got back in Woodlawn Heights, wherever the hell that is.
“Speaking of boss bitches, is Sami in a mood again?” Rich asks. “Her text telling us to meet at your place, Lori, was salty.”
Nat winces but says nothing.
“She’s had something up her ass for weeks. I thought they’d get married and she’d be fine, but it’s much worse.” Bev glances at me. “Has she said anything to you about what’s up?”
“Nope.” I don’t add that we haven’t really spoken much because I’ve been obsessing over the girl who has done a bang-up job of destroying my focus on anything else.
We cross the street to the Plaza to find Sami and Matt already in the lobby. She’s talking to some girl while Matt hovers like the great beast he is, sporting a less than excited expression on his face. It’s not easy to do while pretending not to notice everyone staring at them.
He hardly lights up when he sees the group of us. But his knuckles come up for me. “Nice work on Liam Farringdon.”
I pound his knuckles.
“Fucker deserves another beating for saying that about Jenny.” He scans the crowd. “Where is she?”
“Woodlawn Heights,” I say with no real clue as to where that is. “She got her old apartment back.”
“Jesus. She moved out there?” Matt wrinkles his nose, though I’m betting he also doesn’t know where Woodlawn Heights is on the map. “Why didn’t you say anything? Surely, amongst us all, one person owns something she might have moved into.”
“She’s not like that. She doesn’t take help,” I grumble.
“What is it with you Canadians and your pride?” Rich asks, sneering at me suggesting this is somehow my fault.
“It’s our worst flaw.” I own it as I walk to the elevator and open the doors, giving Sami a look.
She fake kisses without touching like my mom does and says goodbye to whoever the random lady is.
“Good, you’re all here,” she says as she clicks her way into the elevator.
Simon greets us when the elevator doors open, rubbing against Rich and Brady, his two favorite people in my crowd of humans. Brady scoops him up and kisses him.
“So the trip to see your grandfather was cut short then?” Sami asks as we stroll into the living room to sit.
“Yeah. He might come out here in August. I saw him for one night and it was spent matchmaking me to some girl who just got a job working for Stan. Entertainment lawyer?”
“Oh my God. Your mom tried to set you up with Helaine Kamahi?” Sami’s jaw drops.
“Oh, she’s hot. Real freak.” Carson clearly knows her in the biblical sense.
“Gross.” Sami fake gags.
Carson lifts his eyebrows and nods. “If my parents were forcing me to marry someone, I’d be pumped if it was Helaine.”
“And that’s about all I can take of this conversation. I’ll play bartender!” Rich lifts Simon from Brady’s arms and kisses his face as he carries him behind the bar to mix drinks.
“Nothing too sweet, Nat has to fit into her dress!” Sami shouts after him as Nat lifts her middle finger but not her eyes from her phone.
“Who cares about the sweetness, this girl ate an entire pizza last night,” Brady says with a laugh as Nat lifts her gaze and glares at him.
“What?” Sami gasps and sits on the wide leather sofa. “I told you two weeks before the wedding you have to eat total protocol so your skin is glowing and you’re as thin as can be. The camera adds weight.”
“Listen, I had a craving and there was no satisfying it. I tried your stupid strawberry smoothie. And the kale salad and eventually I’d eaten like ten things trying to crush the craving for pizza. It made more sense to just have pizza.”
“She has a point.” Carson flops onto the sofa next to Sami who snuggles into him. “When you have a craving, it’s better to give in than fight. It gets worse if you ignore it.” His eyes dart to mine. “And then you end up flying to LA to satisfy that craving.”
Matt laughs and Brady nods. “Fuck yeah. I still can’t get over it. Watching you beat his ass made me happier than I’ve been in a long time.”
“Wow.” Nat gives Brady a look.
“Different kind of happiness, Banks,” Brady defends himself quickly. “It satisfied a caveman urge that nothing but a good fight can cure.”
“You should stop while you’re ahead,” Matt suggests.
“Oh, he’s not ahead.” Nat gives him crazy eyes.
“Anyway, yes, Liam got about half of what