Novel Ships
40
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.This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.
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.”
TWENTY-TWO
DOMINICK
I
was reading the Celebrity Alert again when the gate outside my driveway began to open, the monitor in the kitchen showing Jenner’s car driving through.
He’d asked me to go out with him tonight, and I’d chosen sleep. I could only assume he’d ended up at the same club Kendall was at and that she was the passenger in his front seat.
I met her at the door, holding it open enough for her to slip inside, and I waved at Jenner as he reversed out of my driveway. Once I locked up, she was sitting on my couch in the same dress that had appeared in the photos. Her hair wasn’t as wild as it had looked in the shots, her skin not as flushed.
She didn’t have any lipstick on.