“She always shows up for me, too. I feel like the lucky one.” Reese had been there through everything with me. Through my decision to pursue acting, more drunken nights than I could count after I didn’t get the parts that I’d auditioned for over the years, and one of the lowest points, when my father was diagnosed with cancer. After going through it with Reese, it had been an awful blow to me and to our family. And she’d been there, holding my hand and talking me through it. Just like she always did.
“So, I haven’t seen Jessica Carson doing any interviews lately. I think you two have shut her down,” Olivia said with a chuckle as her gaze bounced between both of us. “You make it all seem very believable.”
“He’s an actor, Liv. Of course, it’s believable,” Reese said, glancing around as if she were afraid someone could hear us. She stepped away from me. “I had dinner with Carl last night. I don’t think he and Christy Rae Lovell are going to be together for long.”
The things I wanted to say in response would hurt her, so I bit my tongue, which I didn’t do often.
But for Reese, I would.
“How convenient for him. He punishes you for leaving, and he finds himself a backup, and then he lets you know it’s not permanent? Way to play head games, Dr. Dickhead,” Liv hissed.
“Hey, I’m the one fake dating my best friend to make him jealous. That’s got the makings of an epic head game. I’m no better,” Reese whispered, her green eyes wide as she looked between us.
“Well, we’re not only doing it to make him jealous. It’s helping me, too. So don’t beat yourself up. And I don’t mind having you at the house. It’s been good for me. Plus, my agent messaged me this morning. Apparently, Jessica is trying to get an interview with the Morning Show. She can’t handle that her crusade against me has pretty much died down.”
“Fuck her,” Reese snipped, which made me laugh because she didn’t get worked up often. “Nobody messes with my man.”
Olivia looked from her sister to me, her brows furrowed as if she were trying to figure out if there was more going on here.
Aside from a porn-worthy masturbation session, there wasn’t much else to report.
She wanted Carl.
I needed a girlfriend.
This worked for both of us.
Watching one another get off was just a bonus, in my opinion, even if Reese was horrified by it.
I had no regrets. It was the hottest thing I’d ever experienced, and I’d been around the block before, so that was saying a lot.
“Carl is almost as bad as Jessica Carson in my mind.” Olivia reached for her purse.
“That’s a real stretch, Liv. I understand you guys want to be protective of me, but I’m the one who left. That was my choice. Carl isn’t the bad guy here,” Reese said, her voice harder now. “And you both need to stop calling him names because when we get back together, it’s going to be awkward when you remember all the things you said about him.”
“I’m fine with it,” Olivia and I said at the same time, and I barked out a laugh.
“Stoooop.” Reese rolled her eyes.
“Are you guys nervous about the interview this week? The Hollywood Moment is big time. You think you can pull it off?” Olivia asked.
Angelique had asked if Reese would take part in the interview because she thought it was time for us to come out publicly. Season two filming would be starting soon, and everyone wanted this Jessica Carson story put to rest.
“No. Finn’s a professional, and I’m just going to act like I always do with him. It’s not like they can ask a question that we don’t know about one another. We’ll be just fine.” Reese shrugged. She’d agreed without hesitation to do the interview when I’d asked her about it a few days ago, and I was glad that there was no sign of her getting cold feet. Because they were coming, and if we canceled now, it would look suspicious.
“That’s true. So, I’m guessing you can’t be out meeting women with everyone believing you two are together. How are you handling that?” Olivia asked, directing her question at me.
“I’m handling it just fine. Pun intended.” I glanced over to see my best friend’s cheeks pink, and Olivia laughed so loud that it echoed through the space.
“Come on, Reese. Don’t tell us you’ve never taken matters into your own hands?” Olivia was laughing hysterically now as she watched her sister shift back and forth on both feet as she looked away.
“I’m not talking about this. Anyway, the interview will be great, and hopefully, Carl reads it and seethes with jealousy.” She was making an effort to change the subject, and my gaze locked with hers.
“Don’t worry about it. We’ll make him so jealous he won’t be able to see straight.”
“Yep. And then everything can go back to normal,” Reese said, but her eyes were still on mine. “And all the women will be waiting for Finn with open arms.”
“Well, I hope you have some fun before you go back to Carl. He’s having his fun. You aren’t together. Go do something crazy,” Olivia said, and I turned my attention to her.
“I agree. She should live a little right now.”
“Well, I have a very serious fake boyfriend at the moment. How do you two suggest I go out and do something crazy?” Reese teased, her gaze finding mine once again.
“You’ve got the hottest actor playing the role of your lover. I’m guessing Finny knows how to please a lady. Take advantage of the situation, guys. Stop being so morally exceptional.” Olivia barked out a laugh. “You’re best friends. That’s never going to change.”
Reese’s mouth gaped open, and I reached over and tipped her chin up to close it. “That’s a terrible idea. We made a pact years ago to never cross that line, and we would never risk hurting our friendship,” she said.
“What’s there to hurt? You want to marry Doctor Narcissist, and Finny wants to continue blessing the women of this fine part of the country with his swagger. You want two different things. You want the white picket fence, and Finn wants to have a good time with no strings attached. So, if you go into it knowing that, there’s no risk.” Olivia clapped me on the shoulder. “Show this poor girl what it’s like to have her world rocked.”
“Thanks for the commentary, Liv. Didn’t you sleep with your lab partner in college who you called your best friend at the time? The whole thing blew up in your face.”
“Ahhh… Newman Cock.”
“That was not his name,” Reese said over her laughter. We were all laughing now because Olivia Murphy had no filter.
“Fine. It was Newman Glock. He wore those thick-rimmed glasses and barely spoke, but the man was a freak in the sheets.”
“I want those words written on my tombstone,” I said as I winked at my best friend, who was gaping at me.
“Yeah, that’s not happening. And where is your bestie now?” Reese crossed her arms over her chest.
“Well, he turned into a stage-five clinger. Started talking about marriage after our little fling got started.”
“He broke your door down and sprayed Mace in your date’s face. The poor guy got arrested, didn’t he?” Reese asked as she studied her sister.
“It was the campus police. It’s not like he had a record. But yeah, a restraining order is a real buzzkill for a friendship.”
“Are you hearing this?” Reese asked me. “This is who is offering us advice?”
“Listen, she makes a fair point. And nothing would ever come between us, you know that, right?”
“Do not encourage her. It’s not happening.”
“Think about it. You could go back to Carl and teach him a thing or two. Show him what you like. The man is a doctor, after all. The least he can do is figure out how to find a woman’s G-spot,” Olivia said.
I barked out a laugh, and Reese pointed at the door. “Goodbye. I told you that in confidence when you got me liquored up in London. No more sex talk. Go find yourself a man and stay out of this.”
“So touchy. Or is she just in need of being touched?” Olivia squealed when Reese pinched her arm and guided her toward the door.
“Thanks for coming,” Reese grumped.
“That’s what she said, Finny!” Olivia bellowed.
“Damn. You beat me to the punch on that one. That’s my line, girl.”
Reese closed the door behind her sister and shook her head at me.
“You’re both insane.”
“Are we, though?” I teased.
Because I didn’t think it was a bad idea at all.
Hell, I’d had a little preview last night.
And I couldn’t get the vision of her out of my head.
twelve
Reese