Page 30 of Bryce

“No!”Pushing aside her cup, she clasped her hands in agitation. “No!”She repeated. “We had a moment, and it passed when he left.We’re just friends now. Besides, there could never be anythingbetween us. He’s a movie star, top of the food chain and evenso…” She gestured with one hand. “We’re justfriends.”

“Uhm.”Picking up her cup, Sandra took a sip of her hot cocoa, eyes brightwith speculation.

“Have Imentioned how much I hate when you do that?”

“Several times.Poor William.”

“What? Why doyou say that?”

“He does notstand a chance, does he? How could he, against someone like BryceWhitlock?

The man is astraight-up hunk, gorgeous, not to mention loaded.”

“I am notinterested in any of it.”

“Darling, dotell. How was he?” She asked, ignoring her friend’sprotest.

“We’renot teenagers, so that question will not be getting a response.Besides, we were awkward and did not know what the hell we weredoing.” She picked up her cooling cup of cocoa, to give herhands something to do.

“The first timemaybe, but after that?”

“I am notsatisfying your prurient sexual fantasies, get your own.”

“I have to livevicariously through your fantastic love affair with one of thehottest tickets in Hollywood.” Her eyes gleamed. “Howmany of us normal women can say something like that? I have dreamedof him.

He’s on the topof the list of people I would cheat on Brian with. His of course isHalle Berry.” She rolled her eyes and made her friend laugh.“Men are so bloody predictable, aren’t they?”

“Very.”

“So, nodetails, huh?”

“None.”

“Spoilsport.”Her friend grumbled, then sobered. “How do you feel about himnow?”

“We’rejust friends.”

Sandra gave her ashrewd look. “You keep saying that and you know what they sayabout protesting too much. And you are. He was the first for you.Like you said before, you both bonded at the most difficult time ofyour lives.

You stay away fromrelationships. Poor William has been trying since you got here andthere were several who ventured and had to withdraw because of lackof interest on your part.”

Zahra had to forceherself not to react. “Bryce has nothing to do with any of it.”She stated firmly. “He left without a word, and it took me awhile to get over it. But I have, I did and now we’re on evengrounds. When he leaves this time, we will be saying goodbye asfriends.”

“And that’sit?” Sandra leaned forward and captured her friend’seyes. “You don’t lie very well, do you? I guess that’sbecause you are always straight. Honey, the man is hot. So naturally,you feel something.

On top of that, youboth shared a history. There is no way on God’s green earth,you can ever forget that. And I have seen the way he looks at you. Ihave a feeling he has not forgotten it either.”

“That’sutter nonsense. He’s used to beautiful women, celebrities. Hewas dating a European princess.”

“And most ofthose celebrity types are shallow and selfish. I am sure he wantssomething different. I have seen him twice since he got here and hedoes not put on airs and graces, which is to his credit as far as Iam concerned. And he loves children.”

“How do youknow that?”

Sandra smiledslightly. “He stopped at the park yesterday and bought icecream for Danny and Shay. Sheila said he spent ten minutesentertaining her children. He’s as human as the rest of us.Seeing him on the big screen, you do not think that, but he’s aman and I don’t think that man never forgot what the two of youshared.”

Ignoring the painfulbanging of her heart, she put the cup down.

“You’rewrong.” She insisted.

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