessica chuckled. Pulling a nine-inch action figure of Jon’s character Perseus out of her purse, Jessica declared, “It’s OK. No one will see us i
n here if we take the picture quickly. Besides, we have to get a picture of William with us at the club. It’s too bad Megan isn’t here.”
The girls huddled together with the doll as Jessica snapped the picture in the mirror. The acid etching of the club’s name on the mirror was proof of their whereabouts. As Jessica crammed the action figure back into her bag, Sarah admitted, “Jon would kill me if he knew I let you post a selfie of me on that web page.” He’d been so sensitive about her social media posts lately. He said nothing had changed, but she was certain something had, at least since January.
“We should probably get going. I bet Jon’s climbing the walls wondering what’s taking us so long. Men don’t understand the social aspect of the ladies’ room. They just want to get in and out as fast as they can so they don’t see another guy with his zipper down.”
Out in the club, the lights flashed pink and purple strobes. The music thumped with the lights and vibrated through the floor and walls. Jon was waiting right outside the restroom entrance, leaning against the wall talking to Sam and several other people. When Sarah’s eyes met Jon’s, she could tell he was anxious. He excused himself to join her. She intertwined her fingers with his and smiled apologetically at him. “We’re fine,” she declared. He took a deep breath to relax and mock scowled at her. Sarah asked, “Have you seen Megan and Liam?”
“Don’t worry. I’m sure they’re around. We are not going looking for them, though.” Jon nodded toward the stairway leading into the throngs of craziness. Sarah agreed. A small part of her wished she and the girls could head down to the dance floor with or without Jon, but she knew what Jon’s reaction to the suggestion would be and she didn’t want to see his eyes light with panic.
They made their way back to the table and broke out laughing when they eyed Jake, exasperation on his face. Jake sat on the couch surrounded by seven chatting, giggly women. He looked bored. He wasn’t talking to any of them, and he had three full beers sitting in front of him on the table, while he clinched one almost-empty beer in his hand. Leslie and Nak were nowhere to be seen.
Between the Lies (Between the Raindrops #2) Page 4
