A Million Kisses or More (36 page)

“Could you maybe make it two?” Ana asked hopefully, knowing she had already pressed her luck about as far as it could go but needing to push it a little bit further.

“Two it is,” the woman said. “Under what name?”

Crap, Ana wasn’t sure. There might be another Ana that could potentially steal her reservation so she would use her given name. Besides, it wasn’t so bad now that she knew the story behind it. “Um, Anavrin Smithfield.”

“Done,” the woman said. “We’ll see you at two. If you’re even a second late, you lose your table.”

“Thank you!” Ana gushed, hanging up and glancing back at her computer. The restaurant was on the other side of the city and if she didn’t leave now, she might miss her two o’clock reservation. In a rush, she grabbed her purse and flew out of the office, down the elevator, and out the building. That was one thing, one of many things, she hated about the city: traffic was a bitch and a half and it often took forty-five minutes to travel ten miles. At least she wouldn’t have to stand in line, as long as she wasn’t late.

While the restaurant was off the main roads, she found it with relatively no problem. It was the parking that was a pain in the ass. She ended up parking nearly three blocks away, which meant she had to walk three blocks back. She could only hope she remembered where she parked. Pushing the sunglasses onto the top of her head, she studied the restaurant and wondered what was so special about it. While it smelled utterly divine, it wasn’t at all fancy, just as the hostess said. Yet there was a line that wrapped around the block and if she wasn’t mistaken there were several up and coming actors and actresses that she recognized.

Trying to keep her mouth closed and her guilt to a minimum, she weaved through the crowd and made it to the front just before two. Smiling at the hostess who was far prettier and younger than Ana expected, she said, “Hi, I’m Anavrin.”

“Excuse me,” an annoyed man growled from behind her. Turning around, she found herself staring into Nolan Mars slate gray eyes. Instead of saying anything to her, he pushed past her and said to the hostess, “I was next in line and I’d like a table for one, something out of the way preferably.”

“Excuse me,” Ana said, sliding in front of him and staring up at the face that was plastered all over the internet. It was hard to stop herself from blushing because it wasn’t just his face that was shown. There were just as many images of his naked butt as well. “I’m standing right here.”

He looked down at her and gave her his most charming grin. He wavered slightly and it was only slightly apparent that he was drunk, until she smelled him. The stench of alcohol coming off of him was enough to make her eyes water. Jeeze, it was only two in the afternoon. “So you are.”

Turning back to the hostess, he arched a single eyebrow and murmured, “Well? My table?”

“You’ll have to wait a few more minutes, Mr. Mars,” the woman said. She looked a lot like the actress that was in the allergy commercial and a movie that was about to come out but Ana wasn’t going to ask since there were a lot of people waiting in line, including the gorgeous but irritated Nolan Mars. A smile lit the woman’s face as she turned to Ana. “Anavrin, I was just about to give your seat away.”

“I still have five minutes,” Ana protested but she did it with an easy smile, recognizing a kindred spirit in the hostess. Glancing at the crowd, many of whom were staring daggers at her, and trying to ignore Nolan Mars, she leaned closer, “Thank you so much, by the way.”

“No problem,” the woman said, grabbing a couple of menus. Leading Ana through the crowded restaurant, she said over her shoulder, “Anyone who is engaged to a man named Harry is all right in my book.”

“Are you engaged to a Harry?” Ana asked as they stopped at a table.

The woman’s face lit up and her eyes darted to the side as she said, “Not yet but I hope to be soon.”

Ana turned her head to see what had snagged the waitress’s attention and saw the largest, most intimidating man she had ever seen in her life. He was huge, his skin roped with muscles and covered in tattoos, his hair a vibrant mishmash of colors, his ears and heavy brows studded with earrings. But his smile was filled with love as he met the woman’s eyes. In a low voice, Ana said, “So that’s your Harry?”

“Yep,” the hostess confirmed as she set the menus down. “Enjoy your meal. I hope you don’t have to wait too long for your sister. My own sister can be notoriously late, especially now that she’s married to Winter Mitchell.”

Ana fell into her seat with a plop, her suspicion confirmed. Not only was she the actress, she was also the woman from the tabloid articles she had read the year before. Her name was Fallon Rogers and her sister was the scandalous Flynn Rogers, whose rise to notoriety started with a sex tape she made with Winter Mitchell. While Ana hadn’t actually seen the entire video, she had seen enough, including the end where Winter had declared his devotion to the girl. It was actually kind of sweet, though she highly doubted it had been meant for public consumption.

Did everyone who came to Hollywood to become famous make a sex tape?

Shaking her head, she realized that in her rush to get to the restaurant on time, she hadn’t gone to the bathroom and she really had to go. Looking around in the hopes of seeing her sister, Ana debated whether or not she should wait it out.

“Hi,” a waitress said, stopping beside the table with a beaming smile on her face. Her name tag said
Trini
. “What can I get you started out with?”

“Could I get a sweet tea?” she said, trying not to think about the need to pee. “And a water for my fri… sister?”

“Sure thing,” Trini said, bouncing off without writing it down.

When Ana caught herself once again searching for her sister, she frowned. It was kind of pointless looking for Abby considering Ana had no idea what her sister looked like. Deciding the need was too urgent and it would take no more than two minutes, she made the decision to run to the bathroom, leaving her purse and lightweight sweater behind. Surely no one would steal her seat despite the long line.

Of course she should have realized a purse and a sweater weren’t much in the way of deterrents. She just hadn’t expected to see Nolan Mars sitting at her table, looking completely at ease in her seat. She also hadn’t spent fourteen years at her mother’s side not to have learned a trick or two for dealing with rich and arrogant men. Sitting down, she calmly grabbed her purse and put it next to her.

“Excuse me,” he crooned. “You’re sitting at my table.”

“So I am,” she returned, grabbing her sweater and trying to tug it out from behind him. Grimacing, she continued tugging until there was a loud rip and he finally leaned forward enough for it to break free. She couldn’t bear to see the damage so she put it on the back of the chair and then primly unfolded a napkin and smoothed it over her lap, all the while ignoring Nolan’s bemused grin. Arching her eyebrow, she said, “Your drunken ass can either accept it or sit elsewhere.”

“What’s your name?”

Narrowing her eyes at him, she asked, “Why?”

“There’s just something awfully familiar about you,” he said, stroking his chin as he contemplated where he might know her from. “Have we met before?”

Ana’s heart stopped for a split second and when it started back up, it was beating twice as fast. Maybe her mother hadn’t been exaggerating when she said Ana looked like her father. Maybe if she wore as much makeup as Maddox Cooper she’d look even more like him. “I can tell you right here and now that we’ve never met. Ever.”

“I’m sure you’re right,” he conceded, still watching her too closely. “But I swear I know you.”

“Nolan Mars,” that familiar voice said from behind Ana. “What are you doing in my chair?”

If Ana thought her heart was racing before, hearing her sister’s voice for the first time in real life, she thought her heart might explode. Her palms were suddenly slick and she was almost certain she was going to be sick. Trying to take a few deep breaths to steady her nerves before she threw up all over the table, Ana was about to open her mouth when Nolan let out a low whistle.

“Please tell me the two of you are sisters,” he said.

“Of course,” Abby said with ease, stepping into Ana’s line of sight and giving Nolan a hug as if they were old friends. Ana caught her breath as she saw Abby’s long, long electric blue and peacock green hair. From the side, she saw that they had almost identical profiles and that Abby was much, much younger than Ana had assumed, probably not much older than twenty-five or six. That made a lot more sense considering their dad’s age. Abby’s smile was tight as she said to Nolan, “But you haven’t answered my question. What are you doing in my chair?”

There was something else that was achingly familiar about her but Ana couldn’t quite place it. When Abby finally turned to her, Ana almost fell over except she was already sitting. Abby’s face was the same face that stared back at her every morning, albeit Abby was wearing a lot more makeup. She was also dressed in an outfit that Ana wouldn’t have believed worked together if she hadn’t seen it for herself. Tight, leather pants in black with a plaid top that was sleeveless, torn and tied, exposing the intricate tattoo on Abby’s torso. Ana’s mouth dropped open as she finally figured out who Abby Moore was: Absynthe Montrose.

She should have figured it out sooner since Absynthe was the name of Maddox Cooper’s band but she hadn’t known the infamous Absynthe was his daughter. Her sister. She had just assumed Absynthe’s mother named her after the band not the other way around. Unless it was concurrent?

Belatedly, she came to her feet as Abby continued to stare down at her, the smile faltering on her red, red lips. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Abs… Abby.”

Abby’s lips curved into a wry smile, “You recognize me.”

Ana blushed, though she didn’t know why. How come she never saw the resemblance before this moment? It was true that Absynthe’s makeup was toned way, way down and her signature short, platinum blond hair had grown out and was dyed blue and green, but Ana should have seen it sooner. “I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need for you to apologize,” Abby said graciously, sitting down next to Nolan. Waving her hand through the air, she dismissed the past, “That was a lifetime ago. It is, however, good to finally see you again, Ana. It’s been too long.”

Ana tilted her head to the side, “We’ve met before?”

“When you were a baby. I’ve even held you,” Abby said with a warm smile. Crossing her arms on top of the table, she said, “But that is neither here nor there. You know who I am now; do you still wish to be my PA? I mean you’ve been doing a stellar job for the past three months but I’d understand….”

“I want to stay on, more than anything,” Ana said without hesitation. Absynthe Montrose was even more scandalous than Flynn Rogers. Absynthe’s story had held the entertainment world captive from the time she showed up on the stage when she had been eighteen to the time she fell less than three years later. Twenty-one years old and her life had been destroyed. Somehow, her sister had risen from the ashes even brighter than before. God, Absynthe Montrose was one of the most amazing people Ana had ever heard about and she was her sister.

Abby’s shoulders relaxed a little and her smile brightened as she said, “Excellent.”

From the first time Ana had heard about Absynthe, she had been fascinated, following the reckless starlet’s exploits from the privacy of her room. If she remembered correctly, Absynthe was only three years older than her because Ana had been eighteen when Absynthe’s world imploded. While the press had been merciless with Absynthe in her fall from grace, Ana had always, always sympathized with her. There had been such sadness in her eyes that Ana had been able to see so clearly she wondered why no one else had. Afterwards, Absynthe had disappeared and Ana felt as if a part of her vanished as well.

Now she was dying of curiosity, all of the questions that had plagued her as the whole sordid story played out returning with a vengeance. It took all of her effort to hold her tongue because she wanted to know all of the secrets that she had seen in Absynthe’s eyes, secrets that she could still see in her eyes. God, they had the same eerie green eye color. Unfortunately or fortunately, it was probably the presence of Nolan Mars that kept her silent.

“Do you realize that we would have met sooner had you arrived when you were originally scheduled to start at Madd?” Abby said, her eyes twinkling. “You would have been able to go on tour with me and the band instead of getting stuck in the office.”

Tilting her head to the side, Ana asked, “Why
did
you agree to a later start date?”

“Truthfully?” Abby asked, leaning closer to Ana. At Ana’s nod, she answered, “I was terrified at the thought of finally meeting you so I took the coward’s way out.”

“I can’t imagine you being afraid of anything,” Ana blurted before she could stop the words from coming out. Nolan snorted on the other side of Abby, a smile playing at his full lips. For a moment, Ana wondered if there was something between the two of them but they behaved more like brother and sister than lovers. Jesus, she hoped Nolan Mars wasn’t some long lost brother because she had had some inappropriate thoughts about him over the years. Swallowing, she leaned closer to her sister and said, “Please tell me that he’s not related to us, too.”

Soda flew out of Nolan’s nose as he flew back in his chair, his face beet red. He was either laughing or choking and Ana was too embarrassed to be of any assistance. Apparently he wasn’t related, thank god, though if he didn’t recover soon, she’d be the one responsible for his early demise.

Abby turned to Nolan and ignored his coughing fit as she asked, “Tell me again why you’re sitting at our table?”

Pounding on his chest, Nolan got his choking under control, his smile never fading as he chuckled with delight. “That’s where you’re mistaken, Abs. This charming lady sat down at
my
table.”

“Only after you stole it from me,” Ana countered, not quite able to believe she was sitting between these two people. Her mother had certainly done a very good job of sheltering her and after meeting Abby, Ana could almost understand why.