CHAPTER THREE
PAPARAZZI WERE A part of life in the modeling industry. Raina had quickly learned that having a few photographers on your side was not a bad idea. Since she lived off the beaten path now, most of the major paparazzi left her alone. They had more opportunities to get random celeb shots in New York or Los Angeles. It wasn’t worth it to them to follow her out to a small, semi-rural Virginia town, which was one of the main reasons she loved living in New Haven so much.
However, there were some local photographers who had started making their living getting exclusive shots of her just because they were there. After a few weeks of pretending she didn’t notice they were around, she’d finally just turned around and introduced herself. It turned out that her main stalkerazzi, Dagger Kincaid, was an art student using the photos he sold of her to pay his way through college. They’d come to a friendly agreement. She’d allow him to take several shots of her every day and he’d make sure he only sold good shots of her to the press.
Which came in really handy on mornings like this one where she wasn’t feeling her best.
“Good morning, Dagger. I’m on my way to get coffee. You want to get a shot now or after?”
Dagger shook back his mane of stringy black hair. “I’ll take a few of you walking to the car. Move your stuff to the other side. Great.”
She leaned against the car door, swinging her handbag over her arm nonchalantly. “Look good?”
“Looks amazing. As always.” He shot her a lopsided grin before stowing his camera back in his shoulder bag.
“How’s school going? You’re almost done, right?”
“Yeah. Finally. I only have one more semester left.”
“That’s great. You should be really proud. I always kind of wished I’d gone to college first. Before everything got so crazy.” He was looking at her like she was crazy, so she shrugged. “I always wanted to go to a frat party,” she joked.
He nodded, as if that he could understand. “I hear that. Oh, hey. Not sure if it’s true, but someone said your boy was seen in New York with some chick who’s on a soap opera. Did y’all break up or something?”
Raina’s heart skipped a beat. She made a show of looking in her bag for her cell phone. “You know I never comment on my personal life.”
It probably didn’t mean anything. She’d just talked to Steven yesterday. If he was photographed with a woman it could be anyone. It could be someone he knew casually or one of the attorneys negotiating the buyout deal for him. She knew better than anyone how easy it was for a picture to be misinterpreted.
Although, hadn’t Steven’s ex-wife been on a soap opera at some point?
She looked up to find Dagger watching her closely. Pasting a bright smile on her face, she pulled open her car door and threw her handbag on the seat. “Well, I have to go. I have so much to do. If you want a photo that will earn enough to pay for that final semester, make sure you’re at Sweetie’s at eight o’clock tonight.”
His eyes lit up. “Is this the big announcement you keep hinting about?”
“Uh huh. After tonight it won’t be a secret anymore.” She got in her car and pulled a pair of oversized shades from her bag.
Sam got in the passenger side. Just as she was about to put her key in the ignition, he covered her hand with his. He was always on the serious side, a side effect of his profession, but she’d never seen him look so grave before.
“Sam, what is it?”
“I know you said you don’t want me spying on Silvestre, but asking a few questions isn’t the same as spying.”
Raina sighed and turned the key in the ignition. “Leave it alone, Sam.”
“You really want me to believe that none of this bothers you? You aren’t even a little interested to know who this soap opera chick is? I don’t believe there’s that much love in the world,” he muttered.
“This isn’t about being so in love. Sam, you know I don’t believe in all that gooey, romantic crap. Half of all marriages end in divorce. Most people my age getting married are doing it at a drive-through chapel in Vegas when they’re too drunk to even
remember it. This is about trust. I trust Steven and I don’t want you checking up on him.”
“I just don’t get why you’re so cynical. Especially when your sister is the poster child for true love. That’s what love is supposed to look like.”
Raina closed her eyes and was immediately assaulted with images. Dark, thickly lashed bedroom eyes. Smooth, golden-brown skin. Those curls she couldn’t keep her hands out of. She knew what love looked like.
It looked like Nicholas Alexander.
Raina ducked her head, hoping Sam wouldn’t notice how she’d tensed up. It was sweet of him to worry about her. He’d always had her best interest at heart. But if he was trying to shield her from heartbreak, he was several months too late.
It had all started with Jackson asking her for a favor. Raina had never had anything more than a mild flirtation with Jackson and his two boys were adorable, so it hadn’t been a big deal when he’d asked her to accompany his brother to an event. She got plenty of exposure at fashion events, but showing up on the arm of a respected businessman at a charity dinner was something she didn’t get to do that often. It had been as much to her benefit as Nick’s.