Page 46 of Her Rock Star's Dark Secret

Lauren noticed Chase walking across the room, smiling and greeting his classmates. Since he’d spent so many years away from Maple Creek, he hadn’t seen most of them, unless they were famous like Owen or Benson. Chase had told her that the three of them were friends and spent time in New York City or LA from time to time.

Three women, scantily dressed in short skirts with bare midriffs, flocked to Chase, tossing their hair and flirting. Jealousy snaked through Lauren’s belly, ugly and vicious. Those girls were known for their looser values in high school, and not much had changed over the years. Lauren had frequently seen them working the room at Dixie’s Tavern. They always showed up together, and they usually left separately with different men.

Chase looked much too happy to be talking to them, and it infuriated Lauren. How dare he? But it wasn’t like she could go up to him and give him a piece of her mind. She’d blown him off. She had no claim on him. He could talk to whoever he wanted.

For some reason, that infuriated her.

She had to fight to keep herself from crossing the room and acting like she had a claim on Chase. But she found her self-control and distracted herself by greeting her fellow alumni.

But she couldn’t help but glance across the room to Chase from time to time. He was laughing with those . . . girls. A rude word to describe those women was in the front of Lauren’s mind, but she refused to allow herself to stoop to viciousness—no matter how accurate it might have been.

She was better than that. A classy woman.

Even though she was fighting the urge to storm across the room and scratch their eyes out and pull their hair.

Maggie stepped up beside Lauren. “Chase doesn’t want them, you know.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes, you do. You’re so jealous your face is turning green.”

Lauren sighed. “I’m trying not to be.”

As the student council president, she had to stay poised and friendly. Cool and calm and professional.

“Go find women with highlights that need to be touched up so you can see if they are interested in finding a new stylist. That way, you can focus on building your business instead of worrying about what Chase is doing.” Maggie really did have a good idea going there.

“I need to stop thinking about him so much. Watching him flirt with those women just reinforces that. I’m way too emotionally involved with Chase.”

“It’s not a bad thing to want Chase.”

“It is if he doesn’t want me back.”

“I know that’s not true. I can tell by the way he keeps glancing over here.”

“He’s not doing that.” Lauren’s face heated up.

“Yes, he is. I’ve caught him doing it three times already.”

“You know what? I’m just going to ignore that. I’m going to go talk to Jessie Davis instead. She looks like she could use a trim.”

“Go get ‘em, girl.”

Lauren crossed the room to Jessie, fighting to keep her mind off Chase and focused on business. She’d gotten good at casually mentioning that she owned a salon to women who looked like they’d be interested in a hair cut or color.

Lauren greeted Jessie and asked her about her graphic design business. She was really starting to get somewhere with the conversation when Chase crossed behind Jessie, free of the three flirty women. Lauren’s mind went completely blank.

“I’m sorry, what was I saying?” Lauren blinked rapidly as she attempted to clear her mind.

“You were just telling me that you owned a salon.”

“Oh, yes. I ownAll Dolled Upon Sycamore Street.”

“My mom gets her hair done there. Maybe you know her. Mary Fitzgibbons.”

“Yes, Mrs. Fitzgibbons has been a loyal client for years.”

“I thought an older woman owned that salon.”

---