Page 37 of Cinderella Is Faking It

Defne was beaming, hiding her big grin behind pulled-up knees.

“What did you think?” I turned to Beck who hadn’t said anything the entire time.

“This isn’t really my thing.”

“Sopranos guy, huh?” Tabitha mumbled.

“Okay, but what did youthink?”

Beck scratched the space between his brows with his thumb before turning to look at me. “That it was unrealistic for a college-level competitive swimmer to be training in a bathing suit clearly designed for parties in Ibiza.”

“I think realism went out the window when the first episode opened on a dorm room-based escort service. This is the kind of show best enjoyed when you stop thinking too much about how much sense it makes and start thinking about who should date. Or who would make the most interesting bad guy.”

He raised a brow at me. “Coming from the queen of questioning everything.”

“This is different. This is just indulging in silly fun.”

“And hot people,” Tabitha chimed in while three of said hot actors were ramping up to a threesome on-screen. “Watching hot people be hot is also part of it.”

“Refills?” Beck asked and stood up, collecting the empty champagne flutes from the table. Defne held her still half-full glass up in response, but Tabitha and I both agreed. Beck had barely made it out the door when Tab elbowed me in the ribs.

“What?” I hissed.

“Go after him,” she whispered and behind her Defne made a shooing motion with her hands.

“What is happening? You’ve been giving him shit since he walked in.”

“Yeah. Someone has to. He’s still hot and rich and joining girls’ night just to spend time with you.”

“Do I need to remind you that I’m in a relationship?”

She rolled her eyes at me. “I’m not telling you to get married. I’m telling you to get railed.”

“I don’t think Parker will mind a break-up via text,” Defne said with an angelic smile.

“Ohmygod.”

“Go, go, go.” Tabitha shoved both hands into my side, pushing me off the sofa.

“Do you want me to text Parker?” Defne giggled.

“You guys better enjoy all the comforts of this house because this is the first and last time I’m having you over. You’re insufferable.” Despite my words, I didn’t even try to sit back down, tiptoeing towards the kitchen instead. Beck had the champagne bottle in one hand and his phone in the other, typing away while refilling Tabitha’s drink. “Work?” I asked, picking up the glass with the red lip stick stain that had already been topped up with juice.

“My brother, actually.” He slipped the phone back in his pocket. “Do you mind?” He pointed at the bar cart by the dining table.

“Go ahead.” I figured Cordelia wouldn’t mind. “Older or younger?”

“Older,” Beck said, pulling a small crystal tumbler from the cart and filling it with a golden liquid, “Julian’s Axent’s CTO.”

“So itwaswork.”

“No,” he chuckled, “but it looks like I’ll have to take a rain check on dinner tomorrow.”

“Wow, you practically begged me to have dinner with you for weeks and now you’re canceling?”

Beck took a sip of his drink and regarded me over the rim of his cup. “I don’t beg, Blondie.”

“You sounded pretty desperate to me.”