“Thank God. Maddie would have dragged your ass out of the house by your hair.”
Chloe laughed. “Why do I get the feeling this is something you have experienced firsthand?”
“Because you know, when it comes to Maddie, anything is possible. Now, move your ass before I do it for her.”
Once dressed, Chloe fixed her hair and makeup in record time. When she walked into the living room, she spread her arms out and smiled. “Am I good?”
Josie gave her a once-over. “More than good. You look great. Let’s get going.”
Chloe followed Josie to her car and climbed into the passenger seat. “So where are we headed?”
“Holden reserved us a booth in the back of his restaurant.” Josie cut her eyes to Chloe, her expression suddenly nervous. “Listen, I didn’t tell you before because I didn’t want to stress you out, but Anders is coming to dinner. Which isn’t a big deal, but it does mean there’s a chance dozens of paparazzi will be waiting outside when we leave.”
The look on Chloe’s face was nothing short of incredulous. “I’m more worried about meeting Anders than paps hanging around with cameras. The last thing I want is to do or say something stupid in front of your famous boyfriend.”
“You’ll be fine. Anders is like anyone else. Just a little more high maintenance. And moody. But underneath all his gruff exterior, there’s just something about him. I can’t explain it, but he’s pretty perfect. For me anyway.” Josie blew out an exasperated breath, then smiled. “Just let Maddie sit across from him.”
Chloe shook her head, but she couldn’t help but match Josie’s smile. “Why do I have a feeling that’s the last thing that should happen?”
“Just think of it this way. As long as those two are next to each other, you’ll be free from any unwanted attention.”
“Dinner and a show? What more could a girl ask for?”
“That’s the spirit!” Josie laughed. The remainder of the drive, the two friends talked about their day. Chloe noticed Josie refrained from asking any sort of questions about Reid. She was certain the avoidance had everything to do with Maddie. Once parked, they exited Josie’s car and walked through the side door of the restaurant to the booth Holden reserved.
“Hey, guys!” Maddie waved as Chloe and Josie approached. “Holden had to run to the kitchen for what I’m sure will be one of a dozen emergencies.”
“We could have eaten somewhere else,” Josie commented as she gestured for Chloe to slide into the large corner booth next to Maddie.
“Are you kidding? No way would he miss the chance of showing Chloe this place.”
“I hope it’s not an inconvenience for you guys, but I gotta say, I’m really happy we’re eating here. I read all the articles I could find about the place when it opened. My mom brags to anyone who will listen that her best friend’s son owns a fancy restaurant in LA. I understand her excitement, though,” Chloe said, looking around the large room. “It’s beautiful.”
“Thanks,” Holden said, taking the spot next to Maddie. “Sorry about that. I told them to pretend I wasn’t here tonight; that should hold them off for about ten minutes.”
“Like you wouldn’t find a reason to go back there and check on things anyway,” Josie joked before her phone beeped, redirecting her attention. She smirked when she peeked at the screen. “Anders is here.”
Chloe shifted and tugged on her lip ring with her teeth. She was nervous about meeting a guy who was the equivalent of royalty. It didn’t matter that he was dating her childhood friend. “Shouldn’t Maddie and Holden switch seats?” she joked.
Holden looked between Josie and Madison with narrowed eyes. “Hell no. Not happening. Chloe, if those two sit across from each other, they will cause a scene. They love to pretend they can’t stand each other. If it wasn’t so damn obvious how completely devoted Anders is to my sister, I’d swear something was going on between him and Maddie.”
Madison smacked Holden’s arm. “What about how completely devoted I am to you? Shouldn’t that count for something?”
“You’re not sitting here,” Holden retorted.
“Thank fuck,” Anders said as he appeared at the table. “It’s been a long day. I could do without Maddie’s endless ballbusting.”
“Behave,” Josie laughed.
Chloe blinked in surprise and moved farther inside the booth so Anders could slide in next to Josie. He flashed her a brief glance before turning his attention to Josie and smirking. “One of these days you’ll give up on the notion of me behaving, Ivy.”
“A girl can dream,” she sighed dramatically before leaning forward and placing a soft kiss against his upturned lips.
Chloe looked away, suddenly feeling a bit like a voyeur.
“They’re always like this,” Madison stage-whispered. “It’s the only reason we keep him around.”
Madison tried to sound annoyed, but it was obvious to Chloe that she couldn’t have been happier with the way Josie and Anders were together.