Platinum (All That Glitters #3)(58)

“Me either. It’s pretty unreal.”

“Definitely. I mean, who knew that going to that concert with Bri would change your life?”

“Change Damon’s life.”

“Well,” Stacia said thoughtfully, “yours, too. Now, he’s going to be gone a lot. And if all goes well—and it’s Chloe Avana, so duh—he’ll be recording albums, going out on tour, and doing promotions all year round!”

Trihn frowned. “Yeah.”

She swallowed hard and tried to remind herself of all the things that Damon had said to her. They would be okay. They could make it.

“That’ll be amazing for him. At least I’ll be around the apartment more,” she said.

“No one blamed you for being gone. Anyway, the apartment has pretty much been empty. Bri has been at Eric’s, and I’ve been with Marshall.” Stacia giggled at the end of her statement.

“So, does that mean that you and Marshall are together now?” Trihn asked. She knew it was always a tough call with Stacia. Her relationship status usually changed from one day to the next.

Stacia shrugged. “I’ll get him there. Right now, he’s in it for the sex.”

“And you?”

“I’m in it for the money.” Stacia winked.

“No, you’re not!” Trihn said, laughing at her friend. She had finally gotten Bryna to see the insanity behind her gold-digging ways. She was bound and determined to get Stacia to see it, too.

“Well, he doesn’t have any money yet, but when he gets drafted next year, he will. And then I’ll join the NFL quarterbacks’ wives club!”

“Is that a real thing?”

“Duh!” Stacia flipped her short blonde hair and relaxed backward on the couch.

“Such high goals you’ve set for yourself.”

“I would take that as a compliment, but I know you’re being sarcastic,” Stacia said. “You’re dating a soon-to-be mega-successful music star. It’s really not any different than a star quarterback.”

Trihn sputtered in disbelief. “Damon was a nobody when we met and started dating!”

“And so is Marshall.”

“A college quarterback at a major university is hardly a nobody.”

“Details, Trihn!”

“Okay,” she said, holding up her hands.

She couldn’t argue Stacia’s logic with her. Stacia had no intention of listening to a word Trihn said.

But Trihn did know one line of conversation that would get Stacia to break out of this bubbly character. “Have you heard from Pace?”

Stacia stiffly sat up and seemed to retreat in on herself. “He’s been around,” she said softly.

“Around like, you’ve been sleeping together? Or around like, he wants to get back together?”

“Just around. I don’t know,” she said, looking down at her hands. “I miss him sometimes, you know?”

Trihn knew where she was coming from. Pace might have been a total asshat, and Stacia might be a dumb blonde cheerleader, but together, they had seemed to work. It hadn’t made sense, but it’d worked for them.

“Does he know that you miss him?”

She scoffed. “As if I’d tell him. He’s so arrogant. He would use that to his advantage, and I can’t be with him the way he is now. Plus, I have Marshall…and that’s what matters.”

“I just think that Marshall seems like a tactical choice, and Pace seems like one that comes from your heart.”

“Pace is a quarterback, too, Trihn,” Stacia reminded her. Her eyes were wide, as if she didn’t want to consider that she actually cared for Pace.

“I know, but he’s not the starter. You don’t even know if he’s going to the NFL.”

“I don’t want to talk about Pace,” Stacia said quickly. “We broke up. We’re…whatever…on and off again whenever he feels like it and isn’t f*cking someone else. I’d rather talk about Damon and him working with Chloe and your model call! I’m really excited for that.”

“Me, too. Are you and Bri still coming to the studio to help out this afternoon?”

Trihn had booked out the studio for her model call. She’d emailed some of her friends who she’d modeled with in the past. She hadn’t heard back from anyone, not that she had really expected to. The university didn’t pay for models, and unless she wanted to pay out of her own pocket, she would have to get a bunch of models with little to no experience. Offering free headshots and runway experience wasn’t exactly the same as hiring models for a magazine shoot. Having gone through this process herself, she knew it was going to be an ordeal. She had a feeling she was going to be there all night, even with Bryna’s and Stacia’s help.

“Yep! We’ll be there. Hopefully, it’s only one day though because, from here on out, we’ll have four to six hours of practice every day to get ready for the NCA national competition in Orlando.”

“Think you guys will bring home first prize this year?”

Stacia nodded vigorously. “Getting fifth last year was an embarrassment. We can do better, and we will!”

“I believe it.” Trihn grabbed her purse. “I have to get to class. So much work to do on top of this fashion show. It’s going to keep me plenty busy. I’ll see you guys at three.”