Annie shivered when she felt Bristol’s breath on her hand. She watched Bristol’s lips pucker and felt the warmth feather across her fingertips. How was she here tonight, next to Bristol, in Las Vegas, at the high-limits table rolling the dice at a craps table?
“For good luck,” Bristol said.
She shot Annie a warm look that caused liquid fire to spread to all Annie’s important parts and ignite them to an uncomfortable level. She told herself that Bristol was somebody who really needed a friend and not another person with a crush on her. Besides, she was Bristol Baines, who could have her pick of anyone in the entire world. Annie wasn’t the kind of person she would date.
“You’ve got this,” Bristol said.
Annie vaguely remembered Charley, on the other side of her, cheering her on. How she started rolling was all a blur. Somebody told her the rules, and after Bristol’s run of bad luck, she was standing with dice in her hand and about eight people shouting numbers they wanted her to roll. She had three good rolls, and suddenly all eyes were on her.
Annie turned to Bristol. “I don’t even know what I’m doing.”
“You’re winning,” Bristol said.
Annie licked her lips when she saw how close Bristol was. She could smell the orange blossom of Bristol’s shampoo and the sweet amaretto on her breath.
“Roll the dice, Annie,” Bristol said.
Was the alcohol getting to her? Was it stronger in Vegas? She’d had only a few sips of champagne and one amaretto sour in the span of three hours. Why did everyone else seem to fade away when she looked deep into Bristol’s eyes that were so dark, they reminded Annie of molasses? “What?”
“You need to roll the dice, or you’re going to upset a lot of people,” Bristol said.
Annie looked back at the table. “Oh. Oh! Okay. Here we go.” She threw the dice on the table and held her breath.
“Eleven!” the dealer yelled.
The table erupted with shouts and high-fives. Bristol pulled Annie into a hug and squeezed her. The entire night had felt like this. Spending time with Bristol was as amazing as she thought it would be. She was winning on the table and winning in life. Bristol was friendly, fun, and Annie hadn’t stopped smiling since they got to the table.
“You won! You won!”
Annie leaned into Bristol. “I won! How much did I win?” She watched as the dealer counted the chips and pushed the giant pile toward her. “I don’t want to play anymore. I feel like we should stop.”
“You’re on a roll. Keep going,” somebody said.
“No. I think I’m done here,” Annie said.
“We’re going to cash out.” Bristol pointed to the chips, and the dealer nodded.
“How much money is there?” Annie didn’t realize she was squeezing Bristol’s hand.
“A lot.” Charley leaned in closer to glance at the stacks. “I’m guessing like seven or eight thousand.”
“No!” Annie was shocked.
Bristol picked up the sleeve, and before she handed it to the concierge assigned to her, she checked one last time with Annie. “Are you sure you want to cash in?”
“It’s your money. I don’t want to lose it.” Annie waved her hands in front of the chips.
“It’s our money. You won it. We’ll split it. Maybe there’s something else here you want to play,” Bristol said.
Annie didn’t want to be reckless, especially with money, even though it was Vegas. It was almost three in the morning. “Everything seems so complicated.” Bristol’s laugh was throaty and sexy, and Annie wanted to hear it again.
“We could hit the VIP bar upstairs if you want.” Bristol sounded up for it, but she looked tired.
“It’s getting kind of late. Maybe we should just call it a night,” Annie said. As much as she wanted to get cozy in a VIP booth with Bristol, that wasn’t what a friend would do. Bristol needed a friend, not someone getting lost in her eyes.
Charley bumped her shoulder. “Really? You’re ready to throw in the towel now?” She stared at her incredulously.
“We still have tomorrow night. You said we could hit the club downstairs, right?” Annie asked. She looked at Bristol. “Or are we headed out right after the show?”
Bristol leaned back. “We are definitely hitting the club tomorrow. I know today was busy. And it’s after three. I’ve made spa appointments tomorrow at one. For all of us,” she quickly added.
Annie smiled because Bristol remembered to include Charley. “Really? That’s so sweet.”
“I’m just happy to have someone other than Lizzy and her entourage to go to the spa with.”
“That sounds lovely. Thank you,” Annie said.
“Let’s call it a night,” Bristol said.
Annie searched Bristol’s face for disappointment but saw only happiness. Genuine happiness. Being Bristol’s new friend was important to Annie. Bristol was tender, and it took a lot for her to trust people.
Bristol pointed behind her to Bruce and five other beefy dudes. “I’m going up to my room a different way, but don’t forget. One o’clock at the spa. Booked under Lizzy Parr.” She gave Charley a quick hug, then Annie a longer one.
Annie smiled at the sensation of Bristol’s arms around her. “Sleep well.”
“Thank you again for an incredible night. I’m looking forward to tomorrow,” Bristol said.
Annie watched as six guards surrounded Bristol and walked her through a back exit. Charley linked her arm with Annie’s. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that Bristol Baines is into you.”
Annie scowled at Charley. “Not at all. She’s just happy she has a new friend. She told me once it was hard to trust people. This is just her way of being friendly. I think she’s really lonely.”
“Isn’t Lizzy her best friend?”
Annie didn’t answer until the other people in the elevator got off. “I get a weird feeling about Lizzy. Like I know they’re friends, but she’s forever keeping Bristol on task. It’s all business when we’re in the arenas and theaters. She’s professional with me, but she doesn’t have to be so controlling or so mean to her staff.”
“Like when she yelled at Bruce earlier?” Charley gave her a look that conveyed exactly how Annie felt.
“Right? Maybe that’s normal, but it made me feel uncomfortable.”
“I guess she sees it as part of her job. Maybe they’ve had issues in the past with subpar security. It is her job to protect Bristol.”
“Lizzy’s more than just overly protective. You’ll see it when we’re at the spa.” Annie unlocked the door.
“Bristol and Lizzy seemed tight at The Night Owl. They were really excited that you signed on.”
“Yeah. That’s the part that throws me. At first, Lizzy seemed like my biggest cheerleader. Now she treats me as though I’m supposed to bow down to her or something.” Annie kicked off her shoes. Trying to look sexy and fresh for hours was hard. Her feet were sore, and she was exhausted.
Charley pulled Annie’s phone and compact out and put them on the nightstand between them. “Don’t let her get you down. Nobody cares about what Lizzy thinks.”
“I’ll try not to overthink it. We should probably get some sleep. I want tomorrow’s concert to be the best one ever.” Annie stretched and grabbed her pajamas.
“It’s going to be hard beating the one you just did. Both of you were on fire.”
Annie leaned against the doorframe to the bathroom. “It was pretty magical.”
* * *
It wasn’t as if Annie was afraid to undress in front of other women, but when the salon coordinator, Becca, issued the seven of them robes and sent them to the dressing room, the butterflies in her stomach released. She pictured square metal lockers and wooden benches, but forgot the salon was upscale and not a gym. They all had private dressing rooms, and since Bristol rented out the entire spa, they had the place to themselves. Her security detail remained outside the glass doors.
“We’re going to split you up. Half of you can go for mani-pedis, while the other half can go for massages,” Becca said.
Annie cinched the belt of her robe tighter, anxious to see how they would be divided. She wasn’t about to start making demands but took one tiny step closer to Bristol.
“How about me, Annie, and Charley hit the massage tables first.” Bristol looked at Lizzy, who reluctantly nodded.
“Okay. We’ll just be on the other side of the wall.” Lizzy pointed and left the three of them to be led down the hall by Becca.
“I have you scheduled for hour-long massages. We have hot stone, aromatherapy, deep tissue, reflexology, and a few others. Your masseuse will give you all the options.”
Annie’s personal masseuse, Jessie, a bright and cheerful woman around her age, opened a door and issued her inside. Charley was across the hall with Justin, the only male on staff. It was a surprisingly large room. After a few minutes of wincing at Jessie’s deep-tissue massage, she finally got used to the pressure and relaxed. Her limbs were jelly by the time Jessie was through with her. She tucked the corner of the towel above the soft swell of her breasts and followed Jessie down the hall to the sauna.
“Just relax for a bit. If it’s too hot, feel free to wait in the relaxation room. Be sure to stay hydrated.” Jessie handed her an ice water.
“Thank you,” Annie said. She pushed the door open and gasped. Bristol was sitting on a bench with her hair pulled up and glistening sweat rolling down her body.
“Come on in. It’s hot, but it feels so good,” Bristol said.
Annie felt self-conscious but also sexy. She cleared her throat and sat next to Bristol, leaving enough space between them, but close enough to have a quiet conversation. “Are we the only ones here?”
“That’s okay, right?” Bristol sat up straighter, as though it never occurred to her that being alone with her would be a problem.
Annie touched her arm. “It’s totally okay.” She smiled. “How was your massage?”
“It was exactly what I needed,” she said.
“Thank you again for such a wonderful treat. It’s very generous of you.” It was hard for Annie not to notice Bristol’s toned legs or the way the towel crept higher on her thigh every time she wiped the sweat from her brow. Bristol was taller, and her towel had to cover more real estate than Annie’s.
“It’s important to remember self-care when we tour. It’s a lot of wear and tear on our bodies.”
A comfortable silence settled between them. Annie wanted to be a woman talking to another woman, developing a relationship. She wasn’t sure how to come across that way and wasn’t even sure Bristol knew how to accept such an attempt. “What do you do after a massive tour like this?”
“I hide. I head to my house and hide for about three months.”
“I feel like your answer should be you head to a resort in the Bahamas or you hike and camp for days so you can be away from people,” Annie said. Getting information out of Bristol was hard, even though she understood Bristol’s hesitancy. “Or fly to Paris to shop. I mean, I always imagined a lot of famous people walking around carefree in Paris.”
Bristol shrugged. “It’s not fun to go alone. I don’t have anybody to go with.”
Annie wanted to blurt out that she would, but she stopped herself. “What about Lizzy?”
Bristol threw her head back and laughed. “Lizzy is like an annoying big sister. And after a tour, we always need to take a break from each other. Day in and day out with the same person who is simultaneously your friend and manager is exhausting. I never know if my friend or my manager is standing in front of me.”
“Why can’t she be both?”
“Because it can be a conflict of interest. My friend needs to encourage me to sneak away and do risky things, but my manager will lock me up behind hotel doors to keep me safe. I don’t blame her. We’ve had some close calls.” Bristol pursed her lips, and Annie noticed a shift in her mood. Those close calls must have been awful.
“What about your family? I know you miss them.”
A smile brushed across Bristol’s lips. “I do, but my mom fusses over me, and then it’s not relaxing.”
Annie caught herself from reaching out and grabbing Bristol’s hand as a comforting gesture. She touched her arm instead. “I’m sorry success has gotten in the way of living. There have to be places where people won’t bother you. I know a lot of famous people vacation in Vail, and from what I understand, most of the locals leave them alone.”
“Do you ever go to Vail?” Bristol asked.
“I’ve been there a few times. It’s gorgeous, even in the summer.”
“Is it safe to hike?”
“Yes, but you might run into a not-so-friendly animal.”
“Like a bear?” Bristol asked.
Annie nodded. “Like a bear or a bobcat or wolf or a moose.”
“Nope. No. No way.” Bristol waved her hands back and forth in front of her.
When the door flung open, Annie slid away from Bristol as though they were guilty of something for just sitting on the same bench. Charley barreled in, bringing in a swirl of cooler air that provided a moment of relief.
“My masseuse was amazing. Like I can barely walk. Thank you so much for the pampering.” Charley slouched across from them. She pushed her sweaty hair back and leaned against the slick wall. “It’s so hot. How long have you been in?”
Annie cleared her throat. “Not very long. I just got here. Bristol’s been here for a bit.”
“Speaking of which, I’m going to shower before our mani-pedis.” Bristol stood and walked gingerly to the door. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Please tell me you get this kind of treatment the entire tour.” Charley waved her hand in front of her face, trying to drum up a draft.
“This is new to me, so I don’t know if this is normal.”
Charley sat where Bristol did. “She was looking pretty hot in that not-so-giant towel.”
“She looks pretty hot in anything,” Annie said. She had reached her limit of hot steam. “I’m going to shower, too. Don’t stay in here too long. You look like mush already.” Annie opened the door and shivered when the rush of ambient air greeted her.
“Five minutes.” Becca swooped in and escorted her back to her private dressing room, where she showered and slipped back into the robe. They were only halfway done with the pampering, and while Annie’s body was completely relaxed, her blood was racing. She wanted to get back to Bristol. She could tell Bristol was starting to trust her, and that meant everything.
“Hi.” Bristol looked up from the magazine draped across her lap. She looked beautiful. Her damp hair fanned over her shoulders, and her cheeks were flushed. Were her eyes always so bright and happy?
“Hi. What are you reading?”
Bristol lifted a shoulder. “Gossip rag.”
Annie plucked it gingerly from her lap. “It’s probably nothing you need to read. Let’s talk about why you don’t want to go hiking with me in Colorado.”
“I didn’t realize you were offering.”
Bristol’s playful smile made Annie’s stomach flop. “I mean, you’re always welcome, and I’ll do my best to protect you from any threatening wildlife,” Annie said. Her heart sank when the nail techs entered and interrupted them.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Bristol said.
Annie saw the moment Bristol’s walls went up and couldn’t blame her. Would the nail techs sell their conversation to a tabloid? She was starting to understand why Bristol clammed up around people. The magazine she’d pulled off Bristol’s lap had an article and photo of Bristol. Annie didn’t know what it was about, but she knew it wasn’t good or true. They picked similar nail polish colors and sat next to each other.
Charley slipped into the room, clearly refreshed from her shower. “Hello, ladies.”
“You’re just in time. We picked our colors. The blacks and blues are on the other rack.”
“Ha ha.” Charley looked over the pink and red hues and turned back to Annie. “You’re not wrong.” She picked a dark sapphire and slipped her feet into the soaker tub. “What are we talking about?”
“Absolutely nothing. Just relaxing and enjoying the pampering.”
Annie widened her eyes and looked at the nail techs, who were busy sorting through their equipment. Charley winked with understanding. They kept their conversation light and sporadic. When they were done, Annie and Charley thanked Bristol and hugged her good-bye.
“I can’t wait until tonight,” Annie said.
“We’re going to rock the place,” Bristol replied.