"He's the drummer for Rook," Gemma answers proudly for me. Yup, she's having fun with this. I sit back and wait to see what more she has in store.
Tall claps her hands once like she's just discovered the answer to all the problems of the cosmos. "Yes! I fucking knew it! Rook! I saw you guys play last fall in..." she pauses so long I assume she's lost her train of thought, "Brooklyn, I think."
I nod. "That so?"
That's when the shift from a curiosity to a conquest happens again, because suddenly I'm somebody worth knowing due to the fame element. I fucking hate that. "I'll give you my number. I have a suite at the Hilton, you should stop by tonight."
Not if you were the last woman on Earth. "I have a date." When I look at Gemma she looks like she wants to break the champagne flute in her hand and shank her with it. Repeatedly. In the face. She also looks smug because I just brushed the hot mess off without a second thought.
Tall's laugh is dry, evil. "She doesn't have to know, love."
"Cat's out of the bag. She's the gorgeous woman sitting right in front of you. And she deserves an apology, that was rude," I add. Before she snatches you bald and I cheer her on for doing so, I want to interject, but I don't.
The smile that emerges isn't apologetic, or embarrassed. It oozes superiority. "Sorry."
Gem's raging, I can see it in her eyes, but she replies sweetly, "Oh, don't feel sorry for me. His cock is massive." The wink that she adds is priceless.
I have to cover my face with my hand because I can't stifle the laughter.
As Tall turns and slinks off unabashed to the champagne table for a refill, I hold my palm up facing her and whisper, "Remind me not to fight your battles for you from now on, killer. That was classic."
She high fives me. "Stupid slag. Can you believe the nerve of her?" She's still fuming.
"Nope." I offer her the bowl of mixed nuts on the table, which she refuses with a cute scrunched up nose. So I kiss her on the side of her head instead. "Some people just suck. We should introduce her to Mr. Knott."
She laughs reluctantly. "They'd be a proper match." And then the giggle turns sincere. "I might've taken it a step too far broadcasting the size of your tool."
"That was my favorite part. Can you say cock again? Please?" I may be toying with her now, but it was hot.
"Cock," she says it so slowly it sounds like two syllables.
Pointing to the server walking through the room with little goodies on a tray, I say, "Me and my massive cock are just gonna go grab us a snack. We'll be right back."
She smiles. "You do that. And be careful with that thing."
I'm still laughing as I stop the dude and relieve him of two napkins topped with what looks like bruschetta.
When I return, Short is apologizing to Gemma for Tall's behavior. Tall, or Stupid Slag, as she'll forever be known in my memory, is a model. Short is her personal assistant. Her name is Helena.
We chat up Helena for a few minutes and she's definitely a nervous repeater, but when she relaxes a little she's witty. We cover a few topics before her cheeks burst into flame and she quietly tells me she's a Rook fan and asks for my autograph. She's a cool girl. I sign a dollar bill she digs out of her purse, because she doesn't have any paper.
"The rest of the band's not here, are they?" Helena asks shyly, but hopefully.
"Nope. Hoping for a glimpse of the blond wonder, huh?" Females love Gus, it's a scientific fact.
She shrugs unevenly. That's a yes.
"We could call Gus if you want?"
Her back straightens stiff and tall and she's shaking her head briskly. But just as quickly she freezes and asks, "Really?"
"Sure. We'll Facetime him; you can say hi."
Her eyes are darting around the room like pinballs as she thinks it over. "Really?" she asks again.
"Sure."
"Do it, Helena. Gus's nice, you should talk to him," Gemma encourages. There's a bubble of calm that surrounds Gemma and I love being on the inside of it. Helena is feeling it too. Gemma has a gift for putting people at ease. Her charisma is rare, not many people I've come across can draw people in like she can, even complete strangers. Just being around her makes me unbelievably happy. She's sunshine in a human.
Helena nods enthusiastically. "Let's do it."
I dial Gus immediately so Helena doesn't have time to talk herself out of it. I'm just going to spring the dude on her.
When his face appears on my screen, I cut him off because he's on speaker and I don't need Helena overhearing the no doubt crude, but creative, greeting he'll produce. "Hey, Gus."
He looks puzzled. I rarely call him Gus, so I automatically have his attention. "What's up with Facetime, dude?"
"Can't a guy just Facetime for no reason?"
He ignores my answer and continues as if I didn't say anything. "Are you with Nana? Lemme talk to her, her favorite great grandson wants to say hello." The last time I Facetimed Gus I was at the nursing home visiting my great grandma, who adores Gus like he's one of her own. She wanted to say hi to him because she hadn't seen him in a while.
"I'm not with Nana. But I am with someone who wants to say hello." I stand next to Helena and she goes stone still when she sees Gus on my cell. "Gus, this is Helena. Helena, this is Gus."