LITMIR.BIZ

Скачать книгу

The addicts—we read magazines. Speaking of which, I kept looking for you, Mad, but I never saw you.” Sophia’s smile was sly now.

      “Oh, I was in them, all right,” Madison said. “One of my fans must have cut out all the articles about me to put in her Madison Parker scrapbook. I’m told that happens a lot.”

      Nice, thought Kate. Madison was well trained in the art of the rejoinder, that was for sure.

      Sophia snorted. “Yes, I’m sure that’s exactly it. So—come on, tell me. What are you up to these days?”

      “Loving life,” Madison said simply. She finished her drink and then stood. “Well, it’s been fun, you guys. Soph, so great to see you again! But I’m going to head home. I’ve got a big day tomorrow. Gaby, you want a ride?”

      “Okay,” Gaby said, which was pretty much the first thing she’d said all evening. She’d been too busy scoping out the crowd for unaccompanied guys to flirt with.

      Madison air-kissed Kate, gave Carmen a wave, and then she and Gaby exited, one of the cameras following them. And of course once all the cameras left (after they got a sad-looking reaction shot of Sophia), Sophia did, too. She didn’t even bother to say good-bye; she just evaporated into the crowd.

      “Wow,” Kate said. “That was kind of uncomfortable.”

      “Yeah . . .” Carmen agreed. “Couldn’t have happened to a nicer girl. Now, come on. Let’s get rid of the mikes and have some fun.” Both girls tugged off their microphones and spotted a PA to hand them off to. Then Carmen grabbed Kate’s hand and pulled her toward the bar. They hadn’t gotten more than ten feet before someone reached out and grabbed Carmen in a big bear hug.

      “Jake!” Carmen squealed, hugging the tall, dark-haired guy back. “Long time no see! How are you?”

      “Better now,” said Jake, winking. He was handsome in the way that so many Hollywood guys were: strong cheekbones, strong jaw, and strong arms. He was wearing a shirt that said Virginia Is for Lovers.

      As the two of them tried to catch up, yelling over the noise of the crowd, Kate shifted restlessly from foot to foot. Carmen had introduced her to Jake, but Jake only had eyes for Carmen. And Carmen was lapping up the attention, Kate thought. Maybe she’d been wrong about her and Drew.

      Jake bought them both drinks and they headed back to their table, where they were joined by another handsome, dark-haired guy named Drake (really), who could have been—but wasn’t—Jake’s brother. Drake kissed Carmen and shook Jake’s hand. “Bro,” he said, “haven’t seen you since that roast of whatshisname. How’s it going?”

      Drake settled in and Carmen once again introduced Kate, who smiled mildly, not expecting him to give her the time of day.

      “Kate’s my new friend,” Carmen said. “She’s an amazing singer. You guys have to see her.”

      “Cool,” Drake said. “By the way, I finally saw The Long and Winding Road. You were awesome.”

      And that was how it went for an hour: handsome but interchangeable guys rotating through their booth to greet Carmen and flirt with her, and Carmen happily flirting back. She kept trying to include Kate in the conversation, but she was the only one who seemed to care what Kate had to say. Eventually, bored of being the third (or fifth or sixth or whatever) wheel, Kate got up and went to find fresh air.

      Toward the back of the bar was a patio area, which was uncrowded and quiet. White lights twinkled in the jacaranda trees, and she thought she heard the murmur of a fountain somewhere. She breathed deeply, enjoying the solitude. The bass from the club registered with a dull thump behind her. She finished her drink and set the glass down in a planter filled with succulents.

      “They like it better when you give them a bit of the sauce,” said a voice behind her in a charming accent.

      She whirled around, mortified at being caught hiding her empty in a plant. “Uh—well—” She cleared her throat. There was yet another handsome dark-haired guy standing there. Seriously, was there a special on them tonight? “I was just setting it there for a minute.”

      He laughed and his white teeth flashed in the darkness. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell the manager. But it does look like you could use another drink,” he said.

      She shrugged. “Yeah, maybe.”

      “Don’t look so thrilled to be here,” he said, reaching out and giving her shoulder a friendly little poke.

      She took a step back, unnerved to be poked by someone she’d never met. “Do I know you?” she asked.

      He threw back his head and laughed for what seemed like a full minute. When he was done he said, “Maybe you don’t need another drink.”

      “Why?” she asked, puzzled.

      “I met you ten minutes ago. We were sitting at a table together? You know, with Carmen?”

      Kate flushed a deep red and was glad it would be too dark for this guy, whoever he was, to see that. “Oh my God, I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t realize—”

      “I’m Luke,” he interrupted, holding out a hand for her to shake.

      “Oh, right, sure,” Kate said. “I’m—”

      “You’re Kate,” he said. “Kate from Columbus.”

      “That’s me,” she said softly. She was still mortified.

      “Well, Kate from Columbus, you wait one second. I’ll be right back.” He turned and went back into the club, and Kate was free to kick herself repeatedly for her stupidity. Luke was freaking cute—how was it that she didn’t remember him? Was he really so identical to Jake and Drake and Cayden and Jaden?

      In a moment, Luke returned, bearing a vodka soda for her and a beer for himself. “Don’t give this one to the plant,” he said, handing it to her.

      “Thanks,” she said. “I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you. Clubs like this aren’t exactly my thing.”

      “Mine either,” Luke said. “But a friend of mine promotes this night and he made me promise to come.” He took a sip of his beer. “So what are you doing these days, my old friend Kate? Still in the biz?”

      “Pardon?”

      “Show business. Acting. Writing. Directing. Make-up . . .”

      “Stunts,” Kate heard herself say.

      He raised his eyebrows. “Really?”

      “I was Megan Fox’s stunt double in Transformers.” She tried to say it with a straight face but she could feel a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. “Do you think she jumped out of that burning building?”

      “You had me going there for a minute,” he said, laughing and toasting her. “You’re an actress.”

      “No, definitely not,” Kate answered. “I’m a musician. I mean, trying to be.” She blushed again. “Really I’m a, uh, food services technician.” He smiled at that. “That’s much more accurate to say, because that’s what pays the bills.” For some reason—perhaps because the cameras were gone—it didn’t even occur to her to mention The Fame Game. She hadn’t totally adjusted to her new life; she still felt like last month’s Kate. “Are you in ‘the biz’?”

      Luke nodded. “Yep. Just like ninety percent of the people inside this ridiculous club. I’m an actor.” He grinned. “Perhaps you’ve seen me in my star turn as Doctor Rose on Boston General?” The comic, needling way he said this told Kate, who had never seen Boston General, that he wasn’t actually one of its stars.

      “I’m not much of a TV person,” she admitted.

      “That’s okay,” he said, “I won’t hold it against you. But let me try another one: Did you see me in the bar scene in Inception?

Скачать книгу