“Did you see the look on Shea’s face when Kendall told us that Lewis wanted us all in his next movie?” Addy asked Brooklyn at breakfast. Brooklyn nodded, chewing her bite of cereal. Chasing it down with a gulp of milk, she said, “She didn’t look too happy that he wanted everyone in it.” Addy shook her head, biting into her toast. After swallowing, she said, “I wonder if Shea had the idea that she would be the star of the movie and now feels like we’re butting in on her big break.” “I hope not,” Brooklyn said, frowning. “I don’t want her to think we’re trying to take over her role or anything.” “We can only wait and see,” Addy said. Glancing up at the clock, she gasped and asked, “Is that really the time? I’ve got to get some work in on our outfits before Troy comes to get me for coffee.” She shoved the last bite of bagel into her mouth, washing it down with the last of her coffee before setting her dirty dishes in the sink. “I’ll do them when I get back,” she calle
Friday night came, and Shea rushed around the apartment, getting ready for her date with Bradford. “Girl, slow down!” Brooklyn told her from the couch, glancing up from the book she was reading. “You’re getting me exhausted just looking at you.” Shea stopped in the middle of the room and threw her hands up. “I can’t find my brown purse,” Shea said. “Have you seen it around?” Brooklyn tapped her lips as she thought, then asked, “Didn’t Addy borrow it the other day? She said it went with the boots she was wearing that day.” Shea snapped her fingers and said, “That’s right!” Rushing toward Addy’s door, she pounded on it, yelling, “Open up, Addy! It’s an emergency!” A few seconds went by before Addy yanked her door open. “What’s going on?” she asked, taking the pins out of her mouth. “My brown purse,” Shea said, her eyes wide. “Do you still have it?” Confused, Addy nodded and pointed over her shoulder, saying, “It’s on my dresser. Let me get it.” Shea waited, shif
Kendall leaned against the counter, looking around the store. Hardly anyone was there since it was the middle of the week during the day. Kendall kept her eye on a group of young girls, which she was sure had skipped school that day. They huddled around the crystal display, oohing and aahing over the various stones. She didn’t get any negativity from their direction, so she kept half of her attention on them. Once they brought their purchases to the counter and paid, they left. Kendall looked around the store once more. No one remained. “Well, no time like the present for a little practice,” she said, pulling out her Tarot cards from under the counter. “Well, cards,” she said as she shuffled them. “What messages do you have for me today?” Flipping over the first card, she frowned. “Well, that doesn’t look good,” she said. “If I remember correctly, that’s a warning.” She flipped over another card, and her eyes grew wide. “I think that means a broken heart,” she whispe
A few days after Addy decided to contact various stores to see if they would sell her designs, Brooklyn headed for the library. She needed to research her latest article and also wanted to check out the latest books. Since it was one of those rare warm fall days where the sun was shining, she wore a plaid skirt, sleeveless top, and a sweater over top of it. She felt like a student as she walked into the library and giggled at the thought. Heading toward the upper floor where the research materials were located, she noticed the library was nearly empty. “One of the perks of coming early in the morning,” she whispered while waiting for the elevator. The doors opened, and she stepped inside, pushing the button for the top floor. She turned around and looked out of the glass as the elevator ascended. Her eyes narrowed as she thought she saw a familiar figure, but her view was blocked as the elevator rose higher. “No, it couldn’t be,” she whispered, shaking her head. The doo
After Addy and Lewis left the apartment, Shea put down her magazine and frowned. “Fine,” she muttered. “Don’t talk around me.” She stood up and walked toward the kitchen to pour herself a glass of milk. As she drank, her phone beeped, letting her know she’d received a text. Her eyes widened as she looked at her phone, and she put the glass down. “Ooh! It’s from Bradford,” she said when she saw the text. “Hey, gorgeous lady,” the text read. “I wanted to say how much I’m missing you right now. Are you free for dinner tonight?” She danced around the kitchen, grinning madly, before replying, “Hey, handsome! I’m missing you, too. As luck would have it, I am free for dinner tonight. What did you have in mind?” “I wanted to take you to that Italian restaurant across town,” he texted back. “I remembered you said how much you loved their chicken parm.” “He remembered!” Shea squealed as she shimmied in glee. “Ooh! That sounds divine!” she responded. “Great!” he texted. “I’
“Do you want to go somewhere else?” Brooklyn asked in a worried voice. Cort shook his head and said, “No, it’s time I faced her head-on.” “Do you think she’s dangerous?” Brooklyn asked, chewing on her lower lip. Shrugging, Cort said, “I can handle her.” He turned toward her and grinned, adding, “Besides, I’ll have you there as backup.” Brooklyn’s eyes widened, and she asked, “You don’t think she’ll come after me, do you?” “Don’t worry,” he said, putting his finger under her chin, so she would look up at him. “If she does, I’ll be here to protect you.” She looked at him before smiling and saying, “My knight in shining armor?” “If that’s what you want to think of me, then sure,” he said, staring down into her eyes. They stayed like that for a few moments, then Brooklyn’s phone buzzed, causing her to jump back from him. Scrambling for her phone, she looked at it, then frowned. “Bad news?” he asked. “Just my editor, asking about my article,” she said. “Am I ke
“Do you think Cort and Brooklyn are okay?” Shea asked as they rode in the cab toward the restaurant. “I’m sure they are,” Bradford said, patting Shea’s hand. She smiled at him and said, “I can’t help worrying about them. Who knows what that crazy woman is capable of?” “She does have crazy eyes, that’s for sure,” Bradford said, nodding. “Have you seen her up close?” Shea asked, looking at him with wide eyes. He nodded and said, “I made the mistake of answering the door one time when she knocked. Blimey! She was scary!” They pulled up to the restaurant, and Bradford told her, “No more talk about the crazy stalker. This is our night, and I don’t want her to ruin it for us.” Smiling, she nodded and slid out of the car. Bradford paid the driver and held his arm out for her to lead her into the restaurant. He let the host know he had a reservation, and she led them to a table toward the back of the room. “This is nice,” Shea said, looking around the darkened room. “Coz
Once they had discussed the costume ideas, Lewis cleared his throat and said, “I also wanted to ask your opinion on something.” Addy tucked her sketchpad into her purse and turned back to him, clasping her hands in front of her. “What’s up?” she asked. He cleared his throat and glanced around the room before speaking. “I want to do something special for Kendall at the festival, but I don’t know what to do,” he said sheepishly. She smiled at him and said, “That sounds wonderful! I bet she’d love that!” Smiling at her, he said, “I sure hope so. I want to show everyone how special she is, but I haven’t got the foggiest idea on how to do it.” Addy thought for a moment, tapping her lips as she thought. “Do you do anything before they show your film?” she asked. He nodded and said, “The filmmakers usually give a short speech.” Addy’s face lit up, and she said, “How about adding something about her in your speech?” Lewis’s face lit up at the suggestion. “That’s a
“What do you want to do now?” Brooklyn asked after the club shut down for the night. “I’m too pumped to go home.” “There’s that all-night diner a couple of blocks over,” Cort suggested. “It doesn’t look like much, but the food is decent. We’ve been there a few times after gigs.” “Their hashbrowns are to die for,” Bradford said, putting his hand on his chest and rolling his eyes into the back of his head. “That seals the deal for me,” Shea said, linking her arm through Bradford’s. “If they have the best hashbrowns, I’m in.” “Same,” Addy said. “There’s something about good hashbrowns. You never forget them.” “That’s very true,” Brooklyn said. “If it’s the place I’ve read about, all their food is good.” “Did your paper write a review of the place?” Cort asked her. Brooklyn nodded and said, “Brian reviewed it, saying it was good and cheap.” “Then, that sounds like the perfect place to go right now,” Lewis said. “Because I don’t have much money on me, but I’m starving.”
“What about you?” Brooklyn asked Cort. “Are you nervous about possibly playing at that club?” Cort shrugged and said, “It’s just another gig to me.” “That’s one way to look at it,” Brooklyn said, tilting her head to look at him. He looked at her and grinned. “If we decide to play there, will you be writing a review of the show?” he asked. She nudged him with her shoulder and said, “You know it.” Shea threaded her arm through Bradford’s and asked, “Do you think you and Cort will like the club enough to play there?” Bradford looked at her and shrugged. “I’ve not been, so I can’t tell you for sure that we’ll like it,” he told her before tapping the tip of her nose with his finger. “Besides, you’ll be there with me, so it won’t be a wasted trip if we decide not to book a gig there.” Shea smiled at him and said, “You say the sweetest things.” “Only to the sweetest girl,” he told her, kissing the tip of her nose. Shea giggled and brushed her lips over his. “You two are so s
Kendall rushed over to Lewis as he came near the table. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. “That was awesome!” she said. “Did you get it all recorded?” He nodded, grinning at her, and said, “I did! I can’t wait to get it back home and edit it so I can show the guys.” “I know they’re going to love it,” Kendall said, kissing him again. “Excuse me, but did you just say you filmed the band?” Lewis and Kendall turned to see one of the four women who had approached the table talking to them. “Yeah,” Lewis said as he nodded. “I’m their friend and a filmmaker-,” “An award-winning filmmaker,” Kendall broke in. Lewis grinned at her before looking at the other woman and continuing. “I filmed their performance, so they can view it later,” he said. “I’m sure it’s going to be amazing,” the woman said. “I’m Amber, by the way.” “Lewis,” he told her. “And this is Kendall.” Amber kept her eyes on Lewis as she said, “So nice to meet you.” Kendall frowned an
“You all were awesome up there!” Shea told Bradford when the guys rejoined them at the table. “I’ll say,” Addy said, looping her arm through Troy’s. “You did a wonderful job. I was so proud of you.” She leaned forward to brush her lips over his. “If it means more kisses from you, I’ll get back on that stage right now,” Troy said, grinning at her. Addy giggled and snuggled closer to him. “This is definitely getting a good write-up in my next article,” Brooklyn told them, slipping her phone back into her purse. Cort slipped his arms around her waist, and she leaned into his embrace. “That’ll be good publicity for the band,” he said. “Too bad Dex wasn’t here. Then we’d have the full band.” “You still sounded good without him,” Lewis said. “You can see for yourself once I get the video I took of you edited.” Cort, Troy, and Bradford looked at him with wide eyes. “You filmed us?” Cort asked. “I sure did,” Lewis said, grinning at his friend. “I thought you migh
“Let’s order some drinks,” Troy said. “I’ll stay here and watch the purses,” Bradford offered. “I want to check out this DJ more to see if I can add anything to my performance the next time we play.” “Sure thing, man,” Cort told him. “I’ll get you your usual.” “Thanks, my man,” Bradford said. Cort nodded before he joined Troy and Lewis as they headed toward the bar to order their drinks. Bradford kept an eye on the ladies’ purses as he watched the DJ spin the tunes. He nodded to the beat and grinned. The DJ noticed him and smiled at him before waving him onstage. Bradford looked around and saw the guys coming back with their drinks. He signaled to them that he was getting on the stage. Cort nodded and jerked his chin toward the DJ. Bradford grinned and climbed the stairs at the back of the stage to join the DJ. Cort put the drinks on the table and called out to Bradford. When he looked, Cort held up his fists, giving him two thumbs up. Bradford grinned and returned t
Kendall squeezed Lewis’s arm as his film began. Her eyes never left the screen as his movie played out. Lewis looked around at his friends and the rest of the audience while his film played. Their attention seemed focused on the screen. He smiled and nodded. Once his film finished, he whispered to Kendall, “I think everyone liked it.” She squeezed his arm as she grinned up at him. “I know they did,” she said. Addy leaned forward, reaching over Troy to pat Lewis on the arm. “That was amazing,” she said, grinning at him. Troy nodded, giving Lewis a thumbs up. Brooklyn looked up from her phone to nod at him with a grin while Cort nodded once. Shea and Bradford both gave him a thumbs up. He grinned at his friends and nodded before returning his attention to the screen. Two more films played before Lewis leaned over to Kendall and whispered, “Carl’s film is next.” Before Kendall could respond, Carl whispered, “Now, you’re going to see some real filmmaking.”
Lewis sighed and turned his head to look over his shoulder at Carl. “What do you want, Carl?” he asked. Carl glanced at the refreshment counter and said, “I just want something to drink. I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation, is all.” “Yeah, you made sure to get close enough to us to overhear and comment on it,” Lewis said with a scowl. Carl shrugged, his hands out to the side, and said, “It’s not my fault you talk so loud.” “But it is your fault you had to butt in on the conversation,” Lewis said, turning around to face the other man. Kendall put her hand on Lewis’ arm and frowned, saying, “Just ignore him, Lewis. He’s not worth it.” Shea bit her lip and glanced at Bradford while squeezing his arm. She winked at him before she slipped past Lewis and Kendall and smiled at Carl. “Is your movie in the next grouping, too?” she asked him, putting her hand on his arm and widening her eyes as she pulled him out of the line. He looked at her and smiled, putti
“Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone in between,” the woman said. “My name is Denise, and I’ll be your host for our film festival this evening.” She looked over the audience and continued. “I see a lot of familiar faces here,” she said, smiling, “and some who are new.” Kendall nudged Lewis and smiled at him. He grinned at her and whispered, “But next year, I’ll be one of those familiar faces.” “That you will,” Kendall said before kissing him. On the stage, Denise continued. “We have quite a lot of films to enjoy this evening, so I’ll keep this brief,” she said. “After we have viewed the films, we’ll be handing out the awards, which I know is everyone’s favorite part of the night.” Everyone in the audience clapped and cheered, causing Denise to laugh. “I knew it!” she said with a grin. “You’re just here for the awards!” Laughter rang out across the room. “Well then, let’s just get those pesky films out of the way so we can get to the best part of the night,” she
Everyone turned to see Carl Hornsbeck standing behind them, his arms around the shoulders of the two women he’d entered with. Smirking at Lewis, he said, “Our friend Lewis here doesn’t stand a chance once the judges see my movie.” His gaze drifted to Brooklyn, and he winked at her. “You should hang out with better people,” he told her. Beside Brooklyn, Cort tensed. She put her hand on his arm and sniffed at Carl. “I only hang with the best people,” she told him. “I’m not some sort of groupie just hanging on to someone hoping to get my fifteen minutes of fame by proxy.” She looked at the two women, who glared back at her. Carl glanced at them and chuckled. Before he could say anything, Shea pushed her way to the front and said, “I don’t believe we’ve been introduced.” She held out her hand and batted her eyes at him. Carl took her hand in his and brushed his lips over the back of her hand, causing her to giggle. He grinned at her and said, “I would have rem