Hollywood Princess (Hollywood Royalty 2)

I wonder where I would be now if I wasn’t here. Would I have stayed in Nashville? Would I have kids? Would I be happy? Everything rolls through my mind as the sun slowly rises. The lights on the street have faded, and I can’t see which house has lights on. I get up, folding the cover, and then walk back inside. After putting my coffee cup in the sink, I start frying my turkey bacon and eggs, and by the time my day officially starts with me on the treadmill, I’m ready to crush the day.

“Let’s start from the top one more time,” Aimee, the choreographer, says from in front of the stage, and I look down at her sitting on the floor cross-legged. “Stacey and Jennifer.” She points at the two backup dancers. “You are one second too fast. Kellie, you are on point, but stop second-guessing yourself.”

I turn around, breathing heavy. “I think I’m going to die.” I grab the bottle of water that is on stage where the drums sit. My backup singers, Jackie and Trisha, try to hide their laughter, and I glare at them. “Don’t make me add you to this circus of dancing and shit.”

“You don’t pay me enough to dance in the middle of the stage,” Jackie says, and Trisha shakes her head. They have been with me since the beginning also. “Besides, people don’t pay to see me shake this ass.”

I shake my head and get back into position to start the routine again. My cardio is getting a lot better, and the panting is less and less when I sing. When it’s eight p.m., a bell rings, and everyone cheers as they walk off the set. I walk down the steps toward Cori who sits in a canvas chair with her laptop in her lap.

“That was amazing.” She smiles. “And guess what? The tour bus is here.”

“Oh, really?” I say, wiping my forehead while she stands. I follow her out to the parking lot and see where my house will be for the next ninety days. I know the studio also has a plane ready, but I love the bus. The only people traveling on the bus with me are Cori, Jackie, Trisha … and now Brian.

Walking to the huge black and brown bus, I see that the back has a K on it with a halo. I smile, walking to the front, and the door opens for us. I walk up the three black stairs. The back of the bus is closed off with a small doorway. The floor is a dark hardwood, and the “living room” is in the front. A white couch on one side faces two chairs and a table with a television in the corner. White shades go up and down on the windows. Spotlights illuminate the middle of the pathway and along the top of the couches. Just after the two chairs is the kitchen area in a light beige with small stainless-steel appliances and a three-burner stove in the middle of the small counter. Believe it or not, I actually cook at times. The fridge and freezer sit under the counter where the stovetop is. Moving down, Cori shows me the icemaker she had put in. I open the first door on the right, and I see it’s a small bathroom with a toilet and a sink. After the half bath are four bunks, two on each side, with the cream-colored curtains pulled closed. I move one curtain to the side and see that each one has a mattress and a little television. Then finally we get to the back where the door is open, and I walk into what is my bedroom. The bed is all the way in the corner with a white padded headboard and a television right in front of it. I can close it off with a curtain in case other people are here. “The only bad thing is that there is only one shower, so we will have to share,” Cori says and points at the bathroom on the opposite side.

“It should be fine. It’s not that many people,” I say, turning and walking back off the bus. “I’m starving.” She nods her head. When we get back to my house, I slip out of my clothes and eat in my bra and panties while she talks to me.

“Tomorrow same time, same place.” Cori waves at me, walking out of the kitchen to the garage where her car is. The rest of the two weeks are the same thing, and I don’t hear from Brian. I don’t pay attention to anything but the tour and getting ready.

“We have the meeting in thirty minutes,” Cori says to me while I walk upstairs to my room, going straight to the shower. The warm water runs down over me, and I close my eyes, allowing it to massage my muscles. Even though I work out everyday, my body still aches. Getting out, I grab my big comfy robe and then walk to the closet and open my underwear drawer. My hand freezes, the drawer midway open, and it happens so fast I don’t even realize a huge bouquet of red roses sits on top of the counter. It’s the gold gift box with a white bow beside the flowers that makes me stop what I’m doing. “Cori!” I yell as loud as I can and run to the railing. The doorbell rings, and she comes running. “Cori!” I yell again, and she looks up at me. The front door opens, and I see Brian walk into my house behind Tommy. Dressed in dark jeans and a white polo shirt, he hides his eyes behind aviator glasses, his hair falling a bit in the front.