Page 42 of Reality With You (Arden Beach #1)

Lennon snapped her jaw shut. “Hey—thanks. So do you.” They exchanged a kiss on the cheek. She glanced around again and laughed awkwardly. “Sorry, I’m reeling a bit. This is not what I expected. There are … so many people here.”

Avery laughed with her. Apprehension flashed in her eyes, suggesting even she was slightly intimidated by it.

“I know, right? Kelsey knows how to throw a party.” She waved over one of the gilded models, a tall man with blond, wavy hair.

“Alexei will show you to your room. Meet back here when you’re done. The party’s officially starting soon.”

Alexei silently led Lennon to one of the many guest bedrooms upstairs.

Its opulence reminded her of Versailles.

Two queen-sized four-poster beds were arranged between the paneled walls clad in floral wallpaper, and a private balcony overlooked the ocean.

He informed her she’d be rooming with Tana, who had already claimed one of the beds.

“She’s not rooming with Trey?” Lennon asked.

“He’s with the groomsmen on the other side of the manor. Also, phones aren’t allowed at the party.”

Lennon had nowhere to hide it in that outfit, so she stuffed it inside her luggage.

As she followed him back to the party, nerves skittered under her skin.

Most guests already had a drink in hand from the champagne fountain, pre-gaming for the night.

Energy crackled in the air, poised for a release.

Lennon searched for Dylan. Usually, she could pick him out in a crowd by his height alone, but the room was filled with athletes and models, and everyone but the staff wore white.

A voluptuous blonde balanced the stem of her champagne flute between her breasts as she leaned over the fountain, filling the glass as a small audience of men watched in awe.

The fact that none of it splashed on her was impressive.

“This is like an X-rated version of Hercules .”

Lennon turned to Dylan, who regarded a gilded model serving chocolate-dipped strawberries to guests with bemusement. “Gives a whole new meaning to the term ‘golden shower,’” she quipped back.

Dylan snorted, but his amusement melted into something else when he faced Lennon.

Deep brown eyes slowly skated over her. Greg had sprinkled gold glitter through her long, crimped waves cascading down her bare shoulders, and Deb had brushed gold over her eyelids.

“You look beautiful,” Dylan said, his voice dragging low. Flutters raced along her spine.

“Thanks. You don’t look so bad yourself.” Lennon took in his flowing button-down and matching pants. The crisp white fabric made his tan look particularly golden, especially where the first few buttons of his shirt hung open, revealing the hard planes of his chest.

Heat spread through her.

Lennon diverted her attention. “This is … not what I expected when they said combined bachelorette and stag party,” she said, scanning the people packed around them. “I thought it was only going to be the wedding party.”

“Guess my invitation wasn’t so special after all,” Dylan remarked. The muscles in his jaw twitched at a glance at the fountain.

As the realization clicked, her neck flushed with a wave of anger. No wonder the show had pushed for him to come. They wanted to throw him in the deep end and watch what happened.

“You OK?” Lennon asked.

Dylan nodded, his brow firm. “Yeah.” He smiled. “I’m good. Promise.” Something in his eyes—sincere confidence and resolve—reassured her.

“If at any point it’s too much, we can sneak away somewhere quiet,” she told him.

“That a promise?”

The corner of her mouth lifted at his playfulness and the flirtation dancing in his eyes.

“Little Prince! You made it.” Chad’s booming voice easily cut through the noise. A broad hand settled on Dylan’s shoulder, playfully rocking him. To Dylan’s credit, he barely moved.

“Yeah. Felt bad after beating you at golf,” Dylan said as they locked hands.

“You actually managed to beat someone at golf?” Lennon raised an eyebrow, earning her a glare from Dylan. She shoved her tongue in her cheek to stifle a smile.

“I let him win,” Chad remarked quietly as he leaned toward Lennon.

“Sure you did,” returned Dylan.

“Well, I’ll be damned. Look who’s come out of retirement.” A man with ginger hair and a southern accent came up beside Chad. He fixed his gaze on Dylan. “Now it’s a fuckin’ party.” Another muscular man with a buzzcut and a silver cross hanging from his neck joined him.

The line of Dylan’s jaw hardened.

“Been a while since we’ve seen you around,” the one with a buzzcut said.

He had a few tattoos on his arms—another cross, some numbers, and the logo of the professional football team Chad used to play for.

Probably a player himself. He glanced at the ginger.

“Told you he’d be back. No one parties like Dylan fuckin’ Strickland. ”

“Not anymore. This is a one-off.” Dylan shoved his hands in his pockets. “Sorry to disappoint.”

The newcomers exchanged looks of skepticism openly. “What? You too good for us now?” Buzzcut asked with a small, derisive smirk.

Dylan regarded him with cool indifference, but his eyes held an edge.

“We’re both coming out of retirement tonight. One last blow-out before the wedding,” Chad interjected. He knocked his elbow against Dylan’s. “Appreciate you coming out tonight, man.”

The warmth returned as Dylan shifted his focus to Chad. “Of course, brother.”

The ginger nudged his chin toward Lennon. “This your girl, Strickland?”

Dylan’s gaze settled on Lennon. The question hung in the air.

The music stopped.

“Hey—listen up, people! All my goddesses come with me,” Kelsey shouted over the hum of the crowd.

She stood on a gold chair, cupping her hands around her mouth.

Lennon almost did a double take at her outfit, or lack thereof.

If Avery’s looked like lingerie, Kelsey’s was made from whatever tiny strips of fabric had been left over.

“And all the guys follow me,” yelled Trey. He lifted his hands above his head to motion toward the back of the house.

The sea of people all mobilized at once. Lennon was swept away with the bridal party, and Dylan with the groomsmen, as the two groups broke off in opposite directions.

“I’ll find you later,” Dylan shouted over the crowd.

Kelsey led them to a vast living room with a wet bar and private outdoor space.

It covered about as much square footage as Lennon’s entire one-bedroom apartment, if not more.

Lennon heard someone say the house was owned by one of Chad’s professional football player friends.

A vacation home that he used a few times a year.

All the gilded male servers lined up with trays loaded with shots. Kelsey led Avery to an ornate gold throne in the center of the room. Everyone cheered her on as the bride carefully lowered into it, staring at Kelsey with a cross between panic and excitement.

That’s when the room turned into an ancient Greek mythology version of Magic Mike .

The servers discarded their trays and started dancing as dirty hip-hop music played through the speakers.

They focused their energy on Avery but occasionally broke off to grind on other guests.

The last thing Lennon wanted was that kind of footage out in the world, so she sank to the back of the room with her non-alcoholic cocktail, watching the debauchery unfold from afar.

Lennon could only imagine what was happening at the groom’s side of the party. She and Dylan would have to trade war stories later.

God, she hoped he was being smart and avoiding anything that could get him in trouble with the UBL’s board.

After the performance, the party poured out onto the sprawling patio.

A spattering of stars twinkled in the deep blue sky.

The bridal party—Avery, Lennon, Candace, Tana, and Kelsey—gathered around a sleek gas fire pit where flames licked a bed of turquoise fire glass.

Lennon indulged in one shot but opted out of the following round with Candace, who hadn’t been drinking.

Lennon needed to keep her wits about her.

Impaired judgment in a house full of voyeurs was a recipe for disaster.

She came on this show to help her career, not blow it up in a single evening.

Once they’d thrown back their second round, Tana eyed Lennon. “You sure you don’t want another?”

“Nah, I’m good. I’m too much of a lightweight,” Lennon said. “I’ll end up passed out and drooling on the sofa for the rest of the party.” That was a lie, but she knew from spending time with Erin, an actual lightweight, that the excuse worked.

Tana crossed her long legs, leaning her elbow on one knee and cupping her chin in her hand as she studied Lennon. “So, is this bringing up any weird emotions for you?”

“What do you mean?” Lennon adjusted her miniskirt to ensure the cameramen weren’t getting a free show.

“Like, about your divorce. Is it hard to go to weddings and be around all this stuff?”

The truth pinched, but Lennon didn’t let it show. “I haven’t really thought about it.”

“ Euck , I’d hate it,” Tana said, grimacing. “Weddings used to make me sad before I found someone because I was afraid I never would.”

“Are you completely over Dylan, then?” Kelsey asked, stirring a tiny straw around her margarita.

Lennon relaxed into the white cushion and propped her arm on the back to let her forearm hang casually. She was feeling bold. “Why are you so curious, Kelsey?”

Everyone’s attention snapped to Lennon.

Kelsey’s brow arched. Her blue eyes sharpened. “I was wondering if you’d be OK with it if he dated someone else.”

While other partygoers remained in the throes of celebration, their immediate circle fell into a pocket of stillness, hanging on her answer. Lennon’s nerves frayed at the edges, but she maintained a mask of indifference. “He can go out with whoever he wants.”

A soft curve tugged at Kelsey’s lips. “So, you wouldn’t care if we did?”

Lennon bit the inside of her cheek. Guess they were doing this, then. A couple of cameramen skulked around them. Lennon matched Kelsey’s steady, unblinking gaze.

“I just want to make sure I won’t be stepping on your toes,” Kelsey continued, pressing a hand to her chest. “I’m a girl’s girl. I don’t want any drama.”

It took every modicum of her willpower not to laugh in Kelsey’s face, but Lennon couldn’t help the sardonic smile that stretched across her lips. “That’s the worst, right?”

“Totally,” Kelsey agreed. Both were playing the game, carefully moving pieces across the board. “I’m glad you’re so cool and understanding.”

“Of course.” Lennon lifted her hand and rested her head on her fist. “Power to you for wanting to make the first move and put yourself out there.”

Kelsey’s lashes flickered slightly. “I’m … not planning on asking him out,” she said with a small laugh. “I have a feeling he’ll be asking me soon, and I wanted to check with you before things got serious.”

“Oh, really? Huh.” Lennon’s eyebrows scrunched together. “We talk every day. You’ve never come up.”

Kelsey’s smile could cut glass. “Maybe he didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”

Lennon matched it. “I don’t think I’m the one who needs to worry about having their feelings hurt.”

The way Kelsey’s smile faltered gave her a rush of satisfaction.

“Oh-kayyy,” Tana drawled. She lifted her empty glass. “How about another round of shots, ladies, before we go find the boys?”

“What the hell, I guess I’ll have one more,” Lennon said, sitting up. Tana waved down one of the gilded servers carrying a tray of shots.

Once all but Candace had one in hand, who still nursed a virgin mojito, they clinked them together and then tossed them back in unison.

Lennon and Kelsey watched each other over the crackling fire as they swallowed the liquor.

Lennon welcomed the burn. Her entire soul would need a cleansing after this.

As Avery lowered her glass, her face blanched. “What is she doing here?”

Lennon followed Avery’s stare behind her to Steph—Chad’s ex, the redhead from the beach clean-up—standing by the bar in a sheer white bodysuit. She laughed with another woman who had long braids.

“Because I invited her,” Kelsey declared.

Avery shot her a look of betrayal, but her maid of honor was undeterred.

“She’s probably the one who planted those rumors in the tabloids about them getting close again in a desperate attempt for relevance.

She needs to know you’re not threatened by her.

You and Chad are solid. He’s yours now.” Kelsey locked onto Steph, who caught on to the attention. “Let the bitch see it.”

Avery didn’t argue, but she didn’t look entirely convinced either. The redhead’s smile faded. She looked away.

“Are you OK?” Lennon asked. “I thought everything was fine with Steph.”

After a beat, Avery nodded with a tight smile. “Yeah. Of course.” She glanced at Steph again. Uncertainty swam in her gaze.

“She was getting a little too cozy with Chad at the beach,” Tana said.

Lennon hadn’t noticed anything strange that day, but then again, she wasn’t with them the whole time. And she’d been avoiding the tabloids and gossip websites since the photos of Dylan and Kelsey had nearly sent her into a spiral. She hoped the rumors about Chad and Steph were as baseless.

“You can never be too careful with ex-girlfriends,” Kelsey said. “One moment, they’re claiming they’ve moved on, all while secretly plotting to steal them back.”

As the other women continued discussing Steph, Kelsey’s focus was now pinned on Lennon. Challenging her.

Lennon received the message loud and clear: Prove me wrong.