VIP

by Jackie D.

  “Smells great,” Harlow said honestly.

  “Thank you.” Audrey blushed and led her toward the kitchen. “Would you like a glass of wine? I have red, white, rosé, and I think there’s some champagne here somewhere.”

  Harlow sat at the expansive kitchen island. “Whatever you’re drinking is fine.”

  Audrey poured her a glass of red and raised her own. “To new friends.”

  Harlow tapped the offered glass. “What made you change your mind?” She inhaled the red deeply before taking a sip. “You didn’t seem all that interested last time I saw you.”

  Audrey opened the oven door. “You’re very blunt.” She shrugged. “I haven’t been myself lately. It’s not like me to blow people off without giving them a chance. I shouldn’t have done that to you.”

  Harlow wasn’t sure what to say. She used bluntness to catch people off guard. It helped her to get a glimpse of their true selves. Reactions usually said far more than words. Audrey responded with vulnerability and honesty, and that had never happened before.

  “It’s okay. We all have off days.”

  “More like off months.” Audrey pulled the tray from the oven. “Oh God, I never even asked. Do you eat chicken?”

  “I do. Is there anything I can do to help?” Harlow took off her leather jacket and draped it over one of the bar stools.

  Audrey brought the plates over to the table. “No. Please, just sit.”

  “Do you mind me asking why you’ve had a bad few months?” Harlow took a bite of the chicken and almost proposed to Audrey on the spot. “This is fantastic.”

  “Thank you,” Audrey said as she wiped her mouth. “I don’t mind you asking. It’s splashed all over every gossip magazine anyway. I just went through a pretty public breakup.”

  Harlow hadn’t heard anything. She never picked up any of those magazines, terrified she’d find pictures of herself in a compromising position. She left that stuff up to Casper.

  “Were you together for a long time?”

  Audrey pushed the chicken around on her plate, seeming to let the food distract her from her thoughts. “A little over a year.”

  “That’s about a year longer than any of my relationships.” Harlow laughed at her statement. It wasn’t because she believed her stunted relationships were funny, but to try to lighten the mood. She didn’t want Audrey to feel uncomfortable, and it seemed the perfect time to throw in some light self-deprecation.

  It worked, and Audrey smiled. “I’ve heard that about you.” She pointed her fork across the table.

  “Everything you’ve heard is only half true.”

  “Which half?” Audrey sipped her wine, and damn it, if she wasn’t the most beautiful woman Harlow had ever seen.

  “Which half are you hoping for?” Flirting with Audrey came naturally.

  Audrey took another bite of chicken and continued to study her, but a smile pulled at the corner of her mouth. “I see everything I heard regarding your cocky nature is true.”

  Harlow dabbed her mouth. “So you’ve been inquiring about me.”

  “It’s hard to miss you. You’re on damn near every cover of every magazine.”

  “Hmm. You know better than most that you can’t believe everything you read.”

  Audrey leaned forward, and the glimmer of interest Harlow had seen the previous week was apparent in her eyes. “What do you want me to believe?”

  There were so many things she could say to play into the flirtatious banter they’d started. Her clever retort was sitting behind her teeth, waiting for deployment. But for some reason, she didn’t want to play the usual games she played. Not with Audrey.

  Harlow placed the napkin on the plate. “That was truly wonderful, thank you.”

  Audrey watched her closely. She was used to people staring at her. It had stopped making her uncomfortable a long time ago. But staring wasn’t what Audrey was doing; rather, she seemed as though she were analyzing. The heat from Audrey’s gaze was like a blanket on a fall evening. Harlow wanted to wrap herself in it, in Audrey, and stay there.

  “Do you want to sit out back with me for a bit?” Audrey picked up their wine glasses and headed toward the back porch before Harlow answered.

  The truth was, Harlow couldn’t think of anything else she’d rather do, and that was an entirely new feeling.

  * * *

  Audrey hadn’t planned on enjoying dinner as much as she had. She hadn’t thought she’d invite Harlow to stay after, and she absolutely didn’t think she’d be looking at Harlow’s calloused fingers, wondering what they’d feel like on her skin. Harlow was sexy as hell. She knew it, hell, everyone knew it. Harlow’s skinny jeans, sheer white shirt, tanned skin, and ice blue eyes were enough to make anyone trip over themselves. Surprisingly, that wasn’t the most attractive thing about her. The tenderness behind her bravado was what intrigued Audrey. Beautiful women were a dime a dozen here in LA. Genuine people were as rare as rain. She wanted more of Harlow. She wanted a glimpse behind the proverbial curtain.

  Harlow laid back on the lounge chair next to her. “Thank you for inviting me tonight.”

  Audrey rolled her head on the back of the lounge chair to look at her. “Technically, I didn’t invite you.”

  Harlow smiled into her wine glass. “True, but you didn’t uninvite me either.”

  “Sometimes I need to be pushed.”

  “I’ll remember that.”

  Audrey finished the last of her wine and poured more into her glass. “Are you looking forward to your tour?”

  Harlow held her glass out for more. “Casper is, and I like making Casper happy.”

  “You don’t like to tour?”

  “It’s not that. I don’t mind touring. I enjoy meeting fans and traveling.”

  “Then what is it?” Audrey was surprised by how genuinely curious she was. She wasn’t just making small talk. She wanted to know what made Harlow tick.

  “I’ve stood on hundreds of stages. I’ve heard millions of fans scream for me for hours at a time. I’ve seen young girls burst into tears when I say hello.”

  Audrey raised her eyebrows. “Seems like a pretty good gig.”

  Harlow stared up at the sky. She seemed to consider if she was going to continue her thought. “It’s a great gig. But every time I’m up there, every single stage I step on to—I wonder if that will be the last one. I wonder if they’ll get tired of me. I wonder if my next album just won’t be enough. I wonder if I made the most of it.”

  Audrey reached over and touched her arm “I think you have a long time before you need to worry about that. Your albums just keep getting better. I think you’re going to be around for quite some time, Ms. Thorne.”

  “You listened to my new album?” Harlow seemed genuinely surprised.

  “Full disclosure.” Audrey leaned back in her chair again. “I have listened to and own every one of your albums.”

  Harlow looked over at her and then back up to the sky. “I’ve seen every one of your movies.” She took another sip of wine. “Several times.”

  This pleased Audrey far more than she anticipated. She liked the idea of Harlow watching her.

  “I read you were discovered by chance, is that right?”

  Audrey looked up, remembering that night. “I was lucky. I’ve managed to be in the right places at the right times, meeting the right people. I’m not under any illusions. There are hundreds of other actresses out there, and most are probably better than me. But they weren’t as lucky.” She turned to look at Harlow. “My first big break came when I was sixteen years old. My family had taken a trip to see a Broadway production of Phantom of the Opera, and a man approached my parents and me in the lobby when the show was over. He told me he was working on a project and that he’d been shocked to gaze across the audience and see the face he’d been searching for.” She shook her head, remembering the whirlwind that had changed her life. “A few months later, I was on the set of my first movie. The film was brilliant, and I was fortu
nate enough to play the tortured teenage daughter of one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. The awards poured in, and my life would never be the same. That was fifteen years ago, and sometimes I still can’t believe it’s real.”

  “I remember that movie. I loved you in it. But for the record, it wasn’t just dumb luck that got you here. Maybe it played into getting you noticed, but everything since is because of your talent.”

  “I appreciate that. Thank you,” Audrey said. She hoped the darkness hid her blush.

  “Do you want to go to a party with me next Friday?” Harlow blurted out after a few seconds of comfortable silence. “Not a big deal, or anything, just something I promised a friend I’d pop into.”

  She seemed nervous, which Audrey found endearing. “I’d love to, thank you.”

  The Audrey from three hours ago would have delivered a resounding “no” to such an invitation. But Audrey from three hours ago hadn’t been the object of Harlow’s full attention for an extended period of time. Now, she wanted more of whatever was happening between them. The newness, the excitement, the understated flirting felt good.

  “I should get going. It’s getting late. I have to meet my trainer at five in the morning.” Harlow’s tone held a tinge of apology.

  Audrey felt a pang of disappointment that started in her throat and slid down to her stomach. “Okay, I’ll walk you out. I meet my trainer at seven. It would be impossible for me to get up before then.”

  Harlow pulled her jacket on at the door. “Thank you for such a lovely evening. I had a great time.”

  Harlow took her hand and pulled her into a hug. She smelled like late summer nights and sunshine all mixed together. Audrey let her cheek rest against Harlow’s. Her brain was screaming for her to stop. She shouldn’t be thinking about anyone like this right now. She wasn’t in the right headspace. That’s what her brain was saying, but her body wanted nothing more than to run her hands up Harlow’s back and through her hair. She wanted to pull her closer. She wanted to put her mouth on her neck. She wanted her.

  Harlow kissed her cheek. “Good night, Audrey.”

  “Good night,” Audrey whispered.

  Audrey stood in her entryway, unable to move. Her body was humming, and her mind was racing. She had no idea what she was getting herself into and wasn’t sure if she wanted to find out.

  Chapter Five

  If we don’t give her the money, she’ll just show up here. Neither of us wants that, so just wire it to her and be done with it.” Harlow watched Casper in the bathroom mirror as she applied her mascara.

  “You’ve given her close to a million dollars over the last six years. It’s ludicrous. She doesn’t deserve it.” Casper, who was typically enraged by this kind of information, seemed remorseful as he pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head.

  “I’d pay her ten million to get her out of our lives for good.”

  He sat on the bed, seeming defeated. “Why couldn’t she be different?” It was a rhetorical question that he verbalized frequently.

  She sat next to him, determined to answer this time. “If Mom were different, we wouldn’t be who we are. We turned out okay despite our parents.”

  “Sure. We aren’t damaged at all. We both have crippling commitment issues, sleep with as many women as possible, and our only friends are each other. We’re a picture of mental health.”

  “Well, when you put it like that.” She laughed and rubbed his back. “Everyone is a little damaged. Especially in this town.”

  He put his head in his hands and sighed. “Where are you running off to tonight, anyway?”

  She didn’t want to tell him that she was going out with Audrey, but she never lied to her brother. “To a party.”

  “What party?”

  “Dominic’s.” She walked back over to the mirror and continued to put on her makeup.

  “I’ll go with you. I know you hate going to those things alone.”

  “That’s okay. I’m going with a friend.” She hoped her voice sounded as nonchalant as she intended, but she was sure it wouldn’t deter him from further inquisition.

  “I thought we just covered that we don’t have any friends.” He was directly behind her now, probably to gauge her response.

  “You don’t have any friends.” She turned and poked him in the chest. “I have friends.”

  He raised one eyebrow. “No, you don’t.” He was doing mental calculations, an obvious thing whenever he started chewing on his bottom lip. “Wait. Are you going out with Audrey?”

  “It’s not like that. We’re friends.” She shrugged and checked herself in the mirror one last time before heading for the door. “But yes, I’m going to pick her up now.”

  “I’m coming.”

  “No, you’re not.”

  “Yes, I am. If you’re just friends, it shouldn’t matter.” He waved his finger in her face.

  She gave in because further protest would make him even more adamant. “Fine. But don’t be weird.”

  “When am I weird?”

  “Every day I’ve known you.”

  The car ride to Audrey’s was filled with the usual chitchat she and Casper always shared. Casper talked about the upcoming tour, and Harlow added her input when necessary. They’d spent the last several months planning out every detail, but these final stages, when it was on the brink of coming to fruition, were her favorite part. It reminded her of when they were kids, lying in the grass of their backyard talking about all the places they’d go as soon as they could get out of their small town. She never pictured a future without Casper. It was always them together, until the end.

  Harlow hopped out of the car when they arrived at Audrey’s. “I’m going to go get her.”

  “What? Why? Just text her.”

  “That’s rude. I’m going to the door. Get in the back.”

  “I thought this wasn’t a date.” He raised his eyebrows as he unbuckled his seat belt.

  Audrey opened the door, and Harlow’s mouth went dry. She looked stunning in her white shimmering flare skirt and red halter top. The look accentuated Audrey’s long legs, and Harlow had to force herself not to stare.

  Harlow wanted to tell her how beautiful she looked, but couldn’t find the words to do her justice, so she flailed. “My brother, Casper, is coming with us. I hope you don’t mind.”

  Audrey’s back stiffened slightly, and Harlow wished she’d told him no. “The more, the merrier.” Her words were cordial, but her eyes didn’t reflect the sentiment.

  The initial awkwardness drifted away as they occupied themselves with discussions of mundane things like the ever-present brutal LA traffic and impeccable weather.

  “Dominic Ramos is a friend of yours?” Audrey stared at the famed house on Mulholland Drive as they approached.

  Harlow smiled, thinking of her friend and unsurprised that Audrey recognized his house. “Dominic took me under his wing for a few years when I first came on the scene. He became something of a mentor and a really good friend. I’d do damn near anything for him.” Dominic had been in the music industry since the 1970s. He was a legendary guitarist and lyricist with the rare ability to tweak a few elements in a song and make it a number one hit instead of DJ filler. So, when he was adamant about her attending this party, she agreed without thinking twice.

  There had been documentaries made about the party culture surrounding Dominic. He hadn’t slowed down any since his early days, and he proved that every weekend. Flashing lights penetrated every window of the house and poured onto the sidewalk below. The music pumping through the grounds could probably be heard for miles around, and the shouts from the people inside were deafening.

  Harlow had asked Audrey to come because she wanted to see her again, but now she wasn’t sure it was the right call. She wasn’t sure how Audrey would feel about being with throngs of people she didn’t know. She’d never brought someone to one of these things before and had no idea what the protocol was. “We don’t have to stay long.”


  Audrey smiled. “I won’t break, Harlow. I wouldn’t have agreed to come otherwise. This will be fun.”

  Casper put his arm around Audrey. “I knew you’d be fun.”

  Audrey laughed at his comment, which stopped Harlow from smacking him. The music started to fade, and the screaming grew even louder.

  “Let’s get inside before the next band comes out, so I can find Dominic,” Harlow said.

  Harlow weaved through the gaggles of people. Audrey grabbed the back of her waistband to stay close, and Harlow was surprised by how much she enjoyed the small gesture. Several people took pictures as they passed, and a few said hello to Audrey like she was an old friend, but no one stopped them. She waved to a few people, who pointed toward the backyard. She continued to scan the party guests until she spotted Dominic.

  When they finally made it to him, he grabbed her, wrapping her in a bear hug. He reached over and grabbed Casper, pulling him in as well. He led them to a small area behind the somewhat large stage before he spoke.

  “I can’t believe you came. You haven’t been to one of my parties in years.” Dominic kissed both her cheeks and held her out to take her in completely. “You’re beautiful as ever.” He turned his attention to Casper next. “Casper, my God, do you ever age?”

  Casper laughed. “I try not to, my friend.”

  Dominic’s gaze fell on Audrey. “Audrey fucking Knox. You’ve got to be kidding me.” He grabbed her hand and shook it. “Dominic Ramos, and it’s an absolute pleasure to meet you. I loved you in Midnight Promises. You were fucking brilliant.”

  Audrey put her hand over his. “Thank you for having me. You have a beautiful house.”

  Dominic poured whiskey into four glasses from the table next to him and handed them each one. “You should see it without all these damn people. It’s magnificent.”

  “I thought you liked having parties? I came to one a few years ago, but we didn’t get to meet.” Audrey took a sip of the whiskey.

  Dominic downed the contents of his glass. “I do it to showcase talent.” He poured himself another four fingers and turned his attention to Harlow. “I appreciate you coming. I have a favor to ask. I have a new kid looking for her big break. Her agent is shit, and she’s not signed. But she’s the real deal.”