Page 18 of Heart of the Sun

“Can I help you find something?” I looked up at a pretty brunette wearing a lime-green sports bra and a pair of small white shorts. I recognized her from the earlier dance number.

“I was just looking for a bottle of water.”

She looked over the drinks. “Oh. I guess they ran out. There’s a refrigerator around the corner there in the lounge where extra supplies are kept. Do you want me to go check?” She gestured behind her,then brought her hand forward, holding it out to me and smiling. “I’m Caycee, by the way.”

“Hi, Caycee. Tuck. I’m Emily’s bodyguard. And no, that’s okay. I’ll go grab it. I need to stretch my legs anyway.”

“Oh! Emily’s bodyguard. That’s great. I’m a member of the dance team. Welcome to the family. It looks like we’ll all be getting to know each other well over the course of the tour.” Her smile grew and her eyes moved down my body, giving me a suggestive stare. “By the way, a group of us are going out for drinks after this if you’re available.”

“Ah, maybe. I’ll see. Thanks for the invite.”

“Sure, catch you later.”

I moved around her, heading in the direction she’d indicated. Before rounding the corner, I glanced at Emily, confirming she was onstage, surrounded by the other performers hopping around and that the door I’d shut and locked was still closed.

As I approached the lounge, I heard two male voices, speaking in hushed tones and halted. Worried I was interrupting something, I began to back away when I heard Charlie’s name spoken by a man with an exceedingly deep voice. The security dude I’d seen standing behind him earlier? “What do you want?” he asked.

My muscles froze, ears perking up as their voices grew quieter like they’d turned away from where I stood. “I’ll need to stock up—might not have good connects in some of these places I’m traveling over the next couple months. All the usuals—dust, bars…some molly, you know.” Charlie’s voice.

“Got it. I’ll pick ’em up tonight.”

Holy shit.I’d lived in the heart of Los Angeles. I was well acquainted with the terms used to reference drugs. I guess Charlie wasn’t the golden boy he appeared to be.

Damn, Emily really knew how to pick ’em.

I heard rustling sounds and then footsteps and backed up slowly. Charlie walked out of the room, head down, putting some bills back in his wallet as he turned in the other direction.I blew out a slow breath. He hadn’t seen me.

I started to turn away when the brute of a bodyguard exited the room, our eyes meeting. “Do you know if the bathroom’s this way?” I asked.

He paused, his eyes narrowing for a brief second before he raised his arm and pointed behind where I stood. “That way.”

“Right. Thanks.” I turned and walked away.

I stopped in the lounge on my way back from the restroom, grabbed a pack of water, and delivered it to the table laden with snacks and drinks. Caycee came up next to me, disconnecting one of the waters from the plastic and grinning. “Thanks.”

I smiled back. “No problem.”

Charlie was standing near the stage now, watching Emily rehearse, and I took a sip of water as I thought about what I’d heard between him and his security guy. “Hey, Caycee, that guy over there, Charlie? What does he do?”

Caycee laughed, almost choking on the sip of water she’d just taken. “You’re kidding right? You don’t know Charlie Cannon? He’s, like, one of the biggest movie stars right now.”

Huh.With the amount of product I’d just heard him “order,” he must be a known partier. “What’s he like?”

“He’s super nice. He has a reputation in the business and with his fans for being really wholesome. And he’smegarich.” She picked up a bag of trail mix, opened it, and started pushing the M&M’s aside to get at the peanuts. “He lives in this insane mansion in Bel Air. He threw this lavish party for Emily when her single hit number one, and all of us who were in the video were invited.”

Wholesome?Unless my definition ofwholesomewas considered narrow, Charlie was a phony. Or maybe that was just the persona he played for the media and Emily was well aware of his vices. Maybe she even partook in some. An emotion that felt a lot like protectiveness buzzed along my ribs,but I willed it away. It was none of my business.

Having plucked out all the peanuts and a few raisins, Caycee dropped the bag of perfectly good M&M’s in the trash. This woman was clearlyoff, even if she was hot.

I’d thought I was surrounded by degenerates for the last six years. Hollywood might give prison a run for its money.

The music stopped, and Charlie lifted Emily from the stage, her body sliding down his as she laughed. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and her eyes met mine over his shoulder, then moved to Caycee and back to me, her smile slipping.

Charlie set her down on the floor, cupping her jaw and kissing her. I turned, focusing on Caycee, who was saying something about the guy’s three infinity pools. She laughed at some joke she’d made, twirling her hair, her eyes twinkling. I smiled back. I’d thought I didn’t want company, but maybe I should rethink that. “Are you still planning on going out for drinks?”

“Yes! Will you join us?”

“Yeah. Let me make sure I’m officially off duty. I’ll be right back.”

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