What the Heart Wants ; Sealed with a Kiss

by Donna Hill

  “Hello, Tiffany, I’m well. What can I do for you?” He braced himself, trying his best to sound cheerful, unbothered.

  “Um...has anyone from the media tried to call you?”

  “What media, Tif?” He pressed the phone closer to his ear as if it would help him listen more keenly.

  “Sweetie, just remember, there’s no such thing as bad PR. Okay?”

  Chapter 11

  Kendall didn’t get nervous often, but this would be one of the biggest performances of her career. Watching Randi run around tapping her wrist where a watch would have been seemed almost surreal. So did the frantic scene of the makeup artist and hairstylist finishing her makeup and hair at the same time. They had to get her into the dress designed by the same iconic designer that had become famous for styling the former First Lady.

  “Come on! Get that dress on, chickie! We’re pressed for time.” Randi’s bark was without bite and always good-hearted. She smiled after and hadn’t stopped pacing since she’d arrived hours before.

  “I’m coming.” Kendall found herself smiling too. A mixture of nervousness and sheer excitement made her giggle. Then laughter tumbled from her lips and she covered her mouth, but that didn’t stop the chuckle from spilling through her fingers and blossoming into a full-out, hysterical, back-bending laugh that she couldn’t contain. The only thing that kept her from feeling like she was stuck in a dream was the smooth, sultry sounds of Carolyn Johnson’s music playing in the background. Kendall had secured the starring role in the movie and was chosen to perform at the awards show and almost couldn’t believe her luck. Kendall made it a point to listen to both Jocelyn and Carolyn until their music became a natural part of her existence.

  “What just happened?” Randi looked puzzled. “What’s so funny?” Randi’s hands were out at her sides.

  Kendall threw her hands up and let them slap against her sides. “I can’t believe this is happening. I literally dreamed of this...and now it’s happening. I could scream.” Kendall laughed again. She put her fingers over her lips and snickered. “I can’t help it.”

  At first Randi’s face was blank. A moment later, she joined Kendall, laughing along with her.

  “You’re nervous!” Randi tilted her head. “You’re actually nervous.”

  “I know!” Kendall snickered, shrinking into her shoulders. “Can you believe this? Randi.” She walked over and held Randi by both shoulders. “I’ve been so wrapped up in rehearsing and getting ready that the enormity of all of this escaped me. It literally just hit me. I’m performing at the BTV Music Awards!” Kendall squealed. “Me! Kendall Chandler! Not once but twice. The only thing that could make this night better is if I actually won one of the awards.” Kendall threw her head back and laughed again.

  “Oh my goodness! Ken. This. Is. Huge!” Randi pulled Kendall into her arms and squeezed tight. “Come on.” Randi pulled away, still laughing. “We need to get you in that dress.”

  Kendall headed to her bedroom with Randi and her stylist. When she slipped on the black formfitting number and gold stilettos, she turned to look in the mirror. Her stylist fussed with a few curls and stepped back. Randi smiled wide. Hair and makeup had done a stunning job. She looked flawless from head to toe. It reminded Kendall of the days playing dress-up in her mother’s closet. The memory brought on a flash of sadness. Kendall wished her mother could have been there to witness this.

  “Look at me, Mom. It’s happening.”

  “Oh no you don’t!” Randi snapped. “Get me a tissue.” The stylist hurried away and came back just as quickly. Randi stuffed some of the tissue in Kendall’s hand and dabbed at her glistening eyes. “Do not ruin all this makeup.”

  Kendall took a deep breath. “Okay. Okay.” She fanned her eyes with her hands. “I’m not going to cry. Let’s get going.” Kendall gathered the bottom of her dress and headed for the great room.

  “Ken! Ken!”

  Kendall whipped her head toward the door in time to see her cousin Jade whirl into the room like a rush of wind.

  “Jade! You made it.” Kendall held her arms out for her cousin to step right into.

  Jade halted. A hand flew to her gaping mouth. “You look...” Jade seemed at a loss for words. “Absolutely amazing! Look at you!” Jade walked a circle around Kendall. “Sexy!” Jade stretched the word out, teasing, pointing to the high slit starting at the top of Kendall’s thigh and growling. They all laughed again.

  “You look pretty stunning yourself, darling.” Kendall whipped her head with Old Hollywood flair.

  Jade shimmied. “Thank you. Nixon picked it out. He’s downstairs. Come say hello.”

  Jade grabbed one hand, and with the other, Kendall gathered the bottom of her dress and met Jade’s fiancé at the bottom of the stairs.

  “Nixon.” Kendall nodded and hugged him.

  “You look great, Kendall! Knock ’em dead tonight.”

  “Oh, I plan to.” Tyson came to mind just then for some reason. Kendall shook her head.

  “We need to get going, people.” Randi clapped her hands. “Is that car here yet?”

  Jade shuffled to the window in her formfitting gown and held her hands over her eyes, shielding the glow of the bright afternoon sun. She watched the sleek black car ease to a stop in front of Kendall’s condominium. “Looks like it’s just pulling up.”

  “Let’s go!” Randi commanded.

  Kendall, Randi, Jade and Nixon piled into the limousine and headed to the theater where the awards were being held. The second Kendall exited the car, cameras began to flash in her direction. She insisted that Randi, Jade and Nixon walk along the red carpet instead of entering through the other doors. Fans, journalists and bloggers yelled out over the noise to Kendall as she walked along the famed scene, stopping in front of the step and repeat for a mini photo session. Posture erect, Kendall whipped her head this way and that, turned from one side to the other and thrust her leg forward through the high split, taking in the pop of the flashing cameras. Entertainment networks asked questions, prompting brief interviews. Kendall talked about how excited she was to perform tonight. One asked about Storm, which didn’t surprise her. Kendall offered only a pleasant smile.

  “We’ve moved on. I’ve been so busy I haven’t had a chance to speak to him lately, but I’m sure he’s doing great,” she said coolly.

  “So, the two of you still speak?”

  Kendall smiled, waved at more fans and continued walking along. She was done answering questions about Storm.

  From the moment she exited the car, time moved in fast-forward. Her performance was a blur. When they called her name as a nominee for best album, she waved the nomination off because she was up against several heavy hitters.

  “And the winner is...”

  Kendall’s heart raced, still holding on to hope for the possibility, despite thinking there was no way she’d win. The pause made the announcer’s words seem to last an eternity. Kendall’s heart thumped. “Would she announce the winner already?” she whispered to Randi, who was sitting next to her with fingers crossed on both hands. Kendall looked down at Randi’s fingers and how rigidly she sat, and chuckled.

  “Hey. A girl can dream right?” Randi shrugged. “You should be crossing yours. Come on. Do it!” Randi instructed.

  Kendall shook her head. Randi nudged her with her elbow. Kendall shook her head again and crossed her fingers.

  “Kendall Chandler!”

  The sound of her name appeared to penetrate her hearing from a distance. Confusion settled in for a brief moment. Time paused. Randi screamed beside her, grabbed her arm and yanked her up.

  “Randi.” Kendall wondered what Randi was doing.

  “You won!” Randi was jumping up and down.

  The haze dissipated. Kendall looked around. All eyes were on her. The large screens reflected her puzzled expression as realization hit. Kendall�
��s mouth fell open. Her hands flew to her face and tears sprang to her eyes. Randi grabbed her arm and led her toward the stage. On the way, Kendall snapped back into the moment, joining reality. Her chest filled with air.

  “Oh my God! Oh my God!” she repeated over and over. She had won. She had actually won. Onstage, the actress handed her the beautiful gleaming statuette. Kendall took it, noting that it was much heavier than she had anticipated. She placed her hand under it, securing her grasp on the coveted metal. The microphone seemed to beckon her. A wave of déjà vu flashed over Kendall. She had been here before, but only in her dreams. This felt better than her dreams, though. This was real. Time slowed as Kendall looked out over the crowd. A tear rolled down her face, tickling her cheek. She swiped it away.

  Kendall opened her mouth and had to think of what to say. She wasn’t prepared, because she hadn’t expected to win.

  “Good evening.” Whew! Kendall had actually gotten two words out. She pressed on. “This is such a wonderful surprise.” Randi stood by her. She looked over the mass of people, hoping she could spot Jade. Her father hadn’t been able to make it. “Being in such amazing company, I hadn’t expected to win.” She could do the humble response. “They are all incredible artists. Whew. Okay.” Kendall took a deep breath. A collective chuckle emerged from the crowd. “There’re so many people I want to thank.” Kendall scrolled through a mental list and thanked Randi, several people from her family, the record company, artists who came before her and had inspired her, and then Tyson. She thanked Tyson and the BCG family for giving her the chance to perform at the awards and closed out by dedicating her award to her mother.

  Overwhelmed by the excitement of the day so far, Kendall left the stage as a walking bundle of emotions. Backstage, she gathered herself. It was time to change and get ready for the tribute.

  “You go get ready,” Randi said. “I’ll take care of this, baby.”

  Before handing over the award, Kendall looked at it, smiled and kissed it. “Take good care of my baby.”

  Kendall joined the backstage crowd and changed into an elegant red ball gown, Carolyn’s favorite color. Offstage, she waited for her cue before joining Katia and Crisis back onstage. She walked out singing. The audience was on their feet, including Carolyn. Kendall hit center stage, directed her attention to Carolyn, smiled, waved and serenaded her as if no one else were there.

  Unlike rehearsal, the energy was electric. Carolyn looked stunning and graceful—and even a little tipsy. She danced and sang along with each of them as they sang her songs. During the finale, when all of their voices blended together, Carolyn cried, holding her hand to her heart. Her tears flowed as she received her lifetime achievement award and gave a heartfelt acceptance speech.

  The show closed out with Tyson’s father, Benjamin Blackwell, handing the reins of the company over to Tyson, announcing him as the new CEO of the Blackwell Communications Group. There was a standing ovation by some. The night seemed a complete success.

  Kendall, Randi, Jade and Nixon headed over to the first of several after-parties, starting with the official one, hosted by BCG. Entertainment shows from the network interviewed winners and performers in small spaces outfitted with cameras and adequate lighting. The rest of the space was illuminated with turquoise lighting. Champagne fountains were posted in every corner. White-gloved waiters and waitresses walked around with canapés and cocktails. The dance floor was filled to the edges.

  Kendall finished up her interview and went searching for Jade. She spotted Tyson seated at a high table alone. Kendall remembered seeing him backstage earlier. A wave of gratefulness flooded her. Despite not wanting to get too close, she wanted to thank him for choosing her for the tribute.

  Tyson looked incredible in his tux. She hadn’t seen much of him since he’d made that swift exit at rehearsal. He must have thought she was either a diva or a weirdo. She wasn’t the nicest toward him, and when she wasn’t being not so nice, she was staring at him. After tonight, she’d probably go back to not seeing much of him at all. That would be for the better. Filming for the movie was due to start in the coming weeks, but now that he was CEO, she was sure he wouldn’t have time to hang around the set.

  Kendall decided to go over to say hello and thank him. She’d keep the encounter brief. As she got closer, she noticed he seemed deep in thought. His brows were knitted together, and his jaw appeared tight.

  “You’d think the new CEO of BCG would look a lot happier.” Kendall took the stool across from him at the round table.

  The moment she sat down, she realized she didn’t really want to keep it brief. There was something about being in Tyson’s presence. She didn’t understand what it was, but she liked the way it felt.

  Chapter 12

  “I don’t look excited?” Tyson feigned a wide-eyed cheesy smile in response to Kendall’s comment.

  Kendall raised a brow. “Uhhh.” Both of them chuckled. “Are you happy with how the evening went?”

  “Actually, yes.” Tyson smiled a genuine smile. The night had been hectic, but successful. The past few days had given him hell.

  “Well, I won’t bother you. I just wanted to thank you for selecting me for the tribute. It was a pleasure to be a part of that.” Kendall slid down from her stool.

  Tyson reached for her arm, stopping her. “Don’t leave.” Tyson paused. He heard the need in his own voice. “How about a drink...to celebrate.”

  It took a moment for Kendall to respond. “Sure.” She eased back onto the stool.

  Tyson waved over one of the waitresses holding a tray of champagne glasses and took one for him and one for Kendall. “To your performance and your win!” Tyson lifted his glass.

  Kendall lifted hers as well. “Thank you. And to your promotion!” She nodded. They clinked glasses and sipped.

  “Listen.” Kendall took a breath. “I didn’t mean to be callous or...weird. It’s just that I take my work and opportunities seriously, and I wanted to be respected for what I bring to the table.”

  Tyson sipped. “Nothing wrong with that. No explanation needed.”

  Kendall smiled. Silence settled between them for several moments.

  Tyson smiled back at Kendall. He liked being in her presence. She gleamed with positive energy, which he needed right now in the same way he needed air for his survival. The weight of Tiffany’s most recent betrayal still clung to him. It took sufficient work for him not to allow the bitterness to overtake him.

  Tiffany’s call a few days before had been her attempt to soften the blow of what was probably happening on television as he sat at the after-party with Kendall in her beautiful award-wining afterglow. Buzz around their breakup continued to dominate headlines, which Tyson had to admit continued to fuel ticket sales of the movie they’d just dropped. A competitive entertainment show called to ask her for an exclusive interview to discuss Tiffany’s life and the success of the movie. Tiffany admitted to Tyson that, all for the sake of PR and high ratings, she had allowed the interviewer to paint Tyson as a relentless playboy who had reeled in an unsuspecting and promising star, only to betray her in the end. Of course, she made no mention of her own salacious trysts that she’d been found guilty of numerous times during their courtship. “There’s no such thing as bad PR.” Her words had played in his mind on repeat since their conversation. He was furious beyond words and hadn’t seen or spoken to Tiffany since.

  Instead, he braced for the potential impact this interview could possibly have on him in his new role as CEO at a time where scandalous behavior against women could ruin reputations and careers. He’d already seen a few long-standing Hollywood execs’ careers derailed by the exposure of their inappropriate actions. Not that Tyson had done anything like the horrible acts some of these men had committed, but there was no telling how this would play out. The company could come under scrutiny, and their reputation could be marred. His father would be disheartene
d. And most of all, Tyson would never want to be known as someone who didn’t treat women with the utmost respect. He’d never condoned these men’s behavior, and the possibility of being grouped in with them due to Tiffany’s desire to gain exposure made him downright angry. Even worse, she kept saying it wasn’t a big deal.

  “Tyson...” He thought he’d heard his name. “Tyson.” This time he recognized Kendall’s soft voice, looked down and noticed her hand gently on his forearm. “Are you okay?”

  He turned to look at her, wondering how much time he’d spent drowning in his thoughts. He felt the rigid set of his jaw and loosened it. “I’m sorry...yes... I’m fine.”

  “Okay. I didn’t mean to bother you.” She stood. “I need to find my cousin anyway. She’s probably looking all over for me.” Kendall let out a nervous laugh.

  “Wait!” Tyson stood. “I’ll help you find her.” He didn’t want to be alone with his thoughts anymore. He needed to be around her. “I didn’t mean to space out. This week has been hell.”

  Kendall cast him a look filled with pity. She eased back onto her stool again. “Need to talk, maybe?”

  Tyson pulled in his bottom lip and gnawed on it. “Maybe I do.”

  Kendall looked around and back at him. “All the couches seem to be taken. This stool will have to do.”

  That made Tyson laugh, a genuine laugh. “I’ll take it.” Tyson wasn’t sure what it was, but something told him he could trust Kendall. He wouldn’t spill all of the beans, but just enough to offer a deserving response to why his attention had just wandered off in the middle of their conversation. “I love the media, but sometimes I hate it.”

  “Who are you telling?” Kendall slapped the table and leaned in closer. “Especially the blog monsters. They’re like hungry, little vicious animals constantly clawing at you for a morsel. Ugh. They’ll take any little thing and run with it, not caring if there’s any truth to it or not. I can’t stand it, and the most frustrating part is, there’s not much we can do about it.”