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BONUS EPILOGUE
TWELVE YEARS LATER: SKYLAR
The lights were brighter than I expected, the music louder. It was my first awards show, and I had no idea what to expect. Eight of us seated at a table, dressed to the nines, eating rubbery chicken. For both Grace and I to have been invited, rather than nominated was still quite something. She’d present the award for favorite on screen kiss, and later, Jason and I would be doing a Celebrity Dance Star showcase.
Our table was dubbed the kiddies table by the comedian host who thought he was funny remarking on the fact that we were all under thirty. Grace was a successful model, well on her way to SuperModel status, as opposed to Jason and I who were both coaches on Celebrity Dance Star. On the other end was Layla Dean who, thanks to my mom, we’d stayed in touch with even after more than a decade. She was seated next to her best friend Liz Blakely. Also at our table was Ryder Hawkins, former lead singer from The Poets who had become friends with Jason over the years. Only Liz and I had brought dates. But she looked as interested in hers as I did in mine.
Grace looked elegant and in a black column dress that accentuated her height and made her look curvier than sheactually was. She smiled as she turned her phone over to pay attention to the stage.
I leaned over, so only she could hear me. Well, and Jason since he was seated between us. “Was that a special good luck message from your fuck buddy?”
Grace glared at me and if I didn’t know her for more than a decade, I might have been afraid. “You shouldn’t be so crass. It was a nice message.”
Oh, I bet it was. Along with an explicit description of what he intended to do to her the next time they were both back in Marina De Ferrier.
“Here’s a thought. Maybe you shouldn’t be having a friends-with-benefits arrangement with someone you’re in love with.”
It was a fair statement. Every time those two parted she was devastated. I could not bear to see my friend get hurt, and I feared that one day the hurt would be permanent.
Jason turned to me and rolled his eyes and lowered his voice so just Grace and I could hear. “Really? Relationship advice? From someone in a serious relationship with a man she is not in love with?”
“Shush.” I spared a quick glance over at my boyfriend, Hilton Dunn, child actor turned producer. He was deep in conversation with Ryder. I gave Jason a pointed look. He was right, we had long ago passed our sell by date. Both of us were marking time because we looked good together but there was no spark, and no passion. “At least my commitment issues are not monthly fodder for entertainment blogs.”
Jason was no stranger to dating. A lot. And since his parents’ divorce, he had made it his mission to date every woman in Hollywood. Okay, maybe I was exaggerating but not by much. Yet, he never brought a woman to any events we agreed to attend as friends. I would have had the same attitude but afterdating for more than a year, I couldn’t exactly tell Hilton that we weren’t there yet.
Layla reached across the table, her eyes wide. “You’re going to Marina De Ferrier tomorrow? Are you flying?”
I shook my head, but Grace answered.”
“We’re doing a quick road trip.” She took a sip of her cocktail and nodded to the usher approaching as she stood. “We’ll leave after breakfast, stop for lunch and arrive at Forte Femme before dinner.” She looked at something over my shoulder. “I’m being summoned.”
With that she was led backstage, and Layla turned to me. “I haven’t been to Marina De Ferrier since I recorded with your mom. Can I come?”
“Sure. Just be warned, we’re doing a sleepover at Forte Femme and pancakes the next morning for Shiloh’s birthday.”
“Pancake Club.” Layla clapped her hands and the man on stage commented that the kiddies table was once again making a noise. We all rolled eyes but otherwise ignored him and continued. “I’ve only been to one of those. I cannot believe you guys still do that.”
“We try. It's not always possible and sometimes we have to join via video call and once Shiloh was on shift and couldn’t make it at all. But yeah, we still do it with each birthday.”
Layla turned to Liz. “They get up early-ish and make pancakes for breakfast and then their guy friends gate crash”
Yeah… that had become sort of a tradition as well. Although, not as much in recent years. “I don’t know if there will be any gate crashing. All the guys are deployed at the moment.” I turned and gave Jason a dry look. “Either that, or plan on being balls deep in some starlet he meets at the afterparty.”
He rolled his eyes. “Not all the time. We will need to eat. Although…” His voice trails off and he smirks at me.
I smack his arm and squint at him. “Don’t be disgusting.”
Ryder leaned forward directing his gaze at Jason. “Jase, let's make a guys road trip, too. I haven’t been to Marina De Ferrier in years either.” His eyes glazed over, and the softest smile lifted his lips. “I have some fond memories of that little town.”
That was news to me. The last I remembered, the band had recorded in my mom’s studio, and as soon as they were done, they were rushed off to their first professional gig opening for another big band.
Jason glared at him. “I’m almost guaranteed to get laid tonight. If we go, we’re going later. And we are not crashing the pancake club.”
“Dude.” Ryder shakes his head “I don’t even know what the pancake club is.”
Hilton chose that moment to join the conversation again. “Girls in their sleepwear, cooking. I’ve never been, so I’ve had to use my imagination as to what goes on.”
Jason’s mouth drops open as he once again glares at me. “Pancake club happens several times per year. How come you’ve never been?”
