Page 5 of Four Money (Ever and Always 1)

In that case, she felt honored to be included in whatever scheme they were devising.

She would have demanded more answers, except just then Kari emerged from the bathroom of the spa where they’d finished getting ready. “Everyone set?”

Before Holly could say no, Andi responded for them both. “Absolutely. I can’t wait to see our guys. We look sexy AF. They’re going to regret having an all-night rager lined up.”

“I guarantee you at least one of my three is going to try to sneak off for a quickie. I don’t intend to cave until I can have them together at the end of the night.” Kari twirled and laughed. “When did I get to be so damn greedy? Is this really my life?”

Funny, Holly was thinking the same thing, though she was only visiting for an evening. She’d have to remember not to get too used to this since her carriage would officially become a pumpkin again after midnight. And by carriage she meant an Uber, because she didn’t own a car.

Kari’s, however, would not. The bitch. And she meant that in the nicest possible way.

Kari took her hand then Andi’s too, and led them toward the private elevator up to the penthouse. “Who knows, Holly? Maybe we can find you a stud to hook up with. What happens in Vegas…”

“Yeahstays in Vegasdoesn’t really work for me. I live here, remember? The last thing I need is the ghost of a one-night stand haunting me every time I’m out at the grocery store or taking my mom to a doctor’s appointment.” Holly frowned. “Besides, meeting someone would require mingling with a bunch of strangers and I suck at that.”

“Actually, there might be a few people you know here tonight.” Andi cleared her throat. The way she looked a bit too casual as she said it, while inspecting the perfect manicure she’d gotten earlier, set Holly on red alert.

“Like who?”

“Reed invited a few friends from college who live in the area.” Andi peeked up from beneath thick, dark lashes. She looked even more smoking hot than usual with the sophisticated enhancements their stylists had wrought. That coy glance might work on her boyfriends, but not Holly.

“Who, Andi?”

“One guy lived next door to us our senior year. His name is Trent. He was the—”

“Arrogant asshole from the frat house who thought he was hot shit.” Holly’s eyes nearly rolled so far back she could read the memories of him burned into her brain. “That guy is such a loser.”

“I mean, he kind ofwashot shit. I see you haven’t forgotten him,” Andi teased.

How could Holly after what she’d stumbled across that one night? Instead of elaborating, she grunted, making a mental note to steer clear of him lest he have yet another chance to completely ignore and disregard her as he had back then. She didn’t need that kind of bullshit in her life.

But before the women could debate Trent’s merits or shortcomings, the elevator doors opened and they emerged into the heart of the party, Kari in front with Andi, and Holly flanking her. The deep throb of sultry bass pulsated against her sternum, her mouth began to water from the smell of the food being prepared at stations around the wide-open room, and—directly in front of them—the panoramic view of the bustle, fountains, and desert that made Vegas iconic had her blinking back tears.

It was so beautiful from up here. Holly wished she could have shared it with her mother. She’d have to sneak another picture when no one was looking so she didn’t blow her faux-sophisticated cover.

As if they could sense Kari’s presence, Ford, Brady, and Josh turned from where they’d been chatting with a group of other equally fine men, who stared as Kari sashayed over to them. Meanwhile, Holly did her best not to trip as Andi took her hand and led her straight to her own boyfriends.

From the corner of her eye, she caught Ford, in a perfectly tailored suit, messing up Kari’s artfully applied lipstick as he claimed her mouth before handing her off to his best friends so they could do the same while he watched. It seemed so natural and so damned passionate, along with romantic, that Holly was even more envious of their connection than she’d been of their ability to pay for anything they desired.

After a similar greeting from her lovers, Andi blinked slowly, then shook her head as if trying to remember her manners. The trio of unclaimed men in between Andi and Kari’s guys shifted their focus from the very public displays of affection her friends were engaging in to her.

Holly squirmed under their combined attention, but there was nowhere to hide from the warm gaze of the tall man with long, dark hair or the appraising glance of the trim guy with the wry grin beside him. Or…Trent, who happened to be staring at her.

Was it because he was trying to figure out where he knew her from or because he was shocked that she didn’t look like the mousey girl who’d orbited the periphery of his life on campus?

Andi covered for her when she couldn’t seem to introduce herself. “Trent, you remember my friend, Holly Hendricks?”

Trent’s slow, wide smile made Holly positive that even if she hadn’t been very memorable, he had gotten off on that one particular unfortunate time their paths had crossed, despite having never mentioned it after that night. Gross.

“Howdy, ex-neighbor.” When he stuck his hand out to shake hers, she ignored it, instead leaning in to hug Simon, one of Andi’s boyfriends. He was safe. And definitely not a creeper.

He seemed a little surprised but didn’t let her down. “Nice to see you again, Holly. I’m so glad you could make it. I know Andi misses hanging out with you.”

He was easygoing and cheerful as ever.

Nothing like intense, and decidedly jerkish Trent.

“It was mostly due to Kari’s guys that I could join you.” She smiled over at Ford then, still doing her best to act like Trent and the men with him didn’t exist. “Thank you, the three of you, for making this possible. The nurse for my mom and all the rest, really, it was beyond generous.”

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