confided. “I was an equal opportunity abuser.”
“Tell me about it,” Susan agreed. “I haven’t been away from Hazelden for more than few days, but I’d kill for a shot of vodka. Not Stoli. Flagman. Iced. Liquid bliss.”
“Totally,” Cammie agreed. She spotted a pair of black pants and lifted them off the rack. “But it’s not a good idea. Listen, we should change the subject. They told me in rehab that the worst possible thing to do is to start talking with another addict about how much you liked your drug of choice. Hey, why don’t you try these pants? Then we can hit M·A·C. I’m out of Spice lip pencils.”
Susan smiled and took the pants from Cammie. “Okay. Be right back.”
“You got it,” Cammie said.
No
, she thought as Susan disappeared into one of the changing rooms. I’ve got it.
Actually, I’ve got
her.
Hook, line, and sinker. All I have to do is reel her in, anytime I want to
.
Cousin Alexis
“S o, how many movie stars do you know?” Alexis asked Ben as they strolled down the Santa Monica promenade. It was a gorgeous evening, in the low seventies, and the outdoor parts of the restaurants were all full. They passed a mime playing a harmonica and two kids tap-dancing on a makeshift cardboard stage.
Ben had to laugh. His cousin Alexis, who lived in Salt Lake City, Utah, of all places, had just turned fifteen. With her glossy auburn hair falling over one eye and cargo pants that bared inches of taut midriff, she could easily have passed for twenty—that is, until she opened her mouth. Then she sounded more like she was twelve.
“Oh, dozens,” Ben teased.
“Stop!” She playfully bumped her hip into him. “I’m serious!”
Alexis and her parents hadn’t been to Los Angeles to visit Ben’s family for three years, and she was so excited, she could barely keep from skipping down the promenade.
“Okay, I know a couple,” Ben admitted. “But I’m not name-dropping.”
“Aw, c’mon,” Alexis wheedled as they strolled past a Banana Republic and a street vendor selling silver earrings. “Please?”
“Jackson Sharpe. In fact, I was just at his wedding.”
“Wow!” Alexis breathed. “That is so cool. I mean he’s really old and everything, but still. So what was the wedding like? Who was there?”
Anna was there
, Ben thought. Why did every road seem to lead to her?
“Was Jennifer Aniston there?” Alexis prompted. “Or Beyonce? Oh my God, I would kill to meet her. Or how about Tobey Maguire? He is so hot.”
“Nope,” Ben said. “But … let’s see. Mike Myers was there. And Jim Carrey. And Nicole Kidman.”
“Get
out!
” Alexis exclaimed. “Oh my God, did you dance with Nicole?”
I danced with Anna
, Ben thought. He could see her in his mind’s eye: flaxen hair flowing to her shoulders, swinging against her high cheekbones. The elegance of her slender neck. The spot just between her collarbones where he’d kissed her—
“So did you?” Alexis interrupted.
“I had a date,” Ben explained.
Suddenly, as if thinking about Anna had conjured her up, he saw her heading toward him. She was almost all the way down the block with some guy, laughing. No, it couldn’t be her. It was just some other tall, lithe blonde—
She came closer. It really was her. And she was with Adam Flood. Their arms were linked. They looked so happy.
It was like a fist to Ben’s gut. So that was the real reason she’d blown him off. She was with Adam. Damn. Why couldn’t it be some asshole? Adam was a good guy, even though, at the moment, Ben wished he would curl up and die.
“That girl is looking at you,” Alexis said, jutting her chin toward Anna. “Do you know her?”
“Do me a favor, Al, pretend you’re my girlfriend, okay?” Ben asked.
“Yeah, I guess,” she said with a shrug. “But why?”
“Tell you later. And I’ll owe you one. Anna!” he called. Ben and Alexis headed for Anna and Adam. Ben quickly introduced everyone. He put his arm around
“Tell me about it,” Susan agreed. “I haven’t been away from Hazelden for more than few days, but I’d kill for a shot of vodka. Not Stoli. Flagman. Iced. Liquid bliss.”
“Totally,” Cammie agreed. She spotted a pair of black pants and lifted them off the rack. “But it’s not a good idea. Listen, we should change the subject. They told me in rehab that the worst possible thing to do is to start talking with another addict about how much you liked your drug of choice. Hey, why don’t you try these pants? Then we can hit M·A·C. I’m out of Spice lip pencils.”
Susan smiled and took the pants from Cammie. “Okay. Be right back.”
“You got it,” Cammie said.
No
, she thought as Susan disappeared into one of the changing rooms. I’ve got it.
Actually, I’ve got
her.
Hook, line, and sinker. All I have to do is reel her in, anytime I want to
.
Cousin Alexis
“S o, how many movie stars do you know?” Alexis asked Ben as they strolled down the Santa Monica promenade. It was a gorgeous evening, in the low seventies, and the outdoor parts of the restaurants were all full. They passed a mime playing a harmonica and two kids tap-dancing on a makeshift cardboard stage.
Ben had to laugh. His cousin Alexis, who lived in Salt Lake City, Utah, of all places, had just turned fifteen. With her glossy auburn hair falling over one eye and cargo pants that bared inches of taut midriff, she could easily have passed for twenty—that is, until she opened her mouth. Then she sounded more like she was twelve.
“Oh, dozens,” Ben teased.
“Stop!” She playfully bumped her hip into him. “I’m serious!”
Alexis and her parents hadn’t been to Los Angeles to visit Ben’s family for three years, and she was so excited, she could barely keep from skipping down the promenade.
“Okay, I know a couple,” Ben admitted. “But I’m not name-dropping.”
“Aw, c’mon,” Alexis wheedled as they strolled past a Banana Republic and a street vendor selling silver earrings. “Please?”
“Jackson Sharpe. In fact, I was just at his wedding.”
“Wow!” Alexis breathed. “That is so cool. I mean he’s really old and everything, but still. So what was the wedding like? Who was there?”
Anna was there
, Ben thought. Why did every road seem to lead to her?
“Was Jennifer Aniston there?” Alexis prompted. “Or Beyonce? Oh my God, I would kill to meet her. Or how about Tobey Maguire? He is so hot.”
“Nope,” Ben said. “But … let’s see. Mike Myers was there. And Jim Carrey. And Nicole Kidman.”
“Get
out!
” Alexis exclaimed. “Oh my God, did you dance with Nicole?”
I danced with Anna
, Ben thought. He could see her in his mind’s eye: flaxen hair flowing to her shoulders, swinging against her high cheekbones. The elegance of her slender neck. The spot just between her collarbones where he’d kissed her—
“So did you?” Alexis interrupted.
“I had a date,” Ben explained.
Suddenly, as if thinking about Anna had conjured her up, he saw her heading toward him. She was almost all the way down the block with some guy, laughing. No, it couldn’t be her. It was just some other tall, lithe blonde—
She came closer. It really was her. And she was with Adam Flood. Their arms were linked. They looked so happy.
It was like a fist to Ben’s gut. So that was the real reason she’d blown him off. She was with Adam. Damn. Why couldn’t it be some asshole? Adam was a good guy, even though, at the moment, Ben wished he would curl up and die.
“That girl is looking at you,” Alexis said, jutting her chin toward Anna. “Do you know her?”
“Do me a favor, Al, pretend you’re my girlfriend, okay?” Ben asked.
“Yeah, I guess,” she said with a shrug. “But why?”
“Tell you later. And I’ll owe you one. Anna!” he called. Ben and Alexis headed for Anna and Adam. Ben quickly introduced everyone. He put his arm around
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