“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. At first it was exciting.”
“Sure,” Sienna answered, lifting her glass of white wine. “Lots of wild hotel sex, right?”
Claudia’s face felt hot, and she grinned. “So much sex.” During the first two months, they’d borrowed adrenaline from the crowd to fuel themselves for post-show sex sessions that lasted for hours, taking them from the shower to the bathroom counter to the bed (with the occasional stop at a windowsill). Claudia had felt wild and powerful and free for the first time in her life, and Mike responded favorably to her new night persona. He’d been nice to her,holding in his criticisms and complaints. “But over the past few weeks, we’ve kind of… settled into an oddly mundane routine. And to be honest, Mike’s so quiet when he wakes up that I actually feel like an intruder. I either tuck myself into a corner of our room and read, or I go for long walks to give him time alone.”
Giving her a sympathetic look, Sienna said, “Was it after Brazil?”
Claudia shook her head. “It was before that. Actually, I noticed a change when we were in Mexico.”
“Hmm, probably because of his dad.”
When they were in Mexico City, he’d gotten word that his father had died of a stroke. When Mike got off the phone, he told Claudia about it as if he were passing along last night’s baseball scores. She crossed the room to hug him, but he waved her off.Don’t worry about it. It’s seriously no loss. But Claudia could tell the news stirred up a whole host of emotions he couldn’t handle. And instead of letting it sink in, he seemed determined to pretend it never happened. Mike drank more and relied heavily on cocaine to keep him going, sometimes barely managing to hold himself up for the walk from the elevator to their room.
Claudia, not sure if she could completely trust Sienna, decided to downplay the impact of his father’s death. Mike was a private person, and she knew oversharing could come back to bite her. “Maybe. Or maybe he’s just getting bored of me.”
“Would he almost come to blows with his best friend over a woman he was bored of?”
Nodding, Claudia chewed her lip for a second before answering, “I suppose not.”
“He’s had it so rough,” Sienna answered, sitting back in her chair. “Has he told you about his family?”
“In bits and pieces. It’s not something he wants to think about.”
“I can see why. His father was a monster,” Sienna told her. “I think it’s why he never wanted to have a family.”
The waiter brought a basket of warm bread wrapped in a red checkered napkin. Neither woman touched it. Claudia had hoped the bread would provide a distraction, but Sienna stayed on topic. “Do you ever think about having a family?”
She shrugged. “Not really. Most of the time, I’m just thrilled to be doing what I’m doing, you know?”
That wasn’t exactly true. Lately, during the unbearably lonely afternoons, Claudia found herself longing for another life—one with a house full of children to cuddle and love. Well, maybe notfullof them. Two would be nice. But then she’d remind herself she had someone to love and her dream career, and that should be enough. Besides, once they hit the stage, Mike was back to being hers again. Well, as much hers as a man like him could be.
Sienna took another sip of wine. “Well, I say enjoy every moment you can. It could all be over in a heartbeat.”
Claudia smiled, even though she wasn’t sure if Sienna was giving her life advice or a warning. She had a long sip of her drink, and glanced at the breadbasket, knowing she needed to choose between those warm crusty rolls and fitting into the clothes for which she’d just paid a fortune.
By the end of the day, Claudia had sore feet, a new wardrobe, a new sophisticated hairdo with long, straight bangs that touched the bottom of her now pencil-thineyebrows (and trust me, darling, thick eyebrows will never be in style again!) She also had an empty bank account.
The pair walked through the lobby of the hotel, arms linked, laughing away like old friends. Sienna had been wonderful the entire day. No signs of her marking her territory or blaming her for what happened. In fact, Claudia was certain she’d been totally wrong about her. She was ashamed she could ever have thought poorly about such a kind and wonderful woman. No wonder Zane loved her. She was like a beautiful fairy, too good for this cruel world, but sent here to bless the lucky few who got to spend time in her presence. They’d been followed around by paparazzi all day, and Sienna, although annoyed by them, was ever gracious, stopping to pose for photos while she insisted they include Claudia too. And as they rode the elevator up to the top floor, arms loaded, Claudia’s heart surge with gratitude. “Sienna, I just want to thank you for everything today. You’ve been amazing to help me out like this.”
“No need to thank me. I’ve had the best time with you. I can see why Zane thinks so highly of you.”
“You do?” she asked.
Nodding, Sienna said, “Yes, of course. He says you’re the little sister he never had, and I have to say I feel exactly the same way.”
The elevator doors opened, and Sienna stepped off, leaving Claudia to stand frozen for a moment while the word ‘sister’ thumped through her body like she’d swallowed a large rock. Sienna turned around and put her hand over the door to stop it from closing. “Come on, silly. I can’t wait for Mike to see your new hair. He’s going to absolutely die.”
Claudia got moving, following Sienna down the hall. “Do you think he’ll like the bangs?”
“Of course. They really frame your face,” Sienna told her. “I wish I could get them too, but Zane hates bangs with a passion. He says they remind him of the girls onLittle House on the Prairie.”
Claudia laughed, even though she could feel tears pricking the backs of her eyes.
Sienna turned to her, scrunching up her cheeks and placing a hand on Claudia’s arm. “Oh, God, I just realized how that sounds. You do not look like a pioneer woman! Believe me. You look hot… like Shannen Doherty.”
“I hope so.”
