“It’s so nice to meet you,” Maddie said earnestly. She hadn’t looked away from Hayley since they had sat down. “I noticed you, over by the bar… you’re stunning. Truly.”
Gemma and Caitlin shared a wide-eyed glance across the table, then turned to see Hayley’s face turn light pink.
Caitlin wasn’t sure if she had ever seen Hayley blush before. Hayley was always so put together, carefully composed, and never gave anything away unless she chose to.
“So.” Gemma took a sip from her drink. “Are you two—?” Gemma pointed between Maddie and her.
“She wishes.” Caitlin chuckled.
“Only in her dreams,” Maddie sang.
Gemma and Caitlin laughed, but Hayley wasn’t amused.
“Juice Wrld? Really?” Caitlin asked.
“Hey, watch your tone. ‘Jeffrey’ is a great song.”
Gemma smiled at their easy banter and raised an eyebrow at Caitlin, asking a wordless question.
“Maddie’s been my closest friend ever since I moved to LA. Our agent introduced us,” Caitlin offered in explanation.
“Damn, it’s been almost ten years now?” Maddie commented.
Caitlin stiffened. Across from her, Gemma mirrored the movement.
Not noticing the sudden discomfort, Maddie went on. “Yeah, you moved in with me in June. No wait, it was May.”
Caitlin watched as Gemma’s hand gripped her glass tighter. Beside her, Hayley’s jaw tightened. They didn’t say anything, but they didn’t need to. Caitlin knew that they were calculating the timeline and connecting the dots.
Hayley scoffed into her drink, and Caitlin couldn’t tell if she was trying to hide her judgment or call attention to it.
“Do you have something you’d like to add?” Maddie asked Hayley, finally reading Caitlin’s unease.
Caitlin wondered if she should intervene. A faceoff between those two would end poorly for everyone. They were both viciously loyal, and Caitlin knew that Maddie would defend her just as fiercely as Hayley defended Gemma.
“So, you’re an actress too, huh?” Hayley looked at Maddie.
“I am. Is there something wrong with that?” Maddie stood her ground.
“Nope, Caitlin just seems to have a type.” Hayley’s voice was laced with implication.
“You don’t know anything about me,” Maddie retorted.
Caitlin and Gemma could only sit and watch as the two traded jabs, helpless to stop the fight from escalating.
“I’ve already learned enough,” Hayley muttered.
The tension at the table was severed by an oblivious young waiter. “Can I get anyone another drink?”
All four responded with the same urgent yes.
“Scotch on the rocks, please,” Gemma spoke first, “with a twist.”
Caitlin eyed Gemma. “You hate scotch.”
“Maybe I used to.”
Caitlin doubled the order and watched the server disappear.
