The guy she couldn’t remember from the label stepped slightly to the side, revealing Juliet to her. She’d been perfectly hidden from Darcy’s sight by Label Guy and a pillar.
It was crazy how different Juliet was right now from how she’d been the last time she’d seen her.
Shirtless, prowling toward Darcy with dark eyes, either taunting her or hitting on her – Darcy wasgoingto find out which one it was – her hair a little messy from having pulled off her shirt overhead.
Given that she had eyes, she’d always been able to see that Juliet was beautiful. But she’d never thought of her as sexy until that moment at the studio. She’d found her attractive, but she hadn’t been attractedtoher.
And now that switch had been flicked inside of her, Darcy realized.
Because the Juliet standing across the room from hershouldlook like Previous Juliet.
Her hair was scooped up on one side with a silver comb, and she had on very subtle makeup. Her dress was dark green, just flowy enough for Darcy to think of it as bohemian, but beautifully snug to her waist and just under her breasts.
That was absolutely classic-Juliet style.
But now, Darcy’s mind and body were betraying her. Now, her mind escaped to a place it shouldn’t be allowed to go, wondering if Juliet was wearing some sexy lingerie underneath, the way she’d been at the studio.
What, exactly, did country’s sweetheart have going on under the surface?
Unfortunately, Darcy was dying to know.
It was at that exact moment that Juliet skimmed her eyes over the room. They landed on Darcy and paused, but she didn’t miss a beat as she continued her conversation with Label Guy. Even as her eyes stayed on Darcy for several seconds longer than they stayed on anyone else, and Darcyfeltthe weight of her stare.
She caught and held her breath, staring right back.
Daring Juliet to do what she’d done a couple of weeks ago, and make the first move.Be bold, Juliet, she silently dared her.Make your move.
She felt a tingle race down her spine with anticipation as she watched Juliet nod at Label Guy, before she seemed to excuse herself, as she started to walk away.
Only she didn’t walk toward Darcy.
And her stomach dropped and her eyes narrowed when Juliet disappeared down one of the other hallways off the other side of the room.
Fine. If Juliet wouldn’t come to her to hash this out, she would go to Juliet.
… she did get momentarily tripped up, when she realized there were multiple doors – like another part of a maze – down that hall. But all of them were closets, except the final one.
When she pushed it open, her determination washed away just for a moment.
She blinked, looking around the room that was a deep, lively red.
It was – technically? – a bathroom, she realized. But the door opened into a square room, two large basin sinks on either side with large, brightly lit mirrors around them. There were cushy chairs – like, straight out of the seventies – artfully placedaround. At the back of the room, there was another doorway leading to, what Darcy had to assume, were multiple toilet stalls.
“Is this, like, a powder room or something?” She couldn’t help but ask, feeling gobsmacked.
What the hellwasthis?
“It’s a vanity room,” Juliet corrected her, sounding either amused or exasperated. Darcy couldn’t tell which.
She spun around, not even having realized Juliet was there, leaning slightly over one of the counters as she touched up her lip gloss.
“A powder room is a half-bath.” Juliet paused, then shrugged. “Technically, I suppose, this room doesn’t have a shower. But a powder room is smaller. You don’t have those in Pineford?”
If someone else explained that to her, Darcy might have felt stupid. Maybe a little embarrassed. But, hey, she and Juliet had started their entire “relationship” on the basis that Juliet thought she was a country rube, so, whatever.
“Well, I didn’t grow up like the Queen of Sheba.”
Juliet only hummed in acknowledgement as she capped her lip gloss and dropped it back in her purse. “I’m going back out there. Shelby, from what I hear, likes to make sure her dinners are served promptly at seven.”
