by Lola Newmar
“You see, this here,” Amber pulled out a small, white device from her triple-padded bra, “is a state-of-the-art micro camcorder. Very good picture, I’d say.” Amber’s eyes danced with joy as if she relished the pain that radiated from Taylor’s heart. “Maybe if you weren’t such a horny slut, it would have been a little harder for my plan to work out. But lucky me, you didn’t waste a moment of time once you were alone with these two.” Amber gave both men a slow onceover before perversely licking her injected lips with her tongue. “Not that I could blame you, B.F.F.”
“Brody, get security over to get this psycho out of my sight.” Jay’s voice was full of anger and annoyance.
“Don’t move a step until I’m done,” Amber ordered ferociously.
“Why are you doing this, Amber?” Taylor cursed the shaking in her voice, but it was taking everything she had to not have a full-on anxiety attack.
“Why?” Amber laughed as if the answer was so obvious. “What do you mean why? Because you’re a snotty little bitch who thinks she’s too good for anyone that doesn’t live up to your pathetic Mother Teresa image.”
No matter what, Taylor had once cared deeply for Amber, and the words hurt. She chocked back a small sob. “You know me, Amber. And you know that’s not true. Maybe you were only out for the title and crown, but you know my heart belonged to my charity work.”
“Then join the fucking Peace Corps! Become a nun, become a nurse, become a dick-sucker working pro bono for all I give a shit!” Amber’s face was a tomato-red, deepening in color as her voice raised in volume. “Everything was perfect until you and your white-trash mama decided to trample into Dallas high-society like a couple of fucking hippos!”
Like a light switch, Taylor’s emotions went from distraught to furious. Mama insults weren’t taken lightly by any southerner. “Keep my mama out of your cum-coated mouth, Amber. I’m warning you!” Taylor had never spoken to Amber that way, but the woman was losing her mind before her very eyes.
“And what the fuck are you going to do about it, Taylor? It’s over. You can kiss the Miss Dallas Texas Yellow Rose crown buh-bye. And once your charity gets word about this, you’ll never work for another organization ever again. Sick people just don’t like whores, Taylor. But I’m not one to gossip, so you didn’t hear it from me.”
“You evil bitch.” Taylor gritted her teeth as red flooded her vision.
“Well, I prefer demonic, but evil does the job, I suppose.” Amber gave her a teasing wink. That’s all it took to blow Taylor’s fuse. She lunged for the heartless heifer, but Brody caught her by one arm, holding her firmly by his side.
“You’re one dumb bitch if you think we’re going to let you leave with that camera.” Jay began to step forward but stopped when they all noticed a white Jeep making its way down the winding driveway.
You’ve got to be kidding me.
“And here’s my accomplice now.” Amber’s heavily lined lips radiated pride through a toothy, veneered grin.
The white Jeep came to a sudden stop beside Amber and out bounced a cheerful Emilio Estefan, pretty much the last person on Earth you want around your leaked sex tape.
“How the hell did he get past security?” asked Brody in frustration.
“It’s Emilio Estefan,” Taylor replied. “He gets what he wants, where he wants, as quick as he wants, and you’ll never find out his sources. He’s like a phantom rolled in sequins."
“Why hello, gentleman!” exclaimed Emilio as he peered over his heart-shaped sunglasses, despite it being nighttime. “Mmm, the girl does have good taste, if you ask me.” Emilio turned his attention to Amber, his tone turning serious. “Did you get it?” Taylor watched defenselessly as Amber tossed the tiny camera into Emilio’s small brown hands.
“This isn’t happening! This isn’t happening!” Taylor sobbed against Jay’s chest as panic flooded her body. Everything she’d worked for since she was a twelve-year-old child would become irrelevant by tonight. All the people she helped, all the money she raised, all the years she devoted would be a distant memory. She wouldn’t even have to wait for press time. Emilio had the most popular gossip blog in the Lone Star state, and that meant the video would immediately be spread throughout the internet in a matter of minutes.
Amber wiped imaginary dirt off her hands and onto her gown. “Well, looks like our work here is done, Emilio. What do you say we go back into town and grab a drink at Let Them Eat Beefcake? First lap dance is on me.”
“I don’t think I’ll be joining you tonight, Amber.” An odd smile rested on Emilio’s lips, and Taylor noticed he had yet to take his eyes off her.
“Don’t be a fag, Emilio. This is the best day of my life, and all I want right now is an ice-cold martini in my right hand and a throbbing stripper dick in the other. Now move it, Emilio! Or did you forget how to walk after a long night of ass pounding?” Emilio just continued to stare at Taylor with a knowing grin.
Amber’s frustration spilled through her voice when Emilio didn’t move an inch. “Why the fuck are you just standing there? Get your queer ass in the damn car, now!”
“Oh, but mijita, just because you’re done doesn’t mean I am.”
Taylor stared back into Emilio’s laughing hazel eyes, and the wave of panic returned. God help me, he has more!
The group didn’t keep their eyes off of Emilio as he reached in his car and pulled out a brown paper-wrapped package held neatly together with a simple piece of twine.
“You see, Taylor,” Emilio casually tossed the package from one delicate hand to the other, “I’ve had my eye on you for a very long time.” He turned his knowing smile to Amber. “You, too, Ambueler. Or do you prefer Miss Teen Dallas Texas Cowgirl Spur?”
With the power of a freight train, realization dawned upon Taylor the instant Emilio mentioned Amber’s old title.
“What the fuck has gotten into you? And why the hell are you calling me that? I was like thirteen when I was Miss Teen Dallas Texas Cowgirl Spur.” Apparently, Amber was a little slower at catching on.
Emilio dropped his head back in laughter at Amber’s ignorance. “Oh, Amber, Amber, Amber. I’m guessing none of the wolves that raised you taught you the virtue of karma.” He fiddled with his bangles, and that’s when Taylor noticed for the first time that Emilio wore one of her charity’s rubber red HCM-awareness bracelets. “I mean, I say blame the parents, but too bad the stars don’t take poor upbringing into consideration.”
“What’s with the psycho babbling bullshit? Can you tell me what the hell you’re talking about?” Taylor could hear fear in Amber’s voice. She was getting scared of what Emilio had up his sleeve.
“You’re the little boy from the charity ball,” Taylor pointed out. “I remember your honey-colored eyes and how your brown skin brought out their color. Amber and I were about thirteen, and you asked us for an autograph. I could never forget how sweet you had been to us.”
Emilio’s smile faded as the memory rushed in. “Yes, I was a very sick child at the time. It took all the strength I had to get up that morning, but I remember how excited I was to meet you two. I was utterly captivated by your beauty, and I admired the devotion you had to making others like me feel better.” Emilio bit down on his bottom lip as it began to tremble. “Two real princesses, right there in front of me. When you spoke to me, Taylor, your face was so full of caring, and you looked me right in the eye even though I looked like I was near death. I had never felt so visible in my life as I did when you knelt down to my level to talk to me. It was like I was the only person you were able to see in the entire room.”
Tears flowed down Emilio’s face as he turned to Amber. Taylor noticed that Amber’s face had grown pale and clammy, and Taylor guessed the memory was finally starting to come back to her. “But you, Amber, killed a small part of that child that night. You killed the trust and optimism every untainted child carries with them. I learned that day that even the most beautiful of roses carry sharp thorns, ready to draw blood from any t
onto hypnotized with their phony image.
“After spending days in bed crying, I got over it. I learned that day there was something called a bad person. I vowed to become a pioneer for the truth. The public wants to know who the real ungrateful little shits are, the assholes that live lies, fooling others into believing they are good people, normal people, when they’re only snakes in the grass.” Emilio stood in front of Amber to look her in her wide, terrified eyes. Taylor had never even heard of anyone ever putting Amber Fox in her place.
Emilio held up the brown package in front of Amber’s face. “This package, aqui, holds hundreds of candid photos from the last several years. These are unreleased photos that no one has ever seen. Each one is of you in a compromising position with several very powerful men that would not be happy to hear about the leaking of these photos. I can’t decide which one is more scandalous, the one with the congressman on his knees in front of you while y’all hide in an alley, the one of you riding a Heisman winner in his truck while his pregnant wife hosts her baby shower at home, or maybe the one of you and Mrs.—”
“Stop it!” Amber covered her ears with her hands, her face streaked with black rivers of running mascara. She sobbed in her hands while the group watched in silence.
“Look at me, Amber,” Emilio whispered softly. Amber’s puffy red eyes looked up at the young man, snot dripping and pooling in the crease of her mouth. Emilio held her face gently with his hands, and he gingerly brushed aside a few stray hairs hanging in her face. “Now I want you to look at me when I say this.” Amber nodded, her breathing still heavy. “I did this to you, Amber. I’m the one.” Emilio’s voice could barely be made out through the whisper, but the venom on his tongue was sharp as a knife. “From this day on, you will be forced to face the person you truly are. And when you do, I want you to remember me. My fans want the truth, and I’m the one that gives it to them. Me, Amber, the dying freak, and I never want you to forget that.”
Amber stood motionless from shock as Emilio turned to face the trio.
Just then, a Male Order police car slowly pulled up in front of the building. Two officers approached the group, both sexy brunets, only one looked to be in his early thirties, maybe ten years younger than his partner. Their expressions were serious and firm although their sexuality was no less hidden.
“Ma’am,” the older of the two addressed Amber, “is that your pink BMW in the lot?”
Amber didn’t answer, only stood still as a statue, her empty eyes fixed on an unknown point beyond them.
“This is her vehicle, Officer Jones,” Brody answered when Amber didn’t. “And I would like her to be escorted off our premises, or I will need to file a trespassing charge on this…disturbed young lady.”
“Well, we’re already about to arrest her for unreasonable abandonment of an animal and attempting to cause two animals to fight another,” the younger one informed them.
Jay walked toward Amber, grabbed the keys to the pink Beamer from the psycho’s limp hand, and handed them to the officer. “This is her vehicle, Officer Stabler. Here are her keys.”
Officer Stabler’s words suddenly registered, and panic rose in Taylor’s chest. “Cinderella! What happened? Is everything okay?”
“We saw this woman throw her small dog like a grade-A rib eye toward our K-9s, Edward and Eric, then watched from a distance as she peeled out of the gas station like a bat out of hell, obviously trying to get our dogs to kill the defenseless creature.” Officer Jones threw a disgusted look at Amber.
Taylor could hardly believe what she heard. Taylor knew Amber was not the ideal pet owner, often teasing Cinderella with sushi and wonton crisps and forcing her to wear tacky outfits that matched her own, but she never imagined Amber could be capable of such cruelty. Then again, Amber’s parents had a house staff that ensured the family pets were all well taken care of.
Taylor thought of the dozens of times she pet-sat the tiny cherub so that Amber could go out on a hot date without the “burden” of her little dog. In all the time Taylor had spent with Cinderella, she had yet to recall any burdens the obedient little thing brought. Taylor enjoyed their sushi and reality show nights together while they lounged in their pink Snuggies.
Just then, Cinderella came running out of the police car, followed by two large German shepherds. The tiny dog jumped in Taylor’s outstretched arms, her tail wagging enthusiastically to indicate how happy she was to see her.
Taylor was still comforting the neglected animal when Amber’s sudden voice broke in.
“She’s a whiney little shit.” Amber’s eyes were still emotionless as she continued to stare off into the distance. “And she eats all my sushi.”
Officer Jones looked at Amber like she had just said she ate shit for breakfast. “Your sushi? Like, raw fish sushi?” He sounded more disgusted at the thought than weirded out by the random remark.
Amber blinked in puzzlement. “The nasty slut was always jealous of my shoe collection, so she needed to die.”
Cinderella shook when Amber talked. The poodle whimpered softly at the insult as she nuzzled Taylor’s neck with her little wet nose. “It’s okay, Cinda-Relly. You’ll never have to beg for sushi again. We’re going to take good care of you. And we’re trading in these cheap clothes of yours with some couture.” Taylor thought about the doggie boutique, Doggy Style, on the square. They would go shopping for a new wardrobe in the morning, and those excruciating-looking stilettos on Cinda-Relly’s tiny paws would be the first to go.
Officer Jones let out a frustrated sigh and looked up at the sky while he shook his head. “So it’s one of those days,” he said to Officer Stabler under his breath as he ran his fingers through his salt-and-pepper hair.
“Okay, ma’am,” Officer Stabler turned Amber around and snapped on the cuffs, “you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law…”
Taylor, Brody, Jay, and Emilio watched the police car drive down the long driveway with the beauty-queen-turned-animal-abuser hunched over in the backseat.
“Looks like y’all won’t have to worry about her coming back anytime soon,” Emilio announced triumphantly. “And if she does, you have more than enough leverage for a lifetime in this.” He indicated the brown package still gripped in his hands. “Hey, papi chulo, catch!” Emilio called out to Jay as he threw the heavy package at him.
“Oomph!” Jay’s large frame bent forward from the force of the package ramming into his gut. Looking slightly embarrassed, Jay straightened and cleared his throat. “Nice arm you got there, brother.”
“You should hear what they say about my third arm.” Emilio laughed then reached in his pocket and tossed the mini camcorder to Brody. “I wish y’all the best of luck. You especially deserve it, Taylor. You’ll be the prettiest princess bride since Grace Kelly.” Emilio winked, and Taylor smiled her appreciation through tears of joy and shock of all that happened in the last twenty minutes. “See you soon, my living princess.” Taylor watched as her fairy godmother skipped to his Jeep, then rode off into the Texas night.
Chapter 15
Eight weeks later
Mrs. Stephens-Bartlett couldn’t get over how much leg room she had in their new executive jet. And she couldn’t stop staring at the diamond-encrusted white dress that hung just a few feet away from her. It was almost a shame Jeremiah had gone through all that trouble for her to just wear it once.
Maybe one day I’ll have my own little princess to hand it down to.
Taylor smiled at the brief thought then leaned back in her seat with Cinderella sleeping soundly in her lap. She admired her wedding band, a circle of infinite diamonds. She moaned softly while Brody and Jay each massaged a sore foot that ached from dancing.
They’d had the night of their life the evening before, their wedding night. Six weeks ago, Brody and Jay had surprised Taylor with an engagement present. After two weeks of Taylor’s whining about not being able to find a venue with enough room to pul
l off her dream wedding, the men did what they did best. They simply bought her one.
Her jaw was on the floor for a good hour after they had announced they bought her a private island in Brazil, complete with four houses, four beaches, and its own mini airport. The men named it Ilha de Très. They assured Taylor that at “only” two million dollars, the purchase had been a steal.
But Ilha de Très was a true paradise. It was the perfect spot to throw a party for their four hundred closest friends and family members. The babies ran around naked on the sand, old couples made new memories as they walked on the beach, young couples fell in love all over again as they swayed in the dozens of hammocks scattered throughout the island, and Cinderella surprised everyone by catching two small fish with her teeth as she waded on the shoreline. It was truly Heaven on Earth.
“Baby, look out the window.” Jay’s silky voice held a hint of eagerness.
Not opening her eyes, Taylor asked, “Are we there yet?”
