VON REMEMBER US ENGLISH COMPLETED

TAKE TWO

Chapter One

A nightclub would have been bad enough, but when Maddie Bauers heard the stereo pulsing loudly outside the Woodland Hills house, she froze, and prepared to march full stomp back to her car.

“Oh, come on.” Bree flashed her puppy-dog eyes, the ones that usually got her anything and anyone.

Maddie pursed her full lips. “You said one drink, Bree. This is not one drink. This is a noise violation and disorderly conduct ticket waiting to happen.”

“This is fun waiting to happen.” Bree tossed her long blonde hair behind her shoulder. “I know you’re frigid and anti-good times, but one fucking party isn’t going to kill you. As your best friend, it’s my duty to tell you that you need to chillax. Have a good time.” Bree leaned closer to Maddie. “And I heard from someone who heard from someone else that the cast and crew of the latest Davenport indie might show up. That means hot celebrities.” She raised her hands triumphantly above her head. “Woo hoo!”

“First of all, I couldn’t care less about celebrities. Secondly, how do you know they’re hot?”

Bree waggled her eyebrows. “Let’s just say I heard some rumors.”

Maddie groaned. “I’m so leaving.”

“Come on. Don’t you want to celebrate your graduation even a little bit?”

“I am perfectly happy to celebrate on our couch with a glass of red wine.”

“Maddie, I hate to tell you this, but for twenty-two, you are old.”

Bree had a point. Maddie had always been serious, probably too serious for her own good. But it paid off. While the rest of the students in her film class partied and fumbled their way through college, she’d graduated with several completed independent films under her belt and landed a summer internship with the Oscar-winning filmmaker Joss Beaumont. Maddie was headed for a lifelong career in the film biz and she rarely let parties or men distract her.

Bree was another story. Maddie believed the petite buxom blonde would try to sleep her way into a starring film role—a goal bound to get her into trouble sooner or later. Parties like this one could bring that trouble sooner rather than later, and leaving Bree there alone was probably not such a good idea.

Maddie sighed. “Okay, okay, I’ll stay.” Before Bree could squeal with happiness, Maddie gave conditions. “But you have to promise not to abandon me in some corner like you usually do. And whoever you decide to randomly hook up with, promise me you’ll use a condom.”

“You act like I’m such a slut.” Bree pulled Maddie toward the front door. “But yes, I do have a condom. In fact, I brought two.”

“Are you planning to get lucky twice?”