Connections | ✔️

Three

Valerie P.O.V

Stepping through the double doors of this architectural monstrosity (I mean, what else did you expect from the term "Hollywood Hills Mansion"?), I looked around at the glamorous mass of people before me; spaced around drinking, sitting down chatting, and engaging in mini photoshoots. I think I could recognise a few faces from what I had seen around on tv and social media.

If I do something stupid, it is 100% going to end up on the internet somehow.

Please don't make me into a meme.

Making our way further into the first floor of the house, I spotted a dance area and a DJ up on a makeshift podium. My insides did a little happy dance- he was playing some really, good music. Crowds of people spilled out into the backyard, lounging around the pool and around a large bar table.

"Drink?!" Ellana asked me, raising her voice over the music and pointed to the bar.

"Yes please! I need to loosen up a few nerves!" I said leaning over into her ear to avoid shouting.

After grabbing two strawberry daiquiris we made our rounds as Ellana greeted and introduced me to people she knew, most of which were cast members from her show and their friends. Ellana was pulled away to meet some more people in the industry as I sat and chatted happily with a few girls, loosening up with every passing minute. I did a mini squeal inside as I looked down at my phone to check the time and noticed it was just past 11pm. I did it! I totally just chilled for an hour without Ellana and socialised. After exchanging a few numbers, I let Sommer, Alexys and Jess know I was going to look for Ellana to check up on her. They were all so incredibly lovely, telling me they loved my dress, and to find them again if I didn't see her.

I wandered around searching for Ellana for about 10 minutes, when I finally found her sitting closely with a guy on a couch in a more secluded, quieter place of the house. Squinting a little to make out his face in the dark, I concluded that I think it was the lead actor on the show she was also on. He was good-looking as far as I could tell. Kudos to her. As she raised her head and spotted me out of the corner of her eye, I quickly shot her a thumbs up from where I was standing- not wanting to head over and crash their vibe. Sending me a smile and a wink in return letting me know she was fine, I proceeded to leave and sent her a text to say I was probably going to go grab another drink, then dance.

"Valerie!" I heard a girlish voice shout over the heavy bass of the music. "Over here!"

I spun around to see Jess beckoning me over towards her.

"Oh hey Jess!" I waved.

"Come with me, the other girls are on the dance floor!"

Following Jess, I made my way to the dance floor where Alexys and Sommer were swaying to the beat, moving their arms above their heads. I instantly joined in as they greeted me and began rolling my hips in tune to the track, running my hands through my hair. I closed my eyes and a grin spread across my face as I let the music move me. A couple more songs passed as the girls and I let loose, dancing wildly until Candy Shop came on. I let out a large woop and started to really grind to the music, running my hands down the sides of my body, flipping my hair and lowering my body down before bringing it back up.

"VALLL!" I heard as Ellana came running over and jumped into the dance, swaying her body sensually. "This is our JAM!" she yelled.

"I know, you finally got your ass over here!" I teased her with a big grin.

I continued to dance with Ellana and the girls as we let the song flow through our bodies. The tempo changed as a slow sexy jam came on. Instantly recognising Pony by Ginuwine, she immediately broke out her male stripper moves, pretending to be a man grinding up against me. Laughing hysterically, I joined in and wrapped my arm up around her neck as we started to swirl our hips and dip our bodies as if our lives depended on it- like it really was our only source of income. 

Feeling as if someone was watching me intensely, I looked up across the room and was met with a pair of curious and amused eyes. His smouldering gaze slowly lowered down my gyrating body and back up again to meet my gaze. My breath hitched in my throat and I quickly broke the contact as heat rushed to my cheeks.

He totally just checked me out.

~

Carter P.O.V.

"Damn, who is that?" Xavier whistled lowly. I flicked my gaze over to his line of vision.

That's when I saw her.

She was beautiful with her long dark hair, glistening skin and sweet little body grinding to the beat of the music, almost as if it was a slow motion music video. And that dress. It was like her body was taken and dipped in red silk, moulded into a nice neat little present, waiting for someone to come unwrap it. I had never seen her around before and I knew a ton of people in this social circle.

"I don't know," I murmured, my eyes locked in a trance.

"Who?" Kean shouted as he strolled over towards Xavier, Alec and I. Alec nodded in the direction of the dance floor.

"Oh, I think her name is like Valerie? She's Ellana's best friend." Just as he said that, a blonde girl came running over yelling out "VALLL!" as they both started to dance together, descending into a fit of giggles.

Wow, she had a dazzling smile too.

"Who's Ellana?" Alec asked.

"The blonde one that just ran over," he chuckled looking towards the taller blonde. "She's an actress on The Chase with me," he said with light in his eyes and a small smile. Someone's got it bad I smirked to myself, knowing he invited her here.

"Course Kean knows all the hot ones," Xavier rolled his eyes and scoffed. "I'm Kean and I'm a big movie star!" he mimicked in a girly voice and turned up his chin to give his best smoulder- imitating what we call Kean's intense smooch face for whenever he's about to do an onscreen kiss. Kean whacked him over the head as we all burst out laughing.

"It's alright Xavier, Sommer will text you back one day and not leave you on seen." I said as I pat him on the back sympathetically. At 18, Xavier was a bit younger than the rest of us and tended to be an immature goofball and a little less tactful when it came to approaching the ladies. He shot me a deep scowl in return as the guys snickered.

"Let's get some more drinks boys!" Alec cheered as we all stood up and made our way to the bar.

After a few more hellos and birthday wishes, I found myself back within view of the dance floor. I stood with a group of friends as they chatted, leaning against the wall, mindlessly watching her. There was something about her that intrigued me, luring me in.

Everyone always wanted something from me and people weren't always genuine. That's the nature of the business I'm in. You have to be wary of people's intentions and be guarded about what you do and who you interact with. But here she was, dancing without a care in the world, and she hadn't once come up to me like they all did. Like they always did.

My heart beat a little faster at the image of her swaying hips as she danced with Ellana. Slowly, she lifted her head and her stormy eyes locked onto mine from afar. At that very moment, she became even more beautiful than before. Involuntarily, my eyes wandered down her body and back up to her eyes again. They were like thunderclouds, the deep ocean during a hurricane, drowning me like a sailor lost at sea in their dangerous, yet striking orbs. She quickly broke away and I snapped out of the hypnotic state I was in.

"You finally done with your staring fest Carter?" Alec quirked up from beside me in a teasing tone.

I normally would go up to a girl if I found her attractive. But it's a pretty big no-no to go up to a group of dancing girls and get all up in their business. You either come off as a little creepy getting a little too close while they're grinding, or annoying for your unwanted interruption of their girls' night. Going up to a group of girls when they're not dancing= yes. Going up to a group of girls while they are dancing= no. If she's alone though? Maybe.

"Yup. I'm sufficiently all hot and bothered now so I think I'm gonna go get some air," I replied haughtily.

"Can't blame ya man," he agreed, letting out a laugh. "And she doesn't just look like any other regular carbon copy of the girls you find in abundance roaming the streets of L.A." he quickly added.

"You got that right." I chuckled as I gave him a salute and wandered off.