Eden bit the insides of her cheeks as jealousy and horniness warred inside her. She felt pervy reading lips during private conversations, but sometimes it was too hard to resist. Francis shifted, and their eyes locked. Her pulse, already jacked from caffeine and performing, kicked up another gear. As they stared at one another, Francis gave her a slow, dangerous smirk.

Maybe she was wrong. Maybe he did know they were made for each other.

The purple haired girl touched his face and he bent to kiss her. Eden looked away. Francis was always surrounded by an entourage, mostly hot twenty-year-olds who existed to laugh and lightly touch his chest. It was pretty standard for a male DJ, especially one as big as Francis, but still… he had looked at her. And it wasn’t the kind of look you gave a colleague. Eden sipped her drink. She was happy to play the long game.

“Eden?”

She turned to see Kieran scowl at her. “What?”

“Are you and Francis mind-fucking each other again?”

She raised her thumb and forefinger. “A little bit.”

“Jesus.”

“What? He’s hot. He activates my daddy issues.”

“So go over there and talk to him. You know he wants it.”

“That’s not the point. He’s a big deal.”

“You’re a big deal.”

“I’m a medium deal. I want to be a big deal but I’m not going to get there if people think I’m throwing myself at Francis Buchanan.”

Kieran waved a hand. “Slut-shaming! Who cares if you fuck Francis Buchanan?”

“No one. As long as he approaches me.”

“Why does that matter?”

Eden tugged at the bodice of her Shein wedding dress. “Because I’m the untouchable goddess. Bunny Descent doesn’t flirt with men, they fall at her feet, in rapture.”

“Ah. Of course.”

Eden shook her head. After two years as her friend and sound person, Kieran still didn’t get it. Being a DJ was the closest thing to being a professional cool person there was. Your vibe was everything. You could have great tracks, but if people thought you tried too hard, that you were a dork, they treated you like seafood left in the sun. Worse.

It had taken years to cultivate her ‘holier-than-thou’ goddess thing and it worked for her. It let her sit in the back of the Fiasco green room while a party raged around her, basking in the glow of a great show. It was also why she couldn’t hit on Francis. It would be like auditioning to be in his entourage and she was above that. At least in theory…

“It’ll happen with me and Francis,” she told Kieran. “I just have to be patient.”

“But he already came to your show? Surely that’s a move?”

“Maybe, but he’s not trying to talk to me. And he showed up with a million girls.”