“Well, absolutely no pressure, but I’m having a few friends over tonight to hang out. I’m going to do a stir-fry and relax on the back patio to enjoy the weather. It’s private, so no paparazzi concerns. Feel free to stop by if you’d like.”
Eden slow-blinked. It had been so long since someone invited her to hang out, she didn’t even know what to say. What were Anna’s friends like? Would Eden have anything in common with them? It might be awkward if they were fans of Eden’s music like Anna was. She wasn’t sure why she was even considering this, except she seemed to enjoybeing around Anna. Well, that, and the lonely evening that awaited her if she stayed at home.
“But I totally understand the allure of a quiet night and a good book. I did that last night.” Anna lifted her water bottle for a drink.
“Actually, I’d like to stop by, if you’re sure I wouldn’t be imposing.”
“Positive,” Anna said. “And my friends are all in the business, so fangirling will be kept to a minimum.”
That was a relief. “All right. What time?”
“Come around seven. I’ll text you my address.”
“Great. I’ll see you then.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Anna wielded the knife with a level of expertise that came from being a chef’s daughter. Its polished blade sliced rapidly through a red bell pepper, chopping it into neat, narrow slices. Music played softly through the built-in speakers that were located throughout the first floor of her house, and she hummed along as she chopped.
She still couldn’t believe she’d impulsively invited Eden to join her and her friends tonight ... or that Eden had accepted. But she had, and Anna was pretty damn excited about it. She hoped that tonight would be a chance to get to know each other better before they headed out on the road together.
The more time Anna spent with her, the more enchanted she became. She’d always been drawn to successful women. Competence was sexy as hell as far as Anna was concerned, not that she was thinking about Eden likethat—or she was trying very hard not to, at least—but she’d be thrilled to call her a friend.
“Knock, knock,” Zoe called as she poked her head in through the patio door.
“Come on in and give me a hand,” Anna said.
“I left a bucket of beer on the patio, and I’ve got some lemon meringue bites I picked up on the way home ... vegan, I checked.”
“I love you,” Anna told her friend.
“What can I help with?”
Anna paused before picking up the next pepper. She could slice much faster than Zoe. “Would you mind mixing up the marinade? The recipe’s open on my phone.”
“You got it. So who’s coming over?”
“Nicole and her boyfriend, Kyrie, and Eden.”
Zoe’s eyebrows went up. “Eden’s coming?”
“Yeah, I saw her at rehearsal today and asked if she’d like to stop by.” Anna shrugged as if it were no big deal, as if she invited superstars to her house all the time. Anna and Zoe were B-list celebs, but Eden ... she was the kind of celebrity that even fellow celebs got starstruck over.
“My little Anna is moving up in the world,” Zoe said. “Just don’t get too cool to hang out with me. Promise?”
“That could never happen.” Anna elbowed her friend. “Eden’s a bit of a diva sometimes, but she also seems, I don’t know ... lonely. I don’t think she has a lot of friends.”
“She’s recently divorced,” Zoe said. “That’s got to wreak some havoc on her social life.”
“Right.”
“Well, good for you, hanging out with a superstar. I’m excited to meet her.”
“Be cool,” Anna said. “I promised her we’d all behave.”
Zoe shrugged as she poured soy sauce into a bowl. “You know I’m not really the fangirl type. Eden’s just Eden as far as I’m concerned.”
If only Anna could turn off her own inner fangirl as easily. She and Zoe chatted as they worked. Anna wanted to have all the ingredients for the stir-fry ready to go before her friends got here. Then she could just toss it in the pan and have it ready quickly whenever people got hungry.