They both shivered.
Juliet breathed out a soft sound against her, before she leaned back.
Darcy chased her lips, wanting more.
Juliet chuckled, and granted her another kiss. Lingering only for another few seconds, before she brought her hands up to grip Darcy’s hips and gently push her back. “We have to stay somewhat on schedule.You, Thief, are very much behind on hair and makeup.”
“Yeah, yeah,” she jokingly muttered, before she fluttered her eyelashes at Juliet. “But do you really think I need a long time in the chair?”
She expected Juliet to laugh and push at her hips and roll her eyes. Which, she did.
But she also murmured, “No.”
Yes, this was precisely what Darcy had needed, as her smile widened, warmth skipping through her.
“So, thereisa slight change of plans tonight.” Juliet winced, holding her thumb and index finger a few centimeters apart as she released Darcy’s hips from her hold.
Darcy hummed. “What kind of change?”
Juliet had planned almost everything for the event, down to even how she’d wanted them to pose for the first few photos after they got out of the car. Darcy was, truly, enamored by it, even if she felt as though that level of planning was unnecessary.
“I don’t know if you watched the podcast yet–”
Her stomach clenched, tension filtering through her. “I… did.”
“Okay. Well, that part where they had me read the text?” Juliet quirked an eyebrow at her, waiting for Darcy to confirm again.
“Mhmm,” she managed to hum without giving away how much she wanted to scowl.
“While you were on your flight, they posted that part as a teaser. Hyping up the premiere tonight, I guess,” Juliet added, waving her hand in the air dismissively.
“Uh huh.” Darcy could already feel what was coming. She was preparing for dark gray storm clouds rapidly coming her way, and she didn’t have an umbrella or her rain jacket. That was precisely the feeling ricocheting through her.
Juliet shrugged, heaving a slightly annoyed sigh. “Agitating, I know. But it’s already done. When you were on your way here, I was on the phone with Robbie to coordinate.”
“To coordinate that he’s going to be coming tonight,” she stated, flatly.
BecauseDarcyhad texted that she couldn’t wait to spend tonight with Juliet. Tension slid through her, making hershoulders literally ache with it. The disappointment that settled inside of her was thick and heavy and bitter.
“Are you… jealous? Of myfake, gay boyfriend?” Juliet’s voice was soft, almost sweet, as she lightly teased Darcy. Obviously not feeling the same negative reaction to this update.
Darcydidhear how ridiculous that sounded, but she couldn’t control how much she fucking hated it. “I’m not jealous,” she disagreed, because… she wasn’t.
Right?
“Not – ugh,” she cut herself off, agitation swiftly settling inside of her, making her feel like a livewire. Like she wanted to be in motion, because she couldn’t contain how shefeltinside. “I’m not jealous in that I believe you and Robbie aretogether. I’m…” She worked her jaw, her breath coming a little faster, as she finally managed to put into words, “I’mjealousthat instead of spending the night next to me, you’re going to spend it next to him. I’m jealous that everyone is going to see you two together and think what a gorgeous couple you two are. And I know no one was going to think of us as a couple, and that was fine. But…”
But it changed the entire tone of the night. It did, undeniably.
It wouldn’t be her and Juliet, seen as a pair. It would be Juliet and Robbie seen as a pair… and Darcy.
And it made her feel insane, really, that Juliet didn’t see that.
“Robbie is… it’s the same thing as if Laura came. Or Blythe, or Emerson,” Juliet pushed, her tone coaxing, though she was clearly a little surprised by Darcy’s response.
“Um. No, it’s not,” she vehemently disagreed, narrowing her eyes. “Maybe, emotionally, yes.” Sure, Juliet didn’t have any romantic or sexual feelings for him; Darcy wasn’t arguing that point. “But youknowit’s not the same. If you’re there with your assistant or I’m there with my best friend,wewould still be seen as the duo, together. The entire point of your arrangement with Robbie is for you two to be The Couple.”
Darcy had attended multiple events with Robbie-O and Juliet, The Couple. They drew attention just by being next to one another. They’d been doing it so long, it was easy between them, and that ease was visible. The way Robbie slung his arm around Juliet’s waist, how Juliet posed so easily for photos leaning into him.