Page 26 of Before the Encore

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Unfortunately, after everyone wrapped up at The Four Seasons, Bonnie and Madison still had work to do. Fortunately, it also meant eating at one of Bonnie’s favourite restaurants at the Grove. But first, they had more hoops to jump through.

“So, what now?” Madison bumped her shoulder with Bonnie’s as they walked along the strip towards the fountain. “More tantalising hip holding?”

“Do you ever listen?” Bonnie adjusted the cap on her head, anxious of every passerby, even though her burly security guard, John, lingered a few steps behind. Crowds could quickly get out of control, even with his broad six-foot-five frame barking orders.

“I’m hungry,” Madison groaned as the scent of waffle cones and roasted coffee carried on the breeze. The water hissed and trickled as they drew closer. “A few more minutes, and I’ll look like John. But more green and monster-y.”

“We need to take a couple of pictures by the fountain, then we can go.”

“How about I throw you in? I’m sure that will make a splash in the papers.” Madison gripped Bonnie’s hips, and she squealed, her stomach swooping as Madison lifted her.

John barked, “Put her down, Moore.” His stern order left no room for debate.

“Come on, John.” Madison laughed, setting Bonnie back on solid ground. “It’ll make a splash in the papers. You get it?”

Bonnie tugged her dress back down over her thigh and turned away. Madison’s strength sent a dizzying rush thrumming through her. She’d lifted her like a delicate doll, something Bonnie wasn’t used to. And she liked it.

Bonnie could not like it.

She forced her breathing to steady. Coral trees towered around the fountain, their sparse green canopies casting speckles of shade across the water. A woman cooed at her baby in a pushchair.

“The point is subtlety, Madison. We can’t make out here for everyone and their grandmother to see. It ruins the whole plan. The point is to generate buzz and speculation, not hand the media what they want.”

Madison smirked, blue eyes glinting in the fading sunlight. “Who said anything about making out?”

Heat shot up her spine. “That’s not what…Ugh.” Bonnie huffed, pulling her phone from her bag. “Let’s get this over with.”

“I’m just saying.” Madison’s hand slid around Bonnie’s waist, low and firm and definitely not at a Carmen-approved height. “You’re wasting a lot of my assets here, and I’d hate for you to miss out.”

“Shut up, Madison.” Bonnie pushed her off, but the heat lingered. “Stand over there so I can take a picture of your stupid face.”

After Madison had criticised the water show, and they’d posed for enough pictures to keep the social media team satiated, it was finally time to eat.

Bonnie would say The Blue Palace was one of her best kept secrets, except it wasn’t a secret at all. Everyone in LA knew, and though it might seem absurd to pay hundreds of dollars for sushi, it was the price to pay for the best. The reputation for being a celebrity hotspot meant Bonnie usually enjoyed the sushi in the privacy of her own home. She didn’t want to be pictured with her mouth half-open or sitting alone. But celebrityhood had its perks—like having Scarlett call ahead to claim the perfect table on the balcony outside.

Situated in the corner, framed by inconspicuous green bushes, the sleek table screamed ‘don’t look at me’, which, of course, meant everyone did. She’d snapped more inconspicuous photos for her media team and forced Madison to do the same, vetoing the idea of including Bonnie’s chest in the shot to see if fans could guess who she was from that detail alone. Bonnie told herself the hot tingle running over her skin was from the glowing red heaters, not from knowing how many hungry eyes kept glancing their way. She was eating out, in public, again, for the third time this week. Surely the hideous anxiety should have mellowed by now?

John was sipping orange juice by the bar. Nothing bad could happen. For Christ’s sake, she should enjoy this! Under the low mood lighting, pink sakura climbed the vertical slats of honeyed wood. Though she couldn’t experience the open kitchen the way she’d have liked, tucked outside, in the corner away from the bustle of the restaurant, this space felt like a hidden gem in itself.

It was a shame the company wasn’t better suited for the establishment.

“You really like this stuff?” Madison scrunched her nose as she prodded a California roll.

Despite Bonnie’s insistence that the chef’s choice platter had the best variation and flavours, Madison had barely eaten any—and not for a lack of trying.

“Yes.” Bonnie admired the rainbow platter, crowded with fresh maki rolls, delicate nigiris, and slices of sashimi. “It must be a change from all that rubbish you eat.” She popped a spicy tuna roll into her mouth, a satisfied hum thrumming through her at the creamy and spicy combination. Madison followed the movement with jealousy as Bonnie plucked another maki with ease.

“You can hardly get on your high horse about that, can you?” Madison clumsily pinched a roll and raised it to her mouth. It slipped from her grip, slapping back onto the slate. She glanced up, eyebrows knotted. “What about all the PB&J sandwiches you scoff?”

“I don’t scoff anything. And they’re not all bad. I have banana in them.”

“Banana? What on earth?”

Madison’s voice carried over the soft Shamisen music. Bonnie sighed. Luckily, their agreement relied on being seen. They’d be screwed if Madison needed to retain any sense of incognito for this to work.

Bonnie lifted a shoulder, eyeing a shrimp nigiri. “The protein from the peanut butter helps me stay full, and the sugar from the jam and carbs from the bread and banana give me energy.”