Bad Reputation Read online

  “Oh my God. Are you serious right now?”

  Hailey grinned. “No. I just knew that would piss you off.”

  Clenching her teeth, Peyton glared. “Okay. We’re going out.”

  Hailey brightened. “Really?”

  “Only because you’ve annoyed me so thoroughly that I need hard liquor.”

  “Yay, yay, yay! Wanna go to The Boonies again? That was fun. And their bartenders were kind of hot.”

  “No Boonies,” Peyton answered. The Boonies was a dive bar in the East Village that was populated with a weird mix of NYU kids and bridge-and-tunnel hipsters. She didn’t want to go to The Boonies. “If we’re going out, I get to choose where.”

  “Really, now? I like! But you have to promise that we’re not going to spend the whole frickin’ time worrying about Kensie calling, because you know you’re like that.”

  “Yes, I’m like that. But trust me, I won’t worry about Kensie calling.”

  “Good! So then where we going?”

  Peyton stretched her lips into a deliberately fake, sugary sweet smile. “We’re going to Mila Milani’s pool party.”

  6

  The sight of two exes was probably a sign for Connor to run from the party and never look back but for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to leave. Maybe it was the big, full bottle of Casa Noble on a giant bucket of ice. Maybe it was the comfort of the white couch in his saffron bungalow. I’ll go with that, he decided, since he the actual reason wasn’t sitting quite well with him.

  He wanted to see the mystery brunette again.

  That was the actual truth. But that truth contradicted the one he’d known his entire adult life, which was that he didn’t get hung up on women. So he went with the tequila thing.

  “So, are you going to write Kensie a love scene?” teased Mila or Millie or whatever her name was. She made Connor smirk to himself as she took far longer than needed to tie her long, black mane into a ponytail. The ol’ arch-your-back-and-flaunt-your-tits trick. It was one that Connor never minded falling for. He brought the lowball to his lips, his gaze dipping for a second.

  “I don’t know. Should I?”

  “You definitely should.”

  “Why’s that?”

  Mila glanced over at Kensie. “She’s a really good kisser.”

  Connor flashed his eyebrows, prompting both girls to burst into giggles over his expression.

  “Sorry. Are we like, completely blurring the lines of professionalism right now?” Kensie asked, chewing the corner of her lower lip.

  “I’d say that happened a few hours ago, when you texted about skinny-dipping.”

  “Oh God,” Kensie giggled. “That was probably the booze talking. I promise I can keep it professional from now on if that’s what you’d like me to do,” she said in a tone so flirtatious it sounded like she was suggesting a game of foreplay. Or maybe that was just how it sounded to Connor. He was on his fourth tequila at a rooftop pool party milling with women in microscopic swimsuits. And he hadn’t had sex in four days. His ability to think straight was compromised at this point.

  “We can try that,” he said in a way that made Kensie giggle.

  “Perfect,” she said before glancing down at her phone as it buzzed on the floor. “Oh! Omigod, omigod!”

  “What?” Mila asked, confused.

  “Someone’s here! I’ll be right back!” Kensie squealed, jumping to her feet. Connor watched as she hopped excitedly out the bungalow, her narrow hips twitching from side to side. Mila watched too, groaning once her friend was out of sight.

  “Fuck, I hope it’s not her shitbag ex,” she muttered, mostly to herself. Connor raised his eyebrows. “Sorry. It’s just there are only two people she gets that crazy excited about seeing and one of them is her little shitstain ex.”

  Connor processed the information. “And who’s the other person she gets that excited to see?”

  Mila waved it off with a bejeweled hand. “Oh, no one who would actually come here,” she said.

  “Booski!”

  Peyton kept her balance despite Kensie’s squealing leap into her arms. “Hey, we’re not wearing swimsuits. Don’t yell at us.”

  “Oh no!” Kensie pouted, looking down at Peyton’s stiff band shirt and shorts before peeking over at Hailey in her usual tunic and leggings. “That’s okay! Lots of girls are in their undies.”

  “Yeah, no,” Hailey said.

  “Okay, you can be the rebels,” Kensie giggled before dragging Peyton from the entrance toward the pool. “Move your feet, girl! You have to come say ‘hi’ to Mila and I have someone really important you need to meet!”

  Peyton laughed. “Are you trying to set me up with another reality show dude?”

  “No! This one is someone we’re being strictly professional with,” Kensie said, winking at Hailey for reasons no one really understood.

  Rounding the corner, Peyton followed her cousin past the glittering pool and the tiny bikinis. She could feel Hailey’s growing discomfort behind her. “So, tell me again who we’re meeting right now?” she asked as the three girls approached the biggest of the bungalows surrounding the pool. Kensie turned to her with pizzazz.

  “Oh, just the very important person you missed out on when you went MIA at Daddy’s barbecue!”

  “What?”

  No.

  Peyton stopped cold just outside the tent. She heard Hailey’s lips emit something of a half-gasp, half-snort as Kensie giggled. “He’s super nice, Peyton. I just wanted you to see for yourself!”

  “Kensie…” Her heart starting to pound, Peyton lowered her voice to a whisper. “I… can I go use the bathroom first? Real quick?” She turned to Hailey and her notoriously small bladder. “Don’t you need to use the bathroom?”

  Hailey’s smile was smug. “Nope,” she answered, loud and proud. Damn it. This was Peyton’s punishment for choosing a model bikini party for their night out. She’d kind of expected retribution for that, but not so early on in the evening.

  Impatient, Kensie finally groaned. “Peyton, you can pee in a bit!”

  “But – ”

  “Just get in here first! Come on!” And with surprising strength, Kensie yanked Peyton into the bungalow. “Peyton, I’d like you to meet Mr. Connor Schaffer!”

  Fuck.

  Tearing her eyes off the floor, Peyton looked up to see him – Connor, in a thin, heather grey T-shirt and scuffed jeans. Already staring. Already smirking. Peyton’s jaw tightened as that famous glint flashed in his steely grey eyes. They raked across her body and up and down her legs before returning to her livid face. Unblinking, Connor rose to his feet and held out his hand.

  “Pleasure to meet you,” he said, his amiable tone contradicting the utterly smug look on his thoroughly amused face. Peyton stared down at his hand, her stomach actually turning at the idea of touching Connor Schaffer, especially as he wore such a vile expression.

  Nostrils flaring, she summoned herself to speak.

  “Likewise.” The word choked out from between her lips in the same way “water” had when she’d first tried vegemite. With the other girls watching, Peyton clenched her teeth, forcing herself to accept Connor’s hand. She tried to keep her lips from curling as he wrapped his fingers firmly around hers.

  “Peyton. Strange… it almost feels like we’ve met before,” Connor said as he shook her hand, his hot gaze fixed on Peyton as if he didn’t want to miss a second of her sheer discomfort. When Kensie cocked her head, Peyton managed to flash a strained smile.

  “No, I don’t think we’ve met,” she replied as Connor’s lips twisted into a smirk.

  “True. I probably would’ve remembered a girl as pretty as you,” he said. “Being a shallow asshat and all.”

  Christ. Frozen, Peyton held her breath and looked slowly toward Kensie, who was busy introducing Hailey to Mila. Thank God.

  “I’m taking it you didn’t tell your cousin all those lovely things you said about her the day we met.”

  Peyt
on turned back to Connor and glared. “I never said anything,” she whispered. “You were the one who put words in my mouth.”

  “Really. I’m the one who put words in your mouth.”

  “Yes.”

  Connor gave a dirty smirk. “Did I happen to put ‘big sexist dick’ in your mouth?”

  Peyton’s jaw dropped but she snapped it shut the second his eyes dipped to gaze between her lips. Disgusting pig, she bristled, trying to think of some smart response. But just then, Kensie turned back around.

  “So! Are we all acquainted here?” she asked brightly, the picture of innocence. Connor smiled.

  “I’d say so.”

  Beaming, Kensie hugged Peyton to her side. “Yay! Isn’t she awesome?”

  He grinned. “The best.”

  As Kensie squealed with excitement, Peyton felt her stomach lurch. Gently, she wrestled out of her cousin’s grip. “Kenz, listen. I really gotta, um, go to the bathroom now. Okay?”

  “Oh right, I forgot. Go! Go pee!”

  And with that, Peyton burst out of the bungalow, making a beeline for the door that led inside. She would find a bathroom, lock herself inside of it, text Hailey to meet her and then get the hell out.

  Either that or she’d get followed by Connor Schaffer and have her plan shot to hell.

  “Hey.”

  Fuck. His voice was several paces behind her. Peyton tried to ignore it, simply upping the speed of her walk instead. But soon enough, people were staring. It was probably a rare sight – a girl running away from Connor Schaffer.

  “Hey.” His voice was right behind her now. Within seconds, Peyton felt his hand take hold of hers.

  “What?” She spun around and yanked it away. Connor held his palms in the air.

  “Hey, I come in peace, alright?” he said with irritation.

  “Fine. What do you want then?” Peyton asked, crossing her arms.

  Connor finished his drink, plunking the empty glass on the tray of a passing waiter. “I think I’m just curious as to why you’re the one who’s mad at me,” he laughed, “when you trashed me to hell before we ever even met in person.”

  “That’s not exactly the whole story though, is it?” Peyton snapped.

  “It’s not? What is it then?”

  “It’s you eavesdropping on me and then proceeding to lie your ass off about who you were and what you did so you could, I don’t know, embarrass me? Get me to say things that I regretted?” Feeling her voice rise, Peyton looked around, suddenly aware of the party guests who were beginning to stare. Shit. Swallowing back the rest of her words, she decided to quit while she was ahead. Turning on her heel, Peyton headed back for the door. Connor followed her inside, weaving past the stream of servers who filed out of the kitchen with their trays of champagne.

  “You’re giving me too much credit here. I had no plan to embarrass you, that was just a thing you did on your own.”

  Seriously? Spinning around once more, Peyton glared. Silent for a second, she stared at Connor, at his laid-back posture, at the hint of amusement dancing on the corner of his lips. She shook her head, in awe of his shamelessness. “Do you have a little brother?” she finally asked, tired. He paused. It wasn’t the question he expected.

  “No. I don’t have a little brother.”

  Peyton nodded. “Right. And I have a hunch that you haven’t made your living cleaning pools for the past five years, so to answer your question, I’m mad because you listened in on my private conversation and then lied about who you were to force your way into it. You made up little details about your fictional pool boy persona to bait me into talking, and yes, I said some things about you but they were never for your ears and I didn’t say them to hurt you, when on the other hand, every word you spoke to me was for the sole purpose of tricking me. So if you don’t think that’s a legitimate reason for someone to be a little pissed off then I guess you hang around people who are just conditioned at this point to expect worse from you.”

  Connor blinked a few times.

  Well, shit.

  Briefly silenced, he rubbed his jaw. And studied Peyton. He probably should’ve been offended by her heated speech but more than anything, he was – what exactly was he? Turned on. That’s what. He was turned the fuck on. But it probably also had to do with the tequila and the bikinis and going ages without sex. Connor was really starting to feel that drought as he gazed at Peyton. Her cheeks, even her lips got adorably red when she spoke. Her chest heaved in a way that made him itch to put his hands all over her body.

  But obviously, he kept his urges to himself.

  “Alright, listen,” he started slowly. “I’m sorry we got off to a bad start.” Off Peyton’s dubious look, he corrected himself. “An… exceptionally shitty start. But I’m about to work with your cousin and your uncle and I’ll probably be seeing you here and there, so what can I do right now to make it up to you?” Connor cocked his head to meet Peyton’s tired gaze, which focused on a random plant in the corner. He thought for a second. “I can see you’ve got this… weird need to mother Kensie, so if you want me to promise you right here that I won’t do anything, not even the smallest thing to hurt her in any way, then I’ll do it. I’ll make you that promise.”

  Peyton looked up at Connor as he heaved a big sigh. She snorted.

  “God, you look physically spent from two seconds of being nice,” she muttered. He laughed. To Peyton’s disappointment, her own lips followed suit.

  “She smiles,” Connor said, grinning like an asshole. Peyton rolled her eyes.

  “Back to that promise. I’ll take it.”

  “Alright. Anything else I can do for you?” Connor asked, surprising even himself with how genuine he sounded. He gazed at Peyton, trying not to completely soften with her as she stared sleepily at the floor.

  “I don’t know. I think…” Her voice sounded so tiny for once. Connor leaned in.

  “What?”

  She looked up at him, her expression as genuine as he’d ever seen it. “I just want to go home right now and pretend that you and I never met. Maybe next time we see each other, we can pretend we’re strangers and start anew. Okay?”

  Connor entertained the thought as he watched her go. It sounded nice. He actually kind of wanted to know what it felt like to make Peyton really smile. Maybe he could wipe himself a clean slate. Perhaps a fresh start could actually happen.

  But knowing him, probably not.

  7

  Connor tried to contain his amusement as he read his latest texts, especially since he knew that they probably took Brigid a half hour to type.

  MOM: All I’m saying is u can do a better job of being discreet with your girl friends Connor Aiden. U know we avoid the gossip channels but now they talk about you on the regular news too... I don’t like to have to hear about it…. especially not during breakfast..

  Apparently, some morning news show had displayed photos from Connor’s alleged tryst last night at the Milani penthouse. And apparently, his poor mother had watched the report over her morning eggs and toast.

  MOM: Also I am reminding u again to give me Lila’s home address. thank you..

  Connor laughed, wrapped in his grey hoodie as he sat on his fifteenth floor terrace with his phone. Maybe it was the unpredictable use of ellipses, or “u” versus “you,” but he could never really take his mother’s texts seriously.

  Or maybe he just didn’t want to.

  It wasn’t that he’d forgotten to give his mother Lila’s home address – he just didn’t want his mom sending his ex-girlfriend a birthday card when they weren’t together anymore. She’d been doing it for ages now, but Connor still wasn’t comfortable with the fact that she kept in touch with every one of his exes. Anyone who’d lasted five or more months with Connor was sent an annual birthday and Christmas card. That wasn’t even all. With his ex, Galia, Brigid had a three-year game of Words With Friends going. When his college girlfriend, Aly, visited Vermont a few months ago, Brigid took her skiing, even picking
her up at 1AM when her rental broke down outside of a bar.

  “I figure one of them might come back into your life at some point,” Brigid explained during her visit in February. “And when she does, only you’ll have to catch up with her because we’ve been friends this whole time.”

  She had explained the plan like it was pure genius. Connor had found it so very crazy but endearing that he couldn’t say anything. Certainly not that most of his exes hated him. Or that he had no plans to marry or have children anytime soon.

  “I’m turning sixty-five this year, which means I’ll be closer to seventy than sixty,” Brigid had reminded him during her last visit. “You can’t wait till I’m bed-ridden to have a family.”

  “Well, what about your other son? For all we know, you have accidental grandkids scattered all across Windham County,” Connor joked.

  Brigid had smacked him for that one. She usually had a sense of humor but not when it came to Connor’s older brother, Shane. He was, in a gross understatement, a walking disaster – the black sheep that the family drained their savings on constantly bailing out of trouble. As usual, Connor grimaced as he thought about him.

  CONNOR: I’m sorry I don’t have Stella’s address Ma. She moved

  Connor sent the short text to Brigid, deleting his initial draft, which teased her for lying about avoiding gossip news. He knew she still tuned in sometimes because she still texted Liam things critics said about his movies. Generally funny quotes that she thought he’d get a kick out of. The truth was that she loved celebrity news – it was her guilty pleasure even before Connor and Liam made it in Hollywood. The only difference now was that she turned it off once the stories got “mean” or “trashy.” “My heart can’t take that anymore. That’s someone’s daughter!” she’d say.