Don’t mess up tonight. Be nice to Alisha.
Brandon rolled his eyes and groaned. Alisha Waterstone was a noose around his neck. A harpy who wanted nothing more from him than to step on him so she could climb to the top. Her father was a famous producer, so she got bit parts as people tried to suck up to him. She’d been trying to convince him they would make a great Hollywood couple. Puke. He’d rather drink motor oil.
He would be nice in public. But in private? All bets were off. He texted Rex back.
Fat chance.
His phone blew up with angry texts from Rex, but he shut off the alerts and chuckled. He just liked to mess with his manager. He was in his thirties and balding already. A sad specimen with no life of his own. Probably because he was so uptight. Geesh. What girl would want to date a guy like that?
He checked his email in case the alert didn’t come through, but there was no new email. He glanced out the window. They were pulling up to the building now. He wasn’t even sure which awards show this was. There were too many now. Stupid. His limo slowed and then pulled to a stop.
Show time. Hordes of people crowded around the roped-off red carpet, shouting at the celebrities as they walked inside. Tom Hanks waved and smiled as he walked into the building.
His driver pulled open his door and Brandon climbed out. Flashes of light went off and he smiled for the cameras. Girls screamed. Reporters shouted questions. Brandon waved and pretended to love all the attention. “Thank you.”
“Brandon, what do you say in response to the critics of your latest performance?” A reporter stuck his microphone over the rope.
Brandon’s smile stiffened. Then he smoothly went into full acting mode. “Everyone has their opinion. Of course, I have many fans as well as critics. Don’t you agree?” He glanced at all the teenage girls having an emotional moment. They screamed louder.
The reporter strained against the rope. “Some say this was your worst film. Have you lost your edge?”
His worst film? Hardly. The Paper Pirate grossed ninety-million opening weekend. He held in a scoff. He gave the reporter a snarky look. “I think I’m still pretty edgy, don’t you?”
He turned to one of the teenage girls straining against the rope and pressed his lips to hers. The screams around him were deafening. He made sure the kiss was caught on camera before breaking away. He winked at her, then turned to continue down the red carpet.
Unfortunately, he didn’t realize Alisha Waterstone stood behind him, and he slammed into her. Her eyes widened in surprise as she teetered backwards on her heels. He reached out to steady her and she gripped his wrists, her fingernails digging into his skin like talons. “What was that?” she hissed under her breath.
“Oh, Alisha. I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there.” He slung his arm over her shoulders, mostly to get her to stop impaling him with her claws. “Let’s go inside.”
“Alisha,” a reporter called. “Are you and Brandon dating?”
The teenagers gave a collective gasp. Brandon shook his head just as Alisha donned a coy grin and replied, “Maybe.”
He tugged her toward the entrance. “Maybe?” he whispered. “We’re not dating. What game are you playing?”
“The same one you are.” Alisha planted her feet, stopping them both. “Oh, sweetie,” she said loudly. “That was so nice.” She planted a kiss on his lips. Lights flashed as cameras worked overtime.
Ugh. She reeked of floral perfume and it permeated through their kiss, like she’d grazed on roses for lunch. He pulled back and forced a smile. “Just keep walking,” he said under his breath.
“Of course.”
They entered the building and stood for more photos against backdrops. Alisha stuck so closely to Brandon, all of his photos were of them together. He wanted to shove her away. Make some crack about how many flowers she had to devour to stench that good, but he held his tongue. He was behaving. Rex would be so proud.
His phone made an alert noise in his pocket and he itched to pull it out and check it, but he couldn’t. Not with Alisha so close. He’d have to get away from her somehow.
After all the pictures, he leaned into her. “Hey, I have to use the restroom. Go on in and save a seat for me.”
She nodded. “Don’t be long.”
“Right.” He flashed a smile at her and ducked into the men’s room. An attendant nodded at him as he walked by a sitting area. Fancy. He went to the back where the stalls were and slipped into one. He didn’t care if he was hiding in a stall like a crazy person. He could now check his email without anyone knowing.
You’ve never seen it? You must rectify that immediately. Unless you’re at some fancy rich people party. Then rectify it as soon as you get home and have two hours with nothing to do. Jack Nicholson is amazing. If only I could ever be half that good.
Wait…Vlogger girl was an actress? Oh, no. What had he done? Why had he insisted on talking to her? She was just like the rest of them. A hopeful wanna-be actress, trying to get his attention so he could elevate them. He frowned and deleted her email.
Well, that stunk. His one distraction from reality was gone. He had hoped she’d at least be someone real he could talk to. Now he had to go back in there and avoid Alisha. Maybe he could find an empty seat by some old lady. One that didn’t know who he was.
He came out of the stall and washed his hands—he didn’t want to look disgusting. The attendant handed him a towel. “Thanks,” he said, digging out a tip.
When he left the bathroom, Alisha grabbed his arm. Great. She’d realized his plan and thwarted it. “Come on, I saved us seats with my coat.”
Of course, she did. He exhaled and tried not to breathe in Alisha’s hideous perfume.
Chapter 3
Stephanie opened her laptop and clicked on her emails. Still no message back from Brandon. It had been five days. Almost a whole week. Maybe he was busy.
He was a movie star. His life was glamorous. He probably had a zillion things he was doing besides making movies.
She clicked on her Vlog and checked her hair and makeup before starting another video.
“Hey, movie goers. I know I usually talk about the latest blockbuster film that’s hitting all the theaters, but tonight I’m going to indulge myself and talk a little bit about an older film. One that you’ve probably seen already. And if you haven’t, it’s one you should.
“You see, I recently was told I only dump on movies.” She paused. “Granted, I am a harsh critic, but I also have seen movies I love.”
Stephanie pulled out her DVD of The Green Mile and showed it on the screen. “Tom Hanks, of course, gives a stellar performance. However, the supporting actors and actresses are fantastic as well. The plot sucks you in, with the great Stephen King behind it. And the message of the film is moving. If you haven’t seen it, go look for it. It’s probably on Netflix or Hulu.”
She clicked to stop the camera and noticed Amanda hanging around the doorway. “Come in. I’m done.”
She walked into the room. “Why are you talking about that old movie?” She wrinkled her nose, then tapped her chin. “It wouldn’t have anything to do with a famous movie star thinking you hate all movies, would it?”
Stephanie stuck her tongue out at her sister. “Shut up.”
“Has he emailed you back?”
The question annoyed her, mostly because she was starting to think he wasn’t going to answer her back. She shrugged nonchalantly. “Nope.”
Amanda plopped down on her bed and grabbed a pillow, hugging it to her chest. “He must be bored with you.”
Stephanie made a face but secretly worried that’s exactly what it was. Her phone made a noise that she didn’t recognize, and she pulled it out. A message was on the screen.
You have a new match.
She opened her High School Sweethearts app and clicked on the red button that would reveal it. A picture of a guy popped up. He looked slightly familiar. She scrolled down so she could see his name. Christopher Allen.
She wasn�
�t sure she’d had any interaction with him. The app said they were a 78% match. He liked movies and miniature golfing, loved karaoke, and had tried over a hundred different kinds of pizza. She scrolled back up and looked at his picture again. Dark brown hair. A smile in his eyes. He wasn’t bad-looking. She just wasn’t interested in dating anyone. Why had she downloaded the app, anyway?
A message from Jade came through.
I just sent out the first match announcements. Did you get one?
Stephanie debated lying but figured Jade would have a way of knowing who she got matched with and decided to tell the truth.
Yeah. With Christopher Allen.
Oh, he’s super nice. You should totally message him.
Stephanie narrowed her eyes at the screen. You know him?
Yep. He’s in my biology class. You’d like him.
This was starting to feel like an elaborate way for Jade to set her up. Stephanie texted her back.
How many students registered for your app?
Jade took a minute to answer.
After you talked about it on your Vlog, we got about two hundred from our high school, and I’ve had to add in twenty more schools because of the high demand.
It was more than Stephanie had figured. But she still was on a guy purge.
Wow. That’s great. But I said I’d download the app and fill out the form. I never said I’d go on a date.
Just think about it, okay? He’s a nice guy.
Yeah. So was Kyle until he turned out to not be.
Forget Kyle. Not every guy is like that.
A disgusting pig and a liar? Stephanie stopped herself from typing the other words she wanted to type. She needed to let go of what Kyle did to her.
There are some decent guys out there.
Stephanie made a face. Jade was probably right. She just wasn’t ready to put her heart on the line again. It was just too soon.
Maybe. She decided to change the subject. Want to go to the movies tonight? There’s the newest remake we haven’t made fun of yet.
Sorry. I’m super swamped. I’ve got to add ten more schools to this app. It’s spreading fast!
Okay. I’m glad it’s going well.
Thanks! Chat later.
Stephanie pocketed her phone. Well, stink. She was hoping to go do something with Jade tonight. Now she was stuck at home, alone. She reached into her backpack and pulled out her lines for the upcoming play she was in. Maybe she should spend more time memorizing, anyway. The school was doing Little Shop of Horrors, and she had landed the role of Audrey.
The doorbell rang and Amanda jumped up. “That’s Cole. We’re going to the movies tonight.”
“Have fun,” Stephanie said, a pang of jealousy pulling at her stomach. Not that she wanted to go on a date. Not at all. She didn’t want a boyfriend. But that didn’t mean she wanted to be bored all weekend, either.
She sighed and leaned back into her pillows. This was going to be a stupid evening. Before she could settle too much into a depression, an alert sounded on her phone. She pulled it out and checked the screen. It was a message from Christopher.
Hi. I see we’ve been matched. I don’t think we’ve met.
Stephanie sighed and blew a strand of hair out of her face. Why had she let Jade talk her into filling out the application? She should have just plugged the app without downloading it. Now she was stuck. She had to answer him, or she’d be rude. And she didn’t want to leave him hanging.
You’re right. We haven’t met. Hello, I’m Stephanie.
The app showed he was typing.
Hello, Stephanie. It’s nice to fake meet you.
Stephanie laughed and typed in a response. You’re not really meeting me?
Nope. If we meet in an app, it doesn’t count as a real meet. We’d have to meet in person for that.
His message hung in the air between them, and Stephanie looked up to the ceiling. The chit chat didn’t last long, did it? Now he was asking to meet her in person. And she wasn’t sure she wanted to do that. Another message popped up.
Okay, that might have sounded like I was asking to meet you in person. Which I wasn’t really. Not that I don’t want to meet you in person. I’d love to. But we just started talking, so that might sound a bit forward. Am I messing this up? I think I sound like a creeper. I swear I’m not.
She smiled and typed a response. You don’t sound like a creeper. I just have to be honest. I signed up for the app because I’m Jade’s friend. I’m not really looking for a relationship.
I’m totally cool with that. How about we put that in the taboo section right away? No pressure. Just friends. You are up for making a friend, aren’t you?
A friend. Stephanie liked the sound of that. The no pressure thing was just what she wanted.
Yes. I think that’s good. Let’s try friendship.
Chapter 4
“I didn’t realize you’d be here, sweetie.”
The shrill voice carried over the music and made Brandon freeze. Alisha. He turned from his conversation with Tony and cringed when he saw what she was wearing. A white dress so tight and low-cut, he was afraid she’d spill out of it. How had she found out which club he was at? He thought he’d successfully avoided her by going to several tonight. Maybe Rex told her where he was now. Sounded like something he’d do.
Brandon plastered on a fake smile and nodded. “Alisha.”
She grabbed his arm and wrapped herself around it. “Come. Let’s dance.”
The pounding of the base was making him dizzy. Or maybe it was the alcohol he’d consumed, or the late hour. The club was actually for twenty-one and older, but you’d be surprised what you get could away with when you’re a famous movie star. There were plenty of people willing to look the other way, or readily willing to give him alcohol and get him into the exclusive clubs. “Not now,” he said, waving her away.
“Brandon, baby. I want to dance.” Her whine hurt his head.
“You can go dance,” Tony said, motioning to the dance floor and picking up his drink. “I don’t mind.”
Tony Perry was the closest thing Brandon had to a best friend. He was a rising star as well. Seventeen and starring in his own sitcom. They usually hung out together if they ended up at the same party. But it was all surface talk between them. An acquaintance. Party buddy. Nothing more. They didn’t have much else in common besides acting.
“I have a headache,” Brandon said, trying to wiggle himself from Alisha’s death grip. It didn’t work.
“I’ll distract you from it,” Alisha said in his ear.
Ugh. He wanted to shove her away and tell her how despicable she was, but Rex had threatened him with fire and brimstone if he got any more bad publicity. And a photo showing him shoving away Alisha Waterstone would definitely count as bad publicity.
He didn’t want to party with Alisha. He could think of a billion things he’d rather be doing. But the criticism of his latest performance was mounting, and he was starting to see the consequences. Converse had dropped him from their ad campaign, and the role he thought he had in the bag had been given to someone else. Alisha’s father was powerful and had a lot of connections. If she went whining to him, he could lose more than just a stupid commercial account.
He downed his drink, then allowed Alisha to drag him out onto the dance floor. He closed his eyes and let the music drown out the echoes of Alisha’s screechy voice. Rex wanted him to try out for the part of a son in a family drama show. He hated the script. It was all wrong for him. He wanted to be the lead character, not in some supporting role.
Alisha leaned close to him. “You look mad,” she hissed in his ear. “Stop it. People are taking pictures.”
She was right. Flashes of light were constantly going off. “People are always taking our picture,” he said over the music.
“Stop brooding.” She gave him a fierce look before plastering on a smile. “Honey.”
“Don’t ever call me that again.”
She rolled her eye
s, then grabbed onto his shoulders and pressed herself to him. Anyone else would think they were having an intimate moment. All Brandon felt were her fingernails digging into his shoulders. “Be nice to me. Or you might not like what happens.”
He pulled back from her. “Of course, I’ll be nice.” Then he tacked on, “Sweetheart.” But it sounded more like he was using the word as a weapon.
She smiled at him, her expression sickeningly sweet. “Do you want to go somewhere more…private?”
“No.” He smiled and pointed to his temple. “Headache.”
“Come on, baby. Don’t you want to get to know me better? We could leave here. Go somewhere more quiet.”
“Don’t you mean quieter?”
She glared at him. He took a good, long look at her. She was gritting her teeth. She didn’t like him any more than he liked her. Then he turned and saw a mob of paparazzi with their cameras. That was the game. Be seen with someone more popular than you and get into the tabloids. Get your name out there. She was just playing the game.
He leaned close to her. “If I let you be seen leaving with me, will you stop talking?”
She scowled but finally nodded. “Deal.”
He pulled her close, gave her his Hollywood smile, and said, “Come on. Let’s go.”
She grinned at him, and anyone watching wouldn’t be able to tell they hated each other. Huh. Maybe she wasn’t that bad of an actress after all.
He took her hand and led her to the doors. Cameras flashed as they left and Alisha leaned toward him, her lips pursed. At the last second, he turned his face so the kiss landed on his cheek. Alisha’s eyes flashed at him.
Once outside, his driver pulled up and he opened the door for her. They both climbed in the back of his car. Alisha waved at the crowds.
After the door was shut and he told the driver to drop Alisha off at her home, he pulled out his phone and scooted to the far side of the bench seat. Alisha narrowed her eyes at him. “Why do you hate me so much? What did I ever do to you?”
He mentally rolled his eyes. She was such a drama queen. “I don’t hate you.” He just didn’t like her. But he kept that part to himself. He opened his email and saw a new one from Vlogger girl. Odd. He hadn’t expected her to email him. She didn’t seem like the needy type on her Vlog.
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