Cheers and applause broke out. She looked to her left and grinned when she saw Ridley, Jackson, and Sam jumping up and down and hooting.
“Raina, is it true that your fiancé will star with you in your new reality show?”
Raina squinted into the crowd, trying to see where the question came from. “What? Who said that?”
“Is it true, Raina?”
“Who’s the lucky guy?”
“Is there any truth to the rumor that you’re dating a married man? Is that why you won’t discuss your personal life?”
The sound level in the room seemed to have risen several decibels. There was a rash of excited whispers before the room went crazy with everyone shouting questions at once and holding their microphones over the crowd.
“Can everyone please stay calm?”
There was a loud squeal in the crowd as a scuffle broke out as people pushed and shoved to get closer to the stage. Probably so they could get better shots of her expression. Pictures to accompany the horrible stories that were no doubt going to be written as soon as this disaster of a press conference was over.
Panicked, Raina turned to Sam. He motioned for several of the security guards he’d employed for the night to move forward and hold the crowd back.
Her eyes met a familiar face in the crowd. Nick. Even as her heart leaped, she tamped down the excitement. Just one more person to witness her humiliation. Except he didn’t look as though he was enjoying this at all. He looked upset. When their eyes met, she saw something she hadn’t expected to see.
Sympathy.
Being the center of attention was the key to her success. It had given her security, the chance to travel, and enough money to make sure that Ridley could go to college and study whatever she wanted. She would never complain about her life. But the truth was she hated every second of being in the spotlight. In one night, Nick had seen the truth that she took great pains to hide from everyone in her life. He’d seen it and understood. He’d saved her then and even though she hated being indebted to him, she couldn’t help wishing he was up there with her now.
“There is no truth to any of these rumors. My fiancé is not married and he is not part of the reality show. The show will be a behind-the-scenes look at my life as a model.”
“You’ve been photographed with Steven Silvestre several times in recent months. Were you surprised to find out that he is reconciling with his ex-wife?”
Raina gripped the microphone tighter and looked to Sam for help. He looked just as panicked as she felt.
How had things gotten so out of control?
* * * * *
“I REALLY HOPE she’s okay.”
Nick looked over at Ridley. She was staring up at the stage where Raina was talking to the band leader. She looked like pure seduction in a tight, clingy dress that made his blood boil. Her legs looked like they went on for miles and when she turned to face the crowd, her pert bottom was showcased by the tight material.
“Okay? She looks like she’s in her element up there.”
Ridley looked over at him as if just realizing he was there. “Nothing. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
They both turned up front and listened as Raina made her announcement and the crowd went wild. Nick looked behind him at Matt, who shrugged.
“Raina, is it true that your fiancé will star with you in your new reality show?” someone yelled.
Nick tensed. He knew she was engaged, of course, but usually avoided thinking about it. He had his suspicions that Silvestre had approached her after seeing her on Nick’s arm. Even Murphy’s Law wasn’t foul enough to randomly hook up the only woman he wanted with his number-one rival.
“Hey, watch it!” Ridley cried. The crowd was getting more aggressive, with several people pushing to the front trying to get pictures on their cell phones.
“I wish she’d just called this whole thing off. The last thing she needs right now is questions about that jerk.”
Nick stepped to Ridley’s side, helping to shield her from the jostling crowd.
“Ridley, is something going on? I just want to help. Raina and I have had our issues,” Nick said, ignoring the sarcastic face Jackson made, “but I hope you know that I’d never want to see her hurt. And this crowd is starting to look more and more like a group of sharks that has just scented fresh blood.”
“No, I don’t think you’d ever want to see her hurt,” Ridley whispered, a strangely tender look in her eyes. “I think you feel a lot more for my sister than you want anyone to know.” She narrowed her eyes, then leaned forward and spoke in a hushed tone.