Beneath the Glitter: A Novel (Sophia and Ava London) (7 page)

“The right drink, it is not the same for you and your friend. For your friend maybe a Shirley Temple. But for you—” He cocked his head to one side as though he were measuring her for a dress. “Ah, of course.” He disappeared for a moment and when he came back he set a small glass filled with a light pink liquid that almost seemed to glow from within in front of her. “It is a Bellini. Slightly sweet, politely bubbly, very beautiful, a little sad. Just like you.”

Sophia sat up straight with surprise. “I’m not a little sad.”

“No? Forgive me. You do not sleep well last night and this makes me think you are troubled.”

Sophia went very still. “How did you know I didn’t sleep well?” She thought she’d done a pretty good job with the concealer and the light in the restaurant had seemed generous.

“I see many things,” he said, tapping himself on the forehead and giving her a goofy grin. The grin faded abruptly. “But I am so rude. Permit me to introduce myself. My name is Giovanni and I will be your protector for this evening.”

“Do I need a protector?”

He rolled his eyes heavenward. “She asks if she needs one. A princess like you in a place like this? Very much.” He lowered his voice, speaking confidentially. “I know it is not kind of me to speak ill of my subjects but I must be honest.”

Sophia took a sip of the drink he’d made for her. It was delicious, sweet and a little tart as he’d promised, with tiny bubbles that tickled her nose. “Your subjects?”

“
Sí.
Those who come to visit my kingdom.” He spread his arms, indicating the bar. “I am afraid we have a very lax visiting policy. Sometimes I think perhaps we should stiffen our regulations but, you know, one does not wish to be a snob.” He tilted the tip of his nose up with his index finger. “It is not good to have the nostrils in the air.”

“Of course not,” Sophia agreed with mock seriousness. “But I think you mean nose.”

Giovanni clapped his hands together. “
Brava
. Already you enlighten me with your wisdom. From the first moment you sat down I said to myself, here is a woman of wisdom.” He leaned toward her, bringing his face only inches from hers. The playful tone vanishing, replaced by seriousness. “You will do big things in your life,
bellissima.
Yes. Very big.”

Sophia didn’t know if it was his accent, or the way he was looking so intensely at her when he spoke, or that she could almost feel his breath caress her cheek, but she was suddenly having trouble swallowing.

Clearing her throat in an effort to also clear her head she said, “Are you a fortune-teller as well as prince of this realm?”

“Not prince, no no,” he said, touching his finger to the side of his nose in what looked to Sophia like a very Italian gesture. “Just overseer. But yes, it is in my blood, seeing the future.” He nodded seriously but the twinkle was back in his eyes. “My aunt. She has this power. Not always correct. She told my sister she was born with a broken heart and would never have love and she’s been married happily twelve years with five
bambini
. So, you know.”

“What about you, are you wrong?”

“No. Never, at least not with the beautiful women like you. And I say that you will do big things. Already they are starting. Aha!” he said, grinning. “I am right, no? Bigger than you had hoped. So now you know, it is settled. I say it will be so, it will be so. You can go home, and tonight you will sleep untroubled.” He stood, increasing the space between them.

“It’s that easy?” Sophia said.

“
Sí.
It should be. Only you make it complicated. You must to trust—” His glance flicked to the end of the bar where three white-coated waiters were standing impatiently, and he said, “Excuse me a moment, I must see to the needs of my other subjects.”

“Trust who?” Sophia asked but he was already gone.

Don’t be a fool,
a voice in her head said, mimicking the plaintiveness in her tone when she’d said “Trust who?”
He’s a bartender not a psychic. That was just small talk.

She turned around and took in the room behind her. Lily hadn’t exaggerated about the party being a See and be Seen Scene. Lily herself was near the front talking to the woman who had won the best actress Oscar the year before but the entire restaurant was filled with celebrities Sophia recognized from a screen—movie, television or, in the case of the lead singer of her current favorite workout song, video.

When Sophia and Ava had first moved to
LA
, parties like this had been just a dream, something you read about in a magazine. Even now, having been to a few, Sophia still felt a little like a child at an aquarium, nose pressed against the glass watching all the exotic fish circle by but separated from them, as though they were a completely different species.

Or maybe not, she thought, spotting Ava. She was at a table in the back, seated between Liam and a blond girl who was in the last movie they’d seen in a theater, looking exactly like she belonged. Ava was talking animatedly, clearly at ease which made Sophia happy. But what made her even happier was the way Liam was looking at her sister, intently, like he only had eyes for her.

Her thoughts were interupted when a deep male voice next to her said, “Excuse me, can I ask you a question?”

Turning, Sophia saw a clean-cut blond guy in his early twenties wearing a button-down blue-and-white-striped shirt with French cuffs. He smiled at her. “My friends and I have a bet going. They say that you’re a model and I say that you’re an actress.”

“What’s the prize?” Sophia asked, because it was the right thing to say.

“Whoever wins gets to buy you a drink,” the guy said, flashing her a set of veneer-covered teeth she was sure Lily could place.

She looked at him curiously. “But the drinks are free here tonight.”

He winked. “You got me. Smart and beautiful. It was just an excuse to get to talk to you. I’m Craig,” he said, putting out a hand. “Tell me, what
do
you do?”

Good-looking, shows signs of having a sense of humor,
Sophia’s mind ticked off.
You should be nice to him, get to know him better
.

“My sister and I—” she began, then stopped. Why? Why
should
she do that? She was doing a boytox, after all. Remembering an article she’d read about the most unpopular jobs, she said, “I’m a dental hygienist.”

The guy’s smile didn’t waver but he quickly wandered off. Two others followed him, each of whom were good-looking and well groomed and polite enough that she should have talked to them. Both of whom she sent away.

If you’re not going to talk to anyone, you should go,
a voice in her head said.
What are you waiting for?

When a fourth guy began moving her way she decided she’d had enough. She’d just climbed off the stool and turned away from the bar when Giovanni’s voice behind her said, “I agree. You make the right choice.”

She turned back to see him leaning on the bar, chin on his palm and her heart rate picked up slightly.

“What right choice?”

“To escape while still you can. Before my charms overwhelm you.”

A bubble of laughter escaped from Sophia involuntarily. “Am I in danger of that?”

He rolled his eyes. “But of course. Look how already you are sending away all other men with a flick of your pinkie.” He demonstrated a pinkie flick.

She felt herself blush. That was
not
what she’d been doing. “That’s not exactly—”

He put a finger to his lips. “Do not ruin the moment with words.” Dipping his head in a sort of bow he said, “It has been a pleasure having you at my bar. My realm will lose the largest part of her allure with the loss of your company.”

Sophia glanced around at the all-too-beautiful crowd. “I’m sure you can find an easy replacement.”

“You wound me by suggesting such a thing,” he said, clutching at his heart. Then he grinned boyishly, said,
“Arrivederci, stella,”
and sauntered down the bar. Following him with her eyes, Sophia watched him greet a group of girls who had just arrived with an enthusiastic
“Bellissime!”
and felt unaccountably annoyed.

Only because he was so unsubtle, she told herself. Not because she’d enjoyed talking to him. A lot. Enjoyed it more than she should have, more than she’d enjoyed talking to any guy in a long time. Not because she’d thought maybe he felt that too, maybe he’d—

What? Ask for your number?

It was a relief that he hadn’t, she told herself, not a disappointment. She knew from friends that dating bartenders was a Bad Idea. They were unreliable and had terrible hours and way too much exposure to women. Their whole job was to flirt.

Exactly the way he’d been flirting with you all night. He was just doing his job.

Besides, she was boytoxing. She
couldn’t
have gone out with him even if he’d asked. Even if she’d wanted to.

(Which she didn’t.)

LonDOs

Bellinis

Breath strips

Cute accents

LIAM CARLSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LonDONT’s

Dating bartenders

Wondering what it would be like to kiss bartenders

Men with French cuffs

Men with big watches

Doubting Liam Carlson

6

one and lonely

Lily said she’d get a ride home with a friend of a friend so Sophia made her way around the groups of couples talking and dancing to the corner table Liam and Ava were sharing. “I’m afraid I have to steal my sister from you,” she told Liam.

For a split second he looked like he was going to protest, confirming everything Lily had said about actors being spoiled, but instead he was very much the gentleman, saying, “I’m grateful you let me have her even this long.”

He looked at Ava. “I’ll send you the details about that party at Hunter’s house. I’m sorry you didn’t get to meet him, he should have been here by now. But you’ll like him. And he’ll adore you.” He glanced at Sophia to explain, “My best friend is throwing a party next weekend. You should come too.”

Ava stood up and he stood with her. Then he took her hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it chivalrously.

Sophia was worried she was going to have to carry Ava out in a swoon, but she managed to stay on her feet. She’d even recovered the power of speech by the time they were leaving the restaurant. “Liam wants me to meet his best friend,” she squealed as they walked past the bouncer who had let them in. “That has to be a good sign, right?”

“Right,” Sophia agreed. “Did you have a nice time?”

“Oh Sophia,” Ava said, stopping in the middle of the lobby and grabbing hold of her sister’s wrists. “It was like being in a movie. He’s—he’s perfect.”

Sophia replied, “Yeah, I’d say you had a nice time.”

“He’s funny and smart and when he laughs he gets these crinkles near his eyes that are just adorable.”

Ava’s list of Liam’s stunning attributes carried them through the lobby and out to the valet. Sophia was distracted trying to pay attention to what Ava was saying—“he has the nicest ankles”—so when the guy she’d handed her valet ticket to gazed at her with apparent amazement and said, “You want me to get your car?” she got worried.

“Am I in the wrong place?” she asked, looking around. “Did I cut in front of someone? Was there a line I missed?”

“No,” the guy told her. “I just wanted to be sure.”

The front of his dark blond hair slid over his forehead, touching the edge of darker brows. He had a firm, square jaw and a faint tan, hooded eyes the same dark blue as his well-fitted V-neck sweater, and lips that curved up slightly in a look of wry amusement. Was everyone that worked here incredibly good-looking? Sophia wondered. Or was that a side effect of the boytox?

There were two other valets standing at the counter, both of them in white button-down shirts and both also quite cute. One of them reached out now, glanced at her ticket, and handed the guy in blue a set of keys. Pointing him toward the back corner of the lot he said, “You’re supposed to run,” and watched with visible amusement as the guy took off at a jog.

“Is he a trainee?” Ava asked. “Is that why he’s wearing a different shirt?”

“Yeah, something like that,” the guy who had handed over the keys said in a sort of strangled voice. “We’re still trying him out.” At that the other valet made a strange choking sound.

Ava watched him with concern. “Is he okay?”

“He will be.”

The trainee valet pulled the car up then and got out, holding the door open for Sophia. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay and get to know me better? There’s a lot—”

Sophia yawned enormously. “I’m sorry,” she told him, blinking. “What were you saying?”

Behind him, the two other valets burst out laughing.

The trainee shook his head. “Man, I must need some better material. Drive safe, ladies.”

As they pulled out, Ava turned to Sophia, beaming. “That was a really good night. I
love
LA
.”

Sophia was thrilled to see Ava so happy. Even if it meant that she hummed Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” from the moment they got home, through brushing her teeth, washing her face, changing into her pajamas, spritzing her bed with lavender water, turning out the light, and calling good night to Sophia.

“We did it, sis,” she said from her room.

“Yes we did,” Sophia agreed.

“World, prepare for a London invasion.”

*   *   *

Sophia washed her face and brushed her teeth and got into bed.

And got out of bed and put on fuzzy socks and went to her computer. As tired as she’d been at Mr. C, she suddenly felt restless. It was like her body was tired but her mind would not stop clicking along. She pulled out her vintage pale pink chair and turned on her computer, trying to decide what her next vlog would be about.

Sophia checked her e-mail and saw that she had a slew of unchecked Facebook messages. She logged into the site, and that’s when she saw them. A dozen pictures of Clay that had been tagged by a mutual friend, all of them different variations of him being wrapped around the same girl. In one they were kissing. In another they were hugging. In the next they were hugging and kissing. But the worst parts were the comments. “You and your new
GF
are
SO CUTE!!!
” “So happy you finally found The One.” “You two are the perfect couple—great pic!”