But instead, all he could think about was how hard Kylie had worked to make Daphne look good, the thoughtful look on her face as she had carefully pressed the fake lashes onto Daphne’s eyelids, the way she’d leaned in to blow gently on Daphne’s eyeliner.
Makeup had never been so erotic.
He couldn’t think about that now, though. Not with Daphne being a stage-five clinger. The last thing he wanted was an erection right now. So he pushed Daphne off his lap as gently as possible. “Don’t you think you’ve had enough beer?”
“No such thing,” laughed the girl sitting on the couch next to them. One of Daphne’s dancers, maybe. He’d seen her disappearing into the bathroom repeatedly tonight, which could only mean food poisoning or lines of coke. He’d bet his money on the latter.
“She’s had plenty of beer for someone that’s trying to get clean,” Cade chided in his mildest voice, even though he secretly wanted to give the girl a verbal dressing down for encouraging Daphne’s bad behavior.
Daphne pouted. “Water, then. If my man wants me to drink water, I will.” And she put her hand on Cade’s chest possessively.
He removed it just as quickly again. “We’re not together, Daphne.”
Her eyes—so enormous in her lean face—looked hurt. “What do you mean?”
The dancer chose that moment to get up from the couch and head for the bathroom again, and it was just him all alone with Daphne.
“I mean that I was here two nights ago to see you after we’d talked about it, remember? You told me to come to your concert. We’d spend time together and catch up. Instead, I spent all night nursing a drink on the sofa while you threw yourself on anyone moving.”
“Jealous?”
Surprisingly, no. “Disappointed. You were more interested in getting drugs than seeing me. And you were out of your mind on something all night. I want nothing to do with that woman I saw. Not friendship, not anything.”
“Someone gave me some bad stuff that night. I shouldn’t have been acting like that—”
“No, you shouldn’t have.”
“But sometimes I need something to keep me going because I’m tired.” She blinked repeatedly, as if she was going to cry. “I’m trying to stay clean, but it’s hard.”
He really didn’t think she was trying to stay clean. But he didn’t want to punch her while she was down. “I know, Daph. But for your sake, you’ve got to stop with the drugs. They’re not good for you.”
“I know.” Her lower lip trembled. “I haven’t had anything in two days. Not since they told me you were here and I didn’t even realize it.”
“That’s good,” he told her. “That’s a start.” Mentally, he wanted to wring her neck. Two whole days and she was acting like it was something impressive? “Keep going in that direction.”
“And you’ll help me?”
“As a friend? Of course.”
She laughed as if he’d said something funny. “Oh, Cade. We’ve always been more than friends.”
Maybe once. Not anymore. So he simply gave her a faint smile and repeated himself. “As a friend.”
NINE
Thursday
Cade: I feel like we should talk about last night.
Kylie: What’s there to talk about?
Cade: Daphne confessed to me that she’s been clean for two days now. Two days . . . isn’t much. Can you keep an eye on her? Let me know if she starts making lots of emergency trips to the bathroom or hiding out in corners with the wrong kind of people?
Kylie: Of course.
Cade: She’s a really old friend and I’m worried about her.
Kylie: You don’t have to explain anything to me.
Cade: Don’t I? I’m pretty sure you weren’t happy with me when you left.
Kylie: Why would you say that? I am neither happy nor unhappy with you. I don’t have a claim on you.
Cade: Don’t you?
Kylie: Not in the slightest. You’re free to do as you choose.
Cade: I thought it was pretty obvious who I choose. Someone with a warm smile, a great laugh, and the softest skin I’ve ever experienced.
Kylie: Are you flirting with me?
Cade: Possibly? Is it working?
Kylie: Cade . . . I really like you. Really really like you. But I can’t fight with Daphne over you.
Cade: No one’s fighting. We’re just talking, right? Friends talk. We can be friends, right?
Kylie: . . . I suppose so. Do you tell all your friends they have soft skin?
Cade: Only the ones I’ve slept with.
Kylie: Why am I laughing at that?
Cade: I don’t know, but it’s clear I’ll have to make you laugh more so you don’t avoid my texts.
Kylie: I have to go.
Friday
Cade: So how was the concert tonight?
Kylie: Good! Daph got a standing ovation. Little surprised to come into the greenroom and not see you here.
Cade: Couldn’t make it today. Will try to be at the next one, promise. Will you be there if I am?
Kylie: Duh.
Cade: Duh? Ouch.
Kylie: But not because of you. Because I, yanno, work for Daphne.
Cade: Double ouch. How is Daph?
Kylie: I think she’s clean. But it’s hard to say. Sometimes she’s in a great mood, and sometimes she’s . . . not.
Cade: Well, I’m glad.
Kylie: I’m glad for you two also.
Cade: What about us?
Kylie: There is no us.
Cade: I think there should be.
Kylie: I think I should be a size four, but we don’t always get what we want.