“I met Cole Devaney last night.”
He rolls his eyes, shaking his head. “You fangirled so hard. I’m embarrassed for you.”
We continue once the light changes and I have to shout over the engine and wind to be heard, “There’s this scene inThe Deciderwhere he jumps off a moving truck, off a fucking mountain, then parachutes to the bottom –topless.And I mean,” I pause for effect, “It’s no surprise he has a state-of-the-art gym in his basement. That man has an eight pack.”
Gus tuts under his breath. “I’ve heard he’s really average in bed.”
“Ha!” I howl. “Did you hear that or is it from personal experience?”
“If I liked guys, I could do better than Cole,” he says.
“Mmm. No. You couldn’t. He is peak. He is like the male version of Margot Robbie. It doesn’t get better. There’s not another level of hotness beyond Cole. And I showered,naked, in his bathroom this morning,” I say, laughing. “How long have you known him?”
“First of all, there are eleven showers in that house so statistically he’s never used that one before – I asked. Secondly, he isn’t Margot Robbie level hot. You’redeluded. Thirdly, where was this energy when you met me? And finally, are you telling me you’re an action thriller kind of girl?”
“I am!”
He parks up besides hundreds of other Vespas and mopeds, waiting for me to climb off before dismounting himself and taking his hat off, his curls squished flat at the top. He stares at me for a long second. “Hmm. Interesting.”
“You didn’t answer my question,” I say, removing my hat too and fluffing up my hair. “How long have you known him?”
“I was in a film with him six years ago. We hung out a bit. Then we dated the same woman for like three months.”
“On purpose?” I gasp.
Gus laughs. “No, of course not. She was playing us. Iwas on tour. And she wasn’t exactly subtle about it. When it all came out, I was too busy to be wrecked over it, but Cole was furious and tried to knock me out in a fancy club in Mayfair.”
“I would’ve loved to have seen that,” I say, already picturing the scuffle.
It’s hot.
Gus carefully pulls me out of the way as another moped parks beside us. “I bet you would’ve. He gave me a black eye and everything. You seriously didn’t hear about any of this?”
I can’t help it; I smile and shake my head. He seems to care about my opinion which is hilarious to me.
“You got a black eye from Cole Devaney?” I ask, animatedly. “I’m so jealous.”
He tilts his head, smiling. He’s so onto me.
“Wait. But how are you friends?”
He shrugs. “What can I say, I have a way with words even when I’m being beaten to a pulp. He thought I did it on purpose. He was heartbroken. In all honesty, she was way out of my league, and I’d seen the photos of her and Cole strolling the streets of Rome, but I didn’t want to deal with them. I just sort of ignored the whole thing. Until it hit me in the face like Cole Devaney’s fist… oh wait…” He gives me a knowing look.
“Ha!”
“I actually do need to keep a low profile here though. Vanessa lives here too, and I can’t have people thinking we’re in the same city on purpose.”
“Vanessa?” I ask, shrill voiced. “AVanessawas two-timing you and Cole?”
“Yes?”
“Was she eighty?”
“No. She is the daughter of a very rich old man.”
I roll my eyes. “The troubled ones always are.”
Gus just snorts and shakes his head.
