Page 113 of The Strike Zone

My core clenched. After last night, I should be waving the white flag of surrender, at least for twenty-four hours, but it appeared that I was far from having enough of Parker’s dick.

“We’re all going to have a cozy day today,” added Radley, totally oblivious of the somersaults my belly was doing. “Lux is baking, and we have movies and popcorn. Perfect for a day of crappy weather.”

I was just about to reply when a movement caught the corner of my eye and I turned to find another girl walking down the opposite corridor into the living room.

Even if she wasn’t wearing sweats with her blonde hair tied back in a pony and no makeup, and even if I hadn’t seen her on billboards plastered all over the city for the latest Gucci campaign, you’d still know she was the type of girl who turned heads wherever she went.

The all-American girl next door, as she was very often referred to.

I just couldn’t figure out what she was doinghere.

Maybe I was hallucinating her from all the sugar I just consumed. That would explain why no one seemed to notice that a Hollywood A-list actress was now standing in the middle of the living room wearing headphones, holding her phone out as she finished a call.

Parker was still close enough to me that I could whisper without drawing attention.

“Is that Holiday Simpson?”

Parker’s eyes flicked up, and he nodded. “Oh yeah. She must have stayed over. She does sometimes,” he added with a shrug.

“Stayed over? As in…”

“…as in Hol is Tanner’s twin sister.”

My eyes widened so much they watered. “Holiday Simpson is Tanner’ssister? They’re twins?”

Even as I said it, I knew it was a stupid question.

Orsoundedstupid.

But I never thought of Tanner as TannerSimpson,as in Holiday. I never really thought of Tanner at all. Simpson was a fairly common last name. And I swear I’d never heard anyone mention it at work. This was the sort of shit people thrived on gossiping about.

“Yup. Didn’t you know?”

“No,” I replied. “No, I didnot.Is it common knowledge? How did I not know this?”

Parker shrugged again but didn’t offer any useful response. “She’s cool. I’ll introduce you.”

Ohgod.No.

I wasn’t a die-hard fan of hers or anything, but I’d seen the last couple of movies she’d done and really enjoyed them. Maybe even watched them more than once when Mark cheated—they werethosetypes of movies.

And I loved her style, she always looked so chic and cute, and effortless. Even now, in her sweats.

Never in a million years had I ever envisaged meeting her—if I had, it wouldn’t have been whileIwas wearing sweats four sizes too big, with last night’s wet hair sticking out every which way, and maple syrup likely around my mouth.

I was making a poor attempt to smooth my hair, wipe my face, and simultaneously straighten Parker’s sweater I’d thrown on, when Holiday removed her headphones and walked toward the kitchen. Or rather towardme.

I found myself enveloped in a hug, and I breathed in the scent of spices and vanilla, and the goodness that came with knowing what scent to buy. It was probably Gucci.

“Hi, I’m Holiday. You must be Scout. I’ve heard so much about you, I’m kinda relieved you actually exist, to be honest. I was beginning to doubt that you did.”

Ohmygod.

Holiday Simpson knew who I was. This was more confusing than when Radley said she was excited to meet me, though it did beg the question how much Parker had been talking about me.

Radley snorted, Parker groaned, Tanner and Lux laughed loudly.

“Holiday,jeez. Ease her in, will you? I’m trying to make sure she comes back.”

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