Page 22 of Playboy Billionaire

“Pizza sound good?”

“Divine.”

Dolly pulled out her cell, “I’ll phone it in now. The Pinot Grigio is calling.”

“Yes, let’s get the hell out of here.”

“Wine, pizza, pool.”

“And no men.” Penelope couldn’t resist one last poke at her friend. Dolly might worry about her love life, or rather the lack thereof, but Penelope was burnt out on men. She’d been betrayed by men at every turn, beginning with her father’s abandonment then continuing with her first lover and finally by Noah.

She had a sudden flash of shame as an image of her dirty little secret escaped from where she’d buried it. She hugged herself, running her hands up and down the cool skin of her arms.Breathe. Put that right back in the ancient history archive…where it belongs. Her body might be betraying her on set, but her mind was very clear about where Griffin Bennett fit into her personal life. Nowhere.

11

Griffin squeezed his motorcycle between two cars and pulled right up to the massive car port. He waited for his date to climb off before dismounting. She handed him her helmet and after securing it to his bike, he grabbed her hand, slipping it through his crooked elbow.

“I’m just reminding you, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” Griffin said, for the third time.

“I promise,” Isabella said, rolling her eyes.

“No photographs and no autographs.”

“Griffin we’ve been friends our whole lives, I’m not stupid. Why are you so nervous? You usually don’t care about what anyone thinks.”

“I respect their privacy.”

She flipped her hair back and smoothed down her sun dress. “Do I look alright?”

Griffin’s gaze, hidden behind dark glasses, admired her classic beauty and elegance. “You look amazing. I really appreciate you doing this.”

“Why wouldn’t I? I hope I can stay cool and nonchalant. You know, as if I see movie stars every day. Ain’t no big thing.” She giggled.

Griffin was glad he’d made the last-minute decision to ask his old friend Isabella to tag along. Her fiancé, who was also one of his best friends, happened to be out of town on a business trip. She’d fit right in and he knew she’d have his back.

The front door was unlocked, and they let themselves in and followed the music blaring from outside. Dolly greeted them from the back deck, “Come on out and join the party!”

“Hi Dolly, this is Isabella.”

Isabella smiled brightly and Dolly smiled back all the while sizing up Griffin’s date. She had immediately noticed the huge diamond sparkling on her ring finger. You could see the wheels turning as she tried to figure out their relationship.

“Glad you could make it. I hope you wore your suits, if not it’s clothing optional.” She laughed at Isabella’s shocked expression. “Just kidding. Us Hollywood folk have to keep up with our free-spirited reputations.”

“Fortunately, we came prepared,” Griffin said. He pulled his cargo shorts down at the waist giving her a glimpse of his swim trunks and unintentionally, a peak at his tanned and toned abs.

He really liked Dolly. She was the exact opposite of Penelope. Warm, open and friendly. No guessing where you stood with her.

“Fabulous. We’ve got about anything you might want to drink, and the grill master is barbecuing baby back ribs, chicken, and pork. There are servers carrying appetizer trays around and trays of mimosas, champagne, wine, and a bartender set up outside, coolers full of beer…like I said, whatever your heart or stomach desires. I don’t think I’ve forgotten anything. Oh, and the DJ takes requests.”

“Sounds like you’ve thought of everything,” Griffin said.

“We aim to please. If you don’t mind fending for yourselves, I’m going to go check and see how the chef is coming along with the sides.”

“We’ll be fine. Come on Izzy,” Griffin said, taking ahold of her hand.

Stewart spotted them and rushed over, greeting Griffin like a long-lost friend. “Hey buddy! Who’s your gorgeous date?”

“Isabella meet the director, Stewart Abrams, Stew meet Isabella.”

---