Behind the Scenes

by Dahlia Adler

  Of course, we then needed another hour to get Van ready, and by the time I texted Liam to pick us up, we were firmly in the “fashionably late” category. Once again, Vanessa got into the passenger seat like she basically co-owned the car, but on the chance the paps were tailing Liam’s SUV, I could hardly argue. I climbed into the backseat as gracefully as I could considering the height of the heels and squeezed the hand Liam reached behind him to say hello.

  I don’t know what I’d pictured Josh’s place looking like, but nothing could’ve prepared me for the fact that he lived in what appeared to be the Playboy mansion, only with far more brightly colored lights and crazy-expensive cars in the driveway. Liam left the car in one of the heavily monitored reserved parking spots and circumvented the front entrance with the comfort of a guy who’d been there a couple thousand times.

  Van and I followed him around to the back of the house, which turned out to be a tremendous pool area complete with a waterslide, a massive wet bar, and even a grotto a la Chez Hef. Hip-hop blared from the speakers, and even from a distance I could see the bartenders performing some impressive tricks with bottles of liquor in the light of the tiki torches that dotted the yard. Behind it all, the beach was plainly visible, the last traces of the sun still peeking out over the glittering water of the Pacific.

  “Ridiculous, right?” Liam murmured in my ear, taking advantage of the thick crowd and dim lighting to snake an arm around my waist and pull me close. “He loves to give me shit for living in a one-bedroom apartment instead of creating my own little amusement park like he did.”

  “He does seem to have a whole lot more fun with his money than you do,” I acknowledged. “You’re eighteen. How do you not spend your money like this?” I swept my arm around the area, indicating the outdoor pool table (on top of which some couple was currently making out), the massive grill/fire pit area from which delicious smells were emanating, and the row of cabanas that lined one side of the property.

  Liam shrugged. “Let’s just say Josh and I have different ideas of fun.” He leaned in and kissed my neck, brazenly confident in the shadow of a palm tree. “Except for one very, very similar idea.”

  I swatted him away teasingly. “I’m not that easy,” I informed him. “At least, not until you get some of whatever is creating that awesome smell from the grill into me. And maybe a piña colada.”

  “Fair enough!” We glanced back to make sure Van was still with us and then took off for the bar. I could see Van’s dark eyes darting around as she searched for Josh, and admittedly, I was curious to see him myself.

  “Hey! Holloway!”

  All three of us turned around to see the devil—er, host—himself heading in our direction, holding a noxious-looking drink. He wore only a lei and board shorts, revealing a toned and well-muscled body that had Van visibly drooling.

  “Hey, man.” Liam held up his hand for a high five that turned into some complicated handshake of the secret-society variety. “You remember Van.” “I do,” said Josh, taking her hand and lifting it to his lips. He turned to me. “And you must be the lovely Alexandra I’ve heard so much about.”

  I hoped my blush was well-hidden by the dark. I knew he was hot from his movie posters, but up close he was heartbreakingly good-looking. I could only imagine what kind of havoc he and Liam could wreak as two single-boy BFFs on the prowl. Not that I wanted to imagine Liam as a single guy.

  “Just Ally,” I replied, letting him kiss my hand as well.

  “Well, Just Ally, welcome to Casa Chester. Now please, eat, drink, and be merry!” He lifted his drink in the air in a toast and waltzed off to talk to a couple of blondes in bikinis.

  “I’ll drink to that,” said Van, continuing on to the bar. We waited patiently behind a heavily tattooed chick I was pretty sure I recognized from a later season of The Real World and the kid from one of those Disney shows my sister was always watching. I couldn’t even imagine Lucy’s reaction to seeing him drink absinthe with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

  Then we were up, and I got myself a piña colada while Liam got a Red Stripe and Van a vodka with cranberry juice.

  “I’m getting my teeth whitened on Tuesday anyway,” she said dismissively as she took a long sip.

  We continued on through the yard, stopping periodically for Van and Liam to say hi to various familiar faces and to pluck grilled shrimp or chipotle sliders from the trays being walked around by models in French maid costumes. More than one of the servers shot Liam a hungry look that had nothing to do with the contents of their plates, and resisting the urge to possessively grab his hand got harder and harder.

  The urge grew even stronger when we happened upon none other than Shannah Barrett.

  “Liam!” she cooed, bouncing over to air-kiss him on both cheeks. “I was wondering when you’d show up! We were just about to hit the hot tub. Care to join?” She grinned wickedly. “Bathing suits are optional, obviously.”

  I didn’t know her, but God, I hated her. I literally had to bite my tongue to keep from pointing out that Liam wasn’t there alone. Even if she didn’t know I was Liam’s girlfriend, she still should’ve felt shame talking that way in front of Vanessa, shouldn’t she?

  Hey, wait. Where was Vanessa?

  “Maybe later,” Liam replied with an annoyingly genuine-looking smile. “Ally’s never been here before, and I promised her a tour of the house.”

  Shannah’s gaze flicked over to me, clearly having just noticed my presence, and then flicked back to Liam as if I wasn’t even worth a once-over. “Suit yourself,” she sang, turning to head toward the hot tub, but not before lifting her crocheted white halter top over her head to give Liam a thorough glimpse of her tiny string bikini top.

  At least he had the grace to blush. “Sorry,” he murmured. “Shannah has a tendency to come on a little strong.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “If I had that body, I probably would too,” I admitted. “And I’m guessing you’ve seen a whole lot more of it than that.”

  He glanced away and took a sip of his beer, and I knew I was right. Ugh. Not that I’d expected Liam to be a virgin—we’d never had the official “talk” but I wasn’t naïve enough to assume any almost-nineteen-year-old guy was one, let alone a brutally hot model/ actor—but knowing whom I’d be compared to in the event we did sleep together made me want to strap on a chastity belt.

  “So!” he said brightly, obviously intent on changing the subject. “How about that tour I pretended I promised?”

  I laughed. “Sounds good. Oh, but wait—where’s Van?”

  Liam gestured with his beer to where Van was blatantly flirting with Josh, cracking up at something he’d just said while her fingers gently massaged his knee, a move I recognized from many a successful usage. Clearly, Van was doing just fine and having a good time, which meant it was my turn to do the same. I followed Liam through the crowds, around the pool, and through the French doors at the back of the house, and found myself standing in the biggest personal media room I’d ever seen. Three walls were literally lined with DVDs, creating a 3-D wallpaper effect that made me dizzy. The fourth wall was entirely covered by a screen, onto which Wild Things was currently being projected.

  Liam shook his head. “As far as Josh is concerned, this is the greatest classic of all time,” he informed me, pointing up at the screen. “I cannot begin to tell you how many times he’s forced me to sit through this movie.”

  “Forced, huh?” I said wryly as I watched Denise Richards emerge from a pool. “God, yeah, that must’ve been awful for you.”

  Liam laughed and tugged my hand. “Come on, I’ll show you the game room.”

  The game room was equally incredible, packed with classic arcade games, a pool table, a small bank of slot machines, and an alcove with a poker table and seating for eight. We went through Josh’s home gym—complete with sauna—a state-of-the-art kitchen my father would’ve killed for that I was sure Josh had never once touched, and a room devoted solely to Josh’s guitar collec
tion and a drum kit Liam confided to me Josh had no idea how to play.

  “This place is absolutely ridiculous,” I said to Liam as he led me upstairs. “How does he even have this kind of money? I think I’ve seen him in one movie, ever.”

  “Well, first off, his parents are completely loaded,” said Liam as we walked past a bathroom that was done in marble from floor to ceiling. “His dad’s a studio head and his mom’s been on the same soap for like twenty years. I don’t think they’ve even seen each other since Josh was conceived.”

  Well, that was pretty sad. I couldn’t imagine life without my family’s neat little nuclear unit. My stomach tightened as I realized that sometime in the near future, I might have to. Oh God, what if my dad’s positive response to the drugs was a one-time thing? What if we really did end up becoming a family without a father? I used to be so good at forcing myself to internalize the negative possibilities, but things had been so relatively normal lately—positive, even—that I’d forgotten to stay prepared for the worst-case scenario. Hell, when was the last time I even did a mole check?

  “Hey, you okay?” Liam snapped his fingers in front of my face. “Ally? Where’d you go?”

  I blinked. Right. I was in public. With Liam. Not a great time to be lost in my own crazy head. “Sorry,” I mumbled, taking a long sip of my piña colada. “Just got a little wrapped up in my own thoughts for a second there.”

  “Yeah, no kidding,” he said softly, wrapping his fingers around mine. “Is everything all right?”

  “Yeah, great,” I replied. It was true at the moment, anyway. As of now, my dad was in a good place, and so were Liam and I. Better than good, I thought, looking down at our hands. We were standing at a party, with other people, and Liam was holding my hand. Granted, no one was actually around—the entire second floor was pretty quiet—but it was a real, public party nonetheless. For once, we actually felt like a legit boyfriend and girlfriend, and I liked it very much indeed. So much so that I pulled him close for a nice, long kiss that tasted like beer and coconuts.

  “Mmm, what was that for?” he murmured when we parted.

  “It’s nice to be here with you,” I replied softly, kissing him again. Now, I told myself. You’re finally alone, and he’s in a good mood. Ask him about prom. “And speaking of it being nice to be together—”

  “Hold that thought.” He took a long drink from his beer, draining it, and left it on a table in the hallway, freeing up both hands to circle my waist and pull me close. My eyes fluttered shut as I awaited the pressure of his lips on mine again, but instead I felt them press against my neck. My body shuddered slightly in response, nearly causing me to spill the remainder of my drink. I promptly set the glass on the table.

  “Come on,” he whispered into my ear, and the next thing I knew, I was being gently led to a pair of double doors at the end of the hallway that appeared to be locked by some sort of electronic combination.

  “What the…?” I trailed off as I watched Liam punch in a series of numbers and then push open the doors to what was unquestionably Josh’s master suite, complete with a set of totally cliché black silk sheets.

  “It’s ridiculous, I know, but it’s the only place to get any privacy,” he assured me, closing the doors behind us.

  I’m not sure what expression was on my face—I was feeling such a swirl of emotions at that point—but obviously a hint of my anxiety was showing, because Liam instantly said, “I’m not trying to hint at anything by bringing you to a bedroom, just to be clear. It’s just quiet. And comfortable.”

  I nodded dumbly. I didn’t particularly feel any pressure from Liam, but I did feel like I wanted him to shut up and pull me into that bed immediately. For what, I wasn’t sure, but that didn’t seem to matter right now. I shrugged out of my borrowed blazer, tossed it on a ridiculous oversized chair shaped like a cupped palm, and kissed Liam with everything I had in me.

  He responded instantly, pushing me back toward the bed so gently I didn’t even realize what he was doing until my butt hit the plush mattress. I slipped off my shoes and lay back, watching with hooded eyes as he pulled off his shirt without so much as undoing a single button before climbing on top of me like a very gentle lion approaching its prey.

  I might not have looked a damn thing like Shannah Barrett, or Van, or any of the other toned and tanned starlets milling around downstairs and outside, but the way Liam’s sea-colored eyes raked over me before moving in for another kiss, you’d never have known I wasn’t the hottest thing at that party. It was exactly what I’d wanted to feel the day I’d come onto him with the force of a cougar. Sexy. Wanted. And not “I want to be near you” wanted. More like “I want to be in you” wanted.

  I sucked in a sharp breath as Liam kissed his way down the borrowed cami before slipping it up and over my head. The sheets were even softer than the shirt, and the combination of the silk of the fabric and the silk of his lips and tongue was making every inch of my skin prickle with heat. His fingers toyed with the button of my jeans and he looked up to meet my undoubtedly glassy gaze with one of his own. I nodded before I could even give it another thought.

  I’d purposely worn the sexiest underwear I owned for just such an occasion, but watching the inchby-inch revelation of my white lace boyshorts as he slowly pulled my jeans down my legs, it was as if they belonged to another person. What had I been thinking, wearing something so ridiculously virginal? I mean, I was a virgin, but I didn’t really need to remind him of that with my little wedding-night ensemble, did I?

  Judging from the row of butterfly kisses he placed along the entire length of the waistline, Liam had no complaints about my lingerie choice. He ran his hands lightly up my thighs, and I shivered. “God, you’re beautiful,” he whispered, his breath tickling my skin through the lace in places it’d never before been tickled. It was all I could do not to beg him to hurry up as he slowly, painstakingly kissed and touched his way back up to my belly button before hooking an index finger into the waistband and giving it a gentle tug. I held my breath as I prepared to be exposed.

  Until the door flew open, revealing none other than Josh Chester himself.

  I shrieked and leapt away from Liam, grabbing a black-silk-covered king-size pillow to shield myself as I rolled off the bed on the other side.

  “Fuck!” Liam yelled as he too jumped up, though he was dressed far more modestly than I was, still wearing his jeans. “What the hell are you doing here, Chester?”

  “It’s my room!” Josh pointed out, although he sounded far more amused than annoyed. “Besides, I’m guessing I’m here for the same reason you are. Were,” he amended. “Ya ain’t gotta go home but ya gotta get the hell outta here.”

  Liam must’ve finally realized that all of my clothes were on the other side of the bed, out of my reach, because he tossed me his soft blue button-down. “When’s the last time you actually made it up to your own bedroom to fool around?” Liam asked sourly, motioning for Josh to move so he could grab my clothing from the floor.

  I could see Josh’s smug grin from across the room. “Shannah wanted to see it.”

  Two thoughts immediately flashed through my mind as I slipped on the shirt. The first was: Ugh, Shannah. The second was: Crap. Van. Not that she had any actual feelings for Josh, but it wasn’t going to make her feel good to know she’d been passed over for yet another typical white Hollywood blonde. Once I was relatively covered up, I emerged from my hiding spot behind the bed and held out my hand to get my jeans and cami from Liam before whirling into Josh’s en suite bathroom to get dressed.

  “So you’re really not banging Vanessa Park,” I heard Shannah say, her voice muffled through the door. “Dammit. I owe Zoe a hundred bucks.”

  “You of all people should know not to believe everything you read in the tabloids,” Liam chided her. “But feel free to refrain from sharing information with Zoe. She’s already fucked things up as much as she possibly can.”

  “That’s what you get for banging random li
ttle girls,” Shannah replied. I inhaled sharply at her bitchy comment and almost missed her next statement, which she delivered in a considerably lower tone. “If you stay and play with us, maybe I’ll forget that I saw you slumming it.”

  Slumming it! I could not get my jeans on fast enough to jump out there and slap her in the face as she so roundly deserved. Didn’t she see my Louboutins out there on the carpet? Okay, granted, they were Van’s, but Shannah didn’t have to know that. Who the hell did she think she was? And ew, was she seriously propositioning Liam with me in the next room? For a threesome, no less?

  Liam must’ve dropped his voice because I couldn’t decipher his fierce whisper through the door. I finally yanked my jeans over my hips and zipped them closed, then tossed on the cami and threw the door open to face three seriously pissed-off-looking actors.

  “Come on, Ally,” Liam demanded, yanking my blazer off the chair and tossing me my shoes. “Let’s go.”

  Apparently, I wasn’t going to be able to stay long enough to put on my heels, not that I really wanted to linger in the presence of Shannah’s smug face or Josh’s disgusting smirk any longer. They mashed their mouths together before Liam and I were even out the door.

  “What the hell just happened in there?” I asked when we were safely back down the hall. We stopped in front of the table that still bore my piña colada so I could use it to balance while I slipped the shoes back on my feet and gave Liam his shirt, which he jerked on over his head. I was still too overheated from the anger and embarrassment of our encounter with Josh and Shannah to put on the blazer, but I took it from Liam in one hand while I grabbed my drink and downed it with the other.

  “Nothing,” he muttered, raking a hand through his hair. “You okay?”

  “Hmm.” I tipped my head while I pretended to consider the question. “A movie star and a TV star who both happen to be tabloid regulars just saw me in my underwear about to…” I trailed off as a furious blush threatened to overtake my entire body. No way could I finish that sentence out loud. Had I seriously almost just gotten naked with Liam in some other guy’s bedroom? What was wrong with me?