Page 5 of Noble Intent

And Becka clearly does need a dating coach. So, why shouldn’t it be me?

“Fine. You’re on. What are you doing Friday?”

She smiles that breathtaking smile again, and I swear her eyes twinkle. “You tell me.”

“Ian’s in Hollywood. This Friday, seven o’clock. It’s trivia night and there’s always a ton of single guys there. I bet we can find you one there.”

“Alright, Obi-wan. You’re my only hope, so let’s do this.”

4

They say first impressions are everything. I’m not sure whotheyare exactly, but I’ve always lived by this saying and tonight is no different. I look at my reflection in the mirror and feel my confidence rise, even if there’s still a part of me that’s nervous about tonight.

I’m dressed in tight skinny jeans that show off my ass, my go-to ruby-red stilettos which are not only ridiculously comfortable for stilettos, but also incredibly fashionable with pretty much any outfit, a tight red tank top that hints at my cleavage without sending acome and get itmessage, and my favorite worn black leather jacket. I grab my clutch and head out to meet my Uber at the curb.

I’ve spent the last two days questioning my sanity. How could I have asked—okay, practically begged—Trent to be my dating coach?!

Trent of all people.

The same Trent I grew up with. The guy who was my brother’s best friend growing up, even when they had completely different interests. If someone had told me a week ago that I’d ask Trent Bridger to be my dating coach, I would’ve laughed in their face and then promptly flipped them off. I’ve already decided that I had momentary insanity when I suggested the idea to Trent. The more I’ve thought about it over the past couple of days, the more I realized the last thing I need right now is to be dating at all. I need some me time to reevaluate what I really want in a partner—and to make sure I don’t settle for less than what I deserve the next time I decide to date a guy.

But instead of bailing on tonight, I decided to still meet up with Trent because it’ll be nice just to spend some time with him and see how he’s changed over the years. I know he still talks to Will, but it’s been years since he and I have seen each other. And it’s been even longer since I’ve been back to our old neighborhood. That feels like someone else’s life sometimes. We’ve all come so far since those days—Will’s now a famous pro football player, and Trent is getting panties tossed at him while he performs on world famous stages.

And yet, he still seemed like the down-to-earth guy he’s always been when we hung out at the coffee shop. I hope he is still that guy, and that it wasn’t just a fluke. It’ll be awkward if he turns out to be an asshole himself, since my boss announced yesterday that I’m going to be the point person for all the PR for the Rapturous Intent documentary.

I slide out of my Uber in front of the trendy bar in Hollywood. It’s clear the city is trying to clean up this stretch of Hollywood, but the faint scent of urine that seems like a fixture of this area still permeates the air.

The door opens to a platform with a set of stairs on the left going up and another set on the right going down. A sign in the middle signals that upstairs is a comedy club, while downstairs is the bar. A smaller black chalkboard sign sits at the top of the stairs leading to the bar and says, “Trivia Night—know-it-alls welcome, but leave your condescending attitude at the door.”

Sassy. Interesting.

I carefully step down the stairs, not wanting to trip in my heels and make the least graceful entrance possible. The moment my feet land on the last step, I glance up and immediately see Trent and his brother, Tristan. Trent’s bodyguard sits discreetly behind them, sipping on a water as his gaze watches all the patrons in the room. Trent’s cerulean-blue eyes instantly light up the minute he sees me, and it’s impossible to stop my lips from spreading into a huge, giddy smile. His face is open and honest, and it’s something I didn’t realize I’d missed until now. When I get to their table, he stands to greet me, and I give him a quick hug before turning to Tristan.

“Hey, Tris! It’s been ages; how the hell are you?” I ask as I lean toward him and give him a hug. Tristan has filled out a lot since the last time I saw him in person.

“I’m good, just doing the band thing.”

I let out a small laugh. The band thing makes it sound so small compared to how big they’ve gotten in the past few years. You’re no longer a small band when you’ve made it on the cover ofRolling Stone Magazine.

“Where are Robbie and Jo? I’m surprised they’re not here. You guys were always attached at the hip.” Robbie and Tristan have been best friends for as long as I can remember. Wherever one went, the other was right there too. I wondered if things would change when Robbie fell head over heels in love with Jolie when they were fifteen, but she never got between them. It didn’t surprise me when Robbie married her five years later, although I could never in a million years imagine getting married at only twenty. Hell, I just turned twenty-six and it’s only in the last year that I started feeling like I was ready to settle down and get married. Of course, that’s when I thought I’d be settling down with Brad.

Ugh, fuck that guy.

“Jolie’s got the flu, so they stayed home tonight.” Thank God for Tristan, or else who knows where my thoughts would’ve spiraled to.

“Bummer. Well, maybe another time we can all get together. It’d be great to see everyone from the old neighborhood.”

“Kasen and Miles would’ve come, but Kasen decided to go to a party in the Hills, and Miles thought he might need a chaperone,” Trent explains.

“Since when does Kase need a chaperone?”

Trent and Tristan share a look that tells me there’s a lot more going on than they’re willing to say. They do that brother thing where they have a complete conversation with just their eyes before Trent turns to me and says, “We can’t really talk about it.”

“Got it. I’m not quite in the trust circle yet, right?”

Trent looks increasingly uncomfortable and shoots another look to Tristan, who simply responds, “Something like that. We’ve learned not everyone can be trusted, even when we’ve known them since we were kids.”

I turn a questioning look to Trent. He sighs heavily and rubs his neck. “You remember Jesse, Miles’s brother?”

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