As the two of them were whispering, a figure with a faint scent of cologne stopped beside their table. They looked up to find Leonardo DiCaprio himself. Somehow, he had made his way over from the diagonal across the room.
He held a glass of champagne and leaned forward slightly, his famous blue eyes fixed on Britney's face, intent and just the right amount of adoring.
"Good evening, you two charming ladies." His voice was deliberately low, almost like it had little hooks in it.
Britney blinked her big eyes and clinked glasses with him, perfectly composed. "Good evening, Mr. DiCaprio."
Irene's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. She offered a casual greeting, too. His intentions were clear, so there was no need for her to be especially warm. She simply lifted her glass and played the quiet observer.
"I was captivated by your performance onstage, Miss Spears. Would you do me the honor of letting me call you Britney?" Leonardo asked, sweet-talking her in what he thought was a profound tone.
"Of course. I also really liked your Jack—dangerous and charming." Britney answered smoothly, adding a slight lilt to her voice.
Irene watched Leo's classic seduction routine unfold, aimed at her best friend of all people, and felt a little disillusioned. But when she thought of all his rumored girlfriends, every one of them blonde and blue-eyed, it made perfect sense that Britney would be his target.
"Please, call me Leonardo. So, Britney, perhaps I could invite you for a drink after the party? I have lots of amusing stories from when we were filming Titanic that I'd love to share with you."
Look at that—he's showing his hand already. He could at least say a few more nice things first. Irene rolled her eyes and grumbled to herself. They were