Page 47 of Fame & Chaos

I suppress a sigh and wave the bartender back over before she can make a bigger deal out of it. He notices me and pours another glass of champagne without me even needing to ask.

Angelica shakes her head slightly, still looking confused by the missing drink, and I have to fight the urge to laugh.

Christ, she’s ditzy.

Absolutely not my type.

But tonight I wanted a distraction, not depth, and Angel would do fine for a few hours.

The bartender slides the fresh champagne toward her, and she beams.

“Thank you, Caleb,” she purrs, trying to make my name sound seductive. Instead, it comes out sounding like a cat being strangled.

I take another swallow of beer to hide my grimace.

Seriously, why do I do this to myself?

Every damn time.

Find the loudest, prettiest girl in the room, sleep with her, then spend the next day feeling vaguely annoyed at myself afterward.

Not that I’m exactly innocent in any of it. I know I treat women badly sometimes. Maybe not intentionally, but I know what I’m doing. I flirt, charm them, give them one incredible night, then disappear before anything real can happen.

Because real does not work.

I learned that hard lesson years ago.

“Caleb?”

Her voice snaps me from my thoughts.

“Huh?”

She frowns slightly. “Were you even listening to me?”

“Course I was,” I lie smoothly before draining the rest of my beer. “C’mon, let’s go outside for a bit. I need some air.” I don’t wait for an answer before walking off because I already know she’ll follow.

And she does.

The outdoor terrace is colder than I expected, the London night air biting against my skin as I stop beside one of the tall outdoor heaters, where warmth spills over us instantly.

Angelica steps closer almost immediately. “Okay,” she says while tucking her hair behind one ear. “So you’re Colt’s nephew?”

I nod. “And Hux is my dad.”

Her eyes widen slightly. “Wow.”

“What?”

“You just… fit the whole rockstar family thing.”

I laugh quietly. “Guess that’s the hair.”

“It’s definitely the hair,” she says with a grin.

I smirk and lean casually against the railing.

“So what about you?” she asks. “You into music too?”