Free Star Maker by J.M. Nevins Page B

function in Beverly Hills with your Harvard educated boyfriend?”
    She
shook her head and grinned. She understood the stereotype he tried to place
her in very well. It was a stereotype that never fit even when she lived
there. She had always felt like an outsider. It was easy for her shrug off
his comment without offense. “I don’t have a boyfriend and I’m not slumming.
Just because I lived in Lake Forest doesn’t mean that’s what I’m about. I’ve
got the heart of a city girl, babe, not some spoiled, rich brat.”
    He was
more intrigued now. “City girl, huh? We’ll see about that.” He grinned and
pointed at her. “Wait a minute. Do you know Joe? Joe Arden. He’s from Lake
Forest. He’s my buddy.”
    She
smiled wide. “Yes! Joe is one of my best friends. We came out here together.
He’s a big ass deal now—not surprising. I think I remember him
mentioning you. He spoke very highly of you and I’ll let you in on a little
secret. He doesn’t do that often.”
    Sully
grinned. “That’s nice to hear. Didn’t he head back out?”
    She
nodded. “Yeah. North America awaits his transcendental guitar blessing.”
    Sully
laughed loudly and nodded. “That was good one. You have a way with words,
little Miss. Ok, so back to you. Regardless of your past in those other
cities, this is technically your first Hollywood party, right?” He pointed at
her again. “Be honest.” He stared into her eyes eagerly awaiting her
response.
    She
started laughing. She couldn’t help it. His powers of charm were mesmerizing.
“Yes. Technically it is my first Hollywood party. Joe has been too busy to
throw a proper one, so I really haven’t had any other invitations yet. And
I’ve been too busy. There I said it. You outed me.”
    He
offered his arm to escort her and smiled. “Well then, Kit the city girl, let
me lead you into the wonderful world of Hollywood debauchery and scandal. Your
life will never be the same again.”
    She
shook her head and smiled as she linked her arm in his. “Somehow I think
you’re probably right. But I want to make one thing crystal clear to you… no
matter how much I drink tonight, Sull, I am not going to be one of your
groupies, like ever.”
    He
grinned and patted her hand. “Deal, babe.”
    Kit
awoke around nine the next morning with a pounding headache and a mouth as dry
as any desert. She glanced over startled, when she noticed the array of passed
out bodies, some clothed, some not. Too many shots and drinks had made her
memories of the previous evening fuzzy at best. She glanced down to find that
she was fully clothed and breathed an instant sigh of relief. Finding her car
keys now presented more of a challenge than she was currently equipped to
handle.
    She sat
up slowly and groaned. She tried to jog her memory from the night before. Her
last memory was doing shots of Jack Daniels with the entire band then
everything went black. Her fingertips throbbed. She started to rub them and
winced. She groaned again. She figured out that she had played way too much
guitar the night before, but couldn’t remember one lick of it. She felt like
she had played an all night set and she tried desperately to jostle a clue from
her mind only to come up short.
    She
noticed a glimmer on the floor below her, right next to the sofa. She had
found her keys. She happily seized them and held them close to her heart for
one full moment, completely grateful she wouldn’t have to launch a search party
under naked bodies for them.
    She got
up and headed toward the door, tip-toeing in hopes of not waking anyone. She
was almost to the front door when Sully appeared, walking out of the hallway
next to the door, wrapped in a sheet, completely disheveled, and looking
drowsy. She suddenly had a blurry recollection that the whole band had gone
streaking up and down the hallways of the apartment building at some point in
the wee hours of the morning.
    He
grinned as he blinked sleepily. “Kit, what are you