Page 28 of Fake Crown

Valentina’s eyebrows get lost in her bangs, and her gaze narrows. “Valentina,” she says, and she ignores my hand. “I’m Brent’s girlfriend.”

“Ex,” Brent and Trevor’s cousin say at the same time. They give each other startled glances that morph into silent ‘I got your back’ head tips.

Valentina tunes out the two men, and her calculating gaze never wavers from mine. “If I searched my followers, would I find your name?”

She’s got me there. “I’m a big fan of Brent’s body of work.” I run my hand along his chest.

“Brent.” Valentina tears her gaze from mine to glare at him. “You brought an obsessive swim fan to Trev’s wedding? She could be unhinged, a stalker.”

“Can you imagine?” I let out a delighted laugh. “We could be on one of those true crime programs.” Escalation is the best defense. Call me a stalker? I can go one further than that. “‘Wedding date gone wrong’ would be a great hook.”

“You’re dating fangirls now?” Valentina keeps focused on Brent. “Is that what this is?”

“To be fair,” I say, “he didn’t realize I was a fangirl until I met him at the airport.” I gaze up at Brent before meeting Valentina’s rage head-on. “But who wouldn’t be a fan of him? Am I right?” I give her a beaming smile.

She doesn’t respond to me. Instead, she whirls on Brent again. “You could catch something from her. Anything. Girls who meet random men at the airport can’t be trusted.”

“Syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, pubic lice...” Amazing how often jealous women make this particular argument. “But what you’re really concerned about is that he might catch feelings.”

“Oh, sweetheart.” Valentina crosses her arms. “The STDs are far more likely. You’re not his type.”

“Val,” Brent says.

I rotate to Trevor’s cousin, who has been sipping his drink and gawking at Val’s assets. “I’m Posey. And you are?”

“Stephen,” he says, and he shakes my hand.

“When did you and Val meet?” I ask.

“She slid into my DMs with a few pics.” He grins. “Be crazy to turn that down, even if I had to attend this thing.” He waves his drink around. “Fucking rich, stuck-up family.”

“Oh,” I say, and I stare at Val as I ask the next question. “Did you two meet in person for the first time at the airport?”

“Don’t answer that,” Val says.

My logic isn’t lost on her. People in glass airports shouldn’t throw stones. If I can’t be trusted, she can’t either.

“I think we’re done here,” Brent says.

“We’re not done.” Val’s hand snakes out to grab his arm.

“We are,” Brent says, and his hand is firm on the small of my back. “I’m one of the groomsmen, and I’m not doing my job while I’m here talking to you. Enjoy your weekend. Stephen, it was nice to meet you.”

“You too, man.” Stephen lifts his drink in salute while Brent steers me away from them into the crowd.

“Jesus, Posey, I’m sorry,” Brent says. “But you were brilliant.”

“Not my first time at the jealous girlfriend rodeo,” I say as he leads us to the bar.

“No?”

“I talk a lot.” I shrug. “Sometimes I talk to the wrong people. My sexual innuendos get wasted.”

He laughs and squeezes my hip. “A crime.” He orders us swizzles, and once we have them, he glances in Val’s direction.

“Were you tempted?” From a distance, he didn’t appear to be struggling.

“She lured Trevor’s cousin into bringing her. I’m not sure what to do with that. I suspected she might crash the reception, but the whole thing? I bet she even paid for their flights, possibly the hotel.”