Chapter 35

Brook
“Do you think he’s still mad at me?” Halle asked.

Brook closed her eyes and bit her tongue. David had told her that his best friend growing up, Tami, had pounded into him that he should reject the first reaction that popped into his mind. Right now, that was good advice.

“I was there. He said he wasn’t,” Brook finally said.

“If I’d known...”

Brook agreed. If she’d known better, she would have handled the move to Cincinnati differently. She’d just assumed the distance would be too much. That was why Brook had broken up with him. Well, that, and she thought she would just get over David. Then, when he came to visit, she’d made the bonehead mistake of pushing him away.

She’d come to his birthday celebration to tell him she still loved him. Then she found out he was dating this gorgeous girl. She’d convinced her friends to take Crystal to a day at the spa, so they could ‘get to know’ her. It was really a chance to find out if she and David were serious or not.

The problem was that Brook found her to be delightful. How he attracted so many quality people who gladly came into his orbit sometimes astounded her. It wasn’t just girlfriends, either; it was people in all aspects of his life. People simply wanted to help him.

Just looking around the party, she saw several people who fit the bill, including Tsuyoshi Nomura, who she spotted talking to David’s uncle. She’d met him while David was filming his latest J-drama. David had been excited that Mr. Nomura had offered to be his mentor, something special in Japanese culture.

Unlike most people, David sought out mentors. He’d learned early that people with experience could help him find the most straightforward paths on his way to success. It helped him avoid many pitfalls that Brook found herself learning about the hard way.

“Who’s David talking to?” Halle asked to break Brook out of her thoughts.

“Tony and Nancy Giovanni, Tony’s sister Pia, and Tony’s business partner, Kendra Bianco.”

“The. Giovannis and Biancos?” Halle asked with concern.

Brook nodded.

“Want to meet them?”

Halle thought about it for a split second.

“Do you think David will mind?”

“Get over it already. You know him as well as I do. What do you think?” Brook said.

Halle blushed.

They’d begun to weave their way through tables when they were brought up short by Zak Verwood, who was in The Secret Circle with David. Brook never understood how he and David were friends because Zak was a notorious playboy, even by Hollywood standards. Some of the stories David had told them confirmed it. He said it wasn’t unusual for Zak to bed two to three different women each day.

The bed-hopping had slowed down when Zak began dating Bec Carson, another actor. Brook didn’t see Bec anywhere.

“Hey, Halle. How much more attractive would I be with you under me?” Zak asked as he grasped his crotch.

That was such a terrible pickup line that Brook wasn’t sure if it was a joke or not. Then again, if Halle shot him down, he could claim just that, that he was kidding. Halle didn’t look amused.

“First of all, don’t come to me fishing for compliments, Zak. I’ve read all about your exploits, and if you need your ego boosted, you should read those gossip rags. The women you bed love to talk about what you’re working with. And for the record, nobody wants it little. It doesn’t matter how hard you work it, a tiny dick is still just a tiny dick,” Halle said, holding her fingers about two inches apart.

Half the party must have heard Halle’s raised voice because they burst out laughing. Bec appeared and slapped him to add to the drama.

Zak mumbled, “Fuck it,” and headed to the bar.

Halle and Brook continued to where David was, with Halle in the lead. When she suddenly stopped, Brook almost ran her over.

“What the...” Brook began to complain when she saw what had stopped Halle.

Walking toward David was Fiona Beckham in an outfit you would only see in LA. She wore a white jacket from a women’s suit and the shortest and tightest black skirt she could get away with and not get arrested. The jacket had a single button at the navel. Without a blouse under it, Fiona’s tanned breasts were all but falling out. Every guy in the place stopped what they were doing and gawked at her.

’I wonder how she keeps them from falling out. Tape?’ Brook guessed.

Crystal must have been psychic because she appeared at David’s side wearing a sexy red cocktail dress. David instinctively put his arm around her waist as she pressed up against him.

He leaned down and whispered something in her ear, and she slightly shook her head no. Brook would bet her imaginary beach house that he’d wanted to know if Crystal was up for a threesome. Brook was glad Crystal was confident enough to say ‘no.’ Fiona looked like trouble.

The underdressed starlet confirmed Brook’s suspicions when her gaze traveled over David’s face and down his body. Each movement looked like a physical caress. Halle and Brook were standing next to a table of David’s football teammates, and to a man, they groaned, confirming her thoughts.

“Fiona, let me introduce you to some of my friends,” David said as he made introductions, “and my girlfriend, Crystal.”

Fiona chuckled.

“Girlfriend?”

David raised an eyebrow in response.

“It’s just that Lexi told me you were single, and I should take my shot,” Fiona continued.

Brook saw Halle react to the momentary twitch he made at the mention of Lexi’s name. Brook reached out and took her friend’s hand for support.

“I’m not sure how Lexi would know since we haven’t talked for a few months. She’s been in Paris,” David said.

Brook could see that he was daring Fiona to say more about Lexi.

“The rumors have it that you’d make a wonderful boyfriend, especially where it counts. I heard you have the size to back it up,” Fiona brazenly commented.

“I hate to disappoint, but I’m not even close to the biggest guy in the room. Would you like me to point some of them out?” David asked.

Brook had seen him get this way before. Back in high school, there was a debate as to who was the bigger slut, David or Lisa Felton. Fiona was about to discover that she shouldn’t play chicken with him.

“I’ve never known a guy to admit he wasn’t the biggest. Introduce me,” Fiona said.

“Bear! Get over here!” David called out.

“I take it he plays football with David,” Halle whispered to Brook.

“He’s a freshman lineman,” Brook explained.

Brook noted Bear’s fingers. Her sorority sisters swore they had a method to figure out how long a guy’s member was. If you had him bend his middle finger to his palm and measure from where it touched to the tip of his middle finger extended, you had a pretty good idea. Bear had enormous hands. She guessed his index finger was longer and thicker than the average guy’s actual equipment. He must have a child’s arm hanging between his legs.

“Bear, this is Fiona Beckham, an actor friend of mine. She’d like it if you bought her a drink,” David suggested.

“Bear, is it? How about you dance with me?” Fiona asked as she began to walk away.