by Claire Adams
And that was true. It felt as though I'd dragged Josh on this trip to begin with, and now it felt as though we were taking advantage of him. Mandy didn't seem to have any qualms about that, but I wasn't feeling particularly comfortable about it. Still, as long as Josh seemed like he was enjoying himself, there wasn't much that I could do about it.
I flopped down on the incredibly comfortable bed, staring up at the ceiling, knowing I wasn't going to be able to shut my brain off enough to sleep but just hoping I could relax a little before whatever shenanigans Mandy and Josh had in mind for the night.
This was my trip, but it felt as though it was spiraling out of my control. The sooner we reached New York, the better.
Chapter Thirteen
Josh
I glanced up from my laptop and whistled as Mandy came out of her room and back into the living room of the suite. “Foxy lady,” I said appreciatively.
Mandy grinned at me and did a little twirl, letting me see how her dress looked from all angles. “Do you think it's a little too much?” she asked.
“You look great,” I told her. I raised an eyebrow at her. “You know, for someone who didn't know we were stopping in Vegas, you sure planned your packing well.”
Mandy shrugged. “You know me. I like to be prepared when I'm traveling.” She smoothed her hands down her dress. “I had a feeling that even if we didn't stop here, Kylie's parents were probably going to want to have at least one nice dinner with her in New York. They always do in California when they come out. And usually, she invites me along with them.”
“And not me?” I asked, clutching at my heart as though she had mortally wounded me.
Mandy laughed. “You know that Kylie bringing you out to anything with her parents would smack a little too much of being a date,” she said, a knowing look in her eye.
I chose to ignore that comment, instead levering myself up off the couch. “I guess we should check on Kylie and see what our departure time is, hmm?”
“Probably,” Mandy said. She frowned. “Has she even gotten in the shower yet, do you know?”
“She said she was going to try to take a nap,” I said. “Other than that, I have no idea.”
When we entered Kylie's room, the girl was out cold, spread-eagled on top of her bed. I grinned, and Mandy sighed. “We're probably not going to all make it out tonight, are we?” she whispered.
Kylie stirred and sat up, blinking blearily at us. “Hey guys,” she said, yawning hugely. She looked with surprise at the clock on the bedside table. “Oh wow, I didn't realize it was that late. I just meant to take a short nap.”
“I know you with naps, too,” Mandy groaned. “Now you're going to say that you're too groggy and that you don't feel like going out.”
Kylie looked guilty, but she gamely got up off the bed. “No, I'll come out. I just need a little time to get ready.” She moved toward her suitcase.
I glanced at Mandy, remembering that thumbs-up that she'd given me at Gusto. “You know, I'm feeling pretty tired too, after driving all day,” I announced. “And Mandy, didn't you mention that you hadn't seen your Vegas cousins in a long time? This could be the perfect time to catch up with them, without us interrupting you. The three of us will have the rest of the trip to hang out.”
“I don't want to spend the whole trip cooped up in hotel rooms,” Kylie protested, but I could tell from the way that she had stopped rooting through her suitcase that she was considering not going out. She looked guiltily at Mandy, who just laughed.
“I'll change the itinerary,” I said firmly. “We'll go out tomorrow night. I don't know why I ever thought we'd only stay for one night in Vegas.”
“That sounds like a plan,” Kylie said, looking relieved.
“All right, you two,” Mandy said. “Enjoy the hot tub and room service. I'll go see if I can win millions on my own.” She winked at the other woman. “Trust me; I'll have plenty of fun with my cousins.”
“Okay.” Kylie and I walked Mandy to the door. “You look beautiful, by the way,” Kylie said.
“Thanks,” Mandy said, tossing her hair back and flashing her trademark grin. “Maybe I'll get some crazy modeling deal while I'm here.” She finished adjusting the strap on her high stiletto and stood up. “Now you two be good tonight,” she said sternly. “I won't be back until midnight, maybe later, and I expect this place to still be standing when I get back.”
Kylie and I both laughed.
“Yes, Mom,” Kylie said, rolling her eyes. “Have fun out there. Call if you need anything.”
“Will do,” Mandy said.
When she'd left the suite, Kylie turned to look at me, seeming almost nervous. “So, what are we going to do for the night?” she asked.
I shrugged. “I was just finishing up some work,” I admitted, looking towards my laptop.
Kylie groaned. “Seriously, Josh, you need to relax,” she said.
“I know, I know,” I said, holding up both my hands. “I'm almost done, though. This was mostly just answering some emails that had come in. I don't want to disappear off the map.”
“That's fair,” Kylie agreed.
I paused, watching her face for any clue as to what she was thinking. “Are you doing okay?” I finally asked.
Kylie smiled, but the expression didn't quite reach her eyes. “Sure,” she said brightly. “Why?”
“I just thought you were so pumped to go out, that's all,” I said. “You seem kind of down.”
“I'm still just groggy, just like Mandy predicted,” Kylie said, but I could tell that again, she wasn't telling me the full truth.
“Okay,” I said slowly. I decided to press a little. I didn't want her to be this bummed for the whole trip. “Are you upset about your breakup? This is the first time in a while that you've been out of LA without having a guy to call home to, isn't it?”
Kylie blinked and then ducked her head. “I guess there's something to that,” she grudgingly admitted. “It hit me harder than I expected it to.”
I hummed an acknowledgment, but I continued to stare at her, looking for clues of something else in her expression. Because there was something else. I was sure of it. But she seemed dead set on not telling me about it, whatever it was.
“To be honest, I'm glad you and Andrew broke up,” I said. “Sorry to say that, but he was just another pretentious dick who thought the whole of LA should stand up and take notice of his artwork.”
Kylie looked shocked to hear me say that, and to be honest, I was a little shocked to hear the words come out of my mouth as well. I knew that I'd been jealous of the guy, the whole time that he and Kylie had been dating. But I hadn't meant to admit that out loud, and I hoped that saying that hadn't irritated Kylie or upset her even more.
But Kylie burst out laughing, startling me even more. “Why didn't you tell me you thought that?” she asked.
I shrugged. “I didn't think that it was my place,” I told her.
She rolled her eyes and hugged me unexpectedly. It was just for the briefest of seconds, but I could feel her warm curves pressed up against me, and I wanted to linger there for longer. She pulled away before I could put my arms around her, though.
“You're my best friend,” she told me. “One of them. But I value your opinion on guys more than Mandy's, most times. Mandy knows what she likes, and she doesn't like anyone who isn't the kind of guy that she would pick for herself, despite the fact that we are two very different people.”
“And what, you think I'm better at seeing the perfect man for you?” I asked, trying to keep things light. “Kylie, I'm a successful billionaire, and a dude. I don't have a snowball's chance in hell of picking out the kind of guy that you should be with. Anyway, you're a strong, independent woman. I've always tried to respect your decisions. Otherwise, I would have told you back in college that you were crazy for studying art rather than studying something more practical.”
Kylie continued to laugh. “You and your ego,” she said. “You probably think ev
eryone in the world should work practical jobs, don't you? Businessmen and engineers and doctors. You don't see the use for any of the liberal arts, do you?”
“Hey, I read books,” I reminded her. Partly, I just wanted to continue lightening the mood. I liked seeing her laugh like this. But something inside of me also wanted her to remember that she and I weren't all that different, respective career choices aside. “I love going to gallery openings and seeing artistic things. I just don't have enough creativity to make my own art.”
Kylie snorted. “You just don't ever try,” she said. “If you weren't creative, you wouldn't be half as good at investing as you are. Don't think I don't know that your whole job relies on your ability to speculate. And to basically create a job for yourself.”
I blinked at the naked admiration in her voice. “That's a different tune than the one you were singing in the car earlier,” I said.
Kylie blushed and ducked her head. “Sorry about that,” she said quietly. “I know I was being a bitch. I've always been really amazed at how driven you are and how successful you are. I don't think any of us expected that from you when we were in college.” She paused. “I'm proud of you.”
I laughed and shook my head. “You're too nice,” I told her jokingly. But then, I grew serious, too. “I'm really proud of you too, you know.” Then, I grinned wickedly at her. “Although from what I've heard, it's pretty easy to make it in the art world.”
Kylie sputtered for a minute, staring at me. “Excuse me?”
“Isn't modern art just bowls of rice left sitting out for too long or yesterday's dishes?” I continued. “I can't imagine that you have to look too hard to find inspiration. That's probably why you and Andrew fought so much, isn't it? Getting into a new genre: performance art.”
Kylie was beside herself with laughter. “You know I don't do modern art, you dick,” she said. “Or performance art, for that matter.”
“Remember that ridiculous gallery opening that you dragged me to that one time, for a friend of yours?” I reminisced. “Where she had glued a bunch of pieces of pasta to the wall and called it art?”
Kylie snorted. “Only then the gallery owner came in and was appalled by it and demanded that she take down all the pasta. Only she couldn't get any of it off the plaster!”
I watched her laugh, pleased that I had been able to get her so amused. She was practically wiping tears from her eyes, her earlier distractions forgotten.
“So, what do you want to do tonight?” I asked when her laughter finally quieted down.
Kylie shrugged. “I don't know,” she said. She looked around. “I guess we have the whole suite to ourselves for the night if Mandy isn't going to be back until midnight at the earliest.”
I swallowed hard. I'd been trying my best to not think about that fact. There were plenty of things that I wanted to do to Kylie while we had some private time. Unbidden, the thought of her spread-eagled on the bed before sprang into my mind. Only this time, I could picture stripping her down and having my way with her. We were the only ones there. She could be as loud as she wanted. And how I would love to draw little noises out of her, moans and whimpers and breathy gasps.
But that wasn't going to happen. She had just admitted to me that she was still upset about her breakup. I couldn't take advantage of her when she was in that state.
“We should order some food,” I said. “We can figure out our plan after.”
Chapter Fourteen
Kylie
Josh put the empty trays outside and smiled at me. “Good pick for dinner,” he said. “That was great.”
“That was great,” I agreed, feeling pleased and full as I relaxed lazily on one of the couches.
“Movie or hot tub?” Josh asked as he came back toward me.
I peered up at him, frowning. “Movie, I guess,” I said. “I didn't bring a bathing suit with me.”
“What's your favorite color?” Josh asked. “I'm sure we could have one brought up for you. Or you could just wear panties and a bra. It's not like I haven't seen you in your underwear before, and as sexy as your ankles are, I'm not planning on seducing you.”
I felt a brilliant blush spread across my features. But inside, I also felt a pang of disappointment.
Disappointed because Josh isn't planning on seducing me?
But that was ridiculous. Of course, he wasn't planning on seducing me. He was one of my best friends, and the idea that we could ever be something more was only wishful thinking.
Not even “wishful thinking.” That would imply that I wanted Josh to seduce me. We were best friends. That was all.
I stood up and followed him to the hot tub, trying to forget about my chaotic thoughts.
“We should have done this before we ate,” I pointed out. “Isn't there something about not going swimming within an hour of eating? And I think eating before a hot tub is even worse.”
“Maybe,” Josh said, but he shrugged carelessly. “Those salads were delicious, but they weren't very heavy. And if we hadn't eaten before getting in here, then we couldn't have opened a bottle of champagne while we were in the tub. You're too much of a lightweight to drink on an empty stomach.” He grinned at me and popped open the bottle in his hands, pouring out two glasses.
I shook my head and started stripping down, vaguely happy that I was wearing a nice, lacy bra and matching black panties. I had expected we might be sharing a motel room and had planned my panties accordingly. I didn't think it really mattered. Josh had seen me in my underwear before. But it would have been embarrassing to be hot-tubbing in some of my oldest, rattiest underwear.
Josh held out a glass of champagne to me and then his glass against mine. “To another road trip,” he said, before getting into the water.
I groaned as I relaxed into the hot water. “All right, so this is one perk of luxury,” I had to admit. “I make a decent living as a sculptor, but it's been a while since I had a nice meal and a relaxing evening in a hot tub. Maybe tomorrow, I'll go for a massage during the day.”
“That sounds nice,” Josh said, sounding distracted.
I opened my eyes and peered over at him, wondering what he was thinking. “Penny for your thoughts,” I said, echoing him from earlier.
Josh shook his head. “Remember the last time we went hot-tubbing together?” he asked. “It was when we went on that ski trip in college.”
“Yeah, I remember that,” I said, smiling fondly at the memory. “God, that resort was nice.”
“Remember how we swore we were going to go back there every year?” Josh said. “But we never went back. Not even once.”
“Probably a good thing,” I said, snorting. “Otherwise, you'd probably have bought a condo there and moved away from LA a long time ago.”
Josh laughed, but there was something sad in the sound. “True,” he said. He shook his head. “We used to do so much together, you and Mandy and Benny and I. What happened?”
I shrugged. “I guess we just grew apart,” I said. “It happens. We're all in different fields and in different places in our lives.”
“We should be better about finding the time for one another, though,” Josh said, sounding almost angry at himself. “It's not that hard. We all live in the same city. We could be doing weekly dinners, or at least getting together once a month to go out drinking. The fact that we've hardly seen one another lately is inexcusable.”
I sighed and dragged my hand through the bubbles coming out of the jet to my left. “Maybe old friendships aren't meant to be maintained,” I said. I risked looking up at him for a quick second before looking back down at the water. “We had some great times back in college. I thought back then that we were going to be friends forever. But there's no way to go back to that. Maybe it's time that we moved on and found different friends.”
“Is that what you want?” Josh asked, sounding surprised and hurt.
“No, of course not,” I told him. “But I also don't think we should be beating ourselves up over it if w
e've drifted apart. We're busy. We're doing very different things with our lives. Benny had a kid, you're a billionaire, and Mandy's graced billboards across LA plus magazines around the world.”
Josh was silent for a long moment. “What were you really hoping to achieve with this road trip?” he finally asked. “If you're so sure that we're drifting apart and that maybe we should just let it go.”
I sighed and pressed my fingertips against my closed eyelids. “I don't really know,” I said, hating the miserable note that crept into my voice. “To be honest, I don't even know who I am anymore. Somewhere between college and now, I feel like I've lost that. And I hate that feeling.”
Josh stared at me and then slowly shook his head. “You've changed, but I think deep down, you still know who you are,” he said softly. “You're just as headstrong and brilliant as ever. Maybe a bit more reserved now, less fiery. But I don't think for a second that you've lost who you are.”
I laughed, but I couldn't meet his eyes. “Maybe that's just an act that I'm putting on,” I said to him. I rubbed at my wrist, trying to think of how to explain it. “That's one of the things that Andrew and I fought about, you know. One of the facets of our breakup.”
“He told you that you didn't know who you were anymore?” Josh asked, sounding confused. “And you believed him?”
“No, of course not,” I sighed. “It was more complicated than that.” I shook my head. “I don't want to talk about that anymore, please. I don't want to talk about Andrew anymore.”
Because every time I think about Andrew, I have to think about that stupid proposal and our final fight.
“Okay,” Josh said easily. He nudged my foot with his. “For what it's worth, I still want to be friends with you, whoever you really are. I know I haven't shown that very well lately, but it's true.”
I smiled at him. “Thanks,” I said.
I couldn't tear my eyes away from him, and he was staring at me as well. It suddenly occurred to me that we were both half-naked in the hot tub, and that this glass of champagne, which was my second, in addition to the wine at dinner, was starting to affect me. When had he even poured me another glass of champagne, anyway?