Yep, I’m a coward, keeping my distance from both Evan and Sebastien over this past week. I feel bad; Sebastien sent me flowers just after I had slept with Evan. How the hell did I let myself have sex with Evan again? I just can’t seem to say no to that man. I declined Sebastien’s dinner date; letting him know I was too busy with the band’s media commitments, it was a half-truth. I don’t think I can face him after what I did with Evan. I’ve spoken to him via texts this week and he still wants to meet up when we arrive in Paris today. I like him, but it feels more like a flirty friendship then anything more.
“Evan.” A woman’s voice calls out, then I see a flash of blonde skip past me jumping into Evan’s arms, hugging him tight.
Seeing the way Evan’s face lit up at the mystery woman in his arms really sucked. Whoever she was he was familiar with her. She looked a lot younger than him. Long, blonde hair cascading down her back, she is tall, slim, like a model. I wanted to hate her. Nestled into his side, everyone seemed to know who she was, each of the boys coming up and giving her a hug or a kiss as they talked with her. Evan’s eyes found mine and he gave me a grin. I was trying to play it cool, playing on my phone while the love fest was going on.
“Sienna.” Just hearing his voice made my body hum. It was like the further apart we were, the more my body vibrated for him.
“I want you to meet someone,” he stated, as his arm hung lazily across her shoulders.
Put on your TV smile, Sienna, you can do this.
“This is my sister, Charlotte.”
I try to mask my surprise. But now that I look at her I can see the family resemblance; her blonde hair, tanned skin, the ocean blue eyes.
“I’ve heard so much about you,” she says, pulling me into a friendly hug.
Evan visibly elbows his sister.
“I’m sure your brother has been complaining about me dressing him in hideous outfits,” I reply, giving her a smile.
Her eyes glancing between the two of us, she laughs, “So you are the one responsible for my brother finally getting some fashion sense.”
“Um, excuse me, I was voted sexiest man of the year last year. I think I was doing okay.”
Charlotte and I both look at each other and laugh.
“Seriously, you are both ganging up on me already; I knew I should never have introduced you to each other,” Evan pouted.
“You just make it so easy, brother.” Charlotte smiled, giving him a hug.
“Did you know Sienna used to be a fashion commenter in Australia? She also used to own some fancy boutique.”
He remembered.
“No way, I’m studying fashion photography. I’d love to work with magazines one day. That’s why I’m here studying in Paris,” Charlotte explained, excitedly.
“I love Paris. So jealous you get to live here.”
“I know; everything about this place is amazing, the people, the fashion, the food, the men,” Charlotte giggles at the last bit.
“La, la, la, your brother doesn’t want to hear that,” Evan explains, putting his fingers in his ears.
Charlotte and I burst out laughing at him because he looked like he was going to be sick just thinking about Charlotte with all those French men.
“I’m going to catch up with one of my friends, who is a designer, this afternoon if you want to come with me,” I offer.
Charlotte looks at me in shock. “Can I, Evan?”
Evan was standing there quietly watching the two of us interact with a strange look on his face. “Of course, you don’t need my permission. Get Isla to message me when you’re out shopping and I will pay for whatever you want.”
Giving her generous brother a cuddle, she affirmed, “Evan, you don’t need to buy me anything, but if I see something I like, I promise to let you know.”
“Charlotte is that you?” Vanessa calls out. Charlotte runs over to where she is, giving her a big hug.
“Thanks for inviting her to go shopping with you. You didn’t have to do that.”
Shrugging at Evan’s compliment, I respond, “I thought she might like to meet a couple of designers. It’s all about networking in this industry.”
Evan was looking at me as if I was a puzzle to solve. “You would help my sister out like that?
Looking at him, I confirm, “Of course, she sounds passionate about fashion photography. I have a friend who is a designer, she might know someone that could help.”
“And why would you help?” Evan questions me.
Was he serious? “You think I have an ulterior motive?”
“Women in the past have, she’s my little sister.”
“I get it, Evan. I’m just shocked that you would think I would do something like that.”
“Si …” Evan started, but I didn’t want to hear some bullshit excuse, so I stopped him
“After everything; the fact that you even think, for one second, I would do something to your sister or use her … then I guess you never really knew me.”
Turning on my heel I walked away from him.
***
All day Evan’s comments ran through my head. I tried to forget them but I couldn’t. I didn’t like that he thought I would use his little sister like that. I thought that over the past month Evan grew to know me. I tried to forget about my troubling thoughts as we arrive at my friend’s, Yvette Sanchez’, boutique.
“Sienna, you look fabulous,” Yvette calls out, as we walk into her store. She gives me a twirl before pulling me into a hug.
“Please, look at you.” I compliment. She was stunning, this petite little Spanish pocket rocket with chocolate colored hair, olive skin, and dark eyes. “Let’s celebrate you being in Paris,” she smiles, picking up a bottle of champagne and popping it to the delight of the girls and Derrick.
We happily sipped champagne as she showed us some of her new collection – which was brilliant. Vanessa had organized dinner tonight at the Eiffel Tower’s famous Michelin star restaurant. I can’t wait to eat there. We really needed to find something to wear for this evening.
“Yvette, this is Charlotte Wyld, she’s studying fashion photography here in Paris,” I introduced. The two women quickly became engrossed in a discussion about fashion and more so I excused myself.
***
“Thank you so much,” Charlotte says, hugging me tightly a little while later.
Looking at her bright blue eyes, the same color as Evan’s, shimmering with unshed tears. “Charlotte?” I question, looking at her with concern.
“Sienna, I am so happy, Yvette asked if I could shoot the backstage photos of her next collection,” she announces, as tears start rolling down her face.
“Sweetie, don’t cry,” I say, pulling her into my arms.
“None of the girls that hang around Evan are ever nice to me. And if they are it’s to get to my brother,” she confesses, pulling herself away, wiping at her tears.
“But you just did something nice for me, not him.”
“Maybe it’s the Aussie in me, but it’s just what we do for friends,” I say, smiling at her.
“You’re different to the other girls; I get why my brother likes you.”
Stilling at her words, I wonder what she knows about Evan and me.
“Evan and I are just friends,” I confirm.
Charlotte smiles at me.
“I know what my brother is like. You’re smart being just friends with him,” she says, giving me a shrug. “Evan told me about how you joined the tour. I’m sorry about your marriage.”
I’m shocked that Evan has spoken about me with his sister. “Yeah, life sucks sometimes but you pick yourself up and carry on, plus who is going to turn down a trip to Europe hanging out with rock stars,” I admit, giving her shoulder a knock, making her smile.
“True, those Sons of Brooklyn boys are cute,” Charlotte whispers, and we both laugh.
“Those boys are trouble, but not as bad as your brother.”
“My brother doesn’t let people in; he’s a closed book most of the time. A long time ago someone hurt him a little too much. I worry about him, I want to see him happy. I want to see him with a girl, someone nice like you.”
Okay, this conversation is going south very quickly. “We’re just friends, Charlotte. He’s a rock star and you know …” I don’t finish, but roll my eyes at her.
Charlotte nods in agreement, “Yeah I understand. I won’t ever date a rock star, after hanging around them most of my life. No matter how cute they are,” Charlotte laughs, as she walks away to pick out a dress.
“Getting in with the sister, are we?” Derrick asks, as I flick through the dresses. I frown at him in disbelief.
“Why does everyone think I have some ulterior motive being nice to her?”
Derrick backs away a little, hands up in the air, “Sweetheart, I was just joking. What’s going on?”
Not answering him, I look away. I know I’m pissed off over Evan’s accusation this morning but I hate that he thinks I would do that. I hate my mixed feelings about him too. I hate the fact that every time I see him I want to take him to bed, and I hate the fact that seeing him with other women affects me.
Derrick puts his arm around me sensing the storm raging in my head, “Everything okay between you and Evan?”
Giving Derrick the look, I say nothing.
“That good, huh. How’s things with Sebastien?”
I have been single for a minute and I’m already having guy problems. How did this happen?
“I don’t know, Sebastien’s great but …”
“He doesn’t get your motor running,” Derrick laughs. “I see the way you look at Evan,” he whispers.
I still my movements, waiting for him to continue.
“You hate watching him with other women.”
I roll my eyes at Derrick.
“Don’t you roll your eyes at me, bitch, I know shit. You have no idea the way he looks at you when you’re with another man. He gets this deep frown line between his eyes and no matter how hot the girl is that is with him, his attention is drawn to you. And when Sebastien came on to the scene I thought his face was going to explode. He looked so angry.”
“Really?” I say, not too convinced.
“Are you forgetting t-shirt gate?” Derrick reminds me, crossing his arms and looking at me seriously.
“T-shirt gate?” I’m confused.
“You know, the one where Evan demands you go back to the hotel to change his t-shirt, as if that wasn’t half obvious.”
Of course, I remember. That ended with Evan giving me a mind blowing orgasm.
“So you don’t think that maybe Evan was jealous of you and Sebastien being together?”
“No, why would he be?”
Derrick just stares at me before flicking the side of my head with his fingers.
“Ouch.”
“Fuck, you are blind woman. How many women has Evan been with since Spain? Since t-shirt gate?”
Thinking back over the past week, we’ve been going out and women have been around, but come to think about it, yeah, Evan hasn’t had any women on his lap.
“Maybe he’s having a dry spell?”
Derrick just looks at me and shakes his head. “Seriously, is that what you think?”
“It has nothing to do with me, D.”
“Okay, fine I’ll let you live in your bubble of self-denial,” he quips, while pulling out a gorgeous dress and shoving it in my face. “Wear this tonight and see if Evan doesn’t burst that bubble.”
I walk out of the change rooms and straight into Sebastien.
“Sebastien,” I gasp, as I am surprised to see him here. He kisses each of my cheeks.
“Yvette told me you would be here so I thought I would say hello.”
Standing behind him was Charlotte, I felt guilty standing there with Sebastien, which was ridiculous.
“It’s good to see you again,” I say. It was the truth but having this time away from him I knew I didn’t have strong enough feelings for him.
“Um, can we talk for a moment?”
Sebastien nods as we moved away from the group.
“Is everything okay?” He asks, his hand brushes my cheek.
“Yeah, of course, it’s just …”
“You want to be friends?” Sebastien finishes for me.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to lead you on It’s just …”
“The rock star.”
“What, no,” I say, shaking my head.
Sebastien just laughs. “Sienna, that man made it obvious he wasn’t happy back in Spain; really, with the spilt wine on the shirt,” he adds, raising his brows.
“No, it’s not like that. Evan and I have hooked up before but …”
“Sienna, you do not owe me an explanation. You are a beautiful woman and I was happy to have some fun with you, but I am just as happy for us to be friends,” he expresses, while pulling me into a hug.
“Thank you.” I say, looking up at him, his large arms wrap around me.
“Come tonight we can party like the old days.”
“Of course, Ma Cherie,” he says, kissing my forehead.