“I’m glad you invited me. How are you, Mr. Moore?”
I smiled. “Living the dream.”
He looked me up and down. “Yeah you are. Is Lily with you?”
Astrid laughed. “That’s funny, Bas.”
He shrugged. “I had to ask. I wish she’d come out more often. We only see each other at work, which is a sad, sad thing.”
“None of us see her much these days. She’s holed up with West.”
“Well, at least she’s got that. I wouldn’t be complaining about being holed anywhere by him.”
A laugh shot out of me.
“Let’s go get drinks,” Astrid said and hooked her arm in his. “Really, what would I have done if you hadn’t come?”
“I dunno, maybe you would have hung out with your date? I know that’s what I’d be doing. I mean, have you seen him?”
I snorted.
We headed up the stairs to VIP, and Ash caught sight of me from across the room, smiling as he threw his hand up in the air to greet me. It was the same boyish grin he’d had ever since we we’d met at age five. I couldn’t help but smile back. The asshole was the closest thing to a brother I had.
He met us halfway and went in for a hug, clapping me on the shoulder as we bumped chests. “Coop, you made it. What’s up, man?”
I shook my head, still smiling. “Oh, you know. The usual.”
He jerked his chiseled chin at Astrid. “’Sup, Astrid?” He leaned in to kiss her cheek.
“Hey, Ash.” She pressed her cheek to his. “How long have you guys been here?”
He ran a hand through his blond hair just as a giggling brunette came out of nowhere and nearly fell into him. He hung an arm on her shoulder, smiling wide at me. “Not nearly long enough. Come on, let’s get you guys drinks.” He swung an arm in invitation, and we followed him through the club to his table, which was packed with people. His entourage was hanging around, mostly friends we’d had since high school, each with a girl or two I’d never seen before draped over them.
Ash poured Astrid a gin and tonic, then a scotch for me and Bastian. I nearly emptied mine on the first sip. Everyone was drunk and laughing, all carefree smiles and general not-giving-a-fuck. It was their specialty. It was mine, too, in a way.
He laughed and hooked his arm around my neck, his drink in his free hand. “Fuck, man, we were just talking about Bikini Girl in Ibiza.”
“You can’t put sunscreen there!” Ash and a couple of the guys yelled, and we all broke out laughing.
Ash shook his head and let me go. “We haven’t been back in, what, three years? It’s time, man. Way past time. Let’s do it this summer.”
“Only if you wear the hat.”
He clinked his glass to mine. “Oh, fuck yeah. I’ll wear the hat to Bocca Scopare if it’ll get you to Ibiza.”
Bastian raised an eyebrow. “What’s so terrible about ‘the hat’ that it takes bribery to get one to wear it?” He took a sip of his drink.
I shook my head. “We found this hat in Turkey that looks like the head of a giant dick. With a baseball rim.”
Bastian nodded, amused. “I approve. Seems appropriate to wear to a restaurant called Mouth Fuck.”
I laughed. “I just want to see him try to make it through the front door of Scopare with that hat on. It’s got veins and everything.”
He raised his glass. “And it was worth every penny I paid for it, too.”
I shook my head. “He walked up and down the nude beaches asking girls if they knew any dickheads.”
Astrid laughed. “Oh, my God. You would, Ash.”
“I have no fear.”
“Or shame,” she added.
“Same thing.” He took a drink.
Astrid killed her drink and patted him on the shoulder. “Oh, Ash. Come with me to get a drink, Bas. Don’t make me brave the wildlife alone.”
She took his arm as they headed to the table, and Astrid rolled her eyes at the giggling girls hanging all over the guys, stepping over legs and stripper heels to get to the liquor.
Ash jerked his chin at me. “What’s up, man? Haven’t seen you much the last couple of weeks.” He took a drink.
“Not much.”
“Then where the hell have you been?”
I played up whatever I could to assuage him. “Had a photoshoot the other day with W.”
“Oh? Fashion or something else?”
I smirked. “Eligible bachelors.”
A laugh burst out of him. “Of course you did. So, that was one day. And how about the rest of the time?”
I shrugged, not knowing what else to add because there wasn’t anything except the truth. “I’ve got a new girl.”
Ash smiled mischievously. “Now we’re getting somewhere. How hot is she?”
“I can’t judge her on that scale. She’s a good girl.”
“Oh, fuck man. I love the corruption of a good girl,” he said knowingly. “What’s her story?”
“She just moved here. Needed someone to show her around.”
“Yeah, I bet she did.” He chuckled. “Astrid doesn’t suspect, does she?”
“You know she doesn’t care. I’ve told her all about it.”
He shook his head. “Astrid Thomas and all the side ass you want? It’s the dream.”
His dream, maybe. I shook my head, amused as I sipped my scotch.
His eyebrow raised with one corner of his mouth in a smile as he looked behind me. “Don’t look now, but Ali Banks is currently strutting this way with mischief on her mind. And by mischief, I mean blow jobs.”
I laughed, even though I was annoyed. I’d hooked up with the actress a few times, which was plenty. Let’s just say that some actresses are always acting. I hadn’t called her in months, but for some reason, she hadn’t gotten the hint.
“Hey there, handsome.” Her voice was silky, and she slipped her arm around mine.
I turned to her, plastering on The Smile. At least Batman got a legit mask. “Hey, Ali.” I kissed her cheek, and she smiled up at me.
She was gorgeous — long, copper hair in shiny finger waves, ivory skin, big, green eyes, and a wide, sexy smile. She really was a fantasy on legs, a model before she started acting. But that smile was just as plastic as mine.
Her fingers gripped my bicep. “Where’ve you been, Coop? I haven’t seen you in forever.”
Ash raised his glass. “Hey, Ali. No, I’m good too. Great to see you.”
Ali shot him a flat look. “Hey, Ash,” she said, sounding bored, but when she looked back at me, she lit up. “Really, though. I’ve missed seeing you. Have you been in New York or on vacation?” She didn’t wait for an answer, just kept talking. “I’ve been dreaming of Italy. As soon as we’re finished filming, I think I’ll take a sabbatical there. Maybe you could come meet me for a weekend.” Everything about her was suggestive — her eyes on me, the curve of her lips, her body pressed into my side — even if her words hadn’t been crystal clear.
“Sounds refreshing.”
Ali smiled, her eyes on my lips. “I’ll text you about it.” She got even closer. “So, what are you doing tonight?”
I looked her over. Even with her breasts against my arm, her long thigh against mine, those big, green eyes of hers looking up at me hopefully, I wasn’t interested at all. She looked too polished. Too perfect. I thought of Maggie’s wild hair, the peppering of freckles across her cheeks and bridge of her nose. She didn’t even have to try — Maggie was effortlessly beautiful, unlike Ali, who looked like she’d had a makeup artist and a stylist put her together, which I was certain was the truth.
Even more appealing: Maggie would never throw herself at a man the way Ali did.
I smiled apologetically. “Ali, I’m here with Astrid.”
“Oh.” She blinked and let me go, putting a little space between us just as Astrid walked up, smirking.
“Hey, Ali.”
Ali threw on the brightest smile in her repertoire, I was sure. “Oh, hey, Astrid. I didn’t see you were here.”
“Obviously.”
She lasered her charm on Astrid, touching her arm as she beamed. “I saw your Barney’s ad in Times Square. So hot.”