The Lawyer (The Dalton Brothers 1)

I turned, and Jenner was behind me. “It’s you—thank God.”

“What happened back there?”

I shook my head. “One minute, I was leaving the restroom. The next, I couldn’t see anything, and all these words were being screamed at me.”

“Celebrity life. Here, drink some.” He handed me his scotch, and I took a sip. “Being with Presley Jordan only fueled that fire. The paps love him; they follow him everywhere.”

My stomach dropped once more, this time for an entirely different reason. “It wasn’t how it looked.”

He put his hands up, like I was pointing a gun at him. “I’m not here to judge.”

I swallowed another sip and returned the drink to him. “Is he here?”

His eyes told me he knew who I was asking about.

“No.”

I didn’t know why I had this immense urge to see Dominick. I just felt like he could make this moment better somehow.

“Here you go,” the bartender said.

I wrapped my fingers around the glass, and as I turned toward Jenner, he was taking a few steps back.

“I’ll see you later, Kendall.”

I waved, bringing the drink up to my lips, swallowing a huge gulp. I only had the chance to take one more sip before Delilah was at my side.

“I thought you weren’t interested in him, you slut.”

“I wasn’t.” That hadn’t come out right. “And I’m not. We just went to talk, and a circus erupted.”

The camera crew was nearby, catching every second of this. One of them signaled for me to turn my mic back on, but I didn’t. I needed a minute to try and relax before they caught every word I said.

“You come out of the restroom—the ladies’ room no less—with Presley’s hand on you, and you expect me to believe nothing happened?” She snorted. “Okaaay.” She put her arm around my waist, clinking our glasses together. “Girl, you can’t fool me, but I’ll give you props for trying. Come on. Let’s go dance.”

I couldn’t even imagine trying to do that right now.

There was a tightness in my chest. An uneasiness moving through my body that I was hoping this tequila would erase.

“I’ll meet you out there.”

“Suit yourself,” she replied, heading for the other girls.

I took another drink and found my phone, searching my Contacts for Dominick’s number. The clock on my screen showed it was past midnight. I could only hope he would answer.

“Kendall,” he said in a rough, gritty voice.

“I woke you. I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right. What’s going on?”

I moved to the side of the bar, positioning my back against the wall, giving it most of my weight. I knew the camera was catching this, too, so I tried to keep my face as emotionless as possible. “I don’t know. I just needed to hear a familiar voice.”

“You have mine.”

“Dominick …” My lungs felt like they were going to explode. “Everything is so crazy right now. I don’t know how to navigate this—the cameras, this weird fame I’m experiencing, all these flashing lights.”

“What happened?”

“This guy, he brought me into the restroom and asked me out on a date.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because …” I paused to try to breathe, and a sound came through my cell, one that was specific for Celebrity Alerts.

I pulled the phone away from my face to read it.

BREAKING NEWS:

She might be related to a flower, but she’s quite the beautiful gem herself.

We’re talking about Miss Kendall Roy, one of the fabulous six from Glitzy Girls, who was just seen getting cozy with none other than Presley Jordan. And by cozy, we mean, finding themselves in a stall in the ladies’ room.

Pink looks much better on Kendall, don’t you think, Mr. Jordan?

My hands shook as I pressed the alert, a series of photos now loading that showed Presley and me coming out of a door clearly marked as the ladies’ room. My skin appeared flushed, like something naughty had been going on in there, my hair a little disheveled.

Even my lipstick was smudged.

Whoever had Photoshopped these pictures, they had taken the lipstick from my mouth and smeared some on Presley’s lips to make it look like we’d been kissing.

My knees felt weak as I read the alert again, my stomach churning, every emotion plowing into my chest. “Oh my God.”

Dominick.

I moved the phone back to my ear just as he voiced, “I thought you said he only asked you out in the restroom?”

No.

No, no, nooo.

“Kendall, did you fuck him in there?”

“Hell no,” I growled. “You know me better than that.” My face dropped, my entire body shaking. “How did this happen? I … I didn’t even say yes to having dinner with him. Dominick, you have to believe me.”

A few seconds of silence passed.

“Can you get a ride to my house?”

I glanced up, and two cameras were pointed at me, a lighting guy standing only a few feet away. I was sure they’d all read the alert and they were trying to film my reaction.

My stare moved farther across the room, and that was when I saw Jenner standing in a group, where he was talking to another guy.

“I’m pretty sure I can,” I replied.

“Make sure no one follows you. Call me if you need me.”

I set my drink down and hurried past the cameras and lighting team, and when I reached Jenner, I wrapped my hands around his arm and whispered in his ear, “Will you take me to your brother’s house?”

I knew this was going to get me in trouble with production. I had to get it cleared before I left a set for any reason, but I didn’t care about that right now. I just needed to get out of here.

He looked down at my face, and I felt so many other eyes on me.

Everyone in this room had seen the alert.

They were all assuming the same thing.

So was the entire world. In the next few minutes, every media outlet would be posting the same photographs.

My family would see. My friends in Boston.

I felt sick.

“Please,” I begged. “I need to go, and I know you’ll get me there safely.”

He handed his drink to one of his friends and took off his jacket, giving it to me. “I’m parked out back, but put this on over your head. There’s going to be paparazzi everywhere outside, and they’re going to want to get more shots of you.”