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“But I was brave, and suffered through the whole weekend of fine dining and fancy parties,” Callie adds dramatically. “Somehow, we pulled it off.”
“You should ask for a bonus,” Charlie grins. “Zelda is intimidating as hell.”
“Plus, I bet he subjected you to his shitty taste in music,” Flynn adds.
“My taste is not shitty!” I protest, but brace myself for the playlist tell-all.
But instead, Callie just laughs. “I can neither confirm nor deny,” she says with a wink. “Non-disclosure agreement. My lips are sealed.”
“Discreet, too?” Austin whistles. “Maybe I should hire you to be my fake date, help woo these investors of mine.”
“Nope.” I answer instinctively. Loud. All heads turn. “I mean, Callie’s going to be busy now. With her makeup line. She won’t have time for anymore fake girlfriend gigs. Right?”
Callie nods, then gives a bright smile. “Wow, it’s really going to happen now, isn’t it? I mean, the line.”
“Absolutely,” I reply. “I’ll talk to my business guys, and we’ll get things rolling.”
“Great,” she beams at me, and is it the shot I just downed? Because I swear I’m feeling dazed.
Callie checks her phone. “Crap, I better get going. Catch-up with Lorelei.”
“To beg her forgiveness for sticking her on Brando duty?” I ask.
“Oh yeah, I owe her.” she laughs. “He’s been cussing at me all day. See you,” she adds to the guys, before waltzing off in a cloud of sunshine and cotton.
I watch her go, and when I turn back, Austin has that shit-eating smirk on his face again.
“You and Callie, huh?” he grins.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
He snorts. “Yeah, right. That’s why you’re staring after her the way a starving man stares at a giant steak.”
I open my mouth to argue and snap it shut again because, what’s the point? He’s not wrong, and we both know it.
“So?” Austin prompts me. “What happens now?”
I sigh. “No idea.”
“Maybe you want to do something about that?” he prompts. “Otherwise… Well, her next offer isn’t going to be playing anyone’s fake girlfriend.”
I stop dead at the thought. Callie, bickering with some other guy. Kissing some other guy.
Moaning for him.
Austin’s smirk grows. “Shut up,” I growl.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“But you thought it.”
Austin waits. “And yet… You’re still standing here bitching at me, instead of going after her.”
Fuck. He’s right. I down another shot for courage, then take off, ducking through the crowd to make it to the doors.
I search the sidewalk until I spot Callie about half a block down. I jog after her. “Wait up!”
Callie turns, looking surprised. I come to a stop beside her.
