Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
I know you’re focused on other things right now
Validly
But take at least a second to realize that you are in SHELBY LINWOODS HOUSE!
Darcy – 6:44P.M.
You could have joined me, you know
She couldn’t help but remind Emerson, who was currently home in Pineford, but was definitely fangirling. An all-caps sentiment was a rare showing from Emerson even via text. Shelby was maybe the only person that could make her react like this, given the number of people they’d met this year.
The shine, the newness, the craziness of it all did start to wear off, eventually. Slowly. Everyone was, technically, just a person. Just like they were.
But Shelby Linwood was Shelby Linwood.
Emerson – 6:44P.M.
So I could vomit all over the gardens she’s famous for? No thanks. I’ll keep your sister company while she’s deciding paint colors
She rolled her eyes.
Darcy – 6:45P.M.
Damn, I should have canceled my RSVP to stay home with Blythe to do that, too
Emerson – 6:45P.M.
Well, I didn’t come out to Juliet Jacobs…
Yep. There was her mission tonight.
If something was coming her way from Juliet, she wanted to be ready. They’d reached somewhat of a truce before; maybe Darcy could figure out how to keep them there, even with… whatever was playing out between them.
She’d been told via email – because Shelby Linwood emailed her, now – that she could bring a plus-one tonight, so she’d extended it to Emerson. But her best friend was self-aware enough to know that this dinner party and her anxiety wouldn’t be a perfect match.
She’d also extended the invitation to Blythe.
But her sister was so wrapped up in her house preparation, unless there was an obligation she had to complete, she wasn’t interested.
Blythe had whole diagrams around their apartment about her plans for this house.
Her blueprints had blueprints. Not even dinner at Shelby Linwood’s house enticed her away. Which was so unsettling to Darcy.
But she’d had to go forward with the belief that it was probably for the best.
She’d been telling Juliet the truth at the studio: she didn’t want to go out without Blythe or Emerson. She was fine doing things by herself, but it wasn’t nearly as much fun as experiencing new things without her sister or best friend.
Tonight, unfortunately, wasn’t about fun.
It was about zeroing in on Juliet.
She nearly forgot about that when the door opened, and she was face-to-face with Shelby, herself. Her eyes widened as surprise shot through her. “I didn’t think you’d answer your own door.”
“And I put on my shoes one foot at a time,” Shelby joked, her own thick accent mingling comfortingly with Darcy’s.
A smile flashed across her face, as she brushed her hands over her thighs before offering one to Shelby. “I’m Darcy. Kincaid. It’s – really, it’s such an honor.”
Shelby shook her hand with a firm grip. “I know who you are, honey. I requested you for my tribute album. Now, come on in.”
Darcy stepped through the threshold as Shelby waved her in, barely managing not to trip over her own feet in wonder. “You requested me?”
Okay, fine. Juliet could out her, whatever. Shelby fucking Linwood had requested Darcy to be on her album.
If she’d thought at any point in the last eight months that she’d been living the dream, she was wrong. This was the dream.
Shelby closed the door. “I hope you didn’t think I was going to let those execs at Copper Canyon make the final decisions for that album.”
“I…” She trailed off, entirely unsure of what the hell to say to that. What?! “Thank you. Seriously. It was such an honor. I didn’t even realize you knew who I was.”
She certainly wouldn’t expect her to.
Shelby scoffed at her. “It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been around; you keep track of new talent. Besides, that song of yours – yours and Juliet’s – was the best earworm I’ve heard all year.”
The bomb dropped in the back of her mind, pleasure and pride singing through her.
At the very least, she supposed she couldn’t regret the drama she’d allowed herself to get sucked into with Juliet. Otherwise, apparently, she’d have never provided Shelby with her favorite tune of the damn year.
“I’m staying stationed by the door to greet everyone as they arrive tonight. But feel free to go take a self-guided tour,” Shelby encouraged her, as there was a little jingle that sounded next to her ear.
Darcy startled, realizing that there were cameras and alerts mounted on the wall to her right.
Which made total sense, because this was Shelby’s house.
She obviously would have a ton of security systems. And this was how she was keeping an eye on people coming and going to greet them at the door.
Granted, they’d already been let in from the gate from the street, too. Double secure.
“I’ll see you at dinner. I want to pick your brain.” Shelby gave her another warm smile – surreal. Shelby wanted to pick her brain? – before she turned her attention to the next guest coming up the walkway.
“I’m looking forward to it,” she returned, hesitating before taking another step. “Speaking of Juliet, is she here yet?”
“Mhmm,” Shelby confirmed, tilting her head. “I think she was at the bar last time I saw her.”
The bar? The bar that, apparently, existed inside of Shelby’s house?
“Ah… thanks.”
Darcy was on a mission, it was true.
But she couldn’t complete her mission of seeking out Juliet without doing exactly what Shelby had encouraged, taking a “self-guided tour.” She’d been in some big freaking houses over the last several months, but this was unlike anything she’d ever seen.
She felt like she was exploring some sort of museum, traversing the home that Shelby had had custom built decades ago, engineered right into the Hollywood Hills.
It was a little dizzying to take it all in. To think about how this was how some people just lived their normal lives. She lived in an eight hundred square foot apartment with two other people, and this house had an indoor sauna.
Her ears perked up when she caught the tune of a piano, and she followed the melody through to the back of the house.
As soon as she walked into the open, airy room with the sunken center and giant panoramic view of the city, she nearly swallowed her tongue. Opulence was the only word that came to mind, as she clearly found the party.
It wasn’t a speaker system or even a vintage record player; someone was literally sitting there, playing a grand piano.
Not just someone, she realized, but Arika Batiste.
The Arika Batiste! Just as much of a legend as Shelby was.
Sitting there, casually playing. Chatting with someone from the label Darcy recognized by face but didn’t remember his name.
This was also why she didn’t like to go out without Emerson and Blythe.
They were all new to this, together. Both of them would be amazed to be standing in this room, the same way Darcy was, and she wouldn’t have to feel like an idiot. Because no one else in here was daunted at all, that was clear.
Darcy was silently thanking herself for having been smart enough to have Ayla, their stylist, outfit her for the night. Even though it had said “a relaxed dinner party,” there was nothing relaxed about this.
Wearing her black high neck jumpsuit, she fit in with how chic everyone else was.
Granted, she was pretty sure she was more comfortable, and she appreciated that Ayla knew that Darcy really preferred to prioritize comfort.
She wasn’t in heels, and no one could tell because the long, wide cut of the pants covered her right to her feet, covering up the sneakers she had on.
The guy she couldn’t remember from the label stepped slightly to the side, revealing Juliet to her. She’d been perfectly hidden from Darcy’s sight by Label Guy and a pillar.
It was crazy how different Juliet was right now from how she’d been the last time she’d seen her.
Shirtless, prowling toward Darcy with dark eyes, either taunting her or hitting on her – Darcy was going to find out which one it was – her hair a little messy from having pulled off her shirt overhead.
Given that she had eyes, she’d always been able to see that Juliet was beautiful. But she’d never thought of her as sexy until that moment at the studio. She’d found her attractive, but she hadn’t been attracted to her.
And now that switch had been flicked inside of her, Darcy realized.
Because the Juliet standing across the room from her should look like Previous Juliet.
Her hair was scooped up on one side with a silver comb, and she had on very subtle makeup. Her dress was dark green, just flowy enough for Darcy to think of it as bohemian, but beautifully snug to her waist and just under her breasts.
That was absolutely classic-Juliet style.
But now, Darcy’s mind and body were betraying her. Now, her mind escaped to a place it shouldn’t be allowed to go, wondering if Juliet was wearing some sexy lingerie underneath, the way she’d been at the studio.
What, exactly, did country’s sweetheart have going on under the surface?
Unfortunately, Darcy was dying to know.
It was at that exact moment that Juliet skimmed her eyes over the room.
They landed on Darcy and paused, but she didn’t miss a beat as she continued her conversation with Label Guy.
Even as her eyes stayed on Darcy for several seconds longer than they stayed on anyone else, and Darcy felt the weight of her stare.
She caught and held her breath, staring right back.
Daring Juliet to do what she’d done a couple of weeks ago, and make the first move. Be bold, Juliet, she silently dared her. Make your move.
She felt a tingle race down her spine with anticipation as she watched Juliet nod at Label Guy, before she seemed to excuse herself, as she started to walk away.
Only she didn’t walk toward Darcy.
And her stomach dropped and her eyes narrowed when Juliet disappeared down one of the other hallways off the other side of the room.