interested, but she doubted it would mean anything to him. She’d seen him with Nikki Morgan just days ago at the airport. She was sure Marissa had told her they’d broken up months ago, but they’d seemed pretty couple-y then. Maybe he really was like the tabloids painted him – a bit of a player. But somehow she couldn’t believe it.
They walked around the pool, Andie’s hand still in his. It felt good there, natural, as though it belonged.
‘You motherfucking cheating asswipe,’ Andie heard someone scream. She spun around to see Nikki Morgan storming across the deck towards them. Andie dropped James’s hand instantly.
‘Who the fuck is this?’ screamed Nikki. Her pupils were dilated, Andie noticed, like her mum’s had been whenever she had morphine.
‘Nik, come on,’ said James in a low soothing voice. ‘It’s nothing. Let’s not do this here.’
Andie’s chest squeezed at hearing him describe her as ‘nothing’.
‘He’s using you to make me jealous,’ screamed Nikki at Andie. ‘You think he would ever take home someone like you , otherwise?’
Over Nikki’s shoulder, Andie saw Jess in the crowd. She was frantically motioning for Andie to move away, to get out of there. Andie started to back off, allowing herself a brief glance at James. Outwardly, he looked conciliatory, resigned, but she saw that underneath, he was looking worriedly at Nikki.
Nikki was swaying on her heels and staring at Andie with a deadly look in her eye. ‘Step back from my man, bitch,’ she said, slurring a little. She flailed a hand at Andie, who dodged it easily.
So it’s not a gun-toting LA gang that I have to be worried about, thought Andie. It’s a crazy bitch movie star. But that wasn’t very comforting at this particular moment.
James reached out to grab Nikki. ‘Come on, Nik, let’s just go home,’ he said in a low voice.
Nikki relaxed in his arms and he held her tight. She seemed to have passed out.
James leant over to Andie and murmured, ‘Do you think I could maybe have your number, and we could take a raincheck on that chat? I just realised I don’t even know your name.’
Andie looked incredulously between him and his passed-out girlfriend. ‘You can’t be serious,’ she said, shaking her head.
‘I am,’ he said. ‘I know you felt it between us too. Please?’
Andie paused and then reached into the small bag that Jess had loaned her. She pulled out her bedazzled phone and was scrolling through to find her number, which she hadn’t memorised yet, when she felt all the air leave her stomach. The phone dropped to the ground as she felt herself falling backwards.
Andie had just enough time to hear Nikki laughing like mad Mrs Rochester from Jane Eyre . Then she was shocked back to reality as the cool water of the pool closed around her. Andie panicked, water filling her nose and throat. She floundered around, finally bursting to the surface, gasping and spluttering.
‘You kicked me!’ she shouted at Nikki.
‘Stay away from my man, bitch!’ Nikki screamed at Andie. James rushed her away towards the exit.
Andie treaded water for a minute, trying to get her head around what had just happened. Then she swam towards Jess, who was waiting at the side of the pool.
‘Tell me,’ she said, as she pulled herself out of the water, ‘did Nikki Morgan just kick me into the pool?’
Out of the corner of her eye, Andie saw the older guy in the white suit from the bar. He was laughing at her. What a dick, she thought.
Jess helped her out of the pool. Andie felt the dripping wig slip off her head. A staff member handed her a towel, as though this wasn’t an unusual occurrence.
‘Yup, she sure did,’ said Jess. ‘A baptism, LA style. Welcome to Hollywood, baby.’
5
Nikki rolled over fitfully and dribble ran out of her mouth onto the pillow. James lay next to her, watching her closely.
She’d been wasted last night, the worst he’d seen her in ages. Who had she been partying with?
They walked around the pool, Andie’s hand still in his. It felt good there, natural, as though it belonged.
‘You motherfucking cheating asswipe,’ Andie heard someone scream. She spun around to see Nikki Morgan storming across the deck towards them. Andie dropped James’s hand instantly.
‘Who the fuck is this?’ screamed Nikki. Her pupils were dilated, Andie noticed, like her mum’s had been whenever she had morphine.
‘Nik, come on,’ said James in a low soothing voice. ‘It’s nothing. Let’s not do this here.’
Andie’s chest squeezed at hearing him describe her as ‘nothing’.
‘He’s using you to make me jealous,’ screamed Nikki at Andie. ‘You think he would ever take home someone like you , otherwise?’
Over Nikki’s shoulder, Andie saw Jess in the crowd. She was frantically motioning for Andie to move away, to get out of there. Andie started to back off, allowing herself a brief glance at James. Outwardly, he looked conciliatory, resigned, but she saw that underneath, he was looking worriedly at Nikki.
Nikki was swaying on her heels and staring at Andie with a deadly look in her eye. ‘Step back from my man, bitch,’ she said, slurring a little. She flailed a hand at Andie, who dodged it easily.
So it’s not a gun-toting LA gang that I have to be worried about, thought Andie. It’s a crazy bitch movie star. But that wasn’t very comforting at this particular moment.
James reached out to grab Nikki. ‘Come on, Nik, let’s just go home,’ he said in a low voice.
Nikki relaxed in his arms and he held her tight. She seemed to have passed out.
James leant over to Andie and murmured, ‘Do you think I could maybe have your number, and we could take a raincheck on that chat? I just realised I don’t even know your name.’
Andie looked incredulously between him and his passed-out girlfriend. ‘You can’t be serious,’ she said, shaking her head.
‘I am,’ he said. ‘I know you felt it between us too. Please?’
Andie paused and then reached into the small bag that Jess had loaned her. She pulled out her bedazzled phone and was scrolling through to find her number, which she hadn’t memorised yet, when she felt all the air leave her stomach. The phone dropped to the ground as she felt herself falling backwards.
Andie had just enough time to hear Nikki laughing like mad Mrs Rochester from Jane Eyre . Then she was shocked back to reality as the cool water of the pool closed around her. Andie panicked, water filling her nose and throat. She floundered around, finally bursting to the surface, gasping and spluttering.
‘You kicked me!’ she shouted at Nikki.
‘Stay away from my man, bitch!’ Nikki screamed at Andie. James rushed her away towards the exit.
Andie treaded water for a minute, trying to get her head around what had just happened. Then she swam towards Jess, who was waiting at the side of the pool.
‘Tell me,’ she said, as she pulled herself out of the water, ‘did Nikki Morgan just kick me into the pool?’
Out of the corner of her eye, Andie saw the older guy in the white suit from the bar. He was laughing at her. What a dick, she thought.
Jess helped her out of the pool. Andie felt the dripping wig slip off her head. A staff member handed her a towel, as though this wasn’t an unusual occurrence.
‘Yup, she sure did,’ said Jess. ‘A baptism, LA style. Welcome to Hollywood, baby.’
5
Nikki rolled over fitfully and dribble ran out of her mouth onto the pillow. James lay next to her, watching her closely.
She’d been wasted last night, the worst he’d seen her in ages. Who had she been partying with?
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