SLEAZE: A Hollywood Comeback Story (Book #1)

Chapter 18

“I’ll bring back soup.”

“Parker,” Mom said disapprovingly and I held up my hands in surrender.

“Mom,” I said, racking my brain for a suitable excuse. “It’s not that I don’t want her to come, but she can’t because... Because I still have to buy her a Christmas gift. I was going to duck into the city before the shops close to get her something but if she’s with me it’ll be awkward and--“

Holding up a finger to silence me, Mom said, “Fine, go.” She eyed the keys that I was holding and snatched them from my grip. “But take your dad’s car. The Cadillac needs new tire treads, I don’t want you driving it in the snow.”

I didn’t bother pointing out that she’d picked me up in the sedan, but instead kissed her on the cheek and grabbed the keys to Dad’s Buick from the sideboard behind her.

“Bye, see you in a few hours,” I called over my shoulder, prepared to bolt before I could be tricked into waiting for Sophie to get up, but my mom caught my wrist, stopping me.

"Get her something nice, okay?” she instructed, the expression in her eyes serious.

I nodded, wriggling out of her hold, and promised, “I will.”

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“Dude, sick,” Scott exclaimed as he ripped a mustache-shaped flask out of the duct tape and tissue paper that I’d wrapped his present in. He held the empty container over his upper lip and asked, “Think I could pull it off?”

I laughed and replied, “Not a chance.”

“In that case, I’m definitely going for it,” Scott said, pumping a fist into the air. “Yo, I got you something, too.”

Scott got up from where we were sprawled out on the floor of his bedroom to rummage through a suitcase near the door. Clothes spilled around the piece of luggage and I knew that he hadn’t bothered to fold anything that he’d managed to stuff inside. In fact, I doubted that he had any idea what, if any, of the clothing that he’d brought home was clean.

"Ah,” Scott mumbled to himself as he pulled a long, rolled up sheet of paper from the bottom of the bag. “Shoot. Sorry, man.” He turned to me and tossed the gift onto my lap. “I couldn’t figure out how to wrap it and I think it might’ve gotten messed up on the plane.”

“No big,” I said, shrugging, as I cautiously removed the rubber bands that kept the paper coiled.

As I began to unravel the poster, I noticed that not only were the edges frayed and torn, but the corners of Scott’s mouth were also turned upwards into a smug smile. “What?” I asked, nervous to see what was printed on the paper. “Dude, this isn’t some Playboy thing, is it? My mom would freak.”

“That’s your business, not mine.” Scott laughed. “Check it out.”

As I unfurled the last corner of the poster, I gasped in surprise at the pair of wide, blue eyes staring up at me from the glossy paper. Golden ringlets tumbled around the girl’s face like a halo and a rosy shimmer colored her cheeks. Scott’s snickers grew louder as I punched him on the arm, both amused and annoyed that he’d given me a poster of Sophie Winters as my Christmas gift.

“Thanks a lot,” I said sarcastically, searching for the rubber bands that I’d cast aside. “It’s going up on my wall tonight, for sure.”

“Just like old times,” Scott replied, the self-satisfied expression on his face never wavering. I rubbed my right ear to hide the color that was rushing to it.