PAIGEMOURNSRAIGE
Georgina lowers her voice and motions for us to all lean in. “It’s not working with Blake,” she says.
Alexis eyes her. “What are you saying?”
Georgina bites her lip. Her auburn hair falls just slightly in her face. I have the distinct impression that even this, this confession, is staged. It’s like she’s doing a scene from her show.
“But you two are so cute!” Tailor chirps. She’s currently dating the lead singer from that English boy band. The one with five guys I can’t tell apart. Their music is catchy, though.
“He’s too old for me,” she says.
“He’s not that much older than Rainer,” Alexis points out.
“And that turned out so well.” Georgina looks at me. “No offense.”
“None taken.”
“It’s just complicated,” she says. “We want different things. For instance, he wants to be there and I want to be here.”
“Aren’t Cassy and Damien about to get together on the show?” I ask.
I’m almost throughElsewhereand hooked. It’s supersexy. They get hot and heavy weekly. I can only imagine what her consummation scene with Blake will entail.
“Yeah,” she says, setting her fork down.
“That sucks,” I say. “But if you break up, how are you going to film all that stuff? Won’t that be awkward?”
The three of them look at me. Alexis’s face is incredulous.
“What?”
“I don’t know,” she says, sitting back. “How areyougoing to do it?”
All three of them are looking at me with raised eyebrows. “Darling,” Alexis says. “You’ve read the secondLocked, right?”
“Yes.” But then it dawns on me, what they’re talking about. I’ve been so busy trying to figure out the fallout of my relationship with Rainer that I didn’t stop to consider what actually happens in book two.
Book two is all August and Ed. It’s me and Jordan. It’s him trying to win her back.
“Crap.”
Alexis smiles. “Good luck with that.”
Georgina glances at Tailor. “Don’t ever fall for James,” she says, referencing Tailor’s costar.
“Can’t,” Tailor says, downing a wheatgrass shot. “He’s gay.”
“But isn’t he hooking up with Lindsay?” I ask.
Alexis picks at her plate. “It’s not real,” she whispers.
Georgina slings her arm over Alexis’s shoulder. “We’re messes,” she says.
“Hot messes,” Alexis corrects, leaning her head on Georgina’s. The gesture makes me immediately miss Cassandra. It’s a pain I feel often, and always seemingly out of nowhere. But how could it be out of nowhere? She’s still right here, even if I’ve been keeping her at arm’s length. That’s the thing about the people you love—they don’t really go away.
“Anyone want to go to Bungalow tonight?” Tailor asks. “It’s Alessandra’s birthday. I think she closed it.”
Alexis picks her head up and yawns. “Can’t. I have training.” She looks at me. “I still can’t believe we start shooting so soon.”
