for everyone to have a good time before they all went their separate ways to shoot their movies or make their music, or deal with whatever business they were currently dealing with. She had friends from that many walks of life it was hard to keep up with what everyone was doing half the time.
‘There you are, Angel! I thought you’d got lost. Mind you, that’s possible in this house, the size of it.’
India smiled as she saw Bobby waiting for her in the large yet cosy kitchen of her Hollywood Hills home. Bobby Castle, her trusted and invaluable P.A., Godfather to her kids, and the best gay friend a girl could wish for. Bobby had worked with her for over ten years now, and without him she’d fall apart, no word of a lie. He kept her crazy world in check, he organised her life, but, most of all, he understood her better than anyone else. She loved him like a brother, and she needed him more than she’d ever care to admit. In a long-term and extremely happy relationship with Miguel – an in-demand mixologist to the stars whom he’d met seven years earlier when the handsome Puerto Rican had been working the bar at a party thrown by India and her then-husband Michael Walsh – Bobby Castle had a life he adored beside a woman he couldn’t live without. And for Bobby to say that, then India really had to be something special. But they were a team. And neither of them would have it any other way.
‘Stunning, as always,’ Bobby smiled, kissing her on both cheeks, holding her at arm’s length as he looked her up and down. ‘But then, you always did know how to rock a T-shirt, Princess.’
She stuck her tongue out at him as she opened the fridge, helping herself to a bottle of beer. ‘It’s a party, Bobby, not a red carpet premiere. And where did you get that shirt?’
‘A yard sale.’
India almost choked on her beer. ‘A yard sale? When did you start going to yard sales? What’s the matter? They shut Rodeo Drive down? And if you need a pay rise you only had to ask.’
He pursed his lips and smoothed down his rather bright and colourful shirt. ‘I’ll have you know this wasn’t just any old yard sale, Missy. It was a yard sale at Mason Forrester’s house.’
Mason Forrester was a hot-shot movie studio owner and extremely successful businessman. India had worked with him a couple of times and always found him to be the epitome of professionalism. His wife, DeeDee, was one of Beverly Hills’ most notorious socialites, always seen with the right people, always hanging out at the right places. She was a regular at Charley’s and India knew her well. Yard sales just didn’t seem her kind of thing.
India took another drink and pulled herself up onto the breakfast bar, resting her feet on the stool in front of her. ‘Get out of here! Mason Forrester? Doing a yard sale? Does DeeDee know he’s flogging half their wardrobe to all and sundry?’
‘It was DeeDee heading the sale, actually. Which was for charity, for your information. And what are you insinuating? All and sundry indeed… All the Beverly Hills housewives were there, I’ll have you know. It was probably one of the campest events I’ve ever been to, if I’m honest. And they served the best Kir Royales I’ve had in a long time, although, don’t tell Miguel that. He’d never forgive me. I told him they were a little bit flat, but…’
‘Yeah, okay, I get it, Bobby. It was a lot more than your average yard sale. It’s still a hideous shirt, though.’
She ducked as he threw a magazine at her, laughing as he proceeded to tickle her mercilessly.
‘Am I interrupting?’
India sat up straight and looked over towards the kitchen doorway, her heart missing that proverbial beat as her soon-to-be-ex-husband, JJ Foster, stood there, leaning against the door post, arms folded.
‘I’d better go see if Miguel’s fully stocked,’ Bobby winked at India, and she couldn’t help but smile at him. Tactful, as always.
‘He doesn’t change, does he?’ JJ said, walking further into the kitchen.
‘No, and I hope he never does.’ India slid down from the breakfast bar, putting her beer down on the counter top.
JJ pushed a hand through his dark hair, looking at her with those beautiful brown eyes that had once managed to draw her in and make her think they could be together