AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"How have I known you this long and you've missed that?"
"I just thought you were grumpy because you hadn't found the right woman. How was I supposed to know you were just grumpy!"
"The vasectomy might have been a clue," August laughed.
"Oh—I'd forgotten that. Oh! I can get off these stupid pills!"
He smiled, leaning up to kiss her. "Yes, you can. Ihave a clean bill of health and no swimmers. No muss. No fuss. No worries," he said, reaching to pull her on top of him, "and no waiting."
Jill finally made it into the shower a little while later, leaving August snoozing happily. She had pulled on a pair of jeans and a white, gauzy shirt, fresh as a daisy, if exhausted, by the time Rhiannon arrived, and welcomed her into the house through the kitchen. "I've got some muffins in the oven," Jill told her. "You want some coffee, tea, milk, juice, or something?"
"Coffee would be good, thanks," Rhiannon said, slipping her bag from her shoulder.
"Do you still take it light and sweet?" Jill asked, reaching for a cup.
"Yes. I like a little coffee with my milk and sugar."
Jill laughed a little and poured her a cup, going for mineral water for herself before sitting down with Rhiannon at the table. "So…your dress was great last night. You looked gorgeous.”
"Thanks. Yours made the top ten lists. I guess daring works for you."
"Did it? I never look at those. I’m terrified I’ll end up on the wrong end of the poll. As for daring, I guess. I was afraid to sit down all night. Those shoes were not made for standing either.One of the ladies said that she got collagen injections in the balls of her feet for cushion.Another one said her husband, who is a dentist, shoots Novocain in her arches–I’m having dinner with her next week. Trying to expand my social circle beyond coworkers, you know. And maybe her husband will do my feet for the next event."
Rhiannon hummed, ignoring the meatier part of that comment. "Beauty is pain, I suppose. Still, you didn't look like you were suffering too much. The photos of you and Kline are all gorgeous."
"Oh? Are they out already?"
"As if you didn’t know. It's all over the internet and the dailies. They don't waste any time around here. Red Carpet shots, ceremony shots, afterparty shots. You were the hottest couple there. August did manage a background appearance in a couple of the pictures."
Her eyes lit up at August's name, then she sighed. "I guess it was too much to hope for a good one of me and August.Maybe some fansite has one. He says those usually have the best." A timer went off and Jill got up and went for the oven, pulling out muffins. "I've got blueberry, cinnamon apple, and banana. You want one?"
Rhiannon stared at her. "You really don't think there's anything wrong, do you? Either that, or you're just playing clueless again. You're such a good actress, I can never tell."
Jill put the muffin tin down, shut the oven and turned around."Of course, I know something is wrong.I just don't know what.You've been snippy for weeks, but haven't said why, and of course I noticed the sniping last night.Do you want to tell me what I've done?"
"Oh, I don't know, Jill. Maybe it's that you assured me that there was nothing between you and Kline when I asked you directly, and the next thing I know you're out clubbing and cuddling with him in the park in New York."
"That's what's bothering you? There isn't anything between me and Kline," she said. "Roland sent him to pick me up after the final divorce hearing.We went to dinner. I took him to a club I am part owner in. I went with him to his interviews, and we took a walk.That is the extent of my 'relationship' with Kline. That and posing for business. Better?"
Rhiannon shook her head. "No. Not better. You're supposed to be my friend, Jill. If you could have just been straight with me about him from the beginning, then none of this would have happened. You say it's just business, but it sure doesn't look like business. Not to me. Not to the entire world. I can't believe you don't read your own press. I also can't believe that you went along with all of this and didn't once think that it might upset me. You say I've been snippy for weeks, well that's because when you did call me, it was all light and breezy like everything was right in the world."
Jill looked shocked, but her eyes narrowed quickly. “Oh, are we friends? Or are wefriend adjacentorfriend-ish? Anyway, Rhiannon, remember what I do for a living? Acting.We're under the same management, we're doing a film together, and that requires looking cozy in public.Why do you think he was photographed all over New Zealand with Kara when they were starring together? It wasn't because they were dating.And I didn't tell you about my past with him because you seemed to like him so well.I didn't want to color that for you. 'Light and breezy' was because everything was right in the world. Nothing between Kline and me. Why would I just assume you were going to jump to conclusions?"
"I’m not even sure we’re friend-ish at this point. Kline didn't have a girlfriend when he was in New Zealand. There was no one to push behind," Rhiannon said, evenly. "You could have warned me about spending time with him in New York. I had to find out about it in the papers. Right about the time all those pictures of us were being splashed all over the place. Do you have any idea what kind of a nightmare that was for me? I had mobs of reporters outside my door while you and Kline were going to his interviews together and canoodling in the park--and while you were trying to seduce him."
"I'm sorry? I didn't even know there were pictures of us! And I did try to call you, and you blew me off—remember?I called to see how you were and ask you to lunch? I thought maybe you wouldn't want to talk about your porn spread over the phone!"Jill's eyes were angry crescents now and in the back of her head she made a note to top off her Botox, "And what the hell? When was I trying to seduce Kline?"
"He told me about it, Jill, okay? He told me that you were very aggressive with him, and he told you no more than once. I knew you were upset about the divorce, but I didn't expect you'd be so desperate."
"I'm sorry?" Jill said again, her cheeks gone red, "I was aggressive? I was desperate? Are you out of your mind?"
"I must be. I thought our friendship meant more than all of this, but I guess not."
"Who the hell do you think you are to come in here accusing me? Huh? 'Our friendship' is what kept me from sleeping with Kline twice!Yes, I was hysterical over what happened in my hearing—did you call to check on me?You knew where I was going. Did you ever once think of that? No! Because you were busy with your own issue, which was no less awful. Don't come trying to shame me for taking walks with a friend while I was being brutalized in the press by a man I thought loved me, and being photographed with one I used to love! I think it's time for you to leave."
Rhiannon stood up and grabbed her bag. "I didn't call you because I knew you were with Kline, and I was stunned by that fact after everything you told me at dinner before you left. Call itjust businessall you like, Jill. It won't make it true," she said, turning for the door. "You'll be happy to know that I won't be in your way anymore. I'm getting out of this before one of you breaks my heart."
"I wasn'twithKline," Jill screamed. "I didn't do anything wrong! If you're not secure enough to handle a relationship with a man who fucks women on camera for a living that's fine, but don't try to make me your excuse!I am not with Kline!I don't want to be with Kline!I am with August. I can't believe you think I would do that to you."
