“Oh, very chic,” she says to me, and I look at her. Her black hair is curled perfectly, and her makeup again is perfectly done. “Now, let’s go.”
I nod at her, grabbing my phone and sliding it into my inside suit jacket pocket. We make it down to the lobby, and I see that Jonathan is the only one there waiting. “Where is everybody?” I ask, looking around.
“They take a shuttle there to set up, and your car is waiting at the front,” Cassie says. “Let’s go, boys.” She smiles and walks in front of us.
“This is a little weird,” Jonathan says, laughing. “I feel like I’m going to prom.”
“Relax,” I tell him, slapping him on the shoulder. “I won’t try to have sex with you.” We both laugh, and I get into the car and get ready for the first stop. Only nine more to go.
Chapter Ten
Jessica
Tyler Beckett’s first official stop is under way. Fans lined up overnight just to get a glimpse of him.
“The number you have dialed is not in service. Please check the number and try your call again.”
I fucking knew it. I knew in my gut this story was bullshit. The day after I took off, I got a suspicious email. I wouldn’t answer or ask any questions unless I got the person on the phone. We had one conversation that lasted fifteen minutes, and after one minute, I knew she was lying. Her story just didn’t add up, so I called Stephanie and told her I wasn’t submitting the story, and then Tyler and Cassie walked into the room I was waiting in to interview him. The whole thing was a mess this morning. I was ushered from one room to another, and my interview time was changed twice.
I was frustrated that I was being played, and I was semi-aggravated that I have been twiddling my thumbs for the past twenty-five minutes while he did other interviews, so I snapped. I always knew Cassie was a bitch, and it was only a matter of time before it actually came to light, but it took two days. At least with me. She is fine with the others. Then she made that snide remark after I was done.
It took five seconds to call Stephanie and tell her what happened and another five for her to call Ryan. By the time I got to my room, pulled the suitcase on top of the bed, and booted the computer to book a flight home, there was a knock on the door. What I didn’t expect was Tyler to come to my room and ask me to stay, actually apologizing for Cassie’s behavior. I accepted it although I knew he didn’t have to do it, but I also made my request. I didn’t think he would go for it, but he did.
Now here I am in the back of the shuttle bus on our way to the red carpet premiere. “It’s hot as balls,” Autumn says from beside me, bringing her hand up and fanning herself with it. “Black pants with hundred thousand degrees of humidity is no bueno,” she says, and I look at her. She is wearing black pants and a light pink silk shirt with a black bow around her neck to close the collar. “I heard what happened with Cassie,” she whispers, and I look around to see if anyone is listening. The guys are on their phones, the three blondes are all touching up their makeup, and Kendall is FaceTiming her kids who just woke up.
“Yeah,” I say, not adding more fuel to the fire. “It is what it is.”
She shakes her head and then the shuttle stops. We all get out, making our way down the red carpet to our designated spots. I walk to my chair and sit down while my camera guy sets up. I look up and see that the fans have already lined up across the street, and a steel barrier has been brought in to keep them out. Police are lined up to make sure the crowd doesn’t get out of hand. I grab the earpiece and put it in my ear, then pick up the mic. “Testing. One, two, three.”
“I hear you loud and clear,” my camera guy says, and I just nod at him, smiling.
“Thank you . . .” I wait for him to tell me his name.
“Mike,” he says gruffly. “I’m going for a smoke before this shit gets crazy.” I nod, then get up and smooth down my skirt. Today was not a good day to wear long sleeves. I look down at my white long-sleeved dress that is tight until it passes my butt and then it flares out a touch. The sleeves are tight to the elbow and then flare out with a single black stripe around the hem. It’s classy; the peek of cleavage from the dip in the front is the only hint of sexy, and I’m wearing my sky-high open-toe black leather shoes that tie around the ankle. I see Mike coming back, and I look at him. “The circus has arrived,” he says, and I just nod at him while he gets the camera on his shoulder and starts filming me. “Move over to the right,” he says. The next hour is nuts with special guests, pop stars, a couple of the co-stars, and then I hear a roar of screams.