Noah asked her.
Of course, that got everyone's attention, but Sophie couldn’t speak yet. The waiters came with their food, and she had to pretend she wasn’t wishing the floor could swallow her whole.
"Motherfucker," Daniel rumbled in a low growl. One glance at him told Sophie he'd seen what she'd seen. "Peter's here."
It was more than that. Her father and his wife were here with the Whittingtons, including their daughter Cassandra, a party princess and former friend of Sophie's.
"Shit, I'm sorry, hon." Brooklyn reached over the table and grabbed Sophie's hand. "Want us to leave?"
She shook her head minutely. She wanted to be home, but the getting-there part could get tricky. It didn’t look like Dad or her ex-friend had seen her, but they were only some twenty feet away. If Sophie and her friends stood up to go, it might get their attention.
"Let's just…" She let out a nervous breath and picked up her fork.
Dinner was effectively ruined, and she cursed herself for it. Her friends tried to engage her in conversation, but it was hard hearing past the ringing in her ears.
She picked at her food and wondered where the hell her balls were. Her dad and Cass could only destroy her if she allowed it.
I'm stronger than this, damn it.
"Okay, give me that." She reached for Daniel's wineglass and took two large sips. "I'm not gonna let Dad and some diva ruin my evening."
"Diva?" Noah looked over his shoulder.
"There's my girl," Daniel praised.
Sophie nodded at their table. "The blonde. Cassandra—we used to be friends. Our dads play golf together."
Noah snorted and returned to his vegetarian chili. "Whenever I see those skinny girls, I just wanna force-feed them." He smirked wryly at Sophie. "I thought the same when I met you."
In response, she flipped him off at the same time as she blew him a kiss.
"You've been spotted, babe," Zane said quietly.
Fuck.
It was like the pep talk got sucked out of her, and she swallowed nervously. Taking another bite of her pasta was impossible.
"Who?" She pulled forward her acting skills and smiled as she reached for her water. Under the table, Daniel gave her leg a squeeze.
"All of them now," Brooklyn muttered. "Jeesh, I feel like a circus act."
"Imagine how I feel." Sophie chuckled and discreetly eyed the other table. Sure enough, Dad was watching her, and Cassandra was looking awfully busy with her phone. "Uh, we might wanna leave, after all. If the paparazzi aren't already nearby, they will be soon."
Cass was known for alerting the press. Back in the day, Sophie had loved it. Now, not so much.
"Fine by me. This chili's shit. Just because I'm a vegetarian doesn’t mean I want an overabundance of beans." Noah turned in his seat and was quick to flag down a waiter. "Yeah, hi. Can we get the check, please? And some to-go boxes, if that’s all right."
Sophie was grateful for her friends reacting so quickly. The waiter left, only to return a minute later, and those who had enjoyed their meal placed the food in fancy containers.
"Want me to ask if we can take another exit?" Daniel asked.
"No, it's okay." Sophie reached for the check, but Noah snatched it up first. "What're you doing?"
"Paying, of course." He fished out a few bills from his wallet. "I'm the only one who prefers to use cash these days, and it means we can leave right away."
Sophie had every intention of arguing over the bill later, but for now, she wanted a quick getaway.
As they all headed toward the exit, she cursed internally. Something was going on; otherwise, there wouldn’t be a handful of dinner guests bringing out their phones to take pictures of her.
She assumed Cassandra had said something online. It only took seconds for gossip rags to pick up the news and spread it like wildfire.
Daniel and Noah handed over their tickets to the valet outside and then returned to the interior vestibule to avoid being spotted.
The girl at the coat check eyed Sophie.
Being an actress was all Sophie knew, and
Of course, that got everyone's attention, but Sophie couldn’t speak yet. The waiters came with their food, and she had to pretend she wasn’t wishing the floor could swallow her whole.
"Motherfucker," Daniel rumbled in a low growl. One glance at him told Sophie he'd seen what she'd seen. "Peter's here."
It was more than that. Her father and his wife were here with the Whittingtons, including their daughter Cassandra, a party princess and former friend of Sophie's.
"Shit, I'm sorry, hon." Brooklyn reached over the table and grabbed Sophie's hand. "Want us to leave?"
She shook her head minutely. She wanted to be home, but the getting-there part could get tricky. It didn’t look like Dad or her ex-friend had seen her, but they were only some twenty feet away. If Sophie and her friends stood up to go, it might get their attention.
"Let's just…" She let out a nervous breath and picked up her fork.
Dinner was effectively ruined, and she cursed herself for it. Her friends tried to engage her in conversation, but it was hard hearing past the ringing in her ears.
She picked at her food and wondered where the hell her balls were. Her dad and Cass could only destroy her if she allowed it.
I'm stronger than this, damn it.
"Okay, give me that." She reached for Daniel's wineglass and took two large sips. "I'm not gonna let Dad and some diva ruin my evening."
"Diva?" Noah looked over his shoulder.
"There's my girl," Daniel praised.
Sophie nodded at their table. "The blonde. Cassandra—we used to be friends. Our dads play golf together."
Noah snorted and returned to his vegetarian chili. "Whenever I see those skinny girls, I just wanna force-feed them." He smirked wryly at Sophie. "I thought the same when I met you."
In response, she flipped him off at the same time as she blew him a kiss.
"You've been spotted, babe," Zane said quietly.
Fuck.
It was like the pep talk got sucked out of her, and she swallowed nervously. Taking another bite of her pasta was impossible.
"Who?" She pulled forward her acting skills and smiled as she reached for her water. Under the table, Daniel gave her leg a squeeze.
"All of them now," Brooklyn muttered. "Jeesh, I feel like a circus act."
"Imagine how I feel." Sophie chuckled and discreetly eyed the other table. Sure enough, Dad was watching her, and Cassandra was looking awfully busy with her phone. "Uh, we might wanna leave, after all. If the paparazzi aren't already nearby, they will be soon."
Cass was known for alerting the press. Back in the day, Sophie had loved it. Now, not so much.
"Fine by me. This chili's shit. Just because I'm a vegetarian doesn’t mean I want an overabundance of beans." Noah turned in his seat and was quick to flag down a waiter. "Yeah, hi. Can we get the check, please? And some to-go boxes, if that’s all right."
Sophie was grateful for her friends reacting so quickly. The waiter left, only to return a minute later, and those who had enjoyed their meal placed the food in fancy containers.
"Want me to ask if we can take another exit?" Daniel asked.
"No, it's okay." Sophie reached for the check, but Noah snatched it up first. "What're you doing?"
"Paying, of course." He fished out a few bills from his wallet. "I'm the only one who prefers to use cash these days, and it means we can leave right away."
Sophie had every intention of arguing over the bill later, but for now, she wanted a quick getaway.
As they all headed toward the exit, she cursed internally. Something was going on; otherwise, there wouldn’t be a handful of dinner guests bringing out their phones to take pictures of her.
She assumed Cassandra had said something online. It only took seconds for gossip rags to pick up the news and spread it like wildfire.
Daniel and Noah handed over their tickets to the valet outside and then returned to the interior vestibule to avoid being spotted.
The girl at the coat check eyed Sophie.
Being an actress was all Sophie knew, and
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