Bad Things(56)

He laughed richly, reminding me so much of his brother. “We have some performances coming up. Is that better?”

“Yes. Am I invited?”

“Of course you are!”

“Will you tell me when they’re happening?”

“I will, though I’m sure Tristan will tell you first.”

“Will you be sure to tell me anyway? In case Tristan doesn’t…”

“Okaaay. Are you two fighting or something?”

“No. Why?”

“I just got that feeling. And just so we’re clear…You two still aren’t dating, right?”

“Still not dating,” I said through my teeth, not sure how I felt about the whole thing. Nothing sucked worse than having feelings for someone who just may have been your best friend. Especially when that someone clearly didn’t return those feelings.

“I’m sure you know this, but Tristan warned me—ordered me rather, not to ask you out.”

“I know.”

“Normally I’d respect that, but if you two aren’t dating…or hooking up, I thought that was completely out of line, so I ignored him.”

“I know,” I said with a smile, though something in my gut twisted at the notion. Would Tristan have warned his brother off if he wasn’t at all interested? But then again, I’d always known he was attracted to me. He’d never made a secret of that.

“So I know this isn’t a date,” he continued with that engaging smile that ran in the family, “but maybe sometime, down the road, when you’re dating again, we can go on a date.”

“Maybe,” I allowed, returning his smile.

“So there’s this party tonight, some big house party. Wanna go?”

“I don’t think so. I won’t know anybody.”

“You’ll know me. And you’ll meet some of my friends. Have you met Dean?”

“I haven’t.” I’d almost met the band’s mysterious fifth member a few times, but it had never actually happened.

“Well, it’s your lucky night. He’ll be there. And this cool chick Frankie will be there. She’s a tattoo artist, and she’s getting her own reality show, so she’ll be famous soon. I bet you two will love each other. She’ll hit on you, because you’re gorgeous, but that’s to be expected.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea. Don’t you think Tristan will be pissed if he finds out we we’re hanging out? I went out of my way not to tell him who I was going out with tonight.”

Jared shrugged, unconcerned. “Who will tell him? He’s working tonight, so he won’t be coming, and I can guarantee Dean won’t say a word. If we run into anyone else, I doubt they’d make the connection between you and him. So he’s still staying with you, huh? I can’t believe his apartment isn’t ready yet…”

That gave me pause. Not that the apartment wasn’t ready, but the fact that I’d never given a thought to how long he’d been at the house, and some part of my brain had even forgotten that he was supposed to be leaving soon. Originally, he’d only been staying for a week, but that week had come and gone in a flash.

“We can just go for a little bit,” he cajoled. “It’s only twenty minutes away. I’ll drive, and I’ll bring you back to your car whenever you ask. It’s a pool party. We can go swimming. I promise it’ll be fun.”

I did have a suit in the car, packed from my last excursion to Decadence.

“Do you mind if we just go for an hour or so?” I asked.

He took that as my capitulation, and his smile widened. “That sounds perfect.”

We wound up somewhere to the west of the strip. And what he called a ‘house party’ was held in a gated estate that I don’t think anyone could have called just a ‘house’.

“I’m not sure exactly where, but someone told me James Cavendish has a place just down the street. Frankie, that tattoo artist you’re going to meet, is actually good friends with him. The reality show she’s starring in will be in his casino.”

“Really?” I asked, impressed.

“Yes. And like I said, you’re going to love her. She’s a blast.”

“Are you sure we’re dressed for this?” I asked him as he pulled his black Mustang through a set of intimidating gates.

“Oh yeah. Half of these people will be wearing swimsuits, so we just might be overdressed.”