CHAPTER 41
REID
I almost feel sorry for Blossom. I couldn’t tolerate her for even a full twenty-four hours. Turns out there actually is such a thing as too much flattery and adoration. Next up was a girl playing a Netherfield High cheerleader (I asked her to leave the costume mostly on), followed by a woman billed as one of the teachers.
I’ve avoided any social interaction with cast mates—except Tadd and Quinton—until tonight, when everyone is gathering in Brooke’s room to celebrate Jenna’s birthday. I’ve stupidly brought last night’s girl along. Vivian was hot and inventive in bed; out of it she’s rude and grating. Even still, I need a buffer between myself and Emma, or I’m going to end up doing something rash like getting on my knees and pleading for mercy.
Tadd is opening a bottle of Riesling, sort of. He’s actually mangling the crap out of the cork as Emma looks on, laughing as they pour the wine into glasses and then fish bits of cork out of each one, using straws, spoons, napkins and toothpicks.
“Did you chew the cork off, Thaddeus?” I say.
“Piss off, man,” Tadd says as he traps the last piece.
Vivian slides up to me and asks, “What’re you doing?” while fixing Emma with a defiant stare. Christ. I do not need this.
“Getting you something to drink, babe.” I grab a glass and hand it to her with a smile, wondering if alcohol will make her mellow or more belligerent. She stands on her tiptoes and rubs my nose with hers, marking territory. Holy shit, you’ve got to be kidding.
Emma, sharing a look with Tadd, sticks a finger in her mouth, her tongue out, and he chuckles. Unfortunately, Vivian catches the pantomime. She narrows her eyes at Emma and snaps, “Got a problem?”
“Hey now,” I steer her to the opposite side of the room, “nobody’s got a problem.”
Why couldn’t my appendix have died tonight? It’s a toss-up which was more painful, that night or this one.
*** *** ***
Emma
For almost two weeks, I’ve had a freaking front row seat as Reid cuts a trail through the cast of female extras. Step right up. Reid Alexander is accepting applications for one-night internships. On one hand, I don’t care, and on the other, it’s borderline humiliating and I feel like a total dumbass for thinking I could be some sort of exception for the way he is with girls.
I’ve avoided talking to or looking at him or tonight’s plaything, but I could feel her eyes on me from the moment they came in the room. With the SAT tomorrow, I’m avoiding alcohol, but I assisted Tadd with uncorking the Riesling bottle. We managed to disintegrate the cork with the corkscrew, and while we were fishing chunks of cork out of the glasses, Reid appeared at my side with his date, who attached herself to him like a barnacle to a ship.
She was trying to start something before he dragged her away. I don’t want him to think I’m jealous. You’d think being an actress would help in situations like this, but we’re human, with emotions like everyone else, and sometimes they just won’t stay submerged. I escaped onto the balcony to pull it together.
I close my eyes and breathe until Graham comes outside and stands next to me, hands in his pockets; I know he’s there when I inhale the familiar spicy scent of him. We scan the view as the sky darkens and the streetlamps flicker on. He doesn’t speak for several minutes, and I consider the fact that he and I spend a lot of our time together not talking, comfortable in each other’s company despite long silences. This is probably the result of running together, the exertion not always conducive to conversation.
“SAT tomorrow, right?” I love the texture of his voice, the husky timbre that triggers reverberations somewhere inside me. Too bad for me that he belongs to Brooke.
“Yeah. I guess I’ve got my excuse to bail early tonight.”
“Hmm. Are you doing okay, with—?” He indicates the indoors, and Reid.
“Yeah, I’m good.”
Brooke joins us then. “Hey, are you okay? Because trust me, I’d love to tell him to take his skank and get out.”
“I’m fine,” I lie.
“Well just say the word and they’re out on their asses.” She gives my shoulder a squeeze and goes back inside.
My world has done a 180: I want Reid to disappear, and somehow Brooke and I have become BFFs. What. The. Hell.
***
An hour later I’m in my room, bitching to Emily. “…and Reid’s piece of ass for the night was getting territorial. Like I’m competition. As if.”
“God, how many does that make?”
“Four—that I know of.”
“Jeez, what a man whore.”
I sigh, throwing myself against the pillows. “If he’s going to start bringing them around when we all hang out, I don’t think I can handle it. It’s hard enough just sitting in the same room with him.”
“Em, maybe you’re more hurt about this than you’re letting on,” she suggests.
“I’m just pissed, that’s all.”
“If you say so…”
She doesn’t believe me, but I need to forget Reid for a moment, forget where I am and everything I’m feeling. “I do. And in other news—how’s Derek?”
“Derek’s good,” she says, and if there’s such a thing as being able to hear a smile, I’m hearing her smiling through the phone.