Hollywood Playboy (Hollywood Royalty 1)

I nod at her and walk out of the hotel with everyone else into the bus that will take us to the event. I sit in the seat and look out the window, trying not to let the hurt set in. I don’t have time to think about anything once we get to the red carpet. We are set up high above the Eiffel Tower as the backdrop of where he will be arriving. I walk to a spot on the red carpet, and my phone buzzes in my purse. Taking it out, I see that it’s from Tyler twenty minutes ago.

Tyler: Where are you?

I go back and forth about answering or not, but I won’t be the immature one.

Me: I’m where I’m supposed to be on the red carpet, getting ready to interview people.

Tyler: Why aren’t you here?

Me: Someone from your camp made a request you walk the carpet with your parents. Gotta go.

I put my phone away, trying to blink away the tears. I get ready, and the stars start to arrive. I hear the roar and know that either he’s gotten here or Alex, France’s most eligible bachelor who is making his red carpet debut with his newest girlfriend, has shown up. I look down and see that they walk up the stairs one behind the other. Alex stands with his hands around his beautiful girlfriend. The press screams at him, asking him questions about who she is, but he doesn’t answer anything. He just smiles and waves.

I see Frank arrive wearing a tux and looking very dapper, and Susanna is wearing a blue and champagne-colored dress with cap sleeves. Her hair is done perfectly, and the gold shoes make the outfit. I smile at her as she walks down the red carpet holding her husband’s hand. “Jessica.” I hear my name being shouted from behind me and see that Tyler is standing next to Alex, and he’s calling me. I ignore him, pretending I can’t hear him through the screaming of the crowd. He walks over to me, and I turn to him with the microphone in my hand, wearing a smile. “And here he is, the man of the hour,” I say to him, and he glares at me, then grabs the microphone from my hand and tosses it to the camera guy. “If you fight me on this, you are going to make me do something neither of us is ready for,” he whispers into my ear, and I swallow hard. “Now, get your ass on that red carpet and stand by my side where you’re supposed to be.”

“You’re making a scene,” I say, looking over and seeing that Yamina and Yolanda are rushing toward us.

“Tyler,” Yamina says, “we are so sorry. We got your request.”

“Wasn’t my request,” Tyler says, his teeth together almost hissing, and I look up at him. “The studio made this plan originally, and now I’m respecting that plan. I have no idea what happened.”

“Cassie said you wanted to walk down the carpet with your parents,” Yolanda says, and I see Tyler stand and put his hands in his pocket. “It was a simple request that you walk with your parents.”

“It was,” I say. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

“No,” he snaps, grabbing my hand and bringing me on the red carpet to where his parents are standing and talking to Cassie. “Seems that there was a mix-up.”

“Hello, dear,” Susanna says, looking at me, “you look so good.”

“Cassie, you wouldn’t know about the mix-up, would you?” Tyler looks at Cassie, who stands there in her own black dress. This one velvet, strapless, crisscrossing over her chest and falling to the floor.

“I assumed with your parents here, you would want to walk down the carpet with them,” she says, not backing down. “It’s not every day they show up.”

I look at Frank, who watches me, and then turns to his son. “Why don’t we discuss this when there aren’t so many eyes on us?” he suggests. Holding out his hand to his wife, he turns to smile at the cameras. I feel an arm snake around my waist as I’m being pulled toward Tyler and look over at him as he’s all smiles for the camera.

“Tyler. Let me go,” I hiss through my smile. “You didn’t pose like this with any of the other journalists.” He doesn’t say anything, but he lets me go and puts his elbow out, and I place my hand in it. “Thank you.”

“Oh, trust me,” he says through his smile, “the last thing you should be doing is thanking me.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Tyler

This reality star just rented a yacht in Italy for the month of July! People wonder if she will be bringing her boy toy with her!

Coming to her room without calming down was not a good idea, but just letting her walk out of the interview room with her head down because of Cassie was more than I cared to see. I watch her walk into her bathroom and shut the door, sealing it with the click of the lock. I look up at the ceiling, trying to calm my temper, but it’s safe to say that nothing is going to work. I slam the door shut and get back to the interviews, trying to remain upbeat, but the change in attitude has shifted. I wait for us to be alone in my penthouse before I turn on Cassie. “What in the fuck was that?” I ask her, and she sits on the same couch that Jessica sat on this morning to have coffee.