Page 59 of Cross the Line
She tilts her head, studying me. ‘So, the attraction is mutual, then?’
Dev’s voice echoes in my head, telling me how much he’d like to see me in pasties like that waitress was wearing. I nearly choked at the time, but it also sent heat shooting through me, making me seriously consider whether we’d be missed if I dragged him off to the nearest dark corner.
When I don’t immediately reply, Grace goes on, twirling a piece of her inky hair between her fingers. ‘I only ask because there’s this clip of him going around right now. He’s winking at someone in the crowd, and all the girlies are going wild over it. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?’
The question is deceptively innocent, but I know her game, and I won’t be declaring that the wink was directed at me. ‘Not a thing.’
‘Huh. Shocking.’
I roll my eyes, not wanting to play this game right now – or ever. ‘Come on,’ I grumble, grabbing her arm again to get her to the elevator. ‘Let’s get you away from the general public.’
She giggles but follows me willingly, a bounce in her step. ‘I better be a bridesmaid when you and Dev get married!’
——
A few days later, I don’t think there’s a single street in Monaco I haven’t seen.
Grace may not be from here, but she’s the ultimate tour guide, and I have to respect the spreadsheet she made to make sure we didn’t miss anything. We’ve checked off nearly all of it, but there are still a few spots we’ve yet to hit.
She’s explaining our itinerary for the day as I swipe on some mascara, kneeling on the bathroom counter so that I’m tall enough to see myself in the mirror. This hotel suite wasnotmade for those of us who stopped growing in fifth grade.
‘After that we could hit up—’ Grace cuts short, frowning in the direction of the bedroom. ‘I think your phone is ringing.’
I glance down at the counter, looking for my phone among the make-up scattered over the surface. I could have sworn I brought it in here, but it’s nowhere to be seen. Scrambling onto my feet, I right myself quickly and slip by Grace, who’s hovering in the doorway of the bathroom. Hustling over to the bed, I discover that my phone is indeed lit up and buzzing.
‘It’s probably just Oakley,’ I tell her as I grab the device. We spent most of yesterday sending each other ridiculous F1 memes, which has been our primary method of communication lately. You can say a surprising amount about how you’re feeling with a single photo of Thomas Maxwell-Brown’s hilariously expressive face.
But surprisingly, it’s not Oakley calling.
My heart surges into my throat when Dev’s name flashes at me. I hesitate for a split second before dragging my finger across the screen, answering with an embarrassingly breathy, ‘Hey.’
‘Hey,’ he replies. ‘I’m sorry to interrupt your morning, but I need you.’
Again, I’m thrown by Dev’s phrasing, and I lose the ability to speak for a beat. Thankfully, he continues, saving me from having to fight to find words.
‘I know I said I could handle it myself, but I might need some help with this podcast,’ he explains, and I blow out a quiet breath. ‘When I do interviews, Patsy’s usually hovering a foot away, making sure I don’t say anything I shouldn’t. And we both know I’m an idiot with no filter, so it might be a good idea to have someone close by to tell me when to shut up. Which means . . . would you mind being my Patsy today?’ He pauses for a second, the words fast when he speaks again. ‘I mean, unless you already have plans. I know you have today off, so—’
‘I’ll happily be your Patsy,’ I interrupt with a laugh. ‘But just as a heads-up, one of my friends is in town, and—’
‘Oh, shit, I’m sorry. Forget I even asked, Wills. Go have fun.’
‘No, no, it’s fine,’ I reassure, eyeing Grace, who’s watching me with a curious brow raised. ‘I just wanted to ask if it would be okay if she came with me.’
‘Of course. The more people to keep me from putting my foot in my mouth, the merrier.’
I snicker, trying to fight a grin so that Grace doesn’t start hounding me about Dev again. It’s no use, of course. I can’t help smiling. The second I hang up, I can expect a litany of lascivious comments to fly.
‘Great, we’ll see you soon,’ I say.
I’ve barely hit the end button before Grace is throwing herself on the bed beside me.
‘Am I about to meet Dev?’ she demands, a sparkle in her dark eyes that I absolutely do not like.
I push up from the mattress and busy myself by packing my purse for the day. ‘If you embarrass me in front of him, I will never forgive you,’ I threaten. ‘Promise you’ll be on your best behaviour?’
Her smile is nothing short of Cheshire. ‘Oh,absolutely.’
——
