Page 33 of Love is Fake

“Ha fucking ha. You and Kai are definitely spending way too much damn time together,” he responds dryly. But there’s a bit of an edge to his words, as if he really doesn’t like Kai and me hanging out, as if it bothers him for some reason.

Before I can call him out on it, Declan marches into the gym in yet another pair of expensive loafers, with an announcement I don’t need. “Remember, you need to wrap up here earlier today.”

“It’s Saturday,” I remind him. “Nox has the afternoon off.” As do I, I add silently, and while I would love nothing better than to crash for a couple of hours, there’s a pile of PhD work I need to wade through. I’m behind as fuck.

“Great, that gives us time to prep for tonight, Nox.” Declan turns to the man in question who just frowns.

“Tonight?”

“Please don’t tell me you’ve forgotten the banquet for your biggest damn sponsor!” Declan’s eyes pop out of his head cartoonishly. He looks like he might blow a blood vessel.

Lennox unscrews the top of his water bottle and chugs half of its contents down. “Breathe, Dec, before you pass out.”

My mouth goes dry watching him because he looks like something out of a Diet Coke commercial. No-one should make drinking water look that damn good.

Lennox’s eyes flick to mine as if he knows exactly what I’m thinking and I feel myself flush. God, how many times is he going to catch me staring at him without thinking I’m a total bunny boiler?

“So, who’re you going with?” Dec taps his expensively-loafered foot on the gym floor, looking like a pissed-off Ken doll.

Lennox sends his agent an unimpressed look, gesturing towards his injured knee. “It may come as a surprise, Dec, but I’ve had bigger things to think about than a date for a damn dinner.”

Declan is unmoved by Lennox’s icy tone. By now it’s probably water off of a duck’s back.

“You need a date, Nox.” The foot tapping becomes more insistent.

Lennox shrugs his massive shoulders, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “It’s not a big deal. I’ll just go stag.”

Declan and Kai exchange a look, both their expressions signaling what a terrible idea that is.

I probably shouldn’t be eavesdropping, but Dec’s the one who interrupted my session, not the other way around, so I let my inquiring mind get the best of me. Besides, it’s not like anyone’s said this is a private conversation.

“You hate these things, Nox. I know that, I get it. But it’s good PR and it’s good for your relationship with the sponsor. If you go stag, we both know what’ll happen.” Declan gives Lennox a look and the bigger man shifts uncomfortably on his feet like a kid who’s been reminded of that time he promised to be good and then drew on the living room walls in permanent marker.

“What’ll happen?” I ask, blurting my curiosity out.

All eyes swivel to me and Declan gives me an assessing once-over as if he’d forgotten I was even there. After a few seconds, his put-out expression clears, and he smiles at me like I’ve solved a problem for him.

“Nox has a tendency to go AWOL at things like this,” Kai supplies when it’s evident no-one else will. “He slips out the back door as soon as he possibly can. A date helps keep him in oneplace long enough for him to talk to all the bigwigs who want a piece of him.”

“Sounds like fun,” I snort, giving Lennox a sympathetic glance. For someone who hates crowds, being at one of those events must be a nightmare.

“Just one of the perks of the job,” Lennox confirms sardonically, smiling as we share a glance and I feel my pulse kick up a notch in response.

“I could check if Honey’s back from her shoot,” Declan suggests breezily.

I note Kai’s expression of distaste, his mouth twisting like he’s just sucked on a lemon.

“Please God, no,” he groans.

It takes me a hot minute, but I hit on the ‘Honey’ in question - Lennox’s ex-girlfriend and model du jour. I remember seeing them grace the front pages of tabloids, two impossibly perfect-looking people together. I’ve never been a jealous person, but the thought of the two of them together feels suspiciously like that emotion.

“We’re not bringing Honey in,” Lennox states in an ‘end of conversation’ kind of way and I feel myself relax slightly.

Silence descends and I wonder who’s going to break the stalemate first. Turns out Declan likes dead air about as much as I do.

“What about Izzy?”

My head snaps up at his question.

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