“Yes, ma’am.”
Angelica’s patent-red lips fell open. “Don’t youma’amme, young man,” she said, though she couldn’t have been more than a few years older than me. Mid-thirties at latest, I would’ve sworn it.
Beside me, Felix chuckled. “Can you not scare him off? I’ve only got him for the night.”
My stomach twisted at the way he said that.Didhe only have me for the night?
I hadn’t thought about it.
“Felix!” another voice called out across the room.
I looked up in time to see a man in a navy shirt and charcoal pants with perfectly straight teeth coming toward us, grinning like a shark.
This had to be Colin. I knew in my bones thatthiswas Colin.
“Colin,” Felix said, confirmation I didn’t need.
He just looked like the kind of guy who’d break up with someone because they were being sincere.
I tried not to dislike people—especially people I didn’t know—but I was willing to make an exception here.
“Thismustbe the new mystery man,” Colin said, extending his hand toward me. “Colin. Previous model.”
The moment I took his hand, I felt like I needed a shower. “Kieran,” I said, shuffling a little closer to Felix. “Luckiest man in the world.”
For good measure, I ducked down and brushed my lips over Felix’s cheekbone, making sure to linger a second so I could feel the heat of his blush.
Colin raised an eyebrow. Was that not believable?
I thought it was believable, but then I wasn’t exactly an actor.
“I’d love to chat later,” Colin said. “But duty calls. Congrats on the release, Felix. Thirty-four on the NYT chart isn’t anything to sneeze at,” he added, managing to make it sound like he was actively sneezing at it.
“You hit the New York Times bestseller list?” I asked, turning to Felix.
That wasincredible. Why hadn’t he said anything?
Felix blushed to the tips of his ears. “Looks like it,” he said, shifting his weight. “I, uh. There were a lot of big releases this week, I… I…”
“You’re amazing,” I said, still staring at him.
Felix stared back, eyes wide. “You… think?” he asked, breathless.
I nodded. How could Inotthink he was amazing? Felix, who used to fill notebook after notebook with stories, who always had an idea, who’d been quiet and shy and kind of my own personal secret—that Felix,myFelix—was one of the best-selling authors in the world.
I was so proud of him I could’ve burst.
Angelica cleared her throat. “Okay, lovebirds,” she said, gesturing toward the milling crowd. “Showtime.”
15
Felix
I should have been usedto this kind of event by now, but something about this time wasdifferent.
There was no cute boy to steadily chip away at this time, ply with anecdotes and half a glass of champagne south of totally sober, charm and soften and finally invite back to my place for sex with a real live author—something most of the people here would have loved to be, or at least loved to spend a couple of hours with.
No, I’d brought the cute boy I was obliged to go home with and every time I looked at him my stomach did a little somersault.
