Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 65643 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 328(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 219(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65643 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 328(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 219(@300wpm)
When the headlights of Destiny’s Mercedes swept through the window, I went to the door to meet her. She slid out of the car with the graceful dexterity of a woman who’d learned young how to get out of a low-slung car in a miniskirt without giving anyone a money shot. She wasn’t wearing a mini skirt now, but her dress showed off plenty of long, tan leg between the hem and her high heels.
“Hi,” she said, slamming the door shut and walking toward me. She had her purse over one shoulder, and a small black bag in her hand. I recognized the dense, matte paper and gold handles as being from one of the most expensive jewelry stores in town. The kind of place an A lister went to commission an engagement ring for another A lister. My eyes narrowed as I looked at it.
Destiny smirked at the look on my face. “Don’t worry. It’s not what it looks like.” She slowed to a stop in front of me and put a hand on her hip. “Well?”
“You look good, birthday girl.” I drew her in and gave her a long, hard kiss designed to push out any memory of Andrew’s mouth on hers.
“Mmm,” Destiny said when we broke apart. She sounded breathless. “I like you when you’re jealous.”
“I’m not jealous,” I corrected, leading her inside. I was though. I was burning up to see what was inside that damn bag.
Destiny didn’t make me wait. She pulled out a black velvet box and opened it for me. I hadn’t realized that my teeth were grinding together until I saw what was inside and started to laugh. The ugliest fucking bracelet I’d ever seen. Fake gold that was rubbing off, showing the cheap metal underneath. A single music note charm the color of pink you’d never find in nature. It looked like something you’d find at the bottom of a cereal box.
“Hideous, right?” Destiny said, twisting the box to look down at the bracelet affectionately. “It’s what Michael gave Melody in the last season. I gave it back to him to give to me. I didn’t know he’d put it in a box that cost five times as much as the bracelet.”
“Ten times, easily,” I snorted, pleased as hell that Andrew hadn’t tried to impress her. Maybe I wouldn’t have to kill him before this was all over after all.
Destiny shrugged happily. “I love it.”
I led her into the living room where the fire was starting to hug the logs. I took the poker and jabbed into them, sparking them higher. When I looked back, she was sitting on the couch, eyeing her birthday present with interest.
“Go ahead,” I said, sitting down beside her. I was suddenly nervous again. The bracelet from Andrew was ugly as hell, but she loved it for the sentimental value. The set I’d picked out for her didn’t have that going for it.
Destiny pulled the large, square box out slowly, her lips curving upward in anticipation. Then she gently opened it, and the rubies shot fire out as the dancing flames reflected off them.
“Oh!” Destiny said, covering her mouth with one hand, her eyes wide.
I couldn’t tell whether it was a good sound of surprise or bad. “What do you think?” I asked impatiently when she continued to stare at them wordlessly.
“I think–” she lowered her hand and looked up at me, her eyes liquid “--they’re the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. They look like something Richard Burton would have given Elizabeth Taylor.”
“I think she went for diamonds the size of my fist, but yeah, they look vintage, right? Classic?” I spoke casually to hide the fact my heart had nearly swelled out of my chest at her words.
“Classic,” Destiny echoed, taking out the chandelier earrings she was wearing and slipping the posts of the rubies through her lobes. “Absolutely gorgeous.”
When she pulled the necklace free, a quick grin came to her mouth. “Do you know what this reminds me of?”
“Elizabeth Taylor?” I guessed.
She shook her head. “No. The first thing you ever said to me.”
I couldn’t really remember. I knew I’d met her on the set of Sisters, but she hadn’t stood out much. Noemi and I had been divorced for a few years at that point, but we were still sleeping together, and I was hoping that would continue until death did us part. Her prepubescent costar hadn’t made much of an impact.
“You said, ‘nice necklace, kid,’” Destiny murmured, holding the ruby necklace up to the firelight, rotating it this way and that to catch the fire. She smiled at me through the circle of it. “Do you remember?”
“Vaguely,” I said honestly.
“I remember.” She gathered the necklace in one hand and pulled her hair to the side, then tried to put it on herself.