Page 14 of Aria

I could have sworn he sounded sincere, so I forced a smile. "You remembered my name.”

"Did you prefer Water Girl?" he quipped.

The gleam in his eyes was playful.I softened.

"Oh, boys," Julia sing-songed as she strolled out of the bathroom. Her hips sashayed in a way only professional flirts could pull off. "Are you ready for me?" She struck a sexy pose, then ran over to the two men, giving them each a hug.

Lisa followed behind, looking slightly more intimidated, so I rushed over to my friend and linked an arm with hers. "We're going to have a blast tonight, yeah?"

Lisa nodded. “Damn straight.”

Devon approached me, his eyes alight with prospect. "Long time, no see. You look… unbelievable."

I blushed at the compliment. For the first time in years, Ididfeel sexy tonight. An ivory spaghetti-strap dress was cut right above my knees. My blonde hair laid perfectly in place over my bare shoulders, and two sparkly heels matched the champagne shimmer in my eyeshadow.I didn’t make a habit of dressing up, but I figured the occasion called for a little extra mirror time.

"You do clean up nice," Noah murmured, shoving his hands into his pockets.

I wasn't expecting the flattery. A small smile sprouted on my lips. “Thanks," I replied before returning my attention to Devon. "Are we ready to go?"

"Ready when you are. The limo's outside waiting," Devon said. He held out his arm and I took it with pride.

When Lisa and Julia spotted the stretch limo, they gasped.

"This is what I'm talking about!" Julia exclaimed as she jumped inside. Devon slid in next to her, followed by me, then Noah and Lisa."Why does Chelsie get to be sandwiched between the two hotties?" Julia pouted. "Some girls have all the luck."

I instinctively scooted closer to the hottie on my left.Devon put his arm around me as I nuzzled in next to him with a fluttering heart.

As the limo took off, Noah snatched up the bottle of whiskey and took a big swig. "I’m ready to be intoxicated," he declared. "Anyone want to join me?" He held the bottle out as an offering, pointing it specifically in my direction.

My nose turned up at the sight of it.“No, thanks.” I waved my hand in dismissal. "I actually want to remember tonight."

Noah shrugged and put the mouth of the bottle to his lips. "Suit yourself."

"Hey, let's playI've Never,” Julia suggested. She grabbed a handful of beers and passed them down the row. "It's a great way to break the ice."

"You've never what?" I wondered, my brows pinching together. I crinkled my nose with confusion as I attempted to twist off my beer cap.

"Here, let me," Devon offered. “AndI've Neveris a drinking game." He popped off the cap with his teeth, then handed the drink back to me. "One person makes a statement beginning with “I've never…” and if the other players have done said statement, they have to drink. The statements are generally laced with debauchery."

"That means you'll be forced to spill all your dirty, little secrets, Chels," Julia said with a wicked grin. "My money's on Chelsie being drunk first. I bet she's not as innocent as she looks."

My insides pitched with panic. My dirty, little secrets did not need to be addressed in the backseat of a limo with two superstars. Julia knew little about my relationship history—all she knew was that Ian was a jerk and he inspired my long-term ban on relationships. As much as I adored my friend, Julia was the queen of gossip, and I didn't feel comfortable spilling the beans about my very tortured past.

Lisa, on the contrary, had first-hand knowledge of my secrets… which was why she was currently shooting sympathetic glances in my direction.

"I don't know," Lisa shrugged. "The game sounds kind of childish."

"Oh, please," Julia argued. "No one's ever too old for drinking games. Chelsie, why don't you go first?"

My clammy hands clutched the beer as I silently begged for it to open into a big, black hole I could crawl into. It did no such thing—instead, its contents splashed around inside the bottle as the limo drove over dips and bumps. I took a moment to gather my courage before clearing my throat. "All right, fine," I said. "I've never…" Fidgeting in my seat, I tried to conjure up something sinful. "Okay, I’ve got one. I've never gotten a speeding ticket." Everyone stared at me, prompting my cheeks to flush. "What? Was that lame?"

Lisa took a swig. "I've gotten two," she admitted. Devon, Noah, and Julia followed suit.

"Okay, Chelsie is fired. My turn," Julia said. "I've never had sex in a public place."

"That's more like it." Noah offered a mischievous grin and leaned over to clink Julia's drink with his own. "Cheers." He gulped down a swig, and Devon joined him.

Julia took a sip as well. "Just kidding," she laughed.

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