Page 131 of Let’s Make a Scene

“Okay. I just need you to be very calm about this.”

“About what?” Her eyes widen. “Was it when he stayed at your place? That was weeks ago.”

“It was thirteen years ago.”

Chapter 42 CYNTHIE

“Thirteen years ago?” Hannah repeats blankly. Her eyes do a sort of creepy reptilian blink. I nod.

“You kept a secret from me for thirteen years?” She doesn’t sound hurt, just baffled. “How? You literally tell me everything that happens to you. And not just in real life. You tell me everything that happens to you in your dreams. I had to hear all the juicy details about your subconscious marrying you off to Mr. Bean, but this slips your mind?”

“It didn’t exactly slip my mind. It was very… memorable.”

“Okay.” Hannah holds up her hand, fishing out her phone. “Don’t say another word, I’m sending out a code red to the group, right now. I’m calling an emergency meeting.” I see her finger smash down repeatedly on the blaring red alarm emoji, then she makes a call.

“Greg,” she barks, when someone picks up on the other end. Greg is our driver, and as far as I know he’s been summoned to collect us. “Are you already here? You did a course in stunt driving, right? How quickly can you get us back to the hotel?” Her brow furrows at the answer. “Let’s see if we can shave another thirty seconds off your personal best, shall we?” She hangs up the phone and fixes me with a look. Her phone is pinging away like mad; she glances at the screen.

“Everyone is mobilized. We rendezvous at the hotel. Let’s go. Now.” She’s already moving. I half expect her to army roll down the steps.

“You’re so scary,” I whisper.

She turns to me with a feral grin. “Wait till Patty finds out.”

“Shit,” I mutter, hustling after her.

As it turns out, Greg has been looking for an excuse to put his training to use, and we basically squeal into the hotel parking lot on two wheels. I emerge from the backseat pale and trembling, while Hannah grins and palms Greg an enormous tip. I am 100 percent certain that she’s enjoying this.

When we get upstairs, Patty, Liam, and Arjun are pacing outside the door to my suite like expectant fathers outside the delivery room. These gossip-hungry little gremlins.

“What is it?” Patty demands, before the door is even open. “What’s the big news?”

“Cynthie slept with Jack,” Hannah says, tapping the key card and sailing into the room.

“What?!” Liam and Patty chorus, scrambling in behind her.

“I knew it!” Arjun pipes up, then when we all turn to look at him, he adds, “Okay, I didn’t know it know it, but come on, is anyone surprised?”

“They also slept together thirteen years ago,” Hannah says.

“WHAT THE FUCK?” Patty explodes.

“Okaaaayyy,” Liam whistles.

“Fair enough.” Arjun scratches his cheek. “That is actually pretty surprising.”

“Cynthie Taylor, you have some serious explaining to do,” Patty says, flopping down on the sofa. “Thirteen years you’ve been sitting on this hot gossip. How did none of us know about this?”

I exhale. “It’s kind of a long story.”

“Our favorite.” Liam sits, his chin propped on his hand. Four pairs of eyes are trained on me, avid and unblinking. If there was popcorn they’d be munching it.

“Do you remember the day we filmed the big kissing-in-the-rain scene?” I start.

“You mean when you and Jack kissed and then you swooned away into his arms?” Hannah perches in a chair.

“As I’ve said many times,” I reply hotly, “I was hungover and it was very cold and… you know what, that’s not the point. That night I couldn’t sleep and I went downstairs to the kitchen and Jack was there and things just… progressed.”

“In the kitchen?” Patty asks.