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“I’ll talk her into coming for at least a couple of days,” I assure Stella. “Don’t worry about it. When do you want me there?”
“Whenever you can get here, honestly. I can work around your schedule.”
“Let me get my bearings, and I’ll keep you posted.”
“Thanks, Sid. See you soon!”
And with that, she ends the call, and I’m left standing in my kitchen, eating salad out of a huge bowl in silence.
Without overthinking it, I open my laptop and, still eating this delicious salad, book a short-term vacation rental that just happens to be in the same building as my brother’s condo.
Coincidence? Maybe, but I’m choosing to see it as a sign.
Tapping my phone, I call Wendy.
“Hi, Sid. How can I help?”
God, I love her.
“Hey, Wendy. I’ve decided to take a spur-of-the-moment trip…”
I didn’t tell anyone that I was coming. I mean, Stella knew that I’d be in town at some point, but I didn’t give anyone a heads-up.
Not even Gray.
And he’s my best friend in the whole world.
But I wanted to surprise them. Surprises have always been my favorite thing, and I’ve been so busy for so long that I haven’t been able to dole out the surprises often enough.
Now that I’m settled in the condo that’s just four floors down from my brother’s, I shoot him a text.
Me: What are you up to this evening?
The three little dots dance in the bubble on my screen as he replies.
Gray: I’m just making some dinner with Stella. What are you up to? Recovered from the tour yet?
I grin and don’t even bother to grab my handbag. I’m not leaving the building. But I do make sure the door is securely locked behind me before heading to the elevator.
And when I reach Gray and Stella’s door, I press the doorbell, bouncing on the balls of my feet in excitement.
The look on my brother’s face, when he opens the door, does not disappoint.
“Surprise!”
“Holy shit.” He tugs me inside and hugs me close, and then Stella runs my way and wraps her arms around both of us.
“You’re here!” she exclaims. “Why didn’t you tell us you were coming? I’ll get the guest room ready.”
“No need,” I reply as I untangle myself from them. “I’m staying in a condo downstairs. Do you think I want to stay here and listen to you do the nasty all the time? Gross.”
When I glance around, I realize that I’m not the only guest here tonight.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was crashing a party.”
“You’re not crashing anything,” Stella says with a laugh. “It’s just dinner. You know Olivia and Vaughn, and I think you met Keaton, Liv’s brother, at their wedding last year.”
“Yeah.” My eyes meet Keaton’s, and that one night we spent together, the night of the wedding, comes flooding through my mind in full color. I managed to block out every sigh and every orgasm, but locking eyes with him now brings it all back.
And I wasn’t ready for that.
“Hi, everyone,” I say with a small wave, still watching Keaton. His green eyes haven’t left mine, either. He just shoves his hands into his pockets and rocks back on his heels. His jaw clenches, and I can’t help but wonder why I find that so sexy, but I do. His sharp jawline looks like it was carved out of stone. “Sorry to just barge in. I thought it would be fun to surprise these two.”
“It is fun,” Liv assures me. I know that Stella and Olivia have been best friends since infancy, as their mothers are also best friends. “And perfect timing because Stella and I were just about to boot the guys to the other room so we can look at dresses.”
“Let’s have dinner first,” Stella declares and moves back into the kitchen.
“We’re having salmon,” Gray informs me. “And there’s plenty, so don’t worry.”
He knows me so well.
“Cool. What can I do to help?”
“You can tell us everything about the tour,” Liv says as she helps Stella toss a salad. “Was it as epic as it looked from our seats? Because it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen.”
“Coming from the niece of a rock legend, that’s high praise,” Gray adds with a wink.
I smile, delighted that they really seemed to enjoy the show, and then I take a deep breath. I’d rather not talk about work tonight.
“It was a good tour,” I reply slowly. “Not the best one I’ve done, but I had a good time.”
“I agree with Liv. We enjoyed it,” Vaughn says with a wink. Vaughn Barrymore comes from Hollywood royalty and has starred in several movies for his father-in-law’s production company. In fact, that’s how he met Liv. She’s one of the top costume designers for Williams Productions and had to work with Vaughn.
The rest is history.
“I’m so glad you enjoyed the show,” I say, the way I always do whenever anyone compliments my concerts. “But let’s not talk about it right now, okay? I’m on hiatus for a while.”
