“I don’t know how you can be so…blasé about it.”
She sets her silverware down, gulping. “Trust me, I’m not. I’m trying to put a brave face on and accept it. Every time I think about him not being there, I tear up, and every time I think about him being with other girls, I want to throw up. But I don’t want to spend my time at college worrying about my boyfriend. I trust Alex. I really do, but he’s going to play for the Eagles, and women will be throwing themselves at him. I don’t know how you deal with the girls already fawning over Reeve. I couldn’t do it, and while I know Alex isn’t going to be dealing with it at the same level, I worry it’ll end up breaking us up anyway. At least this way, we can part as friends, enjoy college, and when it’s over, if we are meant to be, we’ll find our way back to one another.”
“It feels like the end of an era,” I truthfully admit. “It’s always been the four of us, and now we’re all separated.”
“I know, but I prefer to look at it like the start of a new era.” She stabs a piece of chicken with her fork, popping it in her mouth.
“Do you think Reeve and I should break up if he gets offered the other two movies?”
Audrey almost chokes on her food, and I pour her a glass of water from the jug on our table, handing it to her. She gulps back a few mouthfuls and composes herself. “Jesus, Viv. Don’t do that to me while I’m eating!”
“Sorry.”
“I can’t answer that. Only you and Reeve can decide what to do about your relationship, and we don’t want to influence you guys. Your relationship is different. You’ve been in each other’s lives forever, and you have this unshakeable bond. If anyone can weather a few stormy years, it’s you two.”
I squeeze her hand. “Thank you for saying that, but it really doesn’t feel like that right now. To be honest, I’m upset at how quickly we seem to be drifting apart.”
“No one said love was easy, and I bet everything will be okay the minute he gets home.”
I’m mulling over Audrey’s words when she goes to the bathroom, so I don’t see the woman with the pink-tipped hair approaching until she’s slid into the booth, occupying my best friend’s seat.
I jerk my head up, shock splaying across my face. “Bianca! What are you doing here?”
“I was in the neighborhood and thought we could have a little chat.”
Bullshit. She obviously tracked me down. I purse my lips and fold my arms across my chest, already knowing I’m not going to like this little chat. “Say what you came here to say.”
She offers me a tight grin, and her skin is stretched so taut it’s a wonder her face doesn’t split in two. Gossip sites put her at mid-forties, but I’m betting she’s older. It’s hard to tell under all the cosmetic surgery and thick makeup. Not that it’s uncommon in L.A. My mom is the anomaly, while someone like Bianca Remington is more the norm. In a city full of fake women, my mom truly stands out. Lauren Mills has chosen to grow old gracefully, and the surgeon’s knife has never touched her flawless porcelain skin. It’s just another reason to admire Mom.
Reeve’s hard-ass agent is wearing one of her signature power suits in black with a rich red silk blouse. A string of pearls rests around her smooth neck, and I briefly imagine choking her with them. If she gives me shit, I might very well be tempted.
“You’re a smart girl, Vivien. You’ve grown up in the industry, and I’ve no doubt your mother has told you how things work. To put it bluntly, you’re holding Reeve back. He’s spending too much time worrying about upsetting you and not enough time focusing on his career. If you truly love him, you will let him go.”
“Loving Reeve means I will be there to support and encourage him every step of the way. I will ensure he isn’t manipulated by people who profess to have his best interests at heart, when all they care about is lining their own pockets on the back of his success.” Take that and shove it up your bleached asshole.
Her haughty smile aggravates the hell out of me, and I’m having a hard time containing my anger. “I don’t care what you think of me. You’re insignificant.” She flicks a piece of lint off the sleeve of her jacket before standing. “I came here as a courtesy, but I couldn’t care less if you get your little lovesick heart broken.” She leans down, and the overpowering scent of Chanel almost knocks me out. “Reeve is going to be a huge star, and he has no room for a girlfriend.” Her gaze rakes over my bare face, my tight ponytail, colorful workout clothes, and sneakers. “At least, not one like you.” She straightens up before delivering her closing shot. “Act like a stage-five clinger if you want, but mark my words, by this time next year, you will be nothing but a distant memory.”
14
“Well, what did she say?” I ask when Reeve rejoins us at the pool. His dad is away again, so we’ve spent the first week of summer break hanging out at Reeve’s house. Reeve is recharging his batteries after an intense three months of nonstop work, and I’m enjoying chilling out after exams and graduation and just being with Reeve. Waking up every morning wrapped in his strong arms is the best remedy, and gradually, all the frustrations of the past few months are slipping away.
Audrey and Alex are presently frolicking in the pool, while I’m stretched out on a lounger, sipping the homemade lemonade Mrs. Thompson, the housekeeper, left in the refrigerator for us.
“She admitted it but won’t apologize.” Bending down, he pecks my lips before collapsing on the lounger alongside me.
I snort. “That sounds about right. Bianca is a piece of work.” I didn’t want to accost Reeve with the details of his agent’s nasty little chat with me the instant he came home, so I left it a few days before finally mentioning it last night. He was fuming, and he left her a heated voice message, demanding she return his call, yet he’s only just managed to speak with her. Either that demonstrates where he fits on her priority list or she was giving him time to cool down.
“I’ve told her if she pulls a stunt like that again I’m terminating my contract.” He swipes his beer bottle off the ground and brings it to his lips.
Sitting upright, I remove my sunglasses so I can look him in the eyes. “I thought you were going to terminate it now.” At least, that’s what he said last night when he lost it after I told him every horrid word she’d said to me.
He grimaces before swinging his legs to the side and reaching out for my hands. “I can’t, babe.”
I mirror his position, and our knees touch. “You can. You know Mom already spoke to Margaret and she’s interested in signing you. She is the best in the industry, and your career will be in safe hands with her.”
“I can’t walk away from Bianca now, Viv.” His eyes blaze with excitement, and my stomach dips.
“What don’t I know?”
“They’ve just offered me a contract for the next two movies!” Flames of delight dance in his eyes while that uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach churns faster. “Bianca is negotiating terms, but it’s looking like a done deal. I’m sorry, babe. I know you don’t like her, and I’m not happy she was rude to you, but I can’t change representation in the middle of all this.”
“They’ve decided to make more movies in the series already?” I ask, struggling to share his excitement amid the pain eviscerating me from all angles. “The first movie has only just wrapped, and it’s not premiering until January.”
“The studio commissioned reports from industry analysts who predict outcomes, and all the indicators point to this movie being a massive success. The buzz has been steadily building since the news first broke of the adaptation and it’s showing no sign of slowing down.” He can’t contain his grin, and I hate that I can’t be happy for him because I know what this means for us.
“When does filming start?”