Followed ✓

.bonus chapter. (3)

"Cait?"

Val popped her head into the front door of the apartment I shared Andrew in Dumbo, a wealthy suburb near the Brooklyn Bridge, and I squealed at the sound of her familiar. The eyeliner I'd been trying to apply (okay, failing to apply) for the last fifteen minutes was abandoned on the bathroom counter as I sprinted down the hall to the front door.

"You're back," I grabbed my best friend in a hug, both of us spinning as we laugh. "When did you get back? How was Hong Kong? I thought you weren't coming back until next month! Wh--"

"Deep breaths," Val snickered. "I can only answer one question at a time."

I laughed, "So answer the most important one. How are you?"

"I'm good," she replied, shrugging off her coat as I lead her toward the sofa.

Once she sits down, I circle the furniture and head toward the refrigerator in our loft-style apartment. With high ceilings, exposed brick walls, and gorgeous wood floors, the apartment was definitely out of my pay-grade, but it was still a step down from Andrew's old apartment that his agent tried to insist he kept for 'status'. Thankfully, he refused, and we moved in here together three months ago.

"Wine?" I asked, pulling out a chilled bottle of rosé and two glasses. "Continue, I'm still listening."

Val nodded, "Obviously. But yeah, I'm good. A little jet lagged, but the triple espresso I downed on the way here should be kicking in soon."

"Wait, so you just landed?" I asked, handing her a glass of the wine before sitting next to her on the sofa.

"About an hour ago, yeah," she took a sip of her wine and smiled. "God, I missed you."

I smiled, "I missed you too! I'm so glad you're back."

"Me too," Val replied. "Hong Kong was amazing, I absolutely loved going on the press tour, but damn I'm tired. It's good to be home, ya know?"

A few months ago, Val had been hired as a social media consultant by one of Andrew's costars, much to her excitement. It hadn't turned into a whirlwind romance - at least, not yet - but she loved every part of her job. She worked alongside his publicist, thanks to a good word from Andrew's publicist Jazmin, and she volunteered to accompany the cast on the international leg of their press tour while they promoted their latest film. I hadn't seen her in a few months, and - aside from a few text messages and the odd five minute FaceTime call - she'd been too busy to talk as well.

"Yeah," I replied, taking a drink of my wine. "Is that it then? Or is there another leg?"

She sighed dramatically, "Oh, it's never 'it' in this industry. I have a press junket in Manhattan in...oh..." she checks her watch. "An hour. Shit."

"Oh, " my face fell, and I barely managed to bite back my disappointment. "That's okay, maybe we can catch up tomorrow? Get noodles at Xi'an?"

The Chinese restaurant is one of our old favorites, and we'd made more than one late-night trip to get their hand-ripped noodles. The last time we went, it was pouring rain and almost freezing outside in the middle of April, and we were shivering the entire time we waited for our food, but the spicy lamb more than made up for the chill soaking our bones.

She took another drink of her wine, finishing off the glass quickly as she checked the time, before placing the empty glass on the floor next to her feet.

"What if you come with me?"

"Now?" I asked. "Like this?"

"Why not? I think Jazmin is going to be there, and she'd love to see you."

I bit my lip, "I'm supposed to be meeting Andrew for dinner, but..." Val put on her best puppy dog face, and I rolled my eyes. "I can get a cab from there."

Finishing off my glass of wine and depositing our empty glasses in the sink, I beckoned her to follow me back to the bathroom attached to our bedroom to help me finish getting ready. I'd already failed three eyeliner attempts, but Val was able to fix it for me in a few quick swipes. After changing into my favorite black jeans, a thick cable knit grey sweater, and a pair of black ankle boots, we headed out of the apartment and downstairs to where she already had an Uber waiting.

"The Plaza?" The Uber driver asked, and Val nodded.

"The Plaza."

Hey friends!

In case you didn't know, we're getting close to the one year anniversary of FOLLOWED. That's right, I started writing this book on November 1, 2016 and finished it in October 2016, so I wanted to write a little something to celebrate!

Stay tuned, because I'll be releasing another bonus chapter on Wednesday, November 1st.

Until then - let's celebrate FOLLOWED by re-reading the book together! Be sure to leave comments, because I'll be selecting random readers to receive a few cool prizes.

Love,
Jandra