“No,” Cori says, grabbing all the papers in front of her. “I think I’m going to head out and work at home.”
“You don’t have to do that just because I’m here.” I look over at her, and she stops mid cleanup. “I mean, you will be with her on the tour, so it’s better for all of us if we are on the same page.”
Cori doesn’t know what to do, so she just sits back down. Kellie grabs her plate and comes over to sit on the stool next to me. “Let’s get this over with,” she says, cutting her chicken and biting a piece.
I start from the top, not sugarcoating anything. “Are either one of you interested in how I got to your front door?” I ask them, and then Cori looks up at me. “I told the guy I had papers for you from Tommy, and he let me in.”
“Well, he knows Tommy,” Kellie says between bites, “so it’s not a stretch.”
“Knowing Tommy and making sure crazy people don’t come to your door are two separate things.”
“So you admit you’re crazy?” Kellie says. “I mean, that’s a good start.”
“Don’t make a joke about this. I could have been a madman.” My fingers start to drum on the island nervously.
“You are a madman who just admitted you’re crazy,” Kellie mumbles while she chews. “Seriously, it’s one of my last free nights, and I don’t want to spend it hearing a lecture, so just get on with it.” A lecture … did she just say that?
“You need to be smarter and safer,” I point out, and she stops with her fork halfway to her mouth. “I can’t do my job if you throw yourself in harm’s way.”
“Explain to me please”—she throws her fork down, and it clatters on the white plate—“how me being in my home is throwing myself in harm’s way?” She shakes her head, grabbing her water bottle and drinking. “This isn’t going to work if the only thing that comes out of your mouth is shit.”
I’m about to lose my shit, and I think Cori feels it because she finally speaks. “Children”—she raises her hands—“this is getting nowhere.” Then she looks at Kellie. “Eat.” She points at Kellie’s plate, and then she looks at me. “I will look into it and find out why Juan let you in.”
I nod at her. “You have a security system in this castle?” I throw in castle because I know it bothers her, and I’m not wrong when she grumbles.
“There is, and I will start using it,” Cori says. “Now, can we talk about what is expected of us during this tour? I will make sure we do our absolute best to follow all rules.”
“She doesn’t speak for me,” Kellie says, chewing.
“I do speak for her when it comes to her safety.” Cori’s voice gets louder, and Kellie rolls her eyes.
“I’m sitting down with my team tomorrow, and we are going to go city by city and have things set up in case something happens.”
“Oh my God, like London has fallen?” Cori asks, her eyes going wide.
“What?” I ask, confused as to what the hell she is talking about.
“The movie with Gerald Butler,” Cori says, fanning herself. “He was so hot in that movie.”
“I haven’t seen the movie,” I tell her, and she looks at me horrified, “but I’ll get on that.”
“You should.” She nods her head and puts her hand on my arm.
“It’s the best ever.”
“Are you done?” Kellie asks. Pushing her stool away from the island, she carries her plate to the sink, then rinses it off, and places it in the dishwasher.
“We will be in each other’s space for ninety days,” I say, looking at her as she stands with her back to the sink and her arms crossed over her chest. “There will be times we get on each other’s nerves.”
“That’s an understatement,” she says. “We aren’t even on the road, and I’m already ready to throttle you.”
“Children,” Cori starts, and then she adds, “what is the hotel situation?”
“We are sharing a room,” I tell them, and Kellie shouts, “No fucking way!”
“Kellie,” Cori says softly.
“No!” she shouts again. “No way.”
“Don’t worry,” I tell her, pushing away from the island. “You don’t have anything I haven’t seen before. But just so we are clear, you also don’t have anything I want to see.” Her eyes form slits as she glares at me. “My job, my rules.”
“Then you’re fired,” she says. “I’ll talk to Tommy, and he’ll get me someone else.”
“Do that,” I tell her, and I’m done. It’s safer if I leave before I say something else to piss her off. “Cori, it was a pleasure meeting you.” I turn and look at Kellie, who doesn’t bother looking at me. Instead, she pretends she’s looking out the window.
“I’ll walk you out,” Cori says, and she follows me out of the room. “I’ll talk to her,” she says softly, “and make her understand the danger.”
“Did she see the letter that was sent to her with the roses?” I ask Cori, who shakes her head. “This man is fucked up and delusional. It will take nothing for him to snap, and it’s my job to make sure that, if he does show up, he doesn’t get to her.”
“She didn’t see it, but I did tell her about them. Maybe if she sees it, it’ll be better,” she says quietly. I walk out of the house and toward the gate that is opening now. As soon as I walk out of the gate, it closes back. I get into my car and take off toward the gym, the only place I know I can let off steam. I pull up and park in the back, then grab my gym bag from the trunk and make my way into the small gym. It’s where most guys come to train, so there aren’t many machines. Punching bags are scattered around, and a boxing ring is set up in the middle of the room. Pulling open the door, I see that it’s almost half full. Men are sparring in the ring, a couple are on the side skipping rope, and some are in the back lifting weights.
“I was wondering if I was going to see you here?” I hear from the side of me and see Tommy taking off his boxing gloves, his chest heaving. Sweat pours off his forehead. “I just got a call.”
“Did you?” I try to play stupid. “Not sure I need to know this.”
He laughs now, shaking his head. “She’s pissed.” He looks at me and grabs his water. “What the fuck did you say to her?”
“Nothing.” I shrug. “I just thought we should set some ground rules.”
“She threatened to shank you in your sleep if you step over that line,” Tommy says, and I almost want to laugh. “I’ve known her since she was eighteen.” I don’t say anything, just wait for him to continue talking. “She’s calm as a cucumber, and today, I thought she was going to have an aneurysm while she was talking to me.”
“I have a job, and that’s to keep her safe,” I point out to him. “You can be rest assured I’m going to do that. Even if I have to tie her to a fucking chair,” I say, walking away from him and his laughter.
“She’s from the South!” he shouts to my back, and I turn around. “She can probably shoot you in the foot at the same time she smiles at you.”
“Thanks,” I say to him. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He gives me a chin up. Turning around, I push my body for the next two hours till it screams at me. I punch that bag with all the frustration that I have over her and her sassy mouth.
Chapter Five
Kellie
“You can’t be serious, Tommy,” I say into the phone. “How is he the only one in this whole universe who can do this job?”
“Kellie, you know I love you,” he says calmly, “and you know that the only thing I care about is keeping you safe.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I tell him and roll my eyes.
“I promise you that, at the end of the ninety days, you can go away to Montana for six months, and I won’t bother you.”
“You promise?” I ask him, then look at Cori. “Make a contract and send it to Tommy. Six months off, no exceptions.” I hear his laughter in my ear.
“Okay, I’m at the gym. Go do what you need to do, and I’ll call you tomorrow.” He disconnects his phone, and I look over at C
ori.
“Don’t look at me like that.” I point at her while she closes her laptop.
“I’m not looking at you any way.” She avoids my eyes and then looks up at me. “But I will say this. He’s right.”
I throw my head back and groan. “Oh my God.”
“No, Kellie,” she says seriously, and I look at her, “this is not like the stalkers online who send you messages, and we block them or have them deleted. This one sent flowers to your house, Kellie. To your front door. It’s a whole different ballgame.”
“I’ve gotten them before,” I point out to her.
“Yeah, and how serious do you think it was that even Tommy is worried about it now?” I sit up, and she doesn’t stop talking. “I promise that I will make sure it’s as smooth sailing as it can be.” She looks down, putting her papers in order. “But you have to promise that no matter how annoyed you are with him, or no matter what he says, when it’s time, you listen to him and don’t fight him.”
I look at her, and I can see the worry in her eyes. “Fine,” I say. Leaning into her, I hug her around her waist from the side and put my head on her shoulder, and she lays her head on mine. “I will try to be on my best behavior,” I whisper to her, and she silently laughs. “But he starts it.”
“You like him,” she says, and I don’t answer. “And you have never had someone who didn’t like you back.”
“I’m not in high school, Cori,” I tell her. “I don’t care if he likes me or not. All he has to do is keep me safe, right?”
“Yes.” She puts her hand on mine at her side. “And try not to drive him nuts in the meantime.”
“I hate that you know me better than I know myself,” I tell her, laughing and letting her go. “What is the plan tomorrow?’ I ask her while she packs her bag.
“You have your workout at nine,” she tells me, “then you have rehearsal from twelve to eight.”
“I’m going to die,” I tell her and walk with her toward the garage door. “My body hurts, and it’s not fun.”
“I can only imagine.” She opens the door, walking to the white Range Rover that I bought her and climbing in. “I’m going to set the alarm when I leave.”
“Fine.” I nod and watch her back out of the garage, closing the door once the gates close. I walk back into my house, spinning to make sure everything is locked up. The alarm pad beeps, so I know she’s armed it. Walking up the steps, I go straight to my bed. Throwing the covers over, I get in, my body sinking into bed while I turn on the television and flip through the channels. I place one of the six pillows sideways, my eyes closing ever so slowly in the dark room. When my eyes slowly open the next day, the sun is just starting to peek out. I roll myself out of bed, heading straight to the coffee machine.
Turning off the alarm, I make my way outside to the covered lanai with a nice warm cup of coffee in my hand. Passing the sectional couch that faces a television and the fireplace, I walk around the outdoor kitchen. My feet go from the cold tiles to the dewy grass as I near the end of my property that faces the valley. Crawling onto one of the big round outdoor chairs that fit at least four people, I place my coffee on the table beside the chair and then get up, going over to the chest to grab a velour blanket. With my blanket covering me and my coffee in my hand, I watch the houses in the distance come alive. I see some of the lights turn on and wonder if it’s a mother waking her children or if it’s the dad getting ready for work. Normal lives. Don’t get me wrong; there isn’t a day that goes by when I’m not grateful for the life that I have, but I’m a woman, and you always will have the what-if or the where would I be. This right here, this moment of peace and quiet, is a me moment. I don’t get them often, but when I do, it just makes the day that much better.
I wonder where I would be now if I wasn’t here. Would I have stayed in Nashville? Would I have kids? Would I be happy? Everything rolls through my mind as the sun slowly rises. The lights on the street have faded, and I can’t see which house has lights on. I get up, folding the cover, and then walk back inside. After putting my coffee cup in the sink, I start frying my turkey bacon and eggs, and by the time my day officially starts with me on the treadmill, I’m ready to crush the day.
“Let’s start from the top one more time,” Aimee, the choreographer, says from in front of the stage, and I look down at her sitting on the floor cross-legged. “Stacey and Jennifer.” She points at the two backup dancers. “You are one second too fast. Kellie, you are on point, but stop second-guessing yourself.”
I turn around, breathing heavy. “I think I’m going to die.” I grab the bottle of water that is on stage where the drums sit. My backup singers, Jackie and Trisha, try to hide their laughter, and I glare at them. “Don’t make me add you to this circus of dancing and shit.”
“You don’t pay me enough to dance in the middle of the stage,” Jackie says, and Trisha shakes her head. They have been with me since the beginning also. “Besides, people don’t pay to see me shake this ass.”
I shake my head and get back into position to start the routine again. My cardio is getting a lot better, and the panting is less and less when I sing. When it’s eight p.m., a bell rings, and everyone cheers as they walk off the set. I walk down the steps toward Cori who sits in a canvas chair with her laptop in her lap.
“That was amazing.” She smiles. “And guess what? The tour bus is here.”
“Oh, really?” I say, wiping my forehead while she stands. I follow her out to the parking lot and see where my house will be for the next ninety days. I know the studio also has a plane ready, but I love the bus. The only people traveling on the bus with me are Cori, Jackie, Trisha … and now Brian.
Walking to the huge black and brown bus, I see that the back has a K on it with a halo. I smile, walking to the front, and the door opens for us. I walk up the three black stairs. The back of the bus is closed off with a small doorway. The floor is a dark hardwood, and the “living room” is in the front. A white couch on one side faces two chairs and a table with a television in the corner. White shades go up and down on the windows. Spotlights illuminate the middle of the pathway and along the top of the couches. Just after the two chairs is the kitchen area in a light beige with small stainless-steel appliances and a three-burner stove in the middle of the small counter. Believe it or not, I actually cook at times. The fridge and freezer sit under the counter where the stovetop is. Moving down, Cori shows me the icemaker she had put in. I open the first door on the right, and I see it’s a small bathroom with a toilet and a sink. After the half bath are four bunks, two on each side, with the cream-colored curtains pulled closed. I move one curtain to the side and see that each one has a mattress and a little television. Then finally we get to the back where the door is open, and I walk into what is my bedroom. The bed is all the way in the corner with a white padded headboard and a television right in front of it. I can close it off with a curtain in case other people are here. “The only bad thing is that there is only one shower, so we will have to share,” Cori says and points at the bathroom on the opposite side.
“It should be fine. It’s not that many people,” I say, turning and walking back off the bus. “I’m starving.” She nods her head. When we get back to my house, I slip out of my clothes and eat in my bra and panties while she talks to me.
“Tomorrow same time, same place.” Cori waves at me, walking out of the kitchen to the garage where her car is. The rest of the two weeks are the same thing, and I don’t hear from Brian. I don’t pay attention to anything but the tour and getting ready.
“We have the meeting in thirty minutes,” Cori says to me while I walk upstairs to my room, going straight to the shower. The warm water runs down over me, and I close my eyes, allowing it to massage my muscles. Even though I work out everyday, my body still aches. Getting out, I grab my big comfy robe and then walk to the closet and open my underwear drawer. My hand freezes, the drawer midway open, and it happens so fast I don’t even realize a huge bouquet of red roses
sits on top of the counter. It’s the gold gift box with a white bow beside the flowers that makes me stop what I’m doing. “Cori!” I yell as loud as I can and run to the railing. The doorbell rings, and she comes running. “Cori!” I yell again, and she looks up at me. The front door opens, and I see Brian walk into my house behind Tommy. Dressed in dark jeans and a white polo shirt, he hides his eyes behind aviator glasses, his hair falling a bit in the front.
The beeping of the alarm has everyone on alert, even Hunter who was on the phone. Tommy runs to the alarm pad and punches in the code as Brian makes his way up with Cori who is white as a ghost. “I found this,” I say, looking at the box in my hand. Brian reaches out and takes the box from me.
“Why don’t you get dressed and meet us downstairs?” he says, his voice soft.
“Flowers.” It comes out softly, trying to calm my heart and ignore the lump in my throat. He looks at me. “In my walk-in closet. The box was beside it.”
He doesn’t wait for anymore before he and Hunter walk into my bedroom. Tommy comes over to me, taking me in his arms. “It’s going to be okay, sweetheart,” he says. When they come out of my bedroom, Hunter is carrying the vase of flowers.
“We are going to make sure that everything is okay downstairs, so go and get dressed,” Hunter says, and he and Tommy share a look. Cori grabs me, and we walk back into my bedroom. I’m almost in a daze and not sure what in the hell just happened. Did someone come into my house and invade my space? I dress and then walk downstairs.
“There she is,” Tommy says. Smiling and coming over to me, he gives me a hug and kisses my cheek. “You look beautiful as always. They just did the tour outside, and everything is okay.”
Hunter and Brian walk back in the front door and look at us. “Where are we having this meeting?” Hunter asks the question.
Hollywood Princess Page 3
