Here With You (A Laurel Heights Novel) - By Kate Perry Page 0,47

to?"

Nicole swiped whipped cream with her finger and licked it. "First we need to hear about the honeymoon."

"But the PG version," Marley said.

"Then it'll be a short discussion." Valentine smiled, her cute dimples flashing. "I thought we were just going to drive down the coast, but he surprised me by taking me to Tahiti."

"Tahiti." Nicole sighed. "That's so romantic."

"We stayed at this resort that was beautiful, in a private villa with our own swimming pool, and it was warm, and we didn't need swimsuits."

Marley stuck her fingers in her ears. "La la la la la..."

Laughing, Nicole pushed her friend's hands back down. "As if you and Brian live chastely."

"Not at all. Brian's a sex machine," she said proudly. "But Valentine is like Pollyanna, and who wants to hear about Pollyanna having sex?"

"Are you saying I'm not sexy?" Valentine frowned, clearly affronted. "Ethan thinks I am."

"He thinks the sun rises and sets on you, too. But you know who I do want to hear about?" Marley faced Nicole. "Griffin Chase."

"The rock star?" Valentine's little nose wrinkled. "Why would you care? You never even read the tabloids."

"I care because Nicole cares." Marley watched her, waiting expectantly.

Nicole lifted her cup, trying to act nonchalant.

Valentine shook her head. "Why would Nicole care? Does this have to do with his engagement?"

"Engagement?" Marley lurched forward, mouth gaping. Then she pointed at Nicole. "You've been holding out."

"No." She shook her head. "There's no engagement."

"Yes, there is. I read it in a celebrity magazine on the plane ride back yesterday." Valentine pursed her lips. "People, I think. Griffin Chase is marrying Inga."

"The Swedish supermodel?" Marley frowned.

Nicole shook her head again. "No, he's not."

"Did he tell you he wasn't?" Marley asked.

"No. But he also didn't tell me he was." He'd have told her, right? Because she was his best friend. Because they were having sex. He wouldn't have sex with her if he were engaged to someone else, even if he was leaving.

Valentine looked back and forth between them. "I don't understand what's going on here."

"Did you seriously not notice at your wedding reception?" Marley gaped incredulously. "I thought everyone noticed when Griffin Chase walked in."

"I was a little busy that night." Valentine frowned. "It doesn't make sense. Why would Griffin Chase be at my wedding?"

"Because Nicole is getting it on with him," Marley said tactfully.

"What?" Valentine whirled to face her.

Nicole shrugged. "That's technically not true. I started getting it on with him way after your wedding."

"When did this happen? How did this happen? And why does it always happen when I'm out of town?"

"This is the first time you've been out of town," Marley pointed out.

"Whatever." Valentine waved her hand. Then she faced Nicole. "I don't understand why the news is all over his engagement to Inga if you're dating him."

Dating seemed like overstating things. Except that they had been spending every minute she wasn't at work together. "It's just a mistake."

Valentine shook her head, leaning over and pulling out her phone from her purse. Thumbs flying, she held out the screen. "See?"

The headline on the web page read Chase Catches Supermodel.

"It's just one sensational article," Nicole said calmly.

Valentine shook her head, punched a couple more things on her phone, and then held it out again. The screen had a list of article headlines:

Chase and Inga Engaged!

Rock star and Supermodel to Tie the Knot

Inga and Griffin to Enter the Lexicon of Rocker/Model Unions

Inga Says It's a Summer Wedding

Nicole read them all carefully—twice—and shook her head. "It's not true."

"Uh-oh," Marley said.

"What?"

She exchanged a look with Valentine, who said, "You've passed the point of no return."

"You're delusional," Marley added.

"I am?" Nicole looked down at herself. "I don't feel delusional."

Marley looked at her over the rim of her mug. "Trust us. In the dictionary, next to delusional, there's a picture of you."

"All these sources wouldn't report something that wasn't true," Valentine added gently.

Nicole shook her head. "I appreciate your concern. I really do. But there are always false reports about celebrities. Do you really think Kim Kardashian was impregnated by aliens?"

"This article wasn't in The Enquirer," Valentine said. "It's in People."

Nicole shrugged. "To-may-toes, to-mah-toes. And haven't you seen how this happens in the movies all the time? The heroine always believes the false report, and it breaks them up, but in the end the hero was innocent."

"So you believe Griffin Chase is innocent?" Marley asked, her brow raised skeptically.

"Grif wouldn't be with me if he were engaged to someone else."

"Hmm," Marley hummed noncommittally.

Nicole patted her friend's hand. "I sound like a