Page 26 of Faking It

“I’m not even close to giving up,” I reply, stepping out of my leggings.

“Good.”

Her cell phone shrills in her hand. She glances at it, then scoffs. “Typical Micah. He’s running late. What the hell am I supposed to do now, just sit and wait?”

“Well, you could give me a lift,” I suggest. “A trip to Beverly Hills will buy you some time.”

Tori face brightens. “Beverly Hills? What kind of gig is it?”

“Michael Galanos’ birthday party,” I reply, resting the uniform on the bed. By uniform, I mean the short black dress with crisscross straps that the catering company delivered for me to wear. I can almost hear Logan in my head, telling me it’s way too tight. For once, I’m glad he’s not around.

“As in Oscar nominated Michael Galanos?” Tori asks, her eyes widening.

“Is there another Michael Galanos around?” I joke.

“You do know what this means, right? The who’s-who of Hollywood will be there. You can do some subtle networking while serving drinks.”

“Yeah, I thought about that.”

“Keyword is subtle.”

“I know. Do you think I’d want to get fired on my first night?”

She comes up to me and holds my shoulders. “Walk with your business cards, strike up a conversation when you can. If the opportunity presents itself, you hand them out.”

I nod.

“Don’t be nervous. It’s going to pay off. I’m positive.”

Her confident smile triggers one of my own. “Did I ever tell you how grateful I am that we’re friends?” I ask.

Taking that improv class was probably the best decision I’ve ever made. The second best was sitting beside Tori on my first day.

“Not as grateful as I’ll be when you win that Oscar,” she grins as I head to the bathroom.

Stepping from the tiny stall ten minutes later, I hear the front door slam. Logan’s here. He has some nerve showing up after not taking my calls all week. I wrap the towel around me and enter the bedroom just as he comes in. Tori rises from the edge of my bed, the tension on her face matching Logan’s. There’s no love lost between them.

“Tori,” he greets her stiffly.

A muscle ticks in Tori’s jaw. “Logan.”

His eyes shift to me and soften at once. “Hey, baby.”

“I’m surprised you remember I exist,” I reply, moving to the drawer for my panties.

“I’ll be in the living room,” Tori announces.

“Look, baby. I had a busy week.”

“Too busy to take my calls? Wait. Don’t answer that. I forgot, I’m not really your girlfriend.”

“Don’t be like that.” He comes from behind and wraps his arms around my waist. “You were on my mind the entire time.”

“I’m sure.”

He presses me against him, making me feel his hard-on. “Let me show you how much I missed you.”

“Tori’s right outside,” I whisper, shaking him off.

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