Читать книгу Nothing But The Best - Kristin Hardy, Kristin Hardy - Страница 7

Los Angeles, 1996

“OKAY, EVERYONE, you can stop unpacking, dinner’s here.”

Cilla Danforth shut the front door with her elbow, balancing the stack of pizzas as she stared at the disordered living room of her new house. Despite the confusion that dotted the room, Cilla could still feel the warmth of her late grandmother’s presence. No reading of the will changed that. But Gran had wanted her to have a home of her own. Cilla figured that she’d have understood that at twenty, Cilla wasn’t ready to live alone yet. She wanted friends around her, roommates to share her days in the rambling Depression Modern home in the affluent neighborhood of Brentwood.

Cilla shook her head briskly and carried the stack of pizza boxes into the kitchen. Like magic, the scent drew the rest of her new roommates, the same way it did when they got it delivered to the university drama department when they were all working on a production.

“Trish, where’s all the kitchen stuff you got at the store?” Kelly Vandervere yelled.

Trish ran down the stairs, her long red hair clubbed back in a braid. “Look on the counter behind you. I grabbed paper plates and napkins. I thought we could figure out what to do about real plates once we got settled. I don’t think Cilla should have to buy everything. We’re living here, too.”

“Well, these will do for the time being,” said Delaney, a gleam in her eye as she opened the box holding the pepperoni pizza.

They settled in the living room, sitting on the sofa or against the wall.

“One of the things we’re going to have to get is enough places for all of us to sit,” Cilla observed.

“I got a couple of upholstered chairs when they sold off the props from my dad’s last movie,” Sabrina Pantolini told them.

“That’ll help,” Cilla said. “Paige, you want to go to Danforth Home with me this week and help me pick out a couple of sofas?”

Paige’s eyes lit up at the idea of a shopping spree at Danforth, Cilla’s family’s business and the most luxurious department store on Rodeo Drive. “Any time.”

“Nothing too gorgeous, Paige,” Thea begged. “I don’t want nightmares from spilling wine when I’m making out with Rob Frieden, or something. Not that I’m planning to,” she added hastily.

Sabrina winked. “Not planning to do what, spill wine or make out with him?”

“Spill wine, of course. As to Rob…” She gave a saucy look and took a bite of pizza.

Delaney raised her Coke. “Here’s to escaping the dorms.”

Trish shook her head. “Here’s to Cilla, for inviting us to live in her new house.”

“Thanks to you guys for being my roomies,” Cilla countered. “We’ll fix it all up, get it in great shape.”

“Using lots of sexy contractors, I hope,” Kelly added.

“My dad made sure it stayed fine structurally, but you’ll see it needs paint and repairs. Toward the end, Gran just wasn’t comfortable with anything changing, so some of the walls are pretty bad.”

“I’ll paint my room,” Paige, always the designer, volunteered immediately. Even though she’d been hauling boxes all day with them, she looked as coolly blond and tidy as always.

“Our room,” Thea reminded her.

“Trust me, darling, you’ll love it,” Paige assured her.

“So let’s see,” Delaney said thoughtfully. “We’ve got four bedrooms. Sabrina and Kelly, you’re rooming together, and Trish and I, which leaves Cilla with the only private room.”

“As appropriate,” Trish pointed out. “She owns the place.”

“So what if one of us has a boyfriend and wants to have some privacy?” Delaney asked.

“You mean when,” Kelly said, rubbing her hands.

“It’s a good thing you and Delaney didn’t wind up in the same room. I don’t know who would be fighting more, you or your hormones,” Paige observed.

“Well, unless we figure something out, it’s looking like Cilla’s going to be the only one getting any action, here,” Delaney replied.

“If you’re good, I’ll fill you all in on it,” Cilla said with a smile. “Trust me.”