Page 35 of Goode to Be Bad
He smirked at me. “Jealous?”
“Nah.” I shrugged. “Just curious.”
“She’s not just stacked, she’sfuckin’stacked. It’s a level up.” He eyed me, his gaze raking over my rather prominently displayed tatas. “You, Alexandra Goode, are not just fuckin’ stacked…” he trailed off. “I’m trying to think of what would be one step up from that.”
“Well, I’m not sure I know how men rank their categories of boob size, so I can’t help you there.”
“Myles! Lex!” A female voice from across the bar. “Get in here and meet everyone!”
I turned my gaze to see Mom standing on the rung of a bar stool, hand on Lucas’s shoulder for balance, waving at us over the heads of the crowd. I waved back, took Myles’s hand, and we wove our way through the gathering of sexy men, gorgeous women, and more than a couple of toddlers hanging on to adult legs. Despite being a bar and everyone except Mom and Lucas being young and beautiful, it was a surprisingly familial, comfortable atmosphere. Not a party, just…a family get-together.
Myles glanced at me as we approached Mom and Lucas. “Pretty chill, actually. I was expecting either a lame reunion atmosphere, or some kind of crazy party. This is cool. Just family and friends chilling. Like a backyard barbecue, but in a bar.”
“So…not the time to do Jaeger shots and dance topless on the bar, then,” I joked.
“Uh, probably not. That’s later.”
A tall guy with long hair in a low ponytail overheard me, and grinned. “I mean, if you wait till later, Liv and Lucas take the youngsters to one of the houses and put on kiddie movies, and things in here get a little crazy. So if Jaeger shots and dancing topless on the bar is your thing, nobody here is gonna get pissy about it.”
Lexie laughed. “Good to know. I was joking, though.” She shrugged. “Mostly. Ihavebeen known to flash while drunk, but I don’t think I’ll let myself go that far at a family get-together.” She stuck out her hand. “I’m Lexie Goode.”
“Lucian Badd.” He gestured to the woman beside him—about my height, dark skin and dreadlocked hair making her mixed race all the more beautiful for it. “This is Joss Mackenzie.”
Lucian and Joss both turned to Myles, and he shook both of their hands. “Hey guys, nice to meet you. I’m Myles.”
“Yeah, I know,” Joss said, laughing. “I think by now everyone in the bar knows Myles North is in the house.”
“So what am I, then? Chopped liver?” A woman’s voice, a familiar voice.
One I’d heard in half a dozen of my favorite movies. I turned, and there, live and in the flesh, was Harlow Grace. Oscar and Emmy winner, A-list star, and one of my heroes, because she isn’t afraid to speak her mind. She’s classy, elegant, outspoken, opinionated and unapologetic. She has the kind of star power that allows her to choose her roles, and she’s played the gamut, from ditzy bombshell arm candy villain-bait to hard-charging journalist, and everything in between. She’s never done a nude scene, has publicly stated that she will not, and it’s written into her contract, yet she still manages to be sexy, a Hollywood sex symbol. She’s released sexy, provocative photos, professionally done, on her website, for free, and even a nearly nude full page spread inMaxim,and aSports Illustratedswimsuit edition feature.She is not afraid of her body and not afraid to show it, but it’s on her terms. And that’s what I find heroic, especially in today’s society.
I squealed, and gripped Myles by the arm. “It’s Harlow!”
He eyed me with amusement. “Did you act like that before you met me the first time?”
I laughed, poked his ribs. “Ohmygod, I wassomuch worse. I admire Harlow as an actress and role model—but I had a huge, major crush on you.”
“You did?”
I frowned. “Um, duh?” I stared at him. “Do you think I jump into bed with just any celebrity I happen to meet backstage? I met Harry Styles backstage once and he invited me to hang out with them after, but I was already going to a party with some friends so I didn’t because they were my ride, and it wasHarry Styles, whom I admit I also had a little bit of a thing for, even if I’m not a huge fan of his music.”
Harlow was watching this with amusement. “Once upon a time, I’d have taken that opportunity with Harry, had it been offered to me. He’s cute!” She grinned at Myles. “And you’re Myles North. Holy shit. I’m a huge fan.”
I blinked. “Wait. Do celebrities get celebrity crushes?”
A tall, lean, clean-cut guy with tattoos on his forearms and heavy-rimmed glasses stood next to Harlow. “I think for a celebrity, it would simply be considered a normal crush.” He paused. “But then, a celebrity is a celebrity, regardless of who they are, objectively speaking, so from that perspective, yes.” He glanced at Harlow. “What is your opinion, Low?”
“Hmm. Interesting question. I mean, yeah, I’d still consider it a celebrity crush. I suppose I am technically a celebrity, but so is Tom Hardy, right? I’ve never met him, and he’s super famous, and I think he’s mega hot. So it would be a celebrity crush.” She grinned at me. “So I guess that makes the answer yes, celebrities get celebrity crushes.”
The brother with the glasses seemed puzzled. “You find Tom Hardy attractive? Who is Tom Hardy?”
She patted his shoulder. “An actor. A very talented, very good-looking actor.”
“And you have a crush on him?”
She sighed, looked at him with love. “A celebrity crush is different than having a normal crush on an average person, love. It just means you really admire and are attracted to them, as a star. Being famous, it’s assumed it’s unlikely if not impossible that the crush would ever be anything but an idle fantasy. So it’s not a real crush like you’re thinking.”
He was still frowning. “But you’re a star. You could meet him at a press junket, or on the red carpet, and become his girlfriend with ease. You are famous yourself and thus have access a not-famous person would never have. So it is not an impossibility for your celebrity crush on this Tom Hardy individual to become a reality.”