“I love you!”
It was in the heat of passion, raspy and untamed, but there was truth there as he came down from his high and stroked wet strands of hair from my face. “And I always will.”
He kissed my lips once more and slowly smoothed soap over our bodies.
“Thank you,” was all I had the energy to say.
He washed my hair, and I rinsed it as he washed his. When we were out of the shower and dressed, we walked into the main living space to an obnoxious pounding on the door. Alec rolled his neck and looked at me.
“You ready for this?” He was the one who didn’t seem ready, but this was just a day’s work for me.
“Yep. Let’s do it!” I grabbed his hand and gave him a big squeeze.
Alec opened the door, and a tall lanky man with a mop of golden hair that curled loosely around his face bounded in.
“What you don’t answer your phone anymore?” He walked into Alec’s apartment and sat at the bar across from the kitchen. “I need to have you sign these papers before we go over to the building. It’s a media circus over there, so we won’t have a chance to do this without the world looking on.” The guy then stopped and looked at me. “Wait. Sorry.” He stood up and walked over to me. “I’m Christian, Alec’s only friend. Nice to meet you, Kylie.” He extended his hand to me. “I’m glad Alec’s finally gotten behind a charity. We’ve been trying to get the ol’ miser to give to something other than political campaigns.” Wow, that was a tidbit I didn’t know about. “Getting this guy to part with his money is no easy feat.”
Strange, I thought to myself; he just dropped a hundred and fifty K as if it was a quarter for the candy machine.
“I’m glad he’s giving it to us.” I gave Christian a broad smile trying to keep everything light and airy. “Nice to meet you.”
“Oh yeah, speaking of contracts. Kylie, I need you to …” Alec started then looked at me, with my wet hair dripping in my face. “Never mind.” He kissed my temple and let whatever thought he had to say go. “Let’s sign these bad boys and get over to the building site.”
At that moment, Alec’s cell dinged. “Great,” he muttered under his breath.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, seeing the alarm on his face.
“Your people are after me. Maralis is downstairs with a team of stylists to get you ready for today, and your roommates are about to have me arrested for kidnapping. Apparently, everyone is downstairs fighting with the doorman. “Just let them all up.” Alec relented as he hit the end button.
“Wow, who are you?” Christian asked arranging the papers in a neat row for us to sign.
“Shut up,” was all Alec said.
Within moments, it felt like hundreds of people descended upon Alec’s white sanctuary. I felt bad for him, this wasn’t his scene.
“Kylie!” Avery raced at me and threw her arms around my neck. “Oh, my God! Oh, my God! What the hell? I thought Lurch was going to let you out of your cage. What happened? Madison and I were really worried.” I panicked; I thought Alec had cleared the weekend with them.
“Didn’t Alec call you?” Worry sliced through my insides.
“He did, but I mean kidnappers always do that.” She was so off sometimes.
“Doesn’t usually happen to two famous people being followed by paparazzi, but if it makes you feel any better, I’ll chill at home this weekend.”
Avery’s face lit up. “Hello! Yes!”
I glanced over in Alec’s direction, and I watched as his expression became somber.
Surely, he could give me up for the weekend.
The morning was a blur. We cut the ribbon at the Every Dream building where there were loads of press and people honking and screaming because they were bottlenecked in a traffic jam. Avery kept a hawk-eye on everything, Maralis gracefully fielded questions about Alec and me. Christian was doing official stuff for Alec’s company, thus dragging Alec this way and that, and then poof, it was over, and everyone disappeared.
“You better call me tonight,” Avery threatened as she left. “And you are really sure you’re okay with all of this?”
“I am really sure,” I lied.
As soon as the press, people, and hoopla were over, Alec joined me and shuffled me away from the crowd. I had made a speech that was handed to me an hour before I was to give it; Alec gave a short speech. I handed a homeless youth I’d never met an award from my foundation that I didn’t even know we had, smiled for pictures, used big fake scissors to cut a huge bow around the building, and we ditched out before the buffet barbeque was served on the grass.