“It’s distracting and makes me want to do things,” she whispers. “Break rules, and you know how much I hate breaking rules.”
Damn. I swallow hard, having no response as my body launches a full-scale assault on my will. My hands tremble to take her and devour her right here in this restaurant. Blow off this stupid dinner. Find an empty room—
“And what about you?” Jasmine asks Naomi in a high-pitched voice more appropriate for a toddler.
“What about me?” Naomi asks, carving random patterns in the tablecloth with a butter knife.
Despite the fire ripping me apart at the moment, I can’t help but smirk at the exchange. Hadley shifts her attention to the train wreck about to occur as well. Her grip tightens on my arm, but her expression is more anticipation than fear.
Jasmine straightens, clearly not used to not being worshipped. “What… um… are you into?”
“You mean like drugs and stuff? Mostly meth,” Naomi says with a straight face. “Uncle J gets it for me since I’m not eighteen.”
“I don’t want her out on the street late at night. She’s got homework,” I explain.
Jasmine’s eyes widen, and I can’t stop the muffled snort that escapes at her abject horror. Her face tightens in indignation when she realizes she’s being played. That neither of us give a flying you-know-what that she’s Jasmine Crawford, latest recipient of the Baxter Award or whatever. That hell no am I going to fool around with her.
This time the silent message flowing between us is from me: Not. Interested.
Her expression transforms into a clear pout that rivals anything my eleven-year-old niece ever wore. I’m saved from further facial chess when Remington calls us to attention.
“Now that we’re all here, let’s start with a toast. First of all, thank you to Teddy for making the trip all the way from Italy.” He does a polite partial clap in the direction of his son who smiles and nods.
“But now for the real reason we’re here. Jasmine, from the moment your mother held you in her arms, we knew you’d be special. You always had that charisma that made you stand above the rest. Yet, even with your countless achievements, we never imagined we’d be sitting here celebrating a Baxter Award nominee! Congratulations, darling, this is truly a spectacular accomplishment. Your mother and I were in our late thirties before receiving our first industry nomination. To do so at twenty-one is truly remarkable.”
He lifts his glass and addresses the table. “Please raise your glasses and join me in honor of the incomparable, Jasmine Blaire Crawford!”
“Here, here,” Pearl calls out, holding up her glass before taking a dainty sip.
“Way to go, sis,” Teddy says, nudging her arm.
Jasmine absorbs the praise with practiced humility. I see it in the way she watches each person to make sure they’re appropriately adoring, even as she slants her head to make it look like she’s embarrassed.
“Congrats,” Hadley mumbles.
“Thank you,” Jasmine says in a smarmy tone.
Hadley studies her empty plate as the chatter resumes around us. Servers enter with the first course—some tiny cracker with colorful shit on top—but I’m glued to Hadley’s face. Her entire persona has changed. Her expression, her body language, the way she carries herself has all collapsed into a shadow of what she was just a few minutes ago in the car. The confidence and poise I so admire about her has suddenly been stripped away. It’s like she’s trying to fade into the background and disappear.
Her family acts like she has.
I notice how her parents address the other two children like they’re moons in orbit. The four of them exchange accolades and boasts with exaggerated enthusiasm, but they never include Hadley. Not once. Come to think of it, her father’s speech left her out as well.
Anger simmers low again, emotion that shouldn’t belong to me, but suddenly overwhelms my patience. It’s not quite the same rage as when I encountered the texts from Danny P, but it’s coming from the same place. A deep protectiveness that wants to jump on the table and demand that these phony people take one long look at the only real star in this room. They’re gushing over moons when the fucking sun is sitting right here.
I reach over and squeeze Hadley’s hand. She glances up in surprise, her weak smile tugging at my heart.
“So Julian, you joined Viv Hasting’s band?” Teddy asks from across the table. They even acknowledge me before saying a word to her. The room quiets, all eyes on me.
“Actually, Viv joined my band, but yes we’re bandmates.”
“And is that how you two met?” Pearl asks. She takes the tiniest nibble of that cracker thing I’ve ever seen. It wasn’t even worth the effort of picking it up. I ate mine in one bite. It tasted like a mushy meatball. Also, pretty sure I answered that question already, but I had no expectation she was paying attention.
“Actually no. We’re neighbors. She came up to yell at me one night for being too loud, and I couldn’t keep my eyes off her. I mean look at her.” I even add an adoring glance in her direction. My smile falters at her intense return stare. I can’t tell if I’m acing this or failing miserably. “But I’m not gonna lie. I wasn’t too upset when she happened to show up to our first rehearsal with Viv.” So that’s totally a lie, but whatever.
“Hmm… I guess the fact that Genevieve is now Viv Hastings hasn’t changed anything for you, Had?” Jasmine quips. “You’re still following her around for a living?” She pops the cracker in her mouth, and I revel in the moment she realizes it’s not what she thought it was. She chokes a little, her eyes watering as she coughs as discreetly as possible and forces it down.
“I’m going to continue being her PA, yes,” Hadley says in a stern voice. At least some of her fire is back. I hadn’t realized how much I craved it until it was extinguished. No wonder I like to piss her off so much.
“Well, maybe things will slow down, which will give you a chance to figure out what you really want to do,” Remington cuts in with a patient smile.
Hadley stiffens, her fingers tightening around mine. The dude is serious. What a dick.
“Viv is as busy as ever,” Hadley forces out, her voice strained. My fingers are going numb from blood loss. “She still needs me.”
“Yes, but you have the perfect out now, darling,” Pearl says. Her pitying look makes me want to punch her. I can’t imagine what it’s doing to Hadley. Oh wait, I can. Shit, I’m going to have to pry her fingers off mine. “Given the drastic change, I’m sure she’ll understand why you’re quitting and it won’t damage your friendship. She’s such a reasonable girl. I’ve always admired her, you know.”
“I know,” Hadley mutters. “But I’m not quitting.”
“Hadley, dear, we just want what’s best for you. You have so much potential. So many opportunities for greatness, and we don’t want to see you squander them. You enjoyed modeling when you were younger, why not give that a try? Teddy, you can get her an agent, right? She’s not too old?”
“She’d have to wear makeup and be willing to get naked in front of strangers,” Teddy says with a snicker.