Total pages in book: 244
Estimated words: 236705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1184(@200wpm)___ 947(@250wpm)___ 789(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 236705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1184(@200wpm)___ 947(@250wpm)___ 789(@300wpm)
“What are friends for,” I say.
“There’s a bunch of us having dinner,” TJ says, and it’s like he can read my mind. I was going to ask William along too. “I booked us a private room at this sushi place. Want to join us?”
“I’m there,” William says.
***
Thirty minutes later, William joins us in a stylish private room at the sushi restaurant with the rest of the guys—a table for six. We dine on salty edamame, gleaming yellowtail, and glittery seaweed salad. There’s sake for some of us, but William declines, opting for a green tea.
Over the first round of sashimi, Christian shares tales from the set of his recent action-adventure pic, then he asks Luke and Jason what’s cooking in their sports world.
Luke runs a hand through his hair, preening as he shows off his thick golden-brown locks. “The annual charity auction is coming up soon, so we’re laying down the bets on which player goes for the most dough,” Luke says, all brazen confidence. “My money’s on . . . me.”
Jason snorts, rolling his eyes.
Christian chuckles. “You doubt him?”
Luke answers for Jason. “Yes, he doubts me. But I plan to show the first string QB that a second-stringer can clean up. Make it rain, make it rain, make it fucking rain,” he says.
“Luke struggles with confidence,” TJ says.
“I can see that,” Christian says, then looks to William across the table. “And tell us—how the hell did tonight come together? That was like a surprise jump out of the cake at a bachelor party.”
“I wish there were cake. Can we get some, please?” William asks, turning on the cheeky charm as he meets Christian’s gaze.
“I’ll get you cake,” Christian says, just to William.
Well, that didn’t take long at all. I nudge TJ’s side. He winks at me.
The rocker blushes briefly, then says, “It all came together quickly. When Stone Zenith calls and invites you as his special guest, you say yes, and how high do you want me to jump.”
“And how high does he want you to jump?” Christian asks, and we might as well not be here for all the flirting between these two men.
“Apparently all the way around the world. He invited me on his European tour,” William says, almost like he wants to add come with me to Christian.
Luke shoots a wide-eyed stare at Jason. Jason just shrugs to say, yeah, they should totally get a room.
Fine, they should. But someone needs to cut the sexual tension between them, or the room will get a hard-on too.
I nominate me.
“William, I would say you’re a rock star, but clearly I’m going to need a new analogy. What’s the next-level compliment when someone does something amazing? Got anything, TJ?”
TJ taps on his chin. “Obviously, the only higher pinnacle than rock star, movie star, or sports star is . . . wait for it . . . writer!”
Everyone laughs, then Christian peppers William with a few more questions about his upcoming tour. William is popular enough to headline European tours on his own, but Stone Zenith is on another planet. Playing with him will blow up his fan base. “We take off in a week. We’ll be hitting Barcelona, London, Vienna.”
“I’m so sorry. That sounds awful,” Christian says drily.
“It’ll be dreadful, I’m sure,” William says with a smile.
Before Christian can flirt even more, the movie star steers the convo back to us. “So, you two were roomies once upon a time, I read somewhere?”
“It’s all true,” I say.
“Every word,” TJ echoes.
Even when we faked it, the stories of us have all been true, including this chapter unfolding tonight, here with friends—where we don’t have to pretend at all.
A little later, Christian parks a hand on my shoulder. “What’s the deal with your rocker friend?”
A man should work hard for a number, so I feign innocence. “Oh, why ever would you ask?”
“Is he single?”
“That’s a good question,” I say. Admittedly, I was worried for a while that William was trading one vice for another—liquor for men. But it’s not my place to decide. Still, I can ask him about his romantic status. That’s what a friend would do. When Luke and Jason descend into a rabbit hole of baseball predictions with TJ and Christian, I pull William aside by the doorway. “So, someone is kind of interested in you,” I say.
“It better be the American movie star who’s been giving me fuck-me eyes all night,” he says.
“Shockingly, it is. He wants to know if you’re spoken for. But I’m not sure if you’re taking a break from dating as you work on sobriety.”
With a sad but resigned smile, William sighs. “I’m trying not to get involved right now. I want to focus on recovery.”
“Good on you. That makes sense.”
“But I’ll get his number. For down the road,” he says with a smirk. He saunters over to Christian and pulls up a chair next to him. They chat for a while, flirting too—not-quite accidental touches, welcoming grins.