“Why shouldn’t he be hitting on me?” Rachel teased her daughter.
“Come on, before you give her ideas,” Lexi said as she pulled David away. “My dad wants you to meet some people.”
“Ohh-kay, sure. Whatever you say, honey.”
David heaped sarcasm into the words as he winked at Rachel to let her know he was kidding.
He dutifully followed his new ‘girlfriend’ to network with her dad’s business associates.
Paul finally let David go but made Lexi stay at his side when the head of a rival studio showed up, and they started negotiating a deal. David was glad he could finally enjoy himself.
He thought he might need a map when he discovered the estate was sprawling. He stumbled upon a small secret garden that he could see being used as a place to get away and contemplate the day’s events. Before he stepped into it, he heard Veronica talking, and as he peeked in, David saw she was with Lauren and Lindsey. He decided to eavesdrop.
“What? You never said anything about that!” Lauren shrieked. “You boned the provost and the first mate on that trip?”
David blinked in surprise and assumed Lauren had to be kidding.
Veronica shrugged like it was no big deal.
“It’s not like I’ve told you about every single man I’ve messed around with. Only most of them.”
Lindsey was looking shell-shocked at what Lauren and Veronica were talking about. David understood why.
“But the provost? That’s kinda major news to keep to yourself,” Lauren complained.
“Not if you’d seen him. He wasn’t bad for an old guy. He had a nice package, but for technique, I’d only rate him a four. And he didn’t last very long. That was why I tracked down the first mate. Now he had a nice cock on him. He was probably a six out of ten,” Veronica overshared.
Poor Lindsey looked like she was about to faint.
“I can’t believe you sometimes,” Lauren said.
“Someday, you’ll give up your V-card and understand. Plus, a six is a decent score for something like that. I’ve been with worse,” Veronica said.
“Why would you do that?” Lindsey asked.
“If you want to keep getting invited to stuff like this, you have to pay the toll. That’s why I said you probably want to get with either Christian or Peter. They’re both solid eights,” Veronica assured her.
“Overshare much?” Lauren asked and then turned to Lindsey. “Don’t let her bully you.”
“I couldn’t. I have a boyfriend back home,” Lindsey said weakly.
“Who you said was terrible in the sack. Peter will at least go down on you,” Veronica said.
David had heard enough. He walked into the little clearing and smiled at Lauren.
“Hey, Lauren,” he said in greeting, ignoring Lindsey and Veronica.
Lindsey went white as a ghost at being discovered. Then David turned his gaze on Veronica.
“I was just with Lexi. She’s with her dad and Harvey Resnick. She said you and Christian were trying to get in touch with her and that if I saw either of you, I was to send you to her.”
“Mr. Resnick runs the studio where my mom’s show is filmed,” Veronica worried.
“Huh ... Hollywood really is a small town,” David contemplated. “Lexi’s meeting with him next week to talk business.”
Veronica understood the implied threat, even though David would never stoop to something like that. It didn’t mean others wouldn’t. He hated to think it, but Lexi actually might. Well, for sure, the ‘old’ Lexi would. He hoped the ‘new’ one would show some restraint.
Then he turned his focus on Lindsey.
“Alex, Kirk, and Jamie are here. I think they were going to the pool. I would’ve offered you a ride, but I knew that you were coming with Veronica,” David said to let Lindsey know her being a rat was out there.
Then he smiled at Lauren.
“Paul sent a car to pick us up. If you want a ride back, come find me later.”
“I just might,” Lauren stammered out, which made him smile more.
’That should stir the pot,’ David decided. Now that his work was done, he planned to have some fun.
David sometimes forgot that there were movie stars who simply took your breath away when you saw them. He was used to seeing beautiful people from modeling and acting, but seeing Fiona Beckham in person made him almost dizzy.
Her hair was strawberry blond, almost red, the natural kind that shimmers in the afternoon sun. It was thick and long and had a natural wave. She had on a small black cap that reminded David of what models wore in Europe. It was a touch of flair most women couldn’t pull off. She had piercing blue eyes that simply jumped off the screen in her films.
Fiona’s tan was obviously not from a spray can. It was a combination of spending time outdoors and the natural caramel hint in her coloring. Her looks were both exotic and symmetrical. Her kissable lips drew the eye and were set off by a shocking red lipstick. Completing the package was flawless skin that demanded very little makeup. She’d used some eyeliner, and that was all, as far as David could tell.
She’d also taken a minimalist approach to jewelry. But what she had on was exquisite: a pair of round diamond studs in her ears—a half carat at least—and a delicate platinum chain with a single rose-colored diamond.
David suspected that she’d had a stylist pick out her outfit for today. She was wearing a long-sleeved blouse the color of stone-washed denim with the sleeves rolled up, and she’d tied it so that her navel was showing. He suspected that Fiona had unbuttoned the bottom button so the blouse would gape slightly to expose more skin. An excellent choice, in his opinion.
She had on low-riding hip-hugger jeans that she must have had help to get into. Her look was ‘casual chic’ at its best. David doubted that you could go just anywhere to find her wardrobe items. Her attire was understated money, not flashy ‘look how rich I am’ money, such as he would expect Veronica to wear.
Fiona was the whole package, as far as he could see. She was going to look good on his arm.
David had looked her up before and knew she was only a few years older than him, which was typical. Few actors and actresses involved in major motion pictures were under 25, even if they played teens.
His eyes left her to take in the pool area. What he found amused him. All the girls were glowering because Fiona was drawing all the attention. Every guy, no matter what their age, was fixated on her, but they were all too intimidated to talk to her.
“I hate coming to these things alone. Would it be okay if I stood next to you to keep the women from throwing themselves at me?” David asked.
“Say what?” she asked, then recognized him.
“I’m sorry. They said you were slow. I ... Hate ... Coming...” he said loudly and slowly, like he was talking to someone mentally challenged.
What the frick! Fiona slugged him in the chest and called him a trigger word. The PC police would be all over her if she wasn’t careful.
“Is English your first language?” David asked.
“Oh, my God! You’re a dick,” she said with a grin.
“Why? For asking you to cover for me?” he asked, acting confused.
“I don’t know why any girl would want you,” she huffed.
David gave her his moneymaker smile, and her eyes got big.
“You’re a bad boy,” she said, jumping to conclusions.
“I didn’t say a word. You’re the one with a dirty mind,” he said and then added, “Which I’m okay with, if you were wondering.”
“I wasn’t.”
“You say that, but...”
Fiona frickin’ slugged him again.
“You keep that up, and people will think you like me.”
She gave him a hooded-eye look that didn’t bode well ... and then she smiled.
“I was just telling my best friend that I was sick of all the pretty boys who simply told me what I wanted to hear. I doubt you would ever do that,” she said.
Before he could hit on her any more, Christian and Peter got brave enough to come over. In response to their approach, Fiona put on a pair of dark, reflective sunglasses. With them on, she was intimidating as hell. It was just that something extra that would scare most men away because she was a goddess, and mere mortals weren’t worthy of her time. These two didn’t stand a chance.