“Never heard of him.”
“You will.”
“At least you’re getting well-compensated,” he said, “although I’m not sure it’s worth all the frustration. Did you forget the way he used to get on your last nerve?”
“Oh no, I remember.” Something occurred to me just then, and I blurted, “Oh shit. I just realized who else must be here if you are.”
His expression turned sympathetic. “Yeah. He’s the musical guest.”
Noah had been working for my twin brother for the last five or six months. As if on cue, an all-too-familiar voice behind me yelled, “Phee-Phee! Is that you?”
I pressed my eyes shut and ground my teeth. Then I forced myself to pull up a neutral expression before turning to my brother and saying, “How many times have I asked you not to call me that?”
Dallas looked incredible. I obviously wasn’t going to tell him that, because he wouldn’t be able to fit through doorways if his already overinflated ego got any bigger. But he must have gotten a new personal trainer, because he’d totally transformed the lean runner’s build we’d both had all of our adult lives. He looked like he was ready to star in an action movie with his big arms, shoulders, and overall muscle definition. Of course he was wearing a skin-tight T-shirt and jeans, to make sure everyone noticed. He’d also trimmed his beard into a goatee and was sporting a very expensive haircut, along with high- and lowlights in his dark hair that no one would suspect were artificial, unless they happened to have the exact same head of hair. I absolutely hated the fact that he and I looked like before and after photos on a makeover show.
He flashed me a blindingly white smile and said, “Lighten up, bro. I’m just teasing.” I stiffened when he grabbed me in a hug, and then he let go of me and asked, “So, what brings you to the set?”
“A client.”
Amusement sparkled in his hazel eyes. “Well, duh. I meant, who are you working for these days?”
Well, duh. Because of course I wasn’t here to perform. That would be laughable. I tried to keep my voice level as I muttered, “Harper Royce.”
Dallas’s face lit up. “Harper’s here? That’s awesome! I didn’t see him come in.” He stood on his toes and craned his neck to search the crowd in that long hallway, and when he spotted Harper, he waved and shouted, “Hey, hot stuff!”
My twin forgot all about me as he and Harper waded toward each other through the throng. Their reunion was too painful to watch, so I turned away from them and told Noah, “Tell me if they kiss.”
“Dude, are we in the third grade?”
“I know, and believe me, I’m not proud of myself.”
After a moment, he said, “They’re hugging, and yes, there’s a kiss, but it’s on the cheek. Now Harper has his arm around your brother’s shoulders, and they’re talking and laughing. They seem pretty cozy.” When I frowned, he asked, “Since when are you jealous of those two?”
“Since the moment I introduced them and they totally hit it off. That was back when I was working for Harper the first time.”
My friend whispered, “Do not tell me you have a crush on your employer.”
“I can’t help it.”
“Nothing’s going to come from that but heartache, Phoenix. Celebrities always gravitate to their own kind. That means the rich, gorgeous, spoiled, bisexual hunk of man candy you work for will eventually find himself a rich, gorgeous, spoiled wife and crank out a few Instagram-ready rich, gorgeous, spoiled kids, and you know it.”
My frown deepened, and I said, “Can we please not talk about this? It’s depressing.”
“You really do have a crush on him! You’re the very last person I ever expected this from, you know that? You’ve been in this business as long as I have, and I was sure you understood the cardinal rule—don’t fall for the client, and no matter how hot they are, don’t even think about fucking them.” When I grimaced, Noah exclaimed, “You’re kidding me!”
That was loud enough to get a few heads swiveling in our direction. Noah grabbed my arm and dragged me into Harper’s dressing room, and when the door closed behind us, he blurted, “Did you fuck your employer?”
“Maybe.”
That made him roll his eyes. “Maybe is not an answer. You did or you didn’t.”
“Okay, I did. Just once. I know it was wrong and stupid, but it just happened.”
“Right. It just happened. You were minding your own business, and Harper was walking by, tripped, and landed with his dick in your ass.”
A laugh slipped from me, and I said, “Not exactly. We just had a moment in the hotel last night. Then he kissed me, and the next thing I knew—”
“Wait. Last night?” When I nodded, Noah said, “Okay. But it was a one-time thing, right?”