by Naomi West
Lola wished she had someplace where she could be entirely by herself for a while without having to worry about crowds, guards, or cameras. For the moment, that would have to be her dressing room, but the thought gave her no comfort.
As she flung the door shut behind her, it hit something with a soft thud and pushed open again. Chris grinned at her, leaning against the doorway and giving her that same cocky smile he’d had while talking to Tonya. He was built anyway, but he’d tightened his abs and puffed his chest in an effort to show off. “Hey there, gorgeous.”
Lola whirled on him, angry. “What the hell are you doing? Get out of here!” She had much better things to do than to deal with him at the moment, even if that only involved changing her clothes and wiping off a little bit of her makeup. She picked up a towel on a nearby table and chucked it at him.
But Chris caught it easily. He stepped into the room and shut the door behind him, flinging the towel onto the couch. He approached her slowly, towering over her. “I just needed to talk to you for a minute.”
“About what? About how you lied to the entire country about your role in the shooting? I happen to know perfectly well that you had nothing to do with chasing the gunman off.” In fact, she could have easily told the world that Chris had been taken out by a few local bikers and that he’d had nothing to do with saving her at all. She had been reluctant to let the truth out because she didn’t want any crazy fans to think they could get past her security, but she was starting to think he deserved to be tattled on.
He waved his hand in the air like the reality didn’t matter. “I might not be a celebrity, but I know how showbiz works, Lola. It’s not about what really happened; it’s about what people think. And right now, they think we would make a very cute couple.” He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her close, pressing her body against his. He flicked his gaze between her eyes and her lips, suggesting to her what he hadn’t yet said out loud.
Lola slapped his chest and shoved herself away. He hadn’t been holding her very hard, but his touch had left her feeling like she needed a shower. “I don’t give two shits what people think!” She threw herself down on the couch and took off her high heels, rubbing her feet.
Chris shook his head pitifully, as though he felt sorry for her for not understanding. “Lola, don’t you see what a sensation we could be? It’s clear that the public likes me. This could be an excellent way to launch my career.”
“Your … career?” Lola looked up at him in confusion. None of this made sense anyway, but he was only making it more difficult to understand. “Are you trying to move up in the world of bodyguards or something?”
He strode forward and sat down on the couch next to her, uninvited and once again, too close. His thigh rubbed against hers, and his upper body was turned toward her. “I came to Hollywood because I wanted to be an actor. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy or quick, and I wanted to be smart about things. I wasn’t about to be another homeless wannabe living on the streets and begging for change. I signed up with the security company so that I would at least have a steady job while I was auditioning and building up my résumé. I’ve managed to get a few extra parts or small roles in commercials, but being your boyfriend would push me right up to the front page. Everyone would want to know who I am, and they would start hiring me right away once they realized I’m an actor.”
Lola scooted away from him and gave him a harsh look. “Chris, I get it. I know it’s not easy. But I’m not just some pawn in your scheme for fame. I’m not going to pretend I’m in love with you. If you’re any good at what you want to do, then your time will come.” She sounded bitchy, and she normally wouldn’t have liked that, but she didn’t care at the moment. He was irritating her, and she had too many other things on her mind to deal with him.
Chris grinned once again, closing the gap between them as he moved closer. “But that’s the thing, Lola. We don’t have to pretend. We are in love with each other. We’ve just been denying it all this time because we’re trying to remain professional. There’s not much point in continuing to hide our secret, since Tonya has made it clear that the whole world knows about it. Well, if they didn’t before, then they certainly do now.”
Pushed up against the arm of the sofa, Lola couldn’t believe this was happening. Never had he given her any indication that he was in love with her, and she didn’t think she had done so either. “No,” she said firmly, like she was scolding a bad dog. “No, Chris. I’m not in love with you. You’re not in love with me. We’re not together. We never will be. I don’t think I can make that any clearer. Do you understand?”
There was a spark of determination in his eyes that scared her for a moment. They were alone in her dressing room, and nobody would think anything of her bodyguard being in there with her. In fact, since her interview with Tonya was over, nobody was probably thinking about her at all. Chris was young and strong, and she wouldn’t be able to stop him if he decided to push this. The irony of being afraid of her own bodyguard wasn’t lost on her.
But he finally turned away and looked at the floor. “All right, Lola. But this is your loss. It would have been good for your career, too. The buzz about the shooting is only going to last so long, and everyone would be clamoring to get photos of us together if they thought we were in a relationship.” He stood up and crossed the room to look in the mirror, running his fingers through his hair and straightening his suit jacket. “You should know that I’m not just going to give up on this idea. I think it would work, and I think we could be good together. Just think about it.” He gave her a wink, turned on his heel, and left the room.
Lying back on the couch, Lola stared at the ceiling. She wondered how long she could just lie in here and pretend the rest of the world didn’t exist, like everything she had gone through was just a bad dream. But her cell phone rang from the dresser, reminding her that it was all very real.
She didn’t recognize the number, but the area code told her it was someone from the Rolling Hills area. Probably some crazed fan who had managed to get a hold of her number despite the fact that it was unlisted. “Hello?”
“Laura, it’s your mother.” Mrs. Dodson’s voice was harsh and strained. “I won’t take up too much of your precious time, but I thought I would let you know that your father has had a heart attack.”
The words sat on the edge of Lola’s ears for a moment before they finally drifted into her brain and sunk in. Her own heart squeezed in her chest. “Oh, my God! Is he okay? Where are you?”
“We’re at the hospital, of course,” Mrs. Dodson snapped. “They’re running tests.”
Lola couldn’t remember what her upcoming schedule was like, but it could all just go flying out the window for all she cared. “I’ll be on the next flight home.”
“That’s not necessary. I didn’t call to drag you away from your celebrity lifestyle. I’m just doing the right thing by letting you know. The doctor’s coming in; I have to go.” The line disconnected with a click, leaving Lola staring at her cell phone. She wanted answers, but all she had were questions.
She glanced at herself in the mirror, taking in the waves of blonde hair, the perfectly waxed eyebrows, the expensive makeup, the designer outfit. The studio had dressed her in something a little more conservative than what she was used to wearing, at the approval of her manager. The plaid skirt suit was supposed to make her look more like a victim and a professional than just another Hollywood slut. But she still wasn’t the same person she had been when people still called her Laura. She wondered just how much of her old self her parents had been able to see under the Lola costume.
Taking a deep breath, she booked the next flight out of Los Angeles.
* * *
“Thank you for coming with me.” Lola tipped her head back against the seat. Takeoff always made her a little nervous, with the roaring of the engines and the way the ground dropped out from underneath her. But the plane had reached altitude and was now leveling off. “I reall
y needed a friend.”
“Of course!” Brittany had been tapping away furiously at her phone ever since the captain had announced that electronic devices could be turned back on. She set it down and patted the back of Lola’s hand. “Everything is going to be just fine. Now tell me, is there anything exciting to do while we’re in Rolling Hills?” She smacked her gum loudly.
“Not unless you count a grimy bowling alley and a discount store,” Lola sniffed. “You’re going to be bored out of your mind. I hate that for you, but I needed someone with me besides just Jekyll and Hyde.” She thumbed over her shoulder where the two bodyguards were sitting in the seats behind them. “I just hope nobody recognizes me this time.”
Brittany studied her closely. “I don’t think they will. I know I’m praising my own work, but I did such a good job that I don’t think even I would recognize you. It’s a shame this is isn’t for a movie set or I would probably be booked solid for the rest of my life.”
Lola smiled. She had known she couldn’t return home looking like herself. It had only been a little over a month since she had been in Rolling Hills, and the hype over her last visit was still going strong. Some little diner had named a burger after her just to draw in more customers, and the local stores couldn’t hold onto their stock of blonde hair dye. She’d read the papers online, and the Lola craze showed no signs of subsiding anytime soon. She knew she should be flattered, but she only felt tired.
But with Brittany’s help, she just might be able to pass as a normal person. Unwilling to dye Lola’s long blonde hair, the makeup artist had pulled it up into a high, messy bun that was the complete opposite of Lola’s usual flowing waves. Dressed in jeans and a baggy T-shirt, sunglasses purchased from a dollar store, and a very unprofessional looking makeup job, Lola was just a regular woman. She wore no nail polish and had left her expensive jewelry at home.
“I’m terrified of what my parents are going to say,” she admitted quietly, glancing out the window and secretly hoping a freak thunderstorm would pop up and force them to turn around. As much as she was worried about the fans, she was more worried about facing her parents. Their frowns and disapproving glares had been haunting her since the last time she’d been back, and that had only intensified when she’d realized she had to return once again. “They aren’t exactly my biggest fans, you know.”
“Yeah, but things might be different now that he’s in the hospital,” Brittany said. “People tend to get all mushy and sentimental when they have medical problems.” She picked up her phone again and tapped away with her shiny nails.
“You don’t know my parents.” It was hard to imagine Mr. and Mrs. Dodson as being sympathetic or loving. They had always been harsh and cold, even when she had been living at home and dreaming of becoming a doctor or a scientist. Theirs was not a family that hugged or said “I love you” on a regular basis, with praise being handed out only when it was undoubtedly deserved.
Brittany smiled. “You never know. People change.”
Halfway through the flight, Lola clung to her stomach. It churned and bubbled inside her, threatening to cast out her breakfast and maybe even her dinner from the night before. “Holy cow. I don’t think there was this much turbulence on the last flight.”
Her friend frowned at her. “I didn’t think it was all that bad.”
“It’s bad enough that it’s making my stomach hang out in my throat.” Lola took a deep breath, trying to calm her body down. “Maybe it’s just nerves.”
“That makes perfect sense,” Brittany agreed. Still, she plucked the airsick bag from the pocket in front of Lola’s seat and opened it up. “Most people feel a little queasy when they have to do something like this. I mean, your dad’s in the hospital, after all.”
A stewardess stopped by just then, the smile falling from her pretty face as she glanced at Lola. “Are you feeling ill? I could get you some clear soda, and maybe some crackers.” She didn’t wait for an answer before trotting off to the back of the plane to fetch the promised goods.
“It must be nerves. I fly all the time and it never bothers me.” Lola was trying hard to convince herself that this was the truth. It had to be, because she didn’t like the other answers that were suddenly swimming around her head and trying to make her even more nauseous. It had been just over a month since her passionate evening with Bishop. She had been foolish enough not to insist that they use protection, and she was an idiot if she thought the Pill worked all the time. She had just been so caught up in the romance that she hadn’t thought about it. Shit. This was some bad timing.
The stewardess brought the crackers and soda, offered a million-dollar smile, and promised to get her anything else she might need. Lola nodded her thanks and chewed on the corner of a saltine, closing her eyes and now hoping the flight went smoothly.
A presence suddenly loomed behind her. “Lola,” Butch whispered. He had stood up and was leaning over the back of her seat. His forehead was wrinkled with concern. “Are you all right?”
She turned to give him a smile, but she could tell it was a weak one. “Of course. I’m just a little under the weather, that’s all. I think it’s just nerves.” No matter how many times she repeated the excuse, she couldn’t quite convince herself to believe it. Doubt niggled at the back of her brain.
The critical look in his eyes told her that she looked just as pale as she felt. “Are you sure? You don’t look so good.”
“Even if I’m actually sick, it’s not as though there’s anything we can do about it right now. The plane isn’t going to land just for me.” Coming down with the flu sounded rather delightful at the moment, considering the alternative.
“Maybe not …” Butch’s eyes glared at her down his long nose, and he suddenly seemed to take up the entire interior of the plane.
“Would you quit looking at me like that?” she snapped.
“Like what?”
“Like the way that everyone looks at a woman when she’s sick to her stomach.” Lola turned around to face forward again, her shoulders stiff until she heard Butch relax into his seat. She knew exactly what was on his mind, and she hated that it was on hers, too.
“You all right?” Brittany whispered.
Lola pressed her lips together, trying to decide what to do. If she actually was pregnant and word got out, then the press would never leave her alone until they decided who the baby belonged to. Of course, they would all think Chris had done the deed, and he would be happy to agree just as long as it was good publicity for him. But if they knew the truth, it might be a whole different story.
Even so, she had to know for herself first. “Can you do me a favor?” she whispered to Brittany.
“Of course.”
“When we land and we get settled, can you sneak out and buy me a pregnancy test?” There was no way Lola could risk making the purchase herself. The way her luck had been running, someone would recognize her with the EPT in her hand. That was saying she would even be able to make it to the pharmacy by herself, which was highly unlikely.
Brittany raised an eyebrow, but she nodded and smiled. “Consider it done.”
Chapter Fourteen
Lola
The rest of the ride went smoothly, and a stomach full of crackers seemed to help. Still, Lola was grateful that the landing was an easy one, and she was eager to get her feet back on real land as the plane taxied to the terminal. She glanced out the window. “Do you see that?”
“What?” Brittany had fallen asleep for the last hour of the plane ride, and she stretched her arms up over her head and blinked her eyes.
“Look at the airport.” Large glass windows faced the runway. It wasn’t unusual to see several passengers standing there, watching the planes as they took off and landed while they waited their own departure time. But a crowd had assembled. They pressed themselves against the glass, jumping, waving, and holding signs that said, “We Love You, Lola!” and “Welcome Back!”
Brittany’s jaw dropped. “I guess they
really like you around here.”
“You’re missing the point,” Lola replied, irritated. “Nobody should have even known that I was coming here today. The very last thing I need is to have an audience when I go to the hospital to see my dad.” She couldn’t even imagine just how much it would piss him off to have the paparazzi hovering right outside his hospital room door.
The seatbelt sign had yet to turn off but Butch was already on his feet. “You stay here while the plane unloads. I’ll get inside, find someone with security, and get this taken care of. Come with me, Chris.”
“I think I should stay here with Lola,” the younger man volunteered. “You know, in case any of the crazies make it onto the plane. Besides, the other passengers are bound to recognize her now.”
Butch hesitated but finally gave a curt nod. “All right. Ladies, don’t come off this plane until I tell you to.”
Lola nodded obediently, pissed that this had happened once again. It didn’t help that she was stuck here with Chris. He had a job to do, and she wanted to trust that he would do it properly no matter what other ambitions he had, but she was beginning to doubt him. She glanced around nervously at the other travelers, looking for anyone who was watching her too closely or seemed to recognize her. But most of them were busy putting away their books and electronics and checking their seats to make sure they had everything with them before they got off the plane.
