Baby? Lord give me strength if another man ever calls me “baby” again.
I rolled my eyes at his texts and wondered if he’d ever told me the truth in the last ten months. Thankful he was in another country and couldn’t show up here unannounced, I gathered what was left of my wits and my things, and headed out my front door. I made my way downstairs, knowing all too well what I’d be faced with once I was down there.
The dreaded paparazzi.
Thank God I’d had the foresight to choose a place in LA with a doorman, private parking, and twenty-four-hour concierge service. My parents suggested the concierge, and I’d been convinced that no such thing existed in Southern California. I’d never been happier than in this moment to be proven wrong by that simple fact. I loved the security and privacy that living here afforded me.
Lowering my sunglasses over my face, I stepped into the lobby and was immediately greeted by Sam, the concierge, his salt-and-pepper hair falling into his eyes. He quickly brushed the stray hairs away and walked with me toward the building’s exit.
“Good afternoon, Miss Lockwood.” His thick Latino accent filled the space between us and I marveled at how beautiful it sounded. I always did this around Sam, acted as if I were studying the very fabric of the language for a part or upcoming role. I never was, but he humored me anyway, talking purely for my enjoyment.
“The paparazzi are across the street. Right over there.” He gestured in the direction of a small crowd and I nodded in response, offering a tight-lipped smile as he continued. “They tried to come in, but I threatened to call the cops and have them all arrested for trespassing.”
“I really wish they’d pass some laws against this type of thing,” I said with a sigh.
“I know, Miss Lockwood. It makes me very nervous when you drive off and they chase you. Very nervous.” He nodded his head and looked up into the air as if offering a silent prayer.
I leaned toward him, placin
g my hand on his shoulder. “It makes me nervous too.”
His body tensed. “I’ll have the valet get your car,” he said, his tone defeated. “Please tell me you’re going to Miss Johnson’s? Or home to your parents?”
Sam loved Quinn. Everyone loved her, but Sam especially enjoyed her take-no-shit attitude and told her so every time she came to visit. I constantly spotted the two of them discussing Quinn’s latest shenanigans whenever she came around. She loved embellishing her stories for Sam, and he loved hearing her tales.
“I’m staying with Quinn for a few days. I don’t want to bring this to my parents’ house. They have to work, and my sister would be beyond annoyed if it interfered with her senior year. They don’t need this on their doorstep.”
“Miss Johnson will take care of you. I suppose Mr. Miller will be there as well?” he asked hopefully.
I nodded my head and chuckled at his overprotective nature. “Yes, Dad number two, both Quinn and Ryson will be there.”
He pressed his lips together in a cautious smile and shrugged. “I just worry.”
“I know, Sam. Thank you. I’ll be fine. But hey,” I said as a thought occurred to me. “Will you please remove Colin’s name from my access list? I don’t want him coming up unannounced anytime soon.”
Sam’s face reddened, telling me he’d heard the news. “Of course. Hopefully he knows better than to show up during my shift.”
I smiled, and it felt good after all the tears I’d shed today. Offering Sam a quick squeeze, I said good-bye and headed toward my waiting BMW as the paparazzi jumped into action at the sight of me.
Thank God for Best Friends
Paige
I weaved in and out of traffic on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, driving recklessly and way too fast. Glancing in my rearview mirror, I noted at least ten cars had followed me, all trying to maneuver as close as possible. No matter how I drove, I couldn’t shake them. They’d been tailing me since we left my apartment on Wilshire Boulevard, and I was convinced they knew exactly where I was headed.
My anxiety level escalated as one car shot ahead, closing the space between us, the driver with a camera in one hand and gripping the steering wheel with the other. This was so dangerous, and I never understood why the police seemed to allow it. One of these days someone was going to get killed, and I silently prayed it wouldn’t be me or anyone I loved. A quick turn off the main highway and into what Malibu considered a neighborhood with a view, I slowed my reckless pace and attempted to regain some self-control.
The chase cars screeched to a stop as I pulled up to Quinn’s privacy gates. A group of men jumped out quickly to get to me before I could escape inside. I leaned out my window to quickly punch the pass code into the keypad, and breathed out in relief as the gates swung open before any of them could reach me.
My heart thumped as I maneuvered my car into the driveway and shut down the engine. As I stepped outside, the camera-wielding madmen lined up outside the iron gates of my best friend’s house, shouting random questions at me as they shoved their equipment between the bars and snapped the shutters repeatedly.
“Paige, have you seen Colin?”
“Is it true?”
“We’re sorry, honey. He’s a jerk!”
“Has he cheated on you before?”