<b>Chapter </b>413


    During dinner, Vanessa called Aria abouting to Mandino City,


    Aria hadn’t put her phone on speaker, but the table was so quiet that Owen caught most of the conversation they were nning a night out for furt


    Owen knew that Aria would never be the type to suggest hiring male models.


    That had Vanessa written all over it. Honestly, if anyone should be panicking, it was Kim, not him<i>. </i>


    He loungedfortably with a book, but a few minutester, he realized he’d been staring at the same page for ages.


    What if those models got a little too handsy and Aria couldn’t fend them off?


    A sudden image shed through his mind–shirtless models flexing beside Aria, deliberately showing off, leaning in close with no shame, making her flustered.


    He shut his book, suddenly a little tense.


    He remembered that time she identally caught him changing.


    She’d turned away in a panic.


    Aria had zero experience with this kind of thing.


    He got up to change his shoes, grabbed his keys–then hesitated.


    What right did he have to go?


    He hadn’t even won her over yet and was about to startying down rules? Anyone would get annoyed, and Aria didn’t even like him yet.


    If he showed up and she got mad, that’d be even worse.


    He put the keys down. But the scene in his head kept ying.


    His eyesnded on a potted nt; almost without thinking, he plucked a flower and began pulling off petals.


    “Go. Don’t go. Go. Don’t go. Go…”


    When there were just two petals left, the answer was “Don’t go,”


    He yanked off thest two, and said aloud, “Go.”


    Decision made, he snatched up the keys and left, mming the door behind him. Only the lonely petals remained on the floor.


    On his way out, Owen pulled up his chat with Julia.


    Owen: [Hey, cutie, what are you all up to<b>?</b><b>] </b>


    It took a few minutes before Julia replied, clearly too busy having fun:


    Julia: [We’re ying games!]


    Then she sent <b>a </b>photo.


    な


    The shot was of Aria, caught midughter, her profile glowing, one hand resting under her chin, the other holding an almost empty wine ss.


    Across from her, a hand with <b>a </b>bottle was reaching in for a refill. Several empty bottles littered <b>the </b>table.


    <b>1/2 </b>


    Owen exhaled<b>, </b>got in his car, buckled up, and messaged again. is someoneing to pick your all up?!


    Julia<b>: </b>Nope! Are youing?]


    Owen smiled–well, Julia invited him, not him barging in.


    Owen: <b>[</b>Sure, I’lle get you!]


    He floored the gas.


    At the club, Julia pouted after reading Owen’s message. She hadn’t invited him–at least, not on purpose! They weren’t done partying.


    She tugged Cloe’s sleeve, pointing at her watch. “Mom, Owen says he’sing to pick us up.”


    Cloe nced at the chat, lips curling with a mysterious smile. She reached over and powered off Julia’s smartwatch. “Don’t worry about it. Keep ying.”


    The group was in the middle of the world’s most old–school drinking game: truth or dare, <b>with </b><b>a </b>spin–the–bottle twist.


    Just now, one of the male models–Sonny Sanford, the “fair one” Julia had praised–had lost, and his penalty was singing.


    While he crooned, Julia had been distractedly fiddling with her watch<b>. </b>


    When he finished, Sonny gave Julia a soulful look. “Julia, you weren’t even listening!”


    Julia giggled, pped. “I was! It was awesome! Your turn


    to


    spin the bottle.”


    Sonny gave her a helpless smile and spun. The bottle stopped–pointing straight at Aria.


    Julia let out a delighted squeal. “Aria, truth or dare?”


    p


    Aria grinned. “Truth.”


    the male models interrupted, “Hey, since youdies are all friends, shouldn’t we get to ask the


    the


    Vanessa was just about to lob a question when one of question?”