Chapter 35

The room still buzzed with laughter from Rowan’s quip, Simone wiping tears from her eyes as she caught her breath. Lila finally threw the blanket off her head, her face flushed from secondhand embarrassment.

“Okay, okay,” Simone said, pointing between the two of them. “Jokes aside… what is this? Because I’m getting whiplash. First it’s ‘we’ll wait,’ then it’s ‘oops, we slipped,’ and now you’re making out in front of us like a telenovela. Somebody explain.”

Celeste ran a hand over her face, groaning into her palm. She could feel Rowan’s smirk still burning at her side, like a flame daring her to fan it higher.

Rowan didn’t miss a beat. “It’s exactly what it looks like.”

Naomi leaned back, folding her arms, her expression calm but sharp. “Which is?”

Rowan turned her head, locking eyes with Celeste. For once, there was no teasing in her gaze — just a quiet challenge. A your move kind of look.

Celeste’s heart thudded. She could feel all three pairs of eyes on her, waiting. For years she had built her reputation on control, discipline, and knowing when to speak. But now, with Rowan standing beside her, none of those rules seemed to apply.

She exhaled slowly. “It’s… something real. At least, I want it to be.”

The words hung in the air, heavy and undeniable. Simone’s mouth dropped open. Lila let out a soft gasp. Naomi only arched one brow but nodded, like she’d been expecting it.

Rowan’s smirk softened into something warmer. She slipped her hand into Celeste’s and gave it a light squeeze. “And I want that too.”

The girls immediately pounced.

“Real?!” Simone shouted, grabbing her mug like she needed the caffeine to process. “As in, relationship-real? You?!”

“Didn’t you literally tell us you didn’t have time for this two weeks ago?” Lila asked, her tone incredulous. “What happened, Cel?”

Naomi’s voice cut through the chaos, steady as ever. “What happened is chemistry. And denial only lasts so long.”

Rowan chuckled, tilting her head toward Celeste. “She’s right. Denial looks terrible on you, by the way.”

Celeste groaned again but couldn’t fight the small, helpless smile tugging at her lips. “God, you’re insufferable.”

Rowan leaned in, her voice a whisper only Celeste could hear. “And you like it.”

The smirk, the warmth, the squeeze of her hand — Celeste’s friends saw every flicker of it, and for the first time, she didn’t care.

Simone finally flopped back against the couch with a dramatic sigh. “Well, damn. I guess this is happening. Somebody get me more coffee. Or wine. Preferably wine.”

Naomi, still serene, set her mug down. “Then I’ll ask the important question: can you two keep this balanced on set? Because the work doesn’t stop just because the kissing started.”

The question silenced them for a moment. Celeste straightened her shoulders, her voice firmer now. “We’ll figure it out. Together.”

Rowan nodded in agreement, her hand still in Celeste’s. “Yeah. We’re not going to let this ruin anything. If anything… it’ll make us sharper.”

The friends traded looks, each processing it in their own way. Simone still looked like she was watching a live soap, Lila muttered about “inevitable disaster but whatever,” and Naomi just gave a knowing nod.

Celeste clapped her hands together once, a signal more for herself than anyone else. “Alright. We need to get ready for work.” She turned to Rowan, who was still standing close, eyes sparkling. “So, what’s it going to be? You want to ride in with me, or are we going separate?”

Rowan tilted her head, like the answer was obvious. “Together.”

Celeste smirked. “Alright then. Go get dressed.” Without missing a beat, she gave Rowan a quick smack on the butt.

Rowan froze mid-step, her mouth falling open in mock outrage before a slow, wicked grin spread across her face. She let out an exaggerated moan. “Mmm… do it again, daddy.”

The room erupted. Simone nearly choked on her coffee, Lila’s jaw hit the floor, and Naomi — for the first time in hours — actually blinked, her calm mask cracking with surprise.

Celeste felt heat rush to her cheeks, but she held her ground, lips curving into a smile that was equal parts warning and tease. “Don’t tempt me. Go get dressed before I punish you later for not listening.”

Rowan bit her lip, clearly enjoying every second of it. With a smug little sway in her hips, she turned to the girls, tossing them a casual wave. “Bye, ladies.”

Then she sauntered out, her confidence dripping with every step.

Celeste couldn’t help it — she watched. Watched the swing of Rowan’s hips, the effortless way she owned the room even as she was leaving. She stared until Rowan disappeared around the corner, only then realizing she had a smile tugging at her lips.

When she finally turned back, her friends were all staring at her, mouths open, eyes wide, each one processing what they’d just witnessed.

Celeste cleared her throat, trying to mask the warmth in her cheeks. “…What?”

The silence stretched a beat too long. Then Simone threw her head back and howled with laughter, clutching her stomach like she was about to fall out of her chair.

“Oh. My. GOD. Did she just—” Simone slapped the arm of the couch, wheezing. “She moaned when you smacked her! And then she called you daddy?!”

Lila ripped the blanket off her head, eyes bugging out. “No, no, no. I must still be drunk from last night. That did not just happen. Tell me that did not just happen.”

Naomi, calm as ever, set her coffee down with precision. But even she had to smirk. “It happened. I heard it. We all heard it.”

Celeste dragged a hand down her face, groaning. “Seriously?”

Simone pointed at her like she was catching her in a lie. “Don’t you dare try to play innocent. You liked it! I saw that smile creeping in before she even walked out the door.”

“That was not a smile,” Celeste protested, though her ears burned red. “That was—”

“A whole grin,” Lila cut in, shaking her head dramatically. “Girl, you looked like Christmas morning. Don’t even.”

Naomi leaned back, crossing her arms. “So. Are we going to talk about how fast this escalated? Because yesterday you were pacing the floor swearing you needed boundaries, and now she’s calling you daddy in the living room.”

Simone practically fell sideways onto the couch, kicking her legs. “I can’t breathe. ‘Do it again, daddy.’ I swear I’m putting that on a T-shirt.”

Celeste grabbed the nearest throw pillow and launched it at her, but Simone dodged, still cackling.

“I hate all of you,” Celeste muttered, though the small smile tugging at her lips betrayed her.

“Mmhm,” Naomi said smoothly. “Hate us all you want. Just admit it—you’re gone for her.”

Celeste paused, looking toward the hallway where Rowan had disappeared. Her chest tightened, her lips curving despite herself. “…Maybe I am.”

The room went quiet for a beat—then the girls erupted all over again, shrieking, laughing, throwing cushions like confetti.