[18+] Sophia has to ignore her steamy chemistry with British popstar Teddy Stone in order to get revenge on him for upsetting her best friend.
*****
Pop sensation Teddy St...
I'd visited Amsterdam a few times, but never with a global superstar's security entourage. They planned out everything meticulously, from the journey to the hotel to the journey to Teddy's café.
Although Mark expressed his concerns around the latter part of the operation, Teddy came up with some bullshit excuse about needing downtime in order to recharge and perform to the best of his ability in interviews.
He also said something about taking himself there without security if Mark didn't comply, and that probably helped.
As predicted, the café was quiet when we arrived. We settled into a dark corner together and chatted away undisturbed. People came and went, but with Teddy's back to the rest of the room, he remained unnoticed.
It was only the two of us for at least an hour, accompanied by a steady stream of drinks, until his phone rang.
LH
"You can get it," I said, picking up my latest mug. "I need to finish this before it goes cold."
It surprised me when he answered it at the table, before I remembered he couldn't exactly pop outside. Not without Mark having a heart attack.
"Hey, Lace."
Within seconds, they were engaging in the banter I'd witnessed at the club, even though I could only hear one side of the conversation. Perhaps my inside knowledge of their relationship gave me a skewed view, but they still seemed very close for a couple who'd broken up.
"Yeah, she's here with me now, actually." Teddy shot me a wink. "You jealous or something?"
He took a sip of his drink as she replied, lips curving upward at whatever she was saying.
"That wasn't a lie. There's nothing going on. We're just friends.... Maybe I wanted some company on my European round robin... You've hardly been lonely, have you?"
This time her laugh carried out of the phone and faded into the space between us.
"And how is TJ?" he asked. "Has he been keeping you occupied in London? ...Hey, I'm only asking... I know how intense you are when in a relationship... You can persuade a guy to do anything, including leave his hometown to shack up with you while you're lonely..."
I'd been so entranced trying to decipher the one-sided conversation that I didn't notice Mark approaching. He tapped Teddy on the shoulder and then sliced a hand across his throat, eyes flicking to the left of the room.
When I followed his gaze, I noticed two teenage girls huddled together a few tables away, staring at Teddy's back. Teddy clocked on, too, swiftly ending the call. His playful expression morphed into something more serious and guarded. Yet when the girls sidled over, the tension in his sharp jaw surrendered to his trademark dimples.
