L. A. Candy by Lauren Conrad Read Free Book Online

we get a table?” She was yelling and she could still barely even hear herself.
    D laughed. “Yeah, for about fifteen hundred bucks! But don’t worry. Just find a cute guy with a table. That’s the only reason any of these guys are here. To meet girls like you.”
    Scarlett made a face. “Can we at least get a drink?” she said to Jane, who was moving her shoulders to the music.
    “What?” Jane yelled.
    “Bar!” Scarlett yelled. She pointed across the main room.
    D shouted something that sounded like, “Come on, ladies. First round’s on me,” so they followed him.
    When they reached the small wooden bar, D set a credit card down. “Jack and Diet and whatever they want,” he said to the bartender. “Keep it open, please.” The bartender began pouring a long golden stream of whiskey into a glass and glanced up at the girls.
    “Tequila shot, please,” Scarlett said.
    “And a vodka soda,” Jane added.
    The bartender didn’t say a word about IDs. Yes! Whenhe had poured their drinks, Scarlett raised her shot glass in the air. “Cheers.”
    “Cheers,” Jane echoed, raising her glass too. She looked a little overwhelmed. “This place is, um, pretty amazing.” She glanced at D, who seemed distracted.
    “Listen, girls. I’m gonna do a lap. I’ll catch up with you in a little. Have fun.”
    “’Kay, but we owe you a drink,” Jane said.
    “No worries, it’s a write-off. Later.” He disappeared into the crowd.
    “I’m totally underdressed,” Jane moaned before taking a sip of her vodka soda.
    Scarlett glanced at Jane’s light blue silk dress and gold wedge shoes. “What do you mean you’re underdressed? You look great.”
    “Hardly,” Jane grumbled. “Everyone here looks like a model!”
    “Everyone here looks like a slut,” Scarlett reassured her, even though it wasn’t exactly true. “Besides, Janie, remember the cardinal rule: The only way to belong is to act like you belong. Or to not give a shit whether you belong or not, which works for me.”
    She downed her tequila neatly and set the shot glass on the bar with a thunk. “Another one, please,” she said to the bartender.
    Right at that moment, someone bumped into Scarlett, hard. She whirled around, ready to glare at the person…
    …and was astonished to find herself eye-to-eye with Anna Payne.
    The magnificent blond actress looked totally trashed. Her eyes were bloodshot and unfocused, and she was teetering a little on her five-inch heels.
    “Uh, hey,” Scarlett said. For once, she was at a loss for words.
    “Ohmigosh!” Jane burst out. “You’re Anna Payne, right? I love you!” She started digging through her purse. “I’m so sorry, but do you think I could take a picture with you? My little sisters would die; they think you’re—”
    Anna narrowed her drunk eyes at Jane, then scoffed as she staggered away.
    Jane blanched. Scarlett was shocked by the actress’s rudeness. What the hell?
    “Okay, so we’re officially no longer Anna Payne fans,” Scarlett said quickly. “She’s a drunk, hateful, no-talent bitch with the IQ of an amoeba.”
    “Yeah, but, I didn’t see her waiting in any lines outside,” Jane replied. She reached for her vodka soda and downed it in one gulp.
    “I have to use the ladies’ room,” she told Scarlett. They weaved their way through the crowd, surprised to find no line outside the bathroom. Jane stepped inside—then stopped in her tracks, causing Scarlett to sort of walk into her. Two girls leaned on the counter, making out. The short, squat attendant just stood there, blithely holding a pile of paper hand towels for distribution,and seemed totally unaffected by the girl-on-girl action taking place against the counter next to her. Jane tried to hide her shock. Scarlett tried to hide her amusement at Jane’s shock.
    “Are we having fun yet?” Scarlett said. Then she walked toward a stall, just as three girls came out of it, giggling.

7
NO ONE MOVES HERE TO BE A NOBODY
    Trevor