“I jest, I jest. There won’t be any hanky-panky initiated by me this evening. I’m well aware of my standing with your sister, even if I hope to eventually convince her that I’m not the devil I play on television.”
“She knows karate,” Hudson says.
“No, she doesn’t, but she doesn’t need to if she decides you’ve crossed a line and need a lesson,” Ryker says.
“Sorry, Bea’s loins,” Daph murmurs over my shoulder as I open the handbag and verify for myself that there are no condoms inside.
My loins are still too skeptical of smiley Simon to agree that they need sympathy. Who’s that happy all the time? And what celebrity doesn’t care if they’re used for publicity for a random small-town burger bus?
This is all fishy.
And not like my secret menu is fishy. That’s good-fishy. This is bad-fishy.
But my heart melts the teensiest bit as I take in whatisinside the bag.
Tissues.
Eye drops.
Makeup wipes.
Butterscotch candies.
“Did he do this himself, or did he steal an old lady’s bag?” I whisper to Daphne.
“One way to find out. Get your shoes on, and let’s make your grand entrance.”
“You’re making my grand entrance with me?”
“Of course.”
“Because you think I’ll fall over in these shoes?”
She flashes me a grin and very distinctly doesn’t answer me. “If you really don’t want to do this…”
“How much of your actor money have you blown on alcohol and drugs and gym memberships that you don’t actually use?” Hudson asks.
“Okay, okay, I’m going.” I shove my feet into the sparkly red heels and only wobble a little as Simon’s answer wafts down the hallway.
“Do you count inhalers as drugs? One of my boys has asthma, and the other has been known to break a bone here or there and require painkillers. And I send money to my favorite charities every month as well.”
“Is he still smiling?” I whisper to Daphne.
“Sounds like it. I wonder what it would take to fluster him?”
“His children. They definitely fluster him.”
Okay. Shoes on. Bag in hand. Hair done. Makeup done. Dress smoothed.
It’s time.
“Bea?” Daph says softly.
“Yes?”
“Jake’s gonna lose his mind when you walk into his restaurant in this dress. Everyone’s gonna see what he gave up, and everyone will realize what a complete moron he is. You’re fucking gorgeous.”
“More to a person than how they look, Daph.”
