Page 86 of The Billionaire Experience

“Hiya, BC.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Alexis, Reagan had concluded, or Lexi, as Brody had called her, slinked into the room wearing a red dress with an ornate shoulder puff on one side. Her lips matched her gown, and her dark brown hair was twisted into an ornate chignon. Since Reagan had recently worn a red dress, she couldn’t help comparing herself to the actress.

Lexi was curvier and shorter than Reagan, her high heels adding a few inches. The gown appeared to have been custom-tailored to the other woman’s curves. She was, in a word, gorgeous.

And Brody had once shared his bed with her too.

“Alexis Calvin, Reagan Palmer,” Keaton introduced.

“Pleasure.” The actress flicked her eyes up and down Reagan’s person before making herself at home on Keaton’s couch. “I just finished filming the most lush scene.” She crossed her legs and twirled a loose curl around one manicured fingernail. Reagan glanced down at her imperfect cuticles before fisting her hands and holding them at her sides.

“Thanks to that stupid camera snafu, I have to film another one today. Ugh!” Alexis dropped her head back onto the sofa, causing her breasts to bulge against the bodice of her gown.

“Don’t I know it,” Keaton agreed. “We should treat ourselves to a gourmet meal once we wrap tonight. I’m missing a charity event for this.”

“Oh! What about The Palm?” Lexi turned to Brody. “Remember how good the food was there, BC?” To Reagan, she added, “We had the most divine dinner there on New Year’s Eve. So lush! There had to be, like, twelve courses.”

Next to Reagan, Brody sighed. She sent him a smile that was more brittle than the one before it.

“Where’s the charity event?” Lexi asked before slanting Reagan with a look that might have conveyed disgust.

“Crane Hotel.”

“Could’ve guessed. You will love it,” she said to Reagan. “It’s so lush.”

Favorite word alert.

“Have Brody take you to the terrace. When the harpist is playing and the stars are out, it’s so romantic.” Lexi rested one hand on her partially exposed breasts. “Unless you two are friends and have no interest in romance?”

Reagan ran a hand down her jean-clad thigh, wishing she would have come to the studio in full charity ball regalia instead. Not to mince words, but Alexis Calvin was a bitch.

“Good to see you, Mom,” Brody announced. “Reagan and I have to head back to the apartment. We had a long night.”

Alexis sneered.

“Bye, darling,” Keaton said, either ignoring or not picking up on their silent exchange. “Reagan, lovely to meet you. Don’t be a stranger if you’re in town longer than tonight.”

“Thank you.” Reagan felt immediately awkward about the reply. Should she have said You too instead?

“The same apartment you had when we dated?” Lexi asked as Brody opened the dressing room door to leave.

“Yes,” he answered with what sounded like paper-thin patience.

Reagan shuffled out behind him, but not before Lexi got in one final jab.

“I highly recommend setting number three on the waterfall shower! It’s divine!”

Trial by fire, it is. Brody pinched the space between his nose and eyebrows where a fresh headache was coming on.

The potential of running into Lexi at the set was high, but he’d hoped against hope that he and Reagan could slip in and out without the actress noticing. When they’d dated, he’d loathed passive-aggressively sparring with her. He would’ve preferred skipping the Alexis Calvin experience altogether.

“Sorry about her. She’s a child,” he said as he unlocked his front door. During the drive across town, Reagan had been resolutely quiet, and so had he. He hadn’t wanted to bring up Alexis in front of Bruce.

“Your mom? She’s lovely.” Reagan set her purse on a barstool at the counter.

“You know who I’m talking about. Lexi’s…mean.” And he’d dated her for some ungodly reason. What had he been thinking? He hadn’t questioned why, or delved too deeply when it came to dating. In the past, he’d spent time with who he’d spent time with, and when his interest flagged had stopped spending time with them. Simple as that.

---