Page 22 of Faking Ties

Me: Okay, I’ll tell Hunter about it.

S: He sent you something.

She sendsa picture of a peanut butter pie with a chocolate coating on it. She also sends a photo of the note that was included. It says:There’s something about the way your smile lit up when you talked about peanut butter and chocolate that made me want to see it again. Here's your happiness in a box. Would love to see your reaction when you taste it… XO Hunter.

S: That man is sweet.

Me: Is he? Or does he have a food fetish?

S: Can’t it be both? I’ll video you eating it and you can send it to him.

Me: Let’s do that first thing when I get back and before Rachel forces me into the bootcamp.

S: I’ll have it all ready for you.

Before I’m ready,I’m saying goodbye to Mom and flying back to Stella’s penthouse. When I enter, Stella immediately takes me to the kitchen and to the gorgeous pie on the counter.

I laugh. “I think I’m going to make two videos. One where I eat it aggressively and glare at the camera. I’ll send that one to him first.”

“And the second?” Stella asks.

“Exaggerated and sexual.”

She grins. “You and Aria would get along so well.”

“Who’s Aria?” I ask.

“Aria Huntington? My best friend. You’ll eventually need to meet her and be seen with her. We go out regularly.”

Oh shit. Aria Huntington, billionaire socialite, is Stella’s best friend? Where Stella’s all sweetheart, Aria has a reputation of being the cool girl.

“Anyway.” Stella grins. “You ready to film this?”

I nod and she videos me stabbing my piece with a fork and eating it with a glare. Stella giggles in the background, but I send it without redoing it.

Jeggings: I don’t know why that’s hot, but it is. I’ll be jacking off to that later.

Me: Interesting. I’m not sure what that says about your sexual preferences.

Jeggings: It says that anything related to you turns me on.

“Oh, he’s good,”Stella says, reading the message over my shoulder.

Jeggings: Did it taste good?

I sendhim the sexual video.

Jeggings: That’s it. I’m coming over. I need to see this in person. I’ll book my flight now.

Me: Or not. We can see each other in two weeks. That’s Jax’s first movie event in LA.

Jeggings: Fine. Way to ruin a man’s dream. I’ll be counting down the days until Isee you again.

I’m grinninglike a fool when Rachel comes to the kitchen and frowns when she sees the pie. “Did you eat that?”

“Yeah, why?”

“No reason,” she says, but her smile tells a different story.

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