Scandal (Dirty Laundry Book 2)

by Jackie Paxson

  Chrissy looked away from him before she did something ridiculous like beg to have his babies. Forcing her attention out the window she watched L.A. pass by. It was early evening and the setting sun reflected off of the buildings. Neon lights had begun to turn on while young hip looking people in barely-there clothes gathered outside of restaurants and bars. Chrissy sighed. She’d never really experienced that. College had been full of house parties, studying and Mariah’s father. After she got pregnant, her whole world was the little girl sitting next to her. A small pang of envy crept into Chrissy’s heart for all the things she’d never get to experience. But, given a choice to do things over, she’d choose a life with Mariah every time.

  Jeremiah slowed the SUV in front of a bar that was mixed with a blend of rustic and modern touches. “Here you are,” Jeremiah said.

  “Thank you. I wasn’t looking forward to waiting hours for Shannon to show up.” Rory turned toward Chrissy. “Are you moving up front?”

  Before she could answer, Jeremiah said, “Yes, she is. This isn’t a remake of Driving Miss Daisy.”

  Chrissy glared at Jeremiah then got out of the car. Rory held open the door waiting for her while she rounded the rear of the SUV.

  “Thank you for offering the ride. I’d like to take you out to say thank you.”

  Blinking rapidly, Chrissy just stared.

  “She will,” Jeremiah yelled out to them.

  “Uh…yeah…uh, sure. That would be nice.”

  Rory smiled then leaned in, kissing her cheek. “Did you read the note?”

  Chrissy blushed, looking down at a very interesting part of the gray pavement.

  A deep chuckle washed over her. “I take that as a yes. I’d like to call you. Can I get your number?”

  “It’s 795-655-2987,” Jeremiah yelled again.

  Chrissy turned toward her friend in the car. “Will you stop?”

  In a dramatic whisper he said, “I will when you answer the man.”

  A beep came from her phone. It was a text.

  Unknown: Hi, there! It’s Rory. Has anyone told you how pretty you are when you blush?

  Fire coated her face. She looked at the smirking Rory.

  “Goodbye, Rory,” she said climbing into the car.

  “Goodnight, Chrissy.” His rumbling voice felt like a caress and she shivered.

  “I have a feeling life is going to get very interesting around here.” Jeremiah pulled the SUV out into traffic.

  Chrissy watched the bar and Rory fade out of sight in the side mirror. It felt like her life was about to become a hell of a lot more interesting than it was in Grandin. Excitement and fear crawled up her spine making the hair stand on her arms. Life couldn’t get too much more interesting. She needed it to stay as level as possible for Mariah’s sake. However, it wouldn’t hurt if she got a few dates with a hot man out of it. She was still a woman, after all.

  Chapter 8

  Mirror, Mirror

  Chrissy sighed when she looked at her image in the mirror. She felt very much like a mom playing dress up. Jeremiah had dragged them to fifteen different stores. The clothes were either too flashy or short or glittery or see-through. One shirt she tried on, Jeremiah had to quickly cover Mariah’s eyes because the shear material had shown every bit of her body.

  It wasn’t the fact that Chrissy disliked her body. In fact, she was very comfortable in it. She wasn’t the type of woman identified with California. Her body had a few lumps, stretchmarks and cellulite. She was a mom. It was written all over her body. She could still pull off a bikini without resorting to wearing a cover-up. But, knowing she was going to be around movie stars with picture perfect bodies, top of the line clothes and probably more than one enhanced body part made her twitch. Nothing that she’d tried on seemed to fit or look right on her.

  With a final glance at the mirror and a swipe of her hands to fix the shirt she opened the dressing room door. Jeremiah sat next to Mariah in oversized chairs. Chrissy held back a giggle when she saw Jeremiah holding her purse waiting eagerly for her to emerge. With a lackluster twirl, she waved her hands in the air. Her shirt rose slightly showing a sliver of belly.

  “You are totally getting that.” Jeremiah sprang out of his seat startling Mariah.

  “Are you sure? It’s off the shoulder and the jeans are a bit tight,” Chrissy asked.

  Jeremiah came up behind her placing his hands on her shoulders. “You look fantastic. Every outfit you have tried on has looked fantastic.”

  “If you say so. That shear number was a definite no, though.” She shuddered at the thought.

  “That was just a case of right outfit/wrong occasion.”

  Chrissy lifted an eyebrow. “What occasion calls for a shear blouse?”

  “Honey, if I have to tell you that we are in deeper trouble than I thought.” Jeremiah dodged the swipe of Chrissy’s hand. “Tell me. What is really going on? Why are you having trouble with this?”

  Chrissy shrugged then sat in Jeremiah’s empty chair. “I’m nervous. We are going to a party with a lot of good-looking people. How can I measure up to that?”

  Stepping close to her he kneeled and said, “You have been around most of these idiots in the past year. You weren’t nervous then.” Jeremiah stared at her. “Is there someone who is making you nervous?”

  Chrissy bit her lip then looked over at Mariah making faces in the mirror. She whispered, “Max.”

  He nodded. “The one-night stand.”

  “What?!” Chrissy stood forcing him to stand. “I never slept with him.”

  “But you wanted to. That’s what’s driving you nuts right now. He’s still contacting you, isn’t he?”

  “How did you—”

  Jeremiah cut her off waving his hand. “I knew something was holding you back with the whole Rory thing. I didn’t realize it was another hot guy.”

  “Max isn’t holding me back. I’m not interested in being with anyone. I am out here to finally complete my degree. Not to sleep around with guys who are too hot for any normal woman.”

  “Why can’t you have a relationship and do your internship?” Jeremiah crossed his arms.

  Chrissy shook her head.

  “Come on. Why?” he pressed.

  “Because the last time I tried that I had Mariah. I can’t do that again,” Chrissy spat.

  Jeremiah looked like she’d actually slapped him.

  Taking a deep breath Chrissy said, “I don’t regret having Mariah. I love her to pieces. I just wish I’d have had the chance to finish the one thing I really wanted in life before she came along. I have a chance to do it now. I won’t risk it by falling in love or doing the things that come with that.”

  Jeremiah just stared at her.

  “Ok. Maybe I’m acting a little crazy. I’m sorry. Let me change and we can get out of here.”

  As Chrissy turned to leave, Jeremiah grabbed her pulling her into a hug. His strong arms wrapped tightly around her. She felt tears pooling in the corner of her eyes. She hadn’t meant to say all those things.

  “I’m sorry. I understand why you are worried. But you can’t avoid life forever. You learn from it.” He pulled back, looking into her face, and swiped the tears away. “And for God’s sake use some damn condoms. You definitely don’t need another little dictator.”

  Chrissy smacked him. “Thanks, ass.”

  “You’re welcome, darling. Now, get changed. That is definitely the outfit. Max will be drooling at the site of you.”

  Chrissy blinked at him.

  He smacked her ass. “Move it now, woman! We have other stuff to do.”

  Chrissy jumped with the smack. Closing the door behind her she rubbed the cheek he’d hit. He done that like he knew what he was doing. That was a road she didn’t want to go down. Shaking her head, she tried to get rid of those thoughts. She didn’t want or need to know about why he did that so well.

  When Jeremiah parked his car, Chrissy leaned forward in the passenger seat looking at the mansion. It was
a home she’d seen in a magazine but never dreamed to be near in reality. She couldn’t believe her best friend lived there.

  Stepping from the car, she looked around at all of the extravagant cars parked nearby. A mere Mercedes was the equivalent of a Jeep in her world. They were a dime a dozen and seemed to be the choice for any Hollywood star, agent, musician or producer. Her nerves began to do the tango the more she focused on the luxury around them.

  “Ready?” Jeremiah asked.

  “I guess.” Chrissy reached out for Mariah’s hand.

  Jeremiah led them to a side entrance that led directly to the backyard. A cacophony of voices sounded behind a tall fence. The clinking of glasses let her relax slightly knowing she would be able to have a bit of liquid courage soon.

  “Mama, is Tristan here?” Mariah asked as they entered the party.

  Before she could answer Mariah, the view in front of her caused all of her words to disappear. Twinkling lights were hung artfully over the entire yard. In the center was an Olympic size pool where children were playing. At the far end of the yard was a fire pit where people sat in Adirondack chairs holding glasses and chatting. Chrissy had been to Zeke’s home in Georgia where the ranch was decked out in southern style. What she looked at screamed wealthy movie star.

  “Mama! Look, there’s Tristan.” Mariah pointed to a little boy standing next to the pool wearing a swimsuit with sharks on it and matching goggles propped on his head.

  “I see.”

  “Can I go swim?”

  “Not yet. We need to say hi to Aunt Tally first.”

  Mariah pursed her lips ready to argue when Chrissy saw Talia walking quickly toward them. Her flip flops snapped against the grass making crisp pops with each step. She lifted her hand to wave when she saw the look on her friend’s face. She looked like a thunderstorm.

  “Hey!” Chrissy said weakly.

  “It’s about damn time you came to see me!” Talia said pulling her into a hug.

  “What’s wrong?” Chrissy asked pulling away from her.

  Talia shook her head then looked away from them.

  “What’s wrong, Aunt Tally?” Mariah piped up.

  Talia startled, forgetting they had some very observant company. She knelt down to Mariah then pulled her into a hug. Chrissy and Jeremiah looked at each other over their heads.

  Talia stood and looked at them then with a deep breath and said, “The caterer forgot the marshmallows.”

  “What?” Jeremiah asked.

  “She forgot the freakin’ marshmallows. How can we possibly have smores for the kids without marshmallows? The whole party is ruined.” Talia’s lip quivered.

  “Hon, it is fine. I’m sure as long as they can play in the pool, they will be fine.”

  “It’s not, though. I just can’t believe this. I’m a horrible hostess.” Talia ran away from them into the house.

  “Weird, right?” Chrissy asked Jeremiah.

  He just shrugged. “Let’s get a drink then find out what is really going on.”

  “Mama? Can I go now?” Mariah pointed back toward Tristan who had seen Mariah and was waving frantically encouraging her to come over to him.

  “Alright, but listen to Annie while you are over there. I will be over in a minute.”

  Mariah stripped down to her bathing suit with little palm trees on it and ran over to the pool.

  “They are totally getting married one day,” Jeremiah said.

  “Who?” she asked.

  “Mariah and Tristan. Wouldn’t they be a cute couple?” Just as he said that Mariah cannonballed into the pool dunking Tristan in the process.

  “I don’t want to think about that now. That is a long way off, and a lot can happen between then and now.”

  “Yeah, but I’m gonna bet money on it.”

  “What are you betting money on?” Zeke appeared out of thin air.

  “That Mariah and Tristan will get married one day.”

  Zeke looked at the two playing in the water. “I can see that. Can you imagine the wedding? We’d have it here and—”

  “Holy Crap! Listen to yourselves.” Jeremiah and Zeke stared at Chrissy’s outburst. She took a deep breath in then continued. “Anyway, don’t we have bigger problems than planning imaginary weddings? What is going on with Talia?”

  “I don’t know.” Zeke avoided making eye contact.

  “Yeah, right. Tell us, Zeke. Is everything ok? Rex didn’t say anything about her parents. Are they ok? Oh, my God! It’s her grandpa, isn’t it? What’s wrong with him?” Chrissy grabbed onto Zeke’s arm.

  “It’s none of those things. She’s just got a lot on her mind. That’s all. I have to go check on some things. Be sure to get a drink and make yourself at home.”

  Jeremiah and Chrissy watched as he escaped toward the inside of the house.

  “Something is going on around here. But I want a drink before playing detective.”

  They wound their way through the crowd. Chrissy periodically looked back toward the pool where Mariah played with Tristan. Annie, Tristan’s mom, sat on the side watching the two kids playing while her feet dangled in the water. When they finally found their way to the bar, Chrissy ordered a fruity drink while Jeremiah got a whiskey on the rocks.

  “Let’s head over to the pool. I want to see if Annie knows what’s going on around here.”

  “Ok.”

  With their drinks in hand, they found their way over to the pool.

  “Hey, guys!” Annie waved from across the pool

  Chrissy walked over to her and leaned over giving her a hug. Kicking off her sandals she sat next to Annie with her feet in the water.

  “How have you guys been?” Chrissy asked.

  “We are doing pretty good. The experimental treatment has been fantastic for Tristan . They are close to saying he’s in remission.” Annie beamed.

  When Chrissy and Mariah first met Annie and Tristan, he was at Zeke’s ranch in Georgia. He’d been granted a wish on his Bucket List by the Bucket List foundation. At the time he had terminal cancer with little hope of remission. But, thankfully, for Zeke pulling strings he was able to get Tristan into an experimental treatment. Chrissy could only imagine the feeling of relief Annie had knowing that instead of only a few months left with her son she got so many more years.

  “Oh, my goodness! That is great.” Chrissy hugged her again.

  Annie’s smile fell. She stared at her son who tried to do a handstand in the water while Mariah knocked him over.

  “What’s wrong?” Chrissy asked.

  “I’m so scared to be happy. I’m worried the other shoe will drop and we will be back in the hospital with only months to have together.”

  “I’m so sorry, sweetie. I can’t imagine how that feels. All I can tell you is to try to take it one day at a time.”

  Annie nodded then took a deep breath. “So, you are going to finish your degree? Interning with Jeremiah’s company?”

  “Yep. I’m pretty excited. I start on Monday. I haven’t quite figured out what I am doing with Mariah while I am interning, though. Talia and Zeke were kind enough to watch her this week, but they have their own life they need to get back to.”

  “Why don’t you sign her up for the camp Tristan is going to? It’s not too pricey and they would love it.”

  “I will have to look into it. I only have so much saved up, so I can’t go too crazy.”

  “I’ll have the director of the camp give you a call. You will love her. She is great.”

  “Ok.”

  Annie and Chrissy sat quietly watching the kids play when a commotion drew their attention to the entrance to the backyard. The group causing the uproar drew the other celebrities like bees to honey. When the crowd finally parted, they saw who was so important. Max and Terence had arrived. Zeke’s best friends, megastars and serious eye candy.

  Chrissy watched Max swagger through the people greeting him. He was as sexy as ever. His dark hair cut short. His olive tinted skin shown in the wa
ning light of day. The tight shirt with loose fitting jeans accentuated his muscular physique.

  Jeremiah handed her a napkin. “You might want to wipe that drool.” He motioned to her mouth.

  “Wha?” Chrissy ran the back of her hand across her mouth.

  “Gotcha.” Jeremiah laughed.

  “You suck.”

  “Of course, I do, just not in the way you are referring.”

  Annie and Chrissy groaned with his comment. Annie swatted him, but he jumped away from her. Chrissy ignored them fussing with each other. Her eyes wouldn’t leave the star-studded spectacle. However, when she saw the accessories Max was with her heart sank. Two vey busty blonde women hung on each side of Max. She’d been so focused on him she hadn’t even seen them. Max finished saying hello to someone when his gaze collided with hers. The smile left his face.

  “I need to use the bathroom. Annie, can you keep an eye on Mariah?”

  “You bet. Are you ok?” she asked.

  “Never better.” Chrissy stood, exchanging a look with Jeremiah, then walked quickly to the house.

  When Chrissy entered the kitchen, she saw Talia sitting on a stool sipping water and Zeke fixing her a plate of vegetables. A couple of familiar actors talked with Zeke as he arranged the vegetables. There were others present but Chrissy didn’t take the time to figure out who they were. She kept her head down hoping none of them would stop her.

  “Chrissy, are you ok?” Zeke asked.

  Dammit!

  “Of course, I am. Just need to use the facilities.”

  “She’s lying,” Talia said.

  “No, I’m not.” Chrissy shot Talia a look, but she still had her head down and couldn’t see the laser like look she was giving her.

  Talia shrugged then went back to her water. Something wasn’t right, but she couldn’t figure it out. She’d figure out Talia later. Finding the bathroom was paramount to her avoiding an awkward confrontation with Max.

  Zeke studied her then looked over her shoulder through the door from which she’d just came. “He’s an idiot.”

  “I have no idea what you are talking about. Now, the bathroom?” Chrissy’s voice cracked on the end.