by Jillian Dodd
Keatyn’s clothing throughout the series also helped me to show her growth. When you first meet Keatyn, she already has a funky style. She mixes everything from vintage finds to designer wear, with no regard to price. It wouldn’t be unusual for her to mix an inexpensive dress with a designer shoe. But, when she dresses for other people, she usually has help. She often listens to what Vanessa tells her to wear or she will let her mom’s stylist, Kym, dress her. No matter how she came up with her outfits though, you will notice in the first few books, she gives us full, detailed accounts of what she’s wearing because it’s really important to her. As she grows up in the books, fashion is still important, but she starts making her own decisions. Choosing everything herself. And she doesn’t feel the need to list everything. It also shows that there are things more important in her life. Like surviving her showdown with Vincent.
For her school uniforms at Eastbrooke, I knew she couldn’t just wear a simple plaid skirt and oxford. She’d want to bring her own style to them. Something else that made her stand out there. It was a challenge to create multiple looks for her. In order to do this, I first had to name the school. Choose its location, school motto, colors, and mascot. I created twenty-one different uniform looks that Keatyn wore throughout the series. Along with that, I created fourteen more school spirit looks, including what she wore for dance practice, games, and Homecoming spirit week.
One of the times clothing really allowed me to show a change in Keatyn was in choosing her dress to wear on the field as Homecoming royalty.
It’s weird.
I want to look amazing in my dress but, for the first time in my life, it feels okay to want to blend in. To be part of something bigger than me. I get Whitney’s wanting to stand out. I never want to look like anyone but me. But what I really want is for the alumni to look at me and say, There’s an Eastbrooke girl.
And then again, when she wears one of her own looks, it gives her confidence.
I’m actually kind of excited to see Whitney. I hope she looks me up and down and gives me a dirty look. It will mean that I look good. Today is the first day that I haven’t worn one of Kym’s looks. I’m wearing a look I put together myself. As you would expect, it started with a new pair of shoes: deep red suede Louboutin T-strap platforms with leopard heels. I paired them with the plaid skort, a cream-colored Dolce & Gabbana ruffled-front silk blouse, red silk headband, black cardigan, and a fun Juicy Couture charm bracelet.
The clothing boards also held a few clues as to who Moon Boy would be. Aiden was the only boy in the series who got a few clothing boards of his own. He had two for Date Me. One showing what he wore to Pajama Day for Spirit Week, and also what he wore to Homecoming. (Which was interesting, since he wasn’t her date!) He has another one devoted to him in Adore Me for the dirt scene. And one for Hate Me featuring what he was wearing the night of the pool table scene. The other thing cool about Aiden is he shared Keatyn’s love for shopping and understood her love of shoes. (In fact, he had a lot of shoes himself.) Dressing both of them was a lot of fun.
And we can’t talk about Keatyn and Aiden and not mention the boots. Keatyn loves boots, and not just cowboy boots. She’s equally partial to any kind of boot or bootie. In fact, out of the 133 clothing boards, she has boots as part of her outfit in 44 of them. (Plus, an additional 8 pairs on the board that show her shoe shopping trip haul.)
I’ll leave you with a few of my personal favorite clothing-related scenes. This first one shows Keatyn’s willingness to stand up to Whitney in a way she never did with Vanessa.
Look eighteen is what I want. The navy, black, and red plaid skort; red lace bra—and if it happens to show a little under my skinny ribbed black tank, oh, well; short red cardigan, with only the middle button buttoned; black leather sliced cuff; and vintage black and gold Channel earrings. Kym showed it with a pair of cute flats, but I decide to go full out sexy and wear the black platform Gucci boots I brought from home.
My hair is full of big curls and my bangs are held back in a poof with a silver barrette. My makeup is soft and natural, except for a black eyeliner swoop and as much mascara as my lashes can hold.
And later. . .
As we walk away, I hear Whitney comment to the table, “Those boots are slutty.”
I know she’s the Queen. I know I shouldn’t do this, but I’m not letting her get away with slamming me. She knows I heard. She thinks I don’t have the balls to turn around and call her on it.
But guess what? I do.
But I’m not going to turn it into a fight. I’m going to pretend it wasn’t a slam. I’m going to kill her with kindness.
I turn around, smile big, and point down at my boots. “Oh, Whitney, honey, we really need to work on your designers. These boots aren’t Slutty, they’re Gucci.”
And this one, clothing was a way of showing a different side of Aiden, who is as much of a chameleon from a clothing standpoint as Keatyn.
When I come out of my room, ready to show off my new outfit, I am literally stopped in my tracks at the sight of Aiden.
He’s playing pool, wearing a plain white t-shirt, dark jeans, a scrumptious black leather Burberry Prorsum motorcycle jacket that I recognize from an ad, and the gunmetal Burberry aviators I got for his birthday.
He looks bad.
Do-me-on-a-motorcycle bad.
He looks so good it’s practically criminal, especially since he hasn’t shaved in a couple of days. That scruff is perfection.
It revs my motor just looking at him.
He pushes the glasses down his nose and checks me out.
“You look different,” I stutter out.
I get a smile and the result is devastating to my insides. A bad boy with a brilliant smile and gorgeous, blinding white teeth.
He sets his pool cue across the table, holds his hands out, and looks down at himself. “You don't like it?”
“Oh, I like. Why don't you dress like that for school?”
“Because we can’t?” he says with a smirk. Then he struts over and touches the tops of my thigh highs, his hand brushing under my skirt and giving me a thrill. If I didn’t know him, I’d so be running the other way.
After I did him. Probably.
Doesn’t every girl need a bad boy at least once in her life?
“These are such a turn-on. It kills me when you wear them with your uniform skirt. All I can think about is . . .”
“Is what?”
“Getting under it.” He tilts his head at me. “It’s cold out.”
“Uh, yeah, it’s been cold all day.”
“It’s warmer here,” he says, both his hands sliding up my skirt.
And it does suddenly feel very warm, like I stepped into a sauna of the hotness that is Aiden. I swear, he looks amazing in everything he puts on. Suit, school blazer, football pads, white shorts, sliders, and nothing at all. But this—this almost beats nothing at all.
And this, where it was all about the clothes and how they meant something to both of them.
“Oh my god. It's my dress.”
“Your dress?” Kym asks.
“Yes, the dress from my dream.”
I examine the dress closer, shocked at how closely it matches the one from my dream.
Sweetheart neckline. Corseted bodice. Tiered bottom in an ombré of pinks.
I look at the label to see who designed it and find a note.
I thought on the night of your dreams, you should wear the dress of your dreams.
Hope this is close.
Happy Birthday!
Love,
Aiden
“How did he do it?” I ask Kym, quickly taking the dress off the hanger, holding it up to me, and twirling around.
“He told me about your dream. I called in a favor and this is what we came up with. Is it close?”
“It’s like the dress of my dreams on steroids. This corset and these feathers. They’re ridiculously beautiful. I can’t believe he remembered.”
As I spin around, I get tears
in my eyes remembering how he went to all my rehearsals. How I trusted him enough to tell him my dreams. About my scripts. About wanting to act.
“Don't cry,” Kym scolds. “We don’t have time to redo your foundation.”
While I quickly change to a strapless bra and slip into the dress, Kym sets out diamonds.
“This thirteen carat pink diamond is surrounded by cushion-cut diamonds, adding another eight carats. Price available on request,” she reads off the card that arrived with them from Harry Winston. The diamonds have their own guard who will follow me tonight.
“All right,” Kym quizzes, “Diamonds by?”
“Harry Winston,” I reply.
“Shoes?”
“Louboutin.”
“Bag?”
“Fendi.”
“Favorite stylist?”
“Aiden,” I reply, teasing her.
“You say my name?” Aiden asks from behind me.
He’s dressed in a black Gucci tuxedo, a pair of Aviators perched on the top of his head. He looks like sex on a stick.
Seriously, no one is going to look at me.
Gracie and the girls are dressed up too. They’re having their own pretend red carpet with their new nanny, Miss Praline, who, with a little time and some luck, may just end up Mrs. Garrett Smith.
Aiden looks me over. “I don't know, Kym. I’m not sure those are the right shoes for the dress.”
Kym scoffs at him as he pulls a box out from behind his back.
It’s a box I recognize.
My eyes fill with tears as he opens the lid.
I delicately lift them up. “You had the heel fixed?!”
“Yeah,” he says, pulling me close. “Seems like the perfect night to wear the shoes that are the real you.”
He takes my hand, leads me over to a chair, then bends down and puts the shoe on my foot like he’s Prince Charming.
Actually, he is my Prince Charming.
Yesterday, on my actual birthday, he spoiled me rotten, giving me a gorgeous, not-for-a-rainy-day dress and taking me to a beautiful restaurant overlooking the ocean for dinner. I was shocked to find our families and closest friends waiting there to surprise me. It was a truly celebratory night.
Afterward, all dressed up, he took me to the Santa Monica pier for cotton candy and a ride on the Ferris wheel.
Listed below are links to the clothing and setting boards on my website so you can relive that aspect of the series.
Click here to see the clothing boards.
Click here to see the setting boards.
THE AUDIO BOOKS
For those of you who aren’t aware, the entire series is available in audio format. As you can imagine, finding the perfect voice for Keatyn was a challenge, and we listened to over three hundred auditions before finding Maren McGuire. If you haven’t listened to the audio books, I’d encourage you to.
The books come to life, almost like a movie, when I hear them. She took my words and turned them into an amazing performance that Keatyn would be proud of.
Below are links to the audio books.
Audible Links
Stalk Me
Kiss Me
Date Me
Love Me
Adore Me
Hate Me
Get Me
AIDEN ARRINGTON
I want to start this section off with the scene from Get Me where Keatyn finally tells Aiden the truth about who she is and why she lied. I think most readers were pretty shocked when he told Keatyn that he already knew.
He’s quiet on the elevator, on the walk down the hall, and as we go into our room.
After the dirt, the No more lying, and all the You can tell me anythings, I understand why.
He has every right to be mad. I should’ve listened to my heart and told him. I had so many opportunities, going all the way back to that day in the chapel.
“Before you say anything, I need to tell you something,” I blurt out.
He takes my hand and leads me over to the chaise, where we both sit down.
He lets go of my hand but I quickly grab it again, clinging to it like a life raft.
“I’m sorry I lied to you. There’s a lot more to the story. I understand if you hate me. I deserve it. But you have to know that there were so many times I wanted to tell you. Remember the slutty video? When Dawson and I broke up? I was taking him to meet my parents that weekend. I was going to tell him the truth. That's why I was so upset. I was more upset at myself for trusting the wrong person again than I was about us not dating. And that's why, after what happened with Chelsea, I forgave you but wouldn't see you. I couldn't lie to you anymore. I was in deep with you, and I knew that eventually I'd have to tell you, and that you'd hate me for lying. But then you brought me dirt and told me our pasts didn't matter.”
Tears stream down my face, feeling cold against my flushed cheeks. “You have no idea how deeply that touched me. And it’s why I let you come to St. Croix. I wasn’t planning to go back to school. I didn't get closure with B. Everything with him—especially how I had to leave—has been so up the air and I didn't want to do that to you. I was going to give you closure, then send you back to school. And that's why I've been so tired all the time. At night, I’m either learning how to defend myself, or I'm flying back to California to mess with him, or I’m having online business meetings in an attempt to take over his company. It’s not my friend who was being stalked and almost got kidnapped. It was me.” I stop and mutter, “Shit.”
Then I stand up and grab my clutch off the bed.
“What are you doing?” Aiden asks.
I pull out a piece of paper and hold it up in front of him. “This is the script I’ve been working on. In it, instead of truth-vomiting, I eloquently explain everything to you. I couldn’t have sex with you until you knew.”
I drop the piece of paper on the chaise, wondering why I’m even bothering.
He’s not going to forgive me.
I might as well just grab my bags and go.
But he starts reading my script aloud.
“THE SETTING: HOTEL SUITE AFTER WINTER FORMAL.
AIDEN
(Opening a bottle of champagne)
KEATYN
(Lighting all the votive candles he thoughtfully brought)
(They kiss)
(But then she looks nervous)
I need to tell you something.
AIDEN
(Sits on the edge of the bed)
What?
KEATYN
(Stands in front of him)
I’ve been lying to you. Actually, I’ve been lying to everyone about something. And I need you to know.
AIDEN
(Looks concerned)
Okay.
KEATYN
I came to Eastbrooke because I was being stalked. My last name isn’t Monroe. I’m Keatyn Douglas. And my mom doesn’t work in oil and gas. But she is in France. And her name is Abby Johnston.
AIDEN
(Stands up in shock)”
Aiden stares at the script for a few moments then slowly sets it down. I can tell he’s thinking; probably trying to figure out the nicest way to tell me to fuck off.
Instead, he stands up, takes two big steps toward me, and brushes a tear off my cheek. “Life hasn't been following your scripts. You told me that once.”
“No, it hasn’t.”
“If it had worked out the way you planned—if you’d followed your script—right now is the point where life would have deviated from it.”
“You wouldn't have stood up in shock?”
“No,” he says, caressing my face. “I would have said, Baby, I already knew.”
“You what?! What do you mean?!”
“I mean I've known for quite a while who you really are.”
“How?!”
“That day at the chapel, when you told me about your friend. I don't know. I just felt like you were talking about yourself. So I started googling stuff. The name Keatyn, California, stalker, f
amous parents. Somehow, eventually, I put in the right mix of words. About ten pages into an image search, I came across a photo of you and your mom. It was from a kids’ awards show when you were probably twelve or thirteen.”
“You've known this whole time and you let me lie to you?”
“Yeah, Boots, I did.”
“Why?”
“Because I wanted to be the kind of guy you could trust. It’s why I backed off. Why I told Riley about Dawson. I didn't want to see you hurt anymore. It's why I've told you so many times that you can tell me anything. That you could trust me. What I didn’t realize before was that I needed to earn that trust. We had to build a strong foundation. I’m really glad you were planning to tell me tonight.”
A lot of readers wondered when Aiden figured out the truth and why he didn’t confront her about it. I think looking back, it’s easy to tell where he figured it out. If you recall, he’d been pursuing Keatyn since she got to Eastbrooke, but suddenly he stopped and told her that he wanted them to be friends. I think a lot of readers thought this was sort of a ploy on his part. A way to spend time with her (and torture her with his godly smile) while she was dating Dawson. Or that he had given up. Or that he simply backed off because she was dating Dawson.
So, I’m going to let Aiden tell you how it all happened.
These scenes take place way back in book two, Kiss Me. Meaning Aiden had known the truth from the early morning hours of Sunday, September 25th until Saturday, December 17th when she finally told him. I think knowing this, you can now better understand his frustration with Keatyn, why he did the cute sex survey to learn about her past relationships, why he wanted to build a strong foundation together, why when he gave her the dirt he told her he didn’t care if they had been lying to each other, and why he was making her wait.
