Gold - Linde K. A. - Страница 63

“Don’t tell her that,” she joked.

“No. I didn’t…that’s not what I meant.”

“This is still me though, Cam. You don’t have to explain yourself. I haven’t suddenly changed because you know who my parents are.” At least she hoped not.

“I know. Right. Of course not. Just a surprise.”

“Yeah. I try not to lead with that. It’s a bit intimidating.” She shrugged. “Come on. I’ll introduce you to Gates.”

“How do you know him again?”

She bit her lip. “He went to high school with me, and we’ve known each other for a long time. He’s a close friend of the family.”

She didn’t mention that they had dated for over a year and that he was her first real boyfriend. Those things were behind them, and all that mattered was that they were friends. Gates wasn’t trying to get back with her. That ship had sailed.

“I have to admit, I haven’t actually seen any of his movies, but I know of them.”

“That’s fine. He’s more than his movies.”

Bryna took his hand, and they climbed the stairs to VIP. The bouncer ushered them inside. Once she crossed the threshold, she was tackle-hugged by a rather drunk Gates.

“Babe!” he cried, picking her up and swinging her around.

“Gates, put me down!”

He laughed and obliged her. “Surprise!”

She shook her head and sent him an exasperated look. “What are you doing here?”

“I had a free weekend and thought I’d come spend it in Vegas with my favorite girl.”

“You’re ridiculous and drunk.”

“Pleasantly tipsy,” he joked.

“Gates, this is my…Cam,” she said, stepping back so that he could see she had another guy in tow.

Gates held his hand out. “Hey. Nice to meet you.”

Cam nodded his head as they shook and assessed each other. “You, too. Bryna was telling me that you guys went to school together.”

“Yeah. We go way back. Bri’s awesome when she’s not acting like a total bitch. You know what I mean?” he asked.

He nudged Bryna, and she put her hand on her forehead.

Dear God, Gates!

“No. I guess I haven’t seen that side of Bryna.”

“There’s another side?”

“He’s joking. Aren’t you, Gates?”

“Yeah. Totally. Where are all your hot friends?” he asked.

“Downstairs. Want to join the masses?” She was thankful for the change of subject.

“Sure. Think people will recognize me? I brought a baseball hat.”

She shook her head. “It’s packed down there already since it’s a home game weekend. I think you’ll be fine.”

“All right. Let’s go.” Gates fell into step next to Cam and asked him a million personal questions. Gates was a very energetic and talkative drunk. He was so much more chill when he was sober.

She wasn’t sure what Cam thought of him. He kept sending her furtive looks as Gates continued to talk. They made it back downstairs and over to her group of friends. Gates hugged Stacia, who he had hung out with some over summer break. Trihn had never met him, and Bryna thought Trihn was going to faint.

“He’s even cuter in person,” Trihn whispered to Bryna.

“I know.”

She beamed. Everyone was getting along. Despite the one Eric hiccup in the car, this all seemed to be going better than she’d anticipated.

Gates grabbed her around the middle. “Let’s dance,” he whispered in her ear.

She gave him a meaningful look, and he sighed.

He let her go and then looked up at Cam. “Hey, Cam. Do you mind if I borrow your girl? Dance floor is calling my name.”

“Uh…sure. I don’t really dance anyway,” Cam said.

He looked at Bryna for confirmation, and she shrugged.

She wanted to dance. If Cam wasn’t going to dance, then it would be fine to dance with Gates.

She would take some assurance just in case. “Trihn, Stacia, come on.”

“Oh!” Stacia cried. “Queen Bee leading the way tonight.”

Stacia smacked Trihn’s ass as she passed by and beckoned her on the dance floor. Bryna got lost in her friends’ silly behavior. They shimmied and swayed and shook their asses in time with the music. It was like freshman year all over again before any of them had been dating anyone and they had just been carefree.

Gates came up behind her, grabbed her hips, and ground against her. They moved like one fluid motion. She had known him for way too long, and she’d had sex with him way too many times not to automatically get his rhythm. Stacia moved behind him, and Trihn was in front of her, bent over at the waist, doing unbelievably dirty things with her body.

Bryna dropped her head back in laughter as she shook her ass. She rested her head on his shoulder and threw her hands up in the air, getting carried away with the music.

“Missed you,” Gates breathed into her ear.

“I missed you, too,” she said. “This is fun.”

“You should be careful with me, Bri. I think that guy really likes you.”

“I like him, too,” she said hesitantly. “He’s nice.”

“Yeah. Then, you should probably switch out with one of your girls. The way your body is moving…”

She swirled her hips around against him, and he groaned.

“You’re killing me here.”

“The great Gates Hartman reduced to nothing by little old me?” she joked.

“You’re having too much fun with this. I’ll have you know, I’ve fucked a whole lot of celebrities since you.”

She turned around to face him and winked. “No one does it like me.”

His eyes confirmed what she was saying. “That guy isn’t your type.”

“He’s not,” she said, unperturbed.

She glanced over at Cam. He was talking to Neal and Pace and not even paying attention to her.

“But I think it’s good.”

“If you say so.” Gates’s hand returned to her hips, and he drew her in closer. “Get over here.”

She giggled and pressed herself up against him. Their movements were completely in sync, and they danced like that through the next three songs. Her eyes drifted over to Cam, and she saw he was staring intently at them now. She bit her lip as she decided to just dance through the end of this song and then go back to spend time with him.

Then, her stomach plummeted. She took a step back from Gates. “Shit!”

“What?”

“Eric,” she whispered.

He walked right up to Cam and put his hand out.

Oh no. No, no, no. She didn’t even say another word. She bolted toward them.

What the hell?

He had said that he wasn’t going to be here.

She roughly grabbed Eric by the arm, and he staggered back a step.

Fuck!

He was drunk off his ass. She normally wouldn’t have budged him a step.

“What are you doing?” she snapped.

“Hollywood!” he crowed.

She crossed her arms and stood her ground.

“I was introducing myself to my friend, Cam, here.”

“Bryna?” Cam said.

He looked confused, and she didn’t blame him.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured to Cam.

“I’m not really sure what’s going on here.” Cam’s face was set in a stern line.

She couldn’t read him. She didn’t know what he was thinking, but she didn’t think it was good.

“Well, let me tell you what’s going on,” Eric slurred.

“Another time,” she said. She latched on to his arm and pushed him in the opposite direction. “I’m so sorry, Cam. I’ll be back in a minute.”

“Okay. And then you’ll explain what all of this is about?”

“Bri doesn’t explain herself to anyone,” Eric said. “Least of all, herself.”

“Jesus Christ, Eric!” Ignoring Cam’s look of confusion, she hauled Eric away from him before Eric could do any more damage. She dragged him through the door to the patio and as far away from anyone else as she could possibly get. The place was packed, so it had been a feat.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” she cried, shoving his drunken ass backward and into the side of the building.

“Came to make friends,” he joked.

“You said you were going home, and you weren’t going to torture yourself! You asshole!”