at Marcus. He was watching the proceedings with a very odd look on his face. Eyes following the movements as the publicity people rushed this way and that—painting, styling, and creating a whole new image. A brand new Rebecca. A brand—I should have stopped at that. Something perfect. Something unfamiliar. Something that wouldn’t make any waves.
I stared him down until he left the room, mumbling something about taking a quick conference call before meeting us at the studio.
Twenty minutes later, we were in the limo and speeding across the freeway. I was told that normally the show taped in New York, but they’d sent someone out special to Los Angeles just for me. I wished I could have felt flattered. But all I felt was dread.
Amanda sat by my side, laced arm in arm, viciously staring down Billings who sat across from us with the senior members of his team. Marcus was coming along later but promised to be there for the actual interview.
By the time we pulled up at the studio, tensions were running a bit high. But that couldn’t have mattered less in this profession. The second our feet hit the pavement; we were all smiles. I waved courteously to the little crowd that had gathered outside the doors, holding onto Amanda in a deceptively vise-like grip until we were swept inside and rushed to a dressing room.
As soon as the door closed, she yanked her wrist away from me. “For fuck’s sake, woman!” She rubbed at the red finger lines indented in her skin. “I almost lost a hand out there!”
“This is war,” I replied dismissively. “Be grateful it wasn’t your entire arm.”
We giggled nervously but stopped the second the door opened back up again. A nine-foot tall blonde Amazon walked inside. Despite her striking features, she had the most suburban face I had ever seen, a face I’d seen on the cover of a dozen magazines, posing with a serious smile.
“Rebecca?” she asked sweetly, extending a hand.
I gulped nervously and shook it quickly. “Hi, thanks for having me.”
“Well, thank you for coming!” She flashed a triumphant smile. “Between you and me, this was actually quite the coveted talk. Now I understand that this is your first ever interview?”
“Yes,” I tried not to sound as anxious as I felt, “first one.”
Her eyes dilated hungrily, but she instinctively softened her features with a strategically calming smile. “Well, it’s going to be a breeze. I’m just going to ask you a few questions, mostly about you and Marcus. Where did you two meet, tell us a little about the proposal, things like that. If it’s alright with you, I’d like to throw in a few about the upcoming wedding?”
For the first time, I longed for Billings. “Um, yeah, that will be fine. There’s not much to say yet, I’m afraid. You’d be better off asking my mother.”
She threw back her head and laughed like I’d just said the funniest thing in the whole world. Amanda and I shot each other concerned glances, but were quick to join in the second she looked back our way. When we’d quieted down, she put an awkward hand on my shoulder.
“Well, we’ve got about ten minutes, then they’ll call you out to the stage. Try to ignore the audience and look at me. Like we’re just having a talk in your living room.”
“Okay.” I tucked my hair behind my ear with a nervous smile. “Thanks.”
She beamed back. “In the meantime, help yourself to some breakfast. Don’t want to be going into this with a ton of nerves and low blood sugar.” She laughed again and patted me goodbye, but before she left, I could have sworn her eyes flickered down to my stomach.
When she was gone, Amanda and I turned for the first time to the little buffet that had been set up in the corner. The second I saw it, my heart stopped.
“Mimosas, champagne, brie, oysters…” Amanda turned to me in shock. “She’s not very subtle, is she?”
“We should get Billings in here,” I muttered, backing away from the table. “We’re going to have to change our game plan if we don’t eat these.” A sudden wave of nausea hit me, and I ran for the bathroom, making it just in time.
Precisely ten minutes later, I was led by a wide-eyed tech out to the edge of the stage to wait for my introduction. As I peered out past the curtain at the swollen audience, a wild flurry of nerves made me almost lightheaded. I reached back for some kind of support, and found myself latched onto Billings of all people.
Rather than pulling away, he leaned closer, turning me to face him and putting two steady hands on my shoulders. “Deep breaths,” he instructed, guiding me through a pair. “You’re going to be fine. Just don’t forget to keep breathing.”
“What if I…what if I forget my cue cards?” I whispered anxiously.
“If you forget your cue cards, then just start talking. Let them see a bit of that sparkling Rebecca White personality. You’ll win them over in no time.”
I looked up at him in surprise, and I could have sworn I saw him wink.
“You are the girl who stole the heart of Marcus Taylor, after all.” He flashed me a quick smile in the darkness. “No amount of PR fabrication is ever going to change that.”
I felt almost bonded to him. Up until the very moment he stuck his hands down my bodice to pull up the front of my dress.
Did the man have no boundaries?
I wheedled away from his prying hands with a scowl just as I heard my name.