*This is an exclusive sneak peek of published Book *
"I love Coachella!"
These are the words that spill out of my mouth as soon as we step through the doors of our house. I knew it'd be amazing, but I literally lose my breath at the sight of the rock-pool water feature built into the entrance, water spilling into a sparkling blue pool that wraps around the floorplan, running through each bedroom's private sun terrace and onto the back patio, where we're surrounded by hills and a beautiful view of the valley.
"This is what I'm talking about, baby! Check out this place!" Maya drops her bags on the huge fluffy carpet and spins in a circle, linking our arms together and jumping with me excitedly when I do the same.
Jessie's jaw drops. "It's as big as a freaking hotel!"
"Just for us," I tell her proudly, glimpsing the twenty-seater dining table piled high with PR packages and complimentary gifts. My partner for the cosmetics company set up a cute balloon arch, a full bar cart resembling a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, and personalized gilt-framed photos of me and Maya hang from the walls, interspersed between expensive-looking contemporary art pieces.
"Fuck, yeah," Val enthuses, kicking off her sandals and untying the white kimono she wore on the drive over. "Ugh, don't you just love a fully stocked bar."
Shrugging the kimono onto the floor, she busies herself mixing drinks for us, laughing when Tripp walks in behind us and does a double take at Val in her bright-yellow strapless bikini. His crush on her could not be more obvious, and I would love to see Val with a great guy like him. They have undeniable natural chemistry if only either would be brave enough to just admit it and put a label on it. I make a snap decision to make sure the two of them spend as much time together as possible over the course of the festival.
"Now I know why your luggage is so damn heavy," he says with a low whistle, rolling the Louis Vuitton suitcase inside and dumping an armful of designer purses and a duffel bag beside it. "You couldn't have even worn one outfit for the ride out here?"
"He's saying this like he hasn't been eye-fucking you through the kimono the whole time," I joke with a wink at them both, checking to make sure our driver's all good with the rest of our luggage before heading farther into the house.
"Okay, I call dibs on the room with the waterfall shower," Maya declares. "I don't know which one it is, but I need it."
"I'll take any room," Jess says with wide eyes, strolling trancelike around the villa as she takes it all in. "Seriously, I'll happily sleep on the couch if I have to. I'm just thrilled to be here."
"Your bed better be big enough for us all to fit inside it, Princess," Val calls to me as I follow Jessie. "I still want my bedtime lullaby!"
"Lullaby?" Tripp asks, confused, but Val only dismisses him with a wave of her hand.
Once we're decided on our rooms, Val and Tripp spend some time in the pool while Jessie helps Maya take pics out in the golden-hour light. I change out of the sweatpants I traveled in and select a white couture one-piece and a pair of Oran sandals, snapping a photo in the floor-to-ceiling mirror of my en suite bathroom.
Me: You still coming? Waiting <3
I attach the photo to my text and send it to John, scrolling back through our messages to find the last one he sent me eight hours ago, while we were waiting on him to arrive at my apartment back in LA.
John: Something came up at the studio, baby. Gonna be delayed
John: Head to Coachella without me. I'll get a ride with a friend
John: Sorry, P., can't talk rn. Call you later. I'll be there, just late dw
John: <3
I let out a deep sigh. He still hasn't called me back, and I have no clue what he's caught up with. About the only thing saving me from spiraling is knowing Riley arrived in the valley yesterday—I saw her Instagram story showing off the view from her room—and John stayed at mine until late last night, not leaving until almost two in the morning.
But where the hell is he now?
As I walk to the patio in the back, I scroll through my messages, replying to everyone who's texted me since we arrived. There's a message from Kimi checking we made it to the house safely, a message from Wayne with a link to our itinerary for the festival, and a message from Win.
Win: Hope you got there safe. Check out the wine cellar when you get a chance. My treat
Wine cellar? I didn't even realize we had one. But through the kitchen, I spot a little alcove behind the breakfast bar and a door leading down a set of stone stairs. My sandals slap each step as I go down into a dimly lit room lined from floor to ceiling with wine racks, a tall mahogany table in the center with two barstools either side of it.
"Oh my god." I chuckle to myself as I lift the lid on the large wooden case sitting on the table, a pink bow and gift tag reading Princess beckoning me toward it. Inside are six bottles of wine with personalized labels in various shades of pink. Lifting each one out, I realize they're bespoke bottles of champagne, the first two named after my two EPs, and the others named Princess, Jessie, Maya, and Val. One for each of us.
I text Win back immediately, grinning the whole time I'm typing.
Me: You are unbelievable. How on earth did you pull this off?
I add a heart eyes emoji and hit Send, feeling an itch of heat flash through me when he replies straight away.
Win: I know some people
Me: This is so thoughtful. Thank you so much!!
Win: Have a great time, Princess
Win: Don't drink it all at once
I laugh as I head back upstairs into the house carrying the Princess bottle with me. Out on the patio, Maya's teaching Jessie the choreography from an old music video of mine while Tripp and Val lounge poolside. Before I even register what's happening, my song starts playing loudly and Maya's dragging me into the dance routine.
"Are you filming this?" I shout as she grinds up on me like the guys in the video.
Instead of answering she just sings along wildly, pulling the champagne bottle out of my hands and using it like a microphone. Jessie's in hysterics as she messes up a move, and I quickly get into the rhythm with them both, laughing and dancing along.
"Oh my god, Tripp!" Maya shrieks beside me, and the next thing I see is Tripp running behind us on the patio shaking the bottle in his hands.
"You asshole!" Val laughs from the poolside as he pops the cork and the champagne sprays all over us, wrecking the dance routine as we scream and giggle, trying to leap out of the way of the spray.
"Tripp!" I yell, but when he starts to run away and slips in the puddle of champagne, falling flat on his ass and sliding with a dramatic, "Noooo!" into the pool with a huge splash, I collapse to my knees with laughter, struggling to breathe.
"Ohmygod." Maya laughs, too, grabbing my arm as she falls to her knees beside me. "What the fuck was that! Oh. My. GOD."
"Please tell me you got that on camera!" Jessie can barely talk between her hysterical laughs, clutching her sides as she stumbles over to where Maya had propped her phone against a flowerpot. "That was hilarious. Oh my god. Oh yes! Yes, you got it!" She snatches the phone and hurries over to us. "Maya, you have to post this on TikTok. Please!"
"Please!" I beg, laughing hard as I watch it play out again onscreen. "The look on your face, Tripp!"
"What can I say? I turned your guys' little thirst trap into a full-length action movie," he jokes, swimming up to where Val's dangling her legs over the edge and wetting her with pool water as he shakes out his hair.
"Come on, Tripp!" she says, exasperated, but I catch the smirk on her lips as he bats his lashes and makes puppy-dog eyes up at her, swimming even closer to wrap an arm around her legs.
They really are so cute together. I don't know how they're not official yet.
"Okay, I posted it," Maya says, exiting out of TikTok on her phone. "Everyone's gonna love this."
"Hey, did you see the bottle Tripp stole? Personalized champagne from Win—one for each of us!"
"He did not!" Maya takes the bottle from where Tripp left it on the patio and spins it around in her hands. "Classy man!"
"Right?" I open up TikTok on my phone ready to like and comment on Maya's video. "He's the best. I also had no idea this place had a wine cellar, it's a vibe down there."
"Hello." Maya raises her eyebrows. "I saw the stocked bar cart, but a wine cellar just hits different."
"You should go check it out." I watch the video again and shake my head. "This is so good, Maya."
I scroll through the comments, full of the usual heart eyes and fire emojis and fan messages, along with laughing emojis and a dozen or so messages speculating on Tripp and Val's closeness in the pool at the start of the video. I wonder if Tripp only got out in the first place to draw attention away from him and Val. They're both so secretive about everything when it comes to their "friendship," but it's amazing how many fans still pick up on their vibe. Maybe some couples are just naturally well suited.
I wonder if people think the same about me and John.
It's as his name pops into my head that my eyes land on the top comment on Maya's video, and my face drops.
"What?" Jessie asks, noticing my expression change instantly. "Oh god, are they saying something bad?"
"Uh, Maya," I say, tapping her on the shoulder to bring her attention to the comment in question.
"What's up?" She frowns and leans in to check out what I'm showing her. "Wait, what?" She blinks and reads the comment again in total disbelief. "Um, why is she commenting on my TikTok?"