by Pamela Ann
Tonight, I planned to lick my wounds, recharge and shuffle the riotous order that was racking my brain.
I had dumped him, hadn’t I? Then, why did it feel like he was the one who dumped me? Damn him! That farewell parting sealed it for him. I guess you could say he won. Carter was insufferable.
News of my break-up with Carter would spread like a bad wildfire on a windy California day. The women would rejoice once more. Their famed stud was back on the market. I’d have to mentally prepare myself for what that would entail for me. I’d have to watch him find his new fuck buddy amongst the onslaught of awaiting women who wanted a piece of our school’s hottest athlete.
Carter Mason was now single and ever so ready to mingle.
Would my heart be able to bear it when he found someone new?
“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.”
~William Shakespeare
Chapter Three
“Rise and shine princess!” Lindsey pulled the down comforter off me.
I groaned. Not today, Lindsey! I can’t bear to face the world. Let me just wallow for a few more days, I silently begged my friend.
“Leave me alone, Linds!” I turned the other way, curling up with my favorite feather pillow.
“Suit yourself.” I heard a thud on my side table.
The smell of coffee hit my sleepy senses. Oh, darn it. She knew me well; I couldn’t resist my morning cup of Joe. Evil, evil woman.
Lindsey sat on the side of my bed and squeezed my arm. “The news is out babe. You’re officially axed! Now we should get you in good condition to come party tonight, bueno?”
I opened my eyes and blinked a few times. Her words sunk in and my gut started to churn. Carter and I were no more.
Finito.
Kaput.
Dead.
I guessed I should have been thankful that I got out of that relationship in one piece? But it didn’t feel like it.
“What time is it?” I sat up and greedily grabbed the hot coffee. My palms cradled it as I took a cautious sip. I smiled when I saw Lindsey wearing her usual house garb; a skimpy thong and a long fitted cami.
“It’s almost noon. The girls plan to head out later tonight and party in Hollywood. I already booked us a suite at Chateau Marmont for our little getaway.” She winked with a mischievous smile plastered on her face.
“You’re on, lady!” I tried to sound excited. Just because Carter Mason and I were done, didn’t mean I was going to let him push me into the darkness again. Maybe going out of town would be the best solution.
“Good, ‘cause I’m not letting you mope around here while my stupid brother runs around town looking all chummy and unaffected,” Lindsey muttered and left my room.
I bet he was, I thought angrily. Carter wouldn’t be known as a notorious playboy if he weren’t an insensitive jerk.
With a heavy heart, I got up and headed to the bathroom to shower. I wasn’t going to let him see me hurt. I was going to try to live my life like he didn’t matter. It would be hard, but I could do it.
The old soppy and nostalgic Emma was gone. That Emma ended last night.
It was Saturday and I decided to treat myself to a mani/pedi at the nearest spa. If we were hitting the joints of Hollywood tonight, I couldn’t appear raggedy and have that I’m broken look’ hanging on me. Carter certainly didn’t deserve that. Even though my heart made a huge mistake falling for a man like Carter Mason, I certainly would not allow my pride to be trampled by him. At least in that, I got to have a choice.
Carter was not the only man on this planet and I was quite positive I would get over him. Life was about stages and phases. I wasn’t going to dwell on my mistakes. Didn’t we have to kiss tons of frogs before we ended up with the prince?
By six, I was ready to go. I was wearing a black, short, frilly skirt that I matched with a red, skintight, halter-top. I finished my ensemble with my favorite Louboutin lace booties. There was nothing much I could do with my short, blonde hair so I left it alone. For my make-up, I went for the smoky-eyed look and swiped soft pink lipstick and lip gloss on.
I used my pinky to touch up a spot on the outside of my lip that had a little smudge of color. Eyeing myself from side to side I mumbled, “I suppose this will do.”
“You’re a knockout, Em. No need to double check it,” Lindsey spoke from behind me. I grinned at my friend, who I could always count on to bring my spirits up. “The other girls already left in a separate car. I thought it would be best that we drive there by ourselves and meet them at the restaurant. They tend to go a little crazy when we’re all together and I don’t want to have any fights tonight.” “The girls” consisted of Amber, Trista and Cece. They were cool party friends, but Cece had a jealous streak, and Linds and Cece went way back from high school.
“Uh, thank goodness. I don’t think I can deal with you and Cece sparring with words all night,” I said, agreeing with her.
Oh, and did I mention Cece had a thing for Carter? Yeah, she didn’t seem too keen on me either. However, Amber and Trista were pretty cool and fun to hang out with. Lindsey introduced me to their little group and I became friends with them, too; well, except for Cece, of course.
We took Lindsey’s BMW X5 and joined the chaos that was the 101 Freeway. It was Saturday and traffic was usually dreadful on the weekends. What should be an hour drive to Los Angeles could take two or three hours.
“We should’ve left earlier and checked in at the hotel rather than drive at this hour,” Lindsey, frustrated, agreed with my thoughts.
Why didn’t we think of that ingenious idea earlier?
I picked up her iPod and scrolled through her songs. “Play ‘Ooh Ooh Baby’ by Britney,” she requested with excitement.
Another revelation, we jammed to Britney Spears. I mean, Britney did have some good party songs, Toxic anyone? As much as I loved my mainstream pop music, I liked the ‘trip-hop’ genre and lots of alternative rock more.
I checked my phone for the umpteenth time with disappointment. Sullen, I leaned back and closed my eyes. What did I expect? Carter wasn’t the groveling type. He didn’t chase women. It was the other way around.
It took us an hour and forty-five minutes to arrive in L.A. A feeling of excitement rushed through me as we exited Sunset Boulevard. The plan was for us to dine at a famous sushi restaurant and go clubbing at the Greystone Manor Nightclub then check-in at the hotel after.
Lindsey left her car with the valet outside the famed restaurant and I waited as she joined me. “Damn, Linds. I didn’t realize your dress was so revealing!” She just waved her hand carelessly at me.
Her dress was super tight and had one of those diamond shaped-cut holes in the middle, exposing her belly button. If Cece would have worn this dress, she would’ve looked like a tart, but on Lindsey, it looked amazing; she looked like one of those snobby fashionistas. She carried herself with great certainty and a classy air of which I was jealous. I honestly didn’t think she had any insecurities. I applauded her for that. Sometimes, it rubbed off on me and I loved it!
The girls were already seated inside the restaurant and it didn’t take long for us to get rowdy. Dinner took about two hours and even Cece was playing nice and being civilized. It was a relief to see the other side of her; her bitchiness was starting to bore the hell out of me.
By the time we got to the nightclub, we were in high spirits. The club was a celebrity hotspot and the line to get in snaked around the building, but thanks to Amber’s connections, we didn’t have to wait in it. Our fake I.D.’s weren’t even checked.
It was almost midnight and the place was starting to get crowded. We were seated on one of the lounge’s damask covered couches. The club was decorated in a neo-Renaissance theme that had a gothic-like feel. It was like the old and new Hollywood meshing together. The outcome was outstanding; it was stylishly posh and had a decadent atmosphere. I studied the place in wonderment. The décor alone probably cost
There was a commotion on the other side of the room. Trista blushingly whispered that Bass Cole was here. Everyone became excited, even Lindsey. I just shook my head at Cece’s overeager enthusiasm. The poor woman looked like she was hyperventilating. I could just tell what was going through that head of hers.
Okay, maybe I was a little piqued. Okay. Total lie. I was super psyched! Fucking Bass Cole in the house! Gah!
Who wouldn’t be? Bass Cole was one of Hollywood’s most sought after movie stars and an everlasting heartthrob. His movie career blew up a couple years ago when he made one of those vampire movies and he’s been a household name ever since. I admit, I saw the movie a few times, but don’t remember much of it. Was he a good actor? I didn’t know. Was the movie any good? No clue either. The only thing that stuck with me was Bass Cole was a hot piece of yummy handsomeness. All blond hair, tanned skin and the most striking blue eyes I’d ever seen were all I could conjure in my head. That about summed it up, I believed. Pathetic, wasn’t it?
“God, I have to meet him! I love his movies and he’s just so hot!” Cece squealed and started to fan her cheeks furiously.
Uhm, I was sure she was going to try in earnest to get past all the people around him; good luck with that! Cece loved attention and she would do anything to be in the spotlight. She was, after all, an aspiring actress and she actually had a part as an extra a few times on some TV shows, but nothing major. I once joked that if she auditioned for Playboy, she would be instantly hired. I remembered her murderous glare when I made that statement. I mean, come on! Cece has 34 DD implants so when you spoke to her, all you saw were those big, hard jugs.
We were served a bucket filled with a large selection of bottled alcoholic beverages. Trista opened the bottles and started to mix drinks for everyone. By the looks of things, we were all going to get hammered tonight. Trista handed us her concoction.
Amber stood up. “I just want to make this toast to my newly, single friend, Emma. No guy is worth moping over, baby!” she screamed through the blaring music.
Oh, dearest! Did we need to make everyone here aware of that?
The rest of them hooted in agreement. “CHEERS!!!”
I cringed when I tasted the concoction Trista made. Holy crap, this shit was deadly! I wasn’t planning on puking my way out of the club tonight, thank you. Placing the potent mix back on the table, I glanced at my selections. I chose a bottle of champagne and poured a glass for myself. I made a satisfying sigh when the bubbles worked their magic. Light, fizzy bubbles I could do, I thought contently.
Trista and Amber went dancing and Cece left to go manhunt. It was a typical girls’ night out. Except Lindsey was stuck to her phone. Not typical.
“Brody again?” I asked just loud enough for her to hear me.
She nodded. “He’s pissed off at me. He’s drunk-texting.” She waved the screen at me. I mouthed an “Oh” and she merely shrugged. She looked a bit bothered. Maybe she felt something more than she let on? I wondered.
I hate those. I used to do that a lot… with Carter. I would send hateful and spiteful messages and he would always end up at my doorstep. I would open the door and he would just barge in there and take me to my room. It was crazy, but at the same time, I lived for those exhilarating moments of madness.
Amber came back with two cute guys. Trista, on the other hand, grabbed my hand and ushered me to the dance floor. I glanced back at Lindsey to invite her to come with us, but she was talking to one of the men.
The club was playing some popular dance music and it didn’t take long for Trista and I to start swaying and dancing to the beat.
Trista leaned over and yelled in my ear. “I’m glad you came out with us tonight. I’m sorry about what happened with Carter, but you know, it’s Carter.” She smiled.
Yup, it was Carter. No need to emphasize what that meant.
“Yeah, good riddance! It was starting to become mundane.” I fibbed with great confidence. Trista smiled; the lights making her red hair and green eyes light up. I didn’t think I had ever seen Trista sad or angry. She was always so damn cheery. How could anyone be so fucking cheery all the time? That must be exhausting, surely?
When my favorite song came on, I let loose and danced my hips and ass off. Tonight was going to be my night! I thought ferociously.
Fuck Carter Mason. Fuck his hot tight ass that made me drool. Fuck his stupid swagger and sexy smirk. No more! I screamed in my head as I danced with my eyes closed, feeling the beat vibrate through my body.
My breath caught when I felt a big hand capture my side.
I immediately tensed.
OH NO. DID CARTER FOLLOW US HERE?
“Can I dance with you?” a deep voice asked from behind me—a hot, masculine drawl that made my toes curl and my insides melt and quiver.
OH.
My eyes snapped open.
“Work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt and dance like no one is watching.”
~Randall G. Leighton
Chapter Four
I hastily turned around and found the one and only Bass Cole staring me down with his azure eyes. I stared back, star-struck and dumbfounded.
With my mouth wide open, I thought wildly, Bass Cole is right in front of me!
TALKING. TO. ME.
Wow, just wow! His sheer beauty totally caught me off guard. His movies didn’t do him justice. My heated gaze landed on his soft, full pink lips. Does he bite just as good as it looked in that movie? I wondered. His lips looked tempting.
He was tall; about six foot three. His dirty blond, bed-head hair looked so deliciously sexy. Bass Cole was armed with the most sultry, lazy smile I had ever encountered, topped with some fucking adorable dimples. I was drooling on the spot.
My, I’m tongue-tied. Can anyone be allowed to be this arrestingly beautiful?
I stood frozen, not comprehending what the fuck Bass Cole just asked me. Holy shit! He was even more perfect up close. Get it together before you embarrass yourself! I chided my brain to fully function.
I was still reeling, but recovered a bit from the initial shock. Not saying a word, I spun around and held his hand that was clutching my hip. My soft hand held his large, masculine one. The touch sent electric currents up my arm. God, I’m dying here! I thought as Bass firmly held me as we danced in synchronization, grinding and swaying erotically. His hand tightened on me as his free one started to caress my other side. Goodness, the man moves in quickly!
And man, doesn’t he feel perfect. Argh!
Fuck you, Carter! I thought as I danced with Bass.
With his heated body grinding against mine, I got a whiff of his cologne and wanted to die on the spot. You see, I had a thing for a man’s scent. I hated how some men used crazy strong cologne or a strong repulsive deodorant—it was a total turnoff. Bass Cole smelled like… well… perfection?
I knew you couldn’t smell perfection, but I knew if you could, it would smell just like him. It was pure masculine with a hint of… citrus? I wasn’t sure. All I knew was that it was an intoxicating blend of pure heady perfection.
When the song ended, I hesitantly moved away. Time to let go of my erotic fantasy, I begrudgingly thought as I gave him a great big smile and a little wave. “It was great to meet you. Have a lovely night!” I called out to his taken aback expression.
Bass immediately grabbed my hand and pulled me close. “Wait. Do you want to join me and my friends at my table?” he invited, gesturing where his friends—who had all witnessed our intimate impromptu dance—were located.
Err, no. As hot as he was, flirting with Bass would not be the greatest idea. I knew I wanted to have fun tonight but Bass Cole… was, well… Bass Cole! It was rather overwhelming.
“I’m good. Thank you though.” I tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t budge.
“Okay, well can I invite myself to join you then?” Bass gave me another lazy smile.
God, his smile was freaking blinding! It was simply melting my resolve. “If you want to, I guess,” I replied, unsure.
What he did next seriously made me smile and tingle all over.
“I’m Bass Cole.” He gave me his hand to shake. Really? I was sure he knew everyone in the club knew who he was. But still, he was being nice. Darn, this guy was a total charmer.
“Emma Anderson.” When I gave him my hand, I had expected him to shake it, but instead, he took it to his lips and kissed it. I gasped at the mere brush of his soft lips.
Easy there, Lucian the hot vampire! I swooned. No wonder this man was one of Hollywood’s finest! He went in for the kill without qualm.
Bass Cole’s eyes looked entertained. I was sure this was quite the norm for him. Unexpectedly, he leaned over and whispered in my ear, “I want you, Emma Anderson.”
I swallowed, hard.
Wow. He was really, really forward! I supposed things were done fast-paced around this town. I wasn’t accustomed to it and I didn’t plan to start tonight.
“I’m not going to have sex with you, you know. If that’s what you’re after, you’re going to have to look elsewhere,” I said with all seriousness and I meant it.
His eyes gleamed with pure amusement. “As much as that thought appeals to me right now, Emma Anderson, I don’t have sex on first dates either.”
His lazy smile got wider at my confused expression. Huh? A date?
“What date? We just met. This is obviously not a first date!”
“Oh, but it will be, Emma. It definitely will be,” Bass whispered in my ear. The thumping music immediately vanished around me, his touch and voice dominated my senses. He softly chuckled at my frozen state. “So, want to introduce me to your friends?” He pointed a finger at my table and I saw that my friends were gaping at us with avid curiosity.
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