“I’m not,” Stacia said defensively.
Trihn laughed and turned her attention back to the line. It had dwindled down to just a few people in front of them. The screams had ended, and there was Chloe.
In her four-inch platform thigh-high boots, Chloe was at eye-level with Stacia and wearing a slick, straight black dress. Her dark hair was pulled up into a high ponytail at the top of her head, and her characteristic big brown eyes were rimmed in charcoal and highlighted with fake lashes. Her makeup was stage heavy with luscious cherry-red lips and contouring that could have only been achieved by a professional.
Trihn was speechless. She had modeled and dealt with all manner of celebrities, but Chloe Avana turned her into a fourteen-year-old fangirl.
“Great show!” Stacia cried. “It was stellar.”
“Really amazing,” Maya agreed.
“Thank you all so much for coming,” Chloe said. Her thick ponytail bounced as she moved closer to them. “It’s really a pleasure to get to meet you.”
Her smile was bright and genuine. It made Trihn wonder why the hell Bryna didn’t like her. Chloe seemed so nice and friendly. She had just performed onstage for two hours, and she was happy to speak with her fans.
“I love your music,” Trihn blurted out.
“Thank you!” Chloe said. “Would you like a picture?”
The girls all scrambled together, and one of Chloe’s PR reps snapped a shot of the four of them together.
“What a nice candid,” Bryna said, walking back over to them.
Chloe whipped around at the sound of Bryna’s voice. Chloe’s mouth dropped open, and her cheeks turned rosy red. Shock was not even the best word to describe the look on her face. She was mortified. Somehow, Bryna had knocked the confidence right out of her.
“Bri,” she whispered as small as a mouse.
“Hi, Chloe.”
The tension was thick. Trihn glanced between the confrontation and Stacia and Maya. They looked equally as confused as she was.
“It’s so good to see you. It’s been so long, like…two years.”
“Mmm…yeah,” Bryna said.
“I had no idea you were going to be at the show.”
“My friends like your music.” She gestured to them as they stood together, wondering what the hell was happening.
“Wow. That’s just…so great,” Chloe said. She noticed that people were staring at her, and she seemed to shift back into her other persona. “Well, it’s great to see you and to meet your friends. We should go out tonight!”
“Oh my God!” Stacia cried. “That’d be awesome.”
“How fun!” Maya said.
Trihn was staring at Bryna. She looked like the last thing she wanted to do was hang out with Chloe.
But Bryna gritted her teeth and nodded to placate them. “Sure, Chloe. Whatever you want.”
“WE’RE GOING OUT WITH CHLOE AVANA tonight,” Trihn whispered to Stacia and Maya.
They were hanging out backstage, waiting for Chloe to finish up. She was playing back-to-back shows at MGM, which was the only reason she wasn’t leaving the venue to hop on a plane for her next show in a different city.
“It’s insane,” Maya whispered back. “I can’t believe Bryna knows her that well.”
“That’s so Bri—to just hold back her movie-star connections like that. I mean, we didn’t even meet Gates until last semester,” Stacia said. “Though I guess she and Chloe aren’t close or anything.”
“No, they definitely are not close,” Trihn agreed. “Chloe seemed to be a little terrified of Bri.”
“Isn’t everyone?” Maya only half-joked.
“True.”
Bryna had finished her vodka tonic and had run off to get another one while they waited. She reappeared a second later without a drink. When Stacia asked about it, she just shrugged. “Finished it already. Chloe is taking forever. I hate waiting. Maybe we should just bail.”
Trihn looked at her best friend as if she had sprouted antlers from the top of her head. Stacia and Maya mirrored her expression.
“It’s Chloe Avana,” Trihn said.
“And I’m Bryna Turner.”
“Come on, Bri. It’s one night,” Trihn pleaded.
Bryna sighed heavily and sank down onto the couch.
A few minutes later, Chloe sauntered back into the lounge area with a fake smile plastered on her face. “Sorry about that! I’m all cleared to go!”
“Great!” Trihn said. “Where to?”
“Wherever you guys normally hang out. I just want to blend in with you, get the real college experience and all that,” she said.
Maya laughed. “After all this, and we’re going to end up back at Posse on my night off.”
Bryna stood stiffly. “Great. Now that that’s settled, let’s go get a fucking drink. And with you not working, Maya, someone better know how to make my martinis right.”
“Oh, you’re a bartender?” Chloe asked.
“I am. I make the best drinks in town.”
“This is just going to be the best night,” Chloe said with a giant smile. All pretenses of discomfort left her face. She seemed genuinely excited to leave and hang out with some girls who were her own age.