I scanned the room briefly, checking out my periphery, when I noticed Fred and Ayda across the room. “Freyda Inc. at one o’clock,” Imuttered.
Heturned.
“One, not eleven,” Icorrected.
“Oh, yeah.” As soon as he fixed his line of sight, they spotted me, and Ayda, sporting a smile nearly as white as the dress she wore, headed ourway.
“Donnie Gibson!” she shouted as she and Fredapproached.
“Freyda Stinks!” I said as I extended my hand to keep their usual hug-attack atbay.
Ayda was persistent, though, and took my hand before offering her usual hug, and Fred responded inkind.
“Such an incredible gala, isn’t it?” Ayda asked. “And you must feel like such a celebrity all of a sudden.” The way she beamed, it was as though she was flaunting the fact that she was responsible for my new celebritystatus.
“Those paps,” Fred added. “What jerks, huh? It’s funny, isn’t it? One day you’re expired milk and the next you’re chic cottagecheese.”
“Well, I’m sure you can’t fault your good friend for sharing them with theworld.”
I loved a good gala. Nothing like a little game of kiss-kiss-kill-kill.
“Donnie, I hope you’re not insinuating that we would have had anything to do with what happened,” Aydasaid.
“Ayda, we’ve known each other long enough—you must know my name isDax.”
“I’m only teasing,” she said, batting at my shoulder in a way that grated on my fucking nerves. “Dax, paparazzi run after stories about new celebrities all the time, even in sad cities like FeverFalls.”
“If you insist. But, oh well, I suppose I still have the winning account, so I shouldn’t bebitter.”
“That’s right, Lil’ Donnie,” Fred said. “You just go and be the biggest Lil’ Donnie in theworld.”
I sneered. “Oh, I do enjoy our little playful rivalry, but just so you both know, if I do find out either of you were in any way responsible for thosepictures…”
“Dax!” Fredgasped.
“No, let him finish,” Ayda said, her expression stiffening, her faux-smile transforming into a smirk. “I want to hear what he’s going to do to us if he finds out the truth. Steal an account out from under ournoses?”
I could read their guilt all over their arrogant expressions, and I wanted to fucking give them a piece of my mind, though I recognized this wasn’t the time orplace.
“I’ll get the last laugh, youguys.”
“Well, we’ll enjoy ours while we can,” Ayda said, and she and Fred shared another. “Lovely catching up.” She winked, and they headed on theirway.
“Fucking assholes,” Carter muttered as he perused his phone—no, myphone!
“What the hell are you lookingat?”
“You left your messages with Jace up. What the hell? It’s only been two weeks. Are you checking up on each other on thereg?”
I snatched my phone from him. “Yes, we’ve been chatting ‘on the reg.’ What aboutit?”
He stared me down, simpering. “I’m not sayinganything.”
“You don’t have to. You’re wearing it all over that goddamn smug face ofyours.”
“Donnie and Fireman sittin’ in atree…”
“Carter.”
