Her stomach clenched, but maybe this was the perfect opportunity to flex her muscles, so to speak. “Yes,” she answered carefully. “I’m with Sophie.”
“Ah.” His eyebrows rose, and a delighted smile crossed his handsome face. “I thought so, but I didn’t want to be presumptuous. Good for you. She seems great.”
“Thank you.” Jules’s face was on fire, which was ridiculous, because Tim seemed completely unfazed. “We’re not exactly…”
“My lips are sealed,” he said. “I’m here with Jonathan.” He tipped his head toward a tall, handsome man with mahogany skin who stood near the bar, one hand in the pocket of his slacks as he chatted with several other well-dressed men.
It was Jules’s turn to smile. “Good for you too.”
“Thank you,” he said. “I was thrilled to hear about your role inIt’s in Her Kiss. Jon and I will definitely come and see it.”
“Thank you,” she told him. “My first leading role. I’m still pinching myself, honestly.”
“I’d say it’s been a long time coming,” he said. “You have a lot of talent.”
Jules pressed a hand against her cheek, which was still flaming. “I really appreciate that.”
Sophie rejoined them with a drink in each hand, handing Jules a fresh flute of champagne. Tim chatted with them for another minute before heading off into the crowd. Jules sipped her champagne, watching Sophie.
“What?” Sophie said slyly.
“I guess I expected you to be jealous.”
Sophie glanced at Tim, who was standing close to Jon. “Nothing for me to be jealous of. He clearly has his eyes on someone else tonight.”
They shared a laugh, sipping their drinks as Times Square passed by beneath them. It was slightly disorienting, or maybe that was the alcohol talking. Jules rested a hand on the window to steady herself.
“Kari’s here,” Sophie said. “We should say hi.”
Jules nodded, following Sophie’s gaze to find their director in a stunning red dress, her black hair swept back in a neat twist, talking to a man she assumed was her husband. “Lead the way.”
Sophie did, although she kept a respectable distance between them.
“Sophie,” Kari exclaimed as she caught sight of them. “And Jules. It’s great to see you both. Did you have a good holiday?”
They exchanged pleasantries and were introduced to Kari’s husband, Bai. Jules thought she might have caught Kari giving her and Sophie a questioning look, but it could have been her imagination. For whatever reason—maybe it was the alcohol talking again—she wasn’t too concerned about Kari having suspicions about them. As long as they didn’t let it affect their performance, it shouldn’t be a problem. And how could it affect their performance when she and Sophie didn’t even interact during the show?
“Hi, ladies.”
An arm slid over Jules’s shoulders, and she turned to find Micki standing there, pink cocktail in hand.
“How are my favorite costars?” Micki asked, giving Jules a squeeze.
And where Sophie had been laidback at Tim’s approach, her fingers were now clenched around the tumbler in her hand. Jules sidestepped Micki’s embrace, sliding neatly out from under her arm as she offered her a polite smile. “Enjoying the party?”
“It’sfantastic,” Micki exclaimed, resting a hand on Sophie’s shoulder as she swayed on her feet. “I can’t get over the view. Best New Year’s Eve party I’ve ever attended.”
Sophie’s eyes widened. Yeah, Micki was drunk. Very drunk, if her slurred speech was any indication. They shared several minutes of awkward conversation—and even more awkward touching—before Micki stumbled off in the direction of the bar.
Kari’s eyebrows lifted as she sipped her martini.
“She’s going to have a hell of a hangover tomorrow,” Sophie remarked dryly as she sipped her own drink.
“As long as she’s over it before dress rehearsals start on Monday,” Kari said.
Jules cringed internally at the impression Micki had just made on their director. Professionalism was key—always—but especially at an industry-heavy party like this one. Kari and Bai excused themselves to greet another director, and Sophie and Jules snuck off to a quiet corner of the restaurant to regroup.
“Can you believe Micki?” Sophie said.
