Page 42 of Before the Encore

Bonnie was attractive. That wasn’t a secret. And Madison liked attractive women.

She forced her pulse to slow before asking, “What do you want?”

“Sushi.” Bonnie rolled on her side, gaze brightening. “From The Blue Palace.”

Madison’s nose wrinkled at the memory of the slimy fish. “Get it then.”

“Oh…” But Bonnie’s smile slipped. “I shouldn’t. It’s late.”

“You’re a fucking pop star. If you want sushi, then get the sushi.”

“Yeah.” She nodded, pointing a finger at herself. “I’m Bonnie fucking Bloom.”

“That’s right.” Warmth slipped behind her sternum, tripling in size when Bonnie’s big browns landed on her.

“Are you coming too?”

The image of the two of them making out in the back of the car flashed before her eyes. Madison’s hand between her thighs. Bonnie’s tongue in her mouth.

It probably wasn’t a good idea.

“I don’t know.” She scratched at the heat rising up her neck. “I fucking hate sushi.”

Bonnie laughed, nudging her playfully. “You can have something else. Minnie can take us wherever we want.”

A pit of hunger opened up in her belly, munchies incoming. “You okay to move?”

Bonnie stretched her legs, wiggling her small feet. “I’d do anything for sushi.”

Fuck it. “Come on then.” Madison stood, pulling Bonnie with her. The buzz thrummed through her veins, a mixture of cannabis high and Bonnie high—which, in her opinion, was the more dangerous and addictive of the two.

Because as Bonnie chatted away happily about the chef’s platter of nigiri she planned to devour, she dragged Madison deeper into her dizzying orbit.

The scariest thing? She didn’t mind at all.

Chapter Eleven

Madison

After stops at The Blue Palace and Nino’s Pizzeria, they successfully made it through the giant gates and into Bonnie’s mansion. Even in her inebriated state, Madison’s eyes boggled at the grand structure, the four water features, and the enormous black door that managed to look expensive by sheer size alone.

Bonnie waved goodbye to Minnie, then let them both inside, clutching her sushi leftovers underneath one arm. Madison had already witnessed Bonnie with a pair of chopsticks, but seeing her eat sushi with her bare hands in the car was even more impressive. The little snob continued to surprise her tonight.

Bonnie led them through an unnecessarily large reception area with a golden chandelier and fancy wallpaper into an open-plan kitchen-diner-living space. The sleek, modern aesthetic stretched from room to room. Everything about it screamed luxury. Other than Bonnie living in a pink palace, Madison didn’t know what to expect, but this…She hesitated in the doorway. Even the wooden floor felt expensive underneath her worn shoes.

Her childhood home could fit inside this one room—actually, this room was bigger. She’d shared a bedroom with Ruby in their terrace house in Sheffield that could fit four times in the kitchen alone. A prickly tingle ran up her neck; the pizza dough churning in her gut. That feeling grew legs, whispering, imposter, you don’t belong here.

“Release the toes.” Bonnie collapsed onto the cream sofa and pulled off her shoes with a happy groan. “Be gone, feet prisoners.” When Madison continued to gawk at the marble counters and the enormous windows, Bonnie asked, “Are you coming in?”

Madison placed her pizza box on the side and slipped out of her Docs. Unsure what to do with them, she placed them by the door before sitting beside Bonnie and sinking into the plush cushion.

Bonnie raised an eyebrow. “You’re being weird.”

A huff of laughter escaped her lips. “Sorry. I’ve just never been in a house like this. If you can even call it that.”

“Oh.” Bonnie nodded. “It’s actually one of the smaller ones around here.”

“How many bathrooms does it have?”