“Holy shit! I knew she looked familiar! Chloe, you’ve been holding out on us!”
Reid moved quickly to the group and took a protective stance beside Chloe. “What’s the matter with you? Why are you yelling at her?”
Seemingly undeterred by the sharp bite in Reid’s voice, Greer continued. “The friend Chloe was staying with, the one she kept casually referring to as Josie—”
“But her name is Josie,” Chloe giggled, causing Reid’s stance to shift from protective to curious.
“Don’t be cute,” Greer scolded. “Josie Bane. Your childhood friend is Josie Bane. Total hottie and girlfriend of Hollywood superstar Anders Ellis.”
“Whoa,” Reid said, surprise causing his eyes to widen.
“See? You’ve even stunned Reid, and he’s a big shot in his own right. Look at these pictures.” Greer shoved his phone toward Reid as the others crowded closer to get a peek at the screen.
Reid cracked a smile and looked at Chloe, whose expression was far too innocent. “Was this tequila night?”
“Maybe.”
“What the hell is tequila night?” Greer paused. “Wait. These were taken the other night, weren’t they? This is why you looked like a bus had run you over yesterday!”
“Thanks a lot,” Chloe snarked.
“Who are these other people?” Reid asked as he scrolled through the pictures. A strange feeling made his skin tingle when he saw a picture of Chloe smiling at a guy who had his arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders.
“Well, I’m sure you know which one is Anders. The redhead is Maddie, who you guys met earlier, and the other guy is her husband, Holden. He’s also Josie’s brother and the owner and chef of one of the hottest restaurants in LA.”
“Well, hell. Who needs Reid? Chloe’s the one with the hookup,” Inky joked.
“Believe me, other than a possible free appetizer, I’m useless. You better stick with the one signing our checks.” Chloe grinned at Reid.
Greer sighed. “Looks like we’re right back where we started, then. But I want some details about Mr. Movie Star. You’ve got to have some dirt.”
Chloe looked around with a conspiratorial gleam in her eyes and leaned forward. “Well,” she whispered. “There is one thing. That night, after we all went back to Josie’s place . . .” Pausing for dramatic effect, Chloe did her best to keep a straight face.
“What did he do?” Reid asked. He had a feeling whatever she was about to say would be completely insane.
“He ate three slices of pizza . . . and didn’t throw them back up.”
“What the fuck?” Greer’s faced twisted with confusion. “How is that dirt? Or interesting?”
Chloe tsked. “Well, clearly he’s not human. No one can eat like that and stay as fit as him. Duh.”
Reid agreed. “It’s true. I haven’t had pizza in months and I still can’t get rid of these love handles.”
“You both suck, bro.” Greer rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless. “I’ll get something out of you.”
Chloe popped a Starburst in her mouth. “I’m afraid you’re barking up the wrong tree. I only just met the guy, and he certainly wasn’t divulging his deepest, darkest secrets.”
“I see you’re getting a head start,” Reid commented, motioning to the bag of Starburst sticking out of her purse.
“The tour starts the day after tomorrow. We’re close enough.”
“I get the feeling I’m going to have to monitor this Starburst situation. I can’t have my violinist in a sugar coma.”
“Pfft. I have a high sugar tolerance.”
Reid fell into the chair beside her and eyed the bag. “Do you at least share?”
Dropping a few candies in his hand, Chloe pursed her lips. “I don’t make a habit of it.”
Reid laughed, but before he could respond, a voice came over the speaker announcing first-class boarding would begin soon. Reid cleared his throat and looked from Chloe to the others in the group. “I hope you don’t mind, but I changed your ticket.”
“That depends. What did you change it to?”
“First class. I hate having a stranger sit close to me for extended periods, so I always book the seat beside me to keep it empty. I thought you’d appreciate the complimentary champagne.”
Chloe reached into her bag then dumped a handful of Starbursts in Reid’s lap. “I’m definitely getting the sweeter end of this deal. You can have as many as you want.”
Reid laughed. “So you’re not mad?”
“Are you crazy? Who the hell turns down first class?” The look on her face left no question she meant what she said.
“Cool. The guys are going to be jealous.”
Chloe frowned and looked at the group. “Jealousy is an ugly thing. I hope they learn to cope while I’m sipping champagne.”
“You sure are feisty today.”