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Worry bubbled up Gemma’s throat like her fizzy drink was making a reappearance. She had to assume someone notable had walked in, as they were, in fact, dining in a known celebrity hot spot. Based on the look on Lila’s face and the sharp swear words licking from her mouth like little flames, Gemma knew it was someone she would not want to see. Her father, perhaps. Or, god forbid,Nick. Or maybe even... Jack?
Her heart skipped on the last thought. The sensation felt important if not profound.
She took a breath and prepared herself for some kind of grand, middle-of-the-dining-room gesture in case he had come to win her back, again, but the diameter of Lila’s cautionary eyes told her it was not Jack behind her.
“If I can’t turn around, can you at least narrate what’s happening?”
Lila nodded. “Yes. Don’t freak out, I’m sure it’s coincidence, but Angelica Reyes just walked in.”
The past minute of Gemma’s resistance evaporated into irrelevance as her head involuntarily whipped around.
Lila snapped her fingers at her. “Hey! Eyes forward, Gem.”
Gemma’s heart had begun beating uncomfortably hard. She could have ignored Nick, dismissed her father, perhaps run away before Jack could find her, but Angelica freaking Reyes had to be thelastperson on the planet she wanted to walk into the restaurant.
A sudden, horrifying thought hit her like a gut punch. Maybe Jack hadn’t run off to Europe; maybe he had run back to Angelica.
“Is she here by herself?”
Lila picked up the panic in her voice and quickly shook her head. “No, but she’s not with him.” She knew without Gemma needing to say it that she was afraid Angelica had come with Jack. “She’s with an entourage, though. Shit. That’s Hayley Palmer with her, and some other girl I don’t recognize.” Lila sat up straighter and mindlessly smoothed her hair. It was already perfect but being in the presence of a supermodel often made one want to preen.
Gemma slouched deeper into her chair. As if she didn’t already know that Jack’s ex-girlfriend was ten thousand miles out of her league, she didn’t need the reminder that Angelica and living goddess Hayley Palmer were BFFs.
“They’re coming this way,” Lila whispered.
Gemma sat up and leaned forward, still fighting the urge to turn around as well as all the unpleasant thoughts swimming through her mind. “How does she look? Is she glowing? Like,I just had make-up sex with my boyfriend, and we’re moving to a quaint European village to ride bikesand eat impractical meals of only cheese and bread togetherglowing?”
Lila tore her eyes from the approaching party and looked at Gemma. “That’sveryspecific.”
Gemma shrugged.
“No, she’s not glowing. She’s got—god, she’s still so hot, though—she’s got, like, a full-tilt Elle-Woods-just-got-dumped-by-Warner-in-Legally-Blondevibe going on.”
Gemma’s heart suddenly soared to the ceiling. “Really?”
“Big-time. She’s going to need a cold compress in the morning to take care of all that.” Lila waved her hand in a small circle, then sucked in another breath. “Oh god, they’re coming closer. They’re going to walk right by us. Want me to trip her?”
“Lila!” Gemma hissed.
“The offer stands for three more seconds. Yes or no.”
Tempted—and knowing Lila would do it if she asked—Gemma counted to two and a half in her head before she said, “No.”
Lila slid her foot, which Gemma had not even noticed she’d stuck into the aisle, back beneath the table. She lifted her drink and casually turned her head toward the wall as Angelica and company passed in a fragrant burst of weepy chatter. Gemma caught the nasally drone in her usually lovely voice and words likeHe’s goneandWho even is she?
Clearly, she was talking about her and Jack.
Gemma wished the large plant behind her would eat her like it belonged in a shop of horrors. Instead, the man of the young couple being seated at the table directly across from them chose that moment to recognize Lila and blurt out her name.
“Hey! You’re Lila in L.A.!”
Lila, usually one to indulge adoring fans, shot him a demure smile and nodded, not wanting to draw attention to their table, but the damage had been done.
Angelica had walked past their table and out of Lila’s line of sight, but Gemma had a full view when she suddenly stopped and turned around. As if he was trying to make it worse, the man at the next table over—who had to be a tourist because no local would shout about a celebrity sighting in a dining room full of guests—called out, “Babe, it’s Angelica Reyes! AndHayley Palmer?” His eyes were saucers glittering with stars. His girlfriend pulled out her phone for pictures.
In that moment, Gemma hated every last thing about L.A. and famous people. She wanted to slide from her chair like jelly and disappear through the floor, but she and Lila were trapped with dozens of eyes on them.
Lila nudged her with her toe beneath the table and shook her head. “It’s fine,” she muttered in reassurance, but Gemma could not think of one possible iteration of the impending scenario that would turn out fine.
