No. Hell, no, she was not going to get into a PDA battle with her ex. Plus, Adri’s the one who had instigated their breakup in the first place—it wasn’t like Stevie could succeed in making her jealous, even if she wanted to.
“Interesting,” Iris said quietly.
“What is?” Stevie asked.
But Iris just looked at her for a second, then shook her head. Before Stevie could question her any further, Van called out to them.
“Come in, come in,” she said, waving them forward.
Stepping inside the Riveros’ house was always a stark reminder that no, rich people were not just like everyone else. Not by a long shot. The downstairs area was one wide-open space, with marble floors in the kitchen transitioning into a gorgeous driftwood in the living spaces. The living room was huge—there was enough seating for twenty people, at least—sporting a giant white sectional as the centerpiece with light blue and gray armchairs sprinkled throughout, and pillows in ocean colors of seafoam, navy, and turquoise to complete the beach-retreat look. The back wall wasn’t a wall at all, but floor-to-ceiling windows with a sliding door that opened up onto the back deck. The infinity pool glowed aquamarine under the sun, and the Pacific rolled just beyond that.
“Holy shit,” Iris said.
“You already said that,” Stevie said.
“I’ll say it again—holy shit. What do Vanessa’s parents do again?”
“Family money,” Stevie whispered. “Van’s great-great-grandparents immigrated from Columbia and started a tiny vineyard up in Northern California that became super successful. But Van’s mom and dad are also pretty big agents with William Morris Endeavor.”
“Ah. Hollywood types.”
“Yep.”
Stevie took a breath, inhaling the familiar smell of sunscreen and expensive natural cleaners. The last time Stevie had been on this retreat, she and Adri were still a year away from breaking up, but the fissures were already there, tiny cracks of evidence that they were out of love and nearly out of time. But on the retreat, it was like all that disappeared. She and Adri even had sex while on the last trip—probably the last time before the breakup—a wild tangle of limbs in the shower fueled by too much sun and rich food, the heady drug of working on a play together, which had always been like a virtual Viagra for their sex life.
Stevie shoved the memories away. In front of them, Vanessa turned and smiled. “I have the best room for you two.”
“Oh,” Stevie said. “You didn’t have—”
“Actually, babe,” Adri said, “I had to move them to the Jasmine Room.”
Vanessa frowned. “Why?”
Adri took a sip of her drink. “Satchi and Nina really wanted the Hyacinth. And they’ve been together longer.”
“When did they tell you that?” Van asked.
“They texted me when I asked them about room assignments. You know they’ve always loved that room, and I—”
“It’s fine,” Iris said, waving her free hand. “We’re fine wherever you put us. I’d sleep on the back deck, honestly.”
“Yeah,” Stevie said, her palm growing sweaty in Iris’s hand. She’d never seen Van and Adri bicker like this before. But she honestly didn’t care what room they stayed in. She could never keep all the names the Riveros had for their ten bedrooms straight in her head, but there was no such thing as a bad room in this house. “We’re fine.”
“Good,” Adri said. “I can take you up.”
Vanessa blinked. “I’ll just get some drinks started.” Then she turned and speed-walked into the expansive kitchen before Stevie could call out her thanks.
Stevie and Iris followed Adri up the floating staircase, carrying their suitcases with them, and down an open hallway to a room at the very end. Adri swung the door open and bright light spilled inside.
“Here we are,” she said, waving them ahead of her.
Stevie stepped into a lovely space—every bedroom was at the back of the house, so they all had balcony access and ocean views. The bed linens were white and bedecked with colorful pillows that matched those downstairs, and the en suite bathroom boasted mosaic tiles and a huge glass shower.
“Ah,” Iris said, nodding as she looked around.
“What?” Stevie asked.
Iris’s brow lifted, but she just turned to Adri. “Thank you, this is lovely.”
Adri smiled. “I’ll leave you to get settled in.” Then she turned, squeezing Stevie’s shoulder as she left.
“Wow,” Iris said once they heard Adri’s footfalls on the stairs.
“What?” Stevie asked. “What’s so wow?”
“Who are Nina and Satchi?” Iris asked.
“Regulars with the Empress. They’re playing Don Pedro and Don John. Been together for, like, five years, I think.”
Iris laughed and pushed her suitcase toward the driftwood dresser. “Right.”
“What?”
“Really? You don’t see it?”
“See what?”
Iris waved her hand at the room.
Stevie just stared at her.
“Adri changing our room last minute?” Iris said. “To this room?”
“I mean, I figured they’d put us in the same room. If what you say is true and Adri does believe we’re dating, then of course—”
“Yeah,” Iris said. “But this room is for roomies. Not lovers.”
“What are you talking—”
But then she saw it.
Beds.
As in two.
Two twin beds. Opulently appointed, of course, but yeah, this was definitely a room to be shared by people who were not sleeping together. Panic surged into Stevie’s throat.
“Shit,” she said, already breathing more heavily. “She knows, doesn’t she? She knows we’re faking, and fuck, that is so humiliating, and I—”
Hands on her face. Soft and sweet, scents of ginger and bergamot washing over her. She immediately calmed down, more from the shock of Iris’s closeness than anything else.
“No,” Iris said. “Stevie, I don’t think she knows.”
“Still?”
“Still.” Iris tilted her head, swiped her thumbs over Stevie’s cheeks. “You’re sort of adorable, you know that?”
Stevie just stared at her. Iris stared back. It felt like a lifetime of just . . . looking.
And nothing about it felt fake at all.
“Then why do we have the twin bed room?” Stevie asked.
Iris smiled softly. “Why indeed.”
“I’m confused.”
Iris laughed and pulled away, heading to her suitcase and heaving it up on one of the beds. “You’ll figure it out. As for me, I’m going to put on my sexiest bikini and get in that pool as soon as possible.”
She glanced at Stevie, brows lifted in a question. Stevie, however, didn’t know the answer. She only knew that she wasn’t sure she could take a bikini much sexier than the one she’d already seen Iris wear at the Belmont.
“Join me?” Iris asked.
“Um . . .”
“That wasn’t actually a question.”
“Right. Yeah. Okay.”
“You did get a new bathing suit, right?” Iris asked.
“I did, yeah.”
“Is it sexy? It really needs to be sexy, Stevie.”
Stevie laughed. She couldn’t help it. Iris’s tone was both teasing and firm, and smiling just seemed to come naturally around this woman.
“I think it’ll do,” she said, and hoped to hell Iris agreed.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“WILL THIS DO?” Stevie asked, smoothing her hands down her bare stomach as she came out of the bathroom.
Iris smiled, forcing her jaw to keep from dropping. Stevie’s swim top was halter-style and black, but it had a bit of lace bordering the edges. She had on a colorful blue-and-orange-patterned jacket-style cover-up, that mysterious heart tattoo on display. The look was somehow feminine and neutral at the same time, and it worked. It really, really worked.
“Yeah, that’s . . . that’s perfect,” Iris said. “What about me?” She spread her arms, revealing what she knew was a killer green bikini. Triangle cups, strings everywhere. It barely covered her ass, which was half the draw, especially since it was clear Iris’s purpose here was a little more convoluted than a simple fake dating scheme.
Granted, fake dating wasn’t exactly simple in nature, but this was no longer just about Stevie saving face with her friends and ensuring a smooth Shakespeare production.
This was about jealousy.
Iris couldn’t believe Stevie didn’t see it—the glances, the sniping at Van, the room change.