How a Star Shines: A Pop Stars Romantic Comedy Book 2

by Eliker, Rachael

  “They’re not slimy,” I corrected.

  “It would’ve been cool to see you do that,” Collin chimed in. “A woman holding a snake is like the visual representation of raw confidence.”

  Bumping him with her hip, Ruby said, “You’re not helping.”

  Collin shrugged and gave her one of his boyish smiles—it was kind of his trademark and was what made people love him, though it was his charming mannerisms that had almost gotten him into trouble before. His former secretary, Jill, had taken quite a liking to him, so much so that she had tried to steal him from Ruby. Thankfully, it worked out—Jill had been fired and Ruby and Collin were set to live happily ever after. He only had eyes for her, and she was complete with him by her side. I couldn’t help but notice how lovingly he looked down at her and unwittingly, my stomach tightened. I couldn’t remember a time when a man looked at me that way. Ever.

  “So, just to clarify, no snakes are involved in this surprise?” Ruby asked. “’Cause if there are, I’m not going.”

  I held up my hand, feigning a solemn oath. “I promise no snakes are involved in the formulating of this evening.”

  “Good,” Ruby said with a nod. “Then let’s go.”

  We were back in New York a few days after Florida, and we’d been bestowed a brief but very welcome week off of touring and public appearances. The cost of stardom was that nothing lasted for long, and in order to stay on top, there was always something to work on. Mr. Drake, owner and CEO of our record label, Harper Music, had called us back for a meeting the second our vacation ended. But first, Collin and I had decided a party was in order.

  As we walked, the sinking sun formed fragmented shadows as the light was blocked by skyscrapers. I loved how the city was constantly creating its own artwork. It was a quarter of a mile through the steady flow of people before we finally turned and made it to our pitstop on the way to Ruby’s special evening.

  “Is that…?” Ruby squinted. “Vanessa!”

  Ruby’s college roommate stood by the entrance to her hotel. She’d dressed herself in an impeccable gold number that hugged her curves so tightly it looked like she could have painted herself with glue and rolled in glitter. Unable to contain herself, Ruby and Collin jogged hand in hand over to where they stood. Catching her toe on the edge of the carpet, Ruby would’ve gone down had Collin and Vanessa not put in a team effort and swooped in and saved her.

  “How is it that you’ve never broken a bone?” I asked, simultaneously laughing while rolling my eyes.

  “I’ve got bones of granite,” she answered. Turning to Vanessa, she hugged her friend and asked, “What are you doing here? I thought you were back in Colombia with your dad, visiting your family for the summer.”

  “You know I can’t stay in one spot for very long. Besides, since when did I have to have an excuse to come visit my adorably klutzy roommate?” Vanessa quipped.

  “You don’t have to have a reason. I’m just surprised, that’s all,” Ruby said, beaming. “Is this my surprise? Vanessa’s in town?”

  “Kiki arranged it,” Collin said, wrapping his arm around Ruby’s waist and pulling her close. “She thought it would be fun.”

  I nodded. “It’s a birthday gift for you.”

  “But my birthday was two weeks ago,” Ruby said.

  I shrugged and said, “We didn’t exactly get to celebrate properly. Concerts are fun, but in the end, they’re still work. Plus, you were always a party pooper, going to bed earlier than my great-aunt does at her nursing home. This way, we can welcome you properly to twenty-two.”

  Ruby squealed and wrapped an arm around Vanessa and me to pull us into a group hug. “Thank you! This is the best present I could have ever asked for!”

  “This is just a pit stop,” Vanessa said. “C’mon. Let’s go before we’re late.”

  “There’s more?” Ruby said, her eyes lighting up.

  “Yep,” Vanessa said. “Should we hail a taxi?”

  “Nah,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s just a few more blocks. We’ve got time.”

  I led the way while everyone got caught up. Four blocks and a left turn, and I could see the venue in sight. Collin and I had rented an adorable brownstone and had invited all the people Ruby knew in New York and then some to help us celebrate not only her birthday but the successful completion of her first major concert tour.

  The remaining sunlight was little less than a warm glow on the horizon. As we crossed a darkened alley, a shadowy figure caught my eye. As I turned to see who it was, a man jumped out in front of us. At first, I thought he was pointing a gun at us, but with one quick glance at his hand, I realized it was an oversized jewelry box.

  “Kiki! I love you! I’m your biggest fan. I want to marry you,” the guy rambled. If his declaration of undying love wasn’t enough to reassure me of his level of craziness, the fact that he was nearly in tears over the whole ordeal undoubtedly convinced me he was cuckoo.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Vanessa said loudly. “Are you seriously pulling this stunt right now? Can’t you see that we’re busy? I came to party, and you are not going to ruin my trip with some stalkerish proposal.”

  Taken aback, the man stammered while he trembled slightly. “But I love her. We’re meant to be.”

  Out of nowhere, another man came flying through the air and tackled the crazed fan, wrestling him to the ground. Vanessa continued to bicker with him—half of it in Spanish—while the other man subdued him. Just my luck to have two whack jobs vying for my attention in one night. I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t the first time it’d happened when I was in New York.

  Through the commotion, I reached into my purse and found my mace. Aiming for the eyes, I squirted a generous amount at the first man. He screamed in agony and curled into the fetal position, writhing in pain.

  “I’m going to have to decline your marriage proposal.” Stepping over the two men, I continued on my way, pretending that I hadn’t been inconvenienced in any way. There wasn’t much point in getting upset at someone who wasn’t right in the head.

  “Ms. Loveless, come with me,” said the other man as he stood up and rushed to my side. For a brief second, a feeling of familiarity stopped me, and I wondered where I’d seen his face before. He was very attractive. His slate blue eyes were observant, he had a razor-sharp jawline that was clean shaven, and up top, he had some seriously thick, blond hair that looked like it would snap a comb in half if it was pulled through it the wrong way. He was better dressed than most stalkers, too, in an understated gray suit, maroon shirt, and black tie. All of that handsomeness didn’t matter at the moment. He’s probably a serial stalker, I told myself. Coming to the rescue so he can be the hero, then turning out even more crazy the guy he’s rescuing me from. Whipping out my mace for the second time, I aimed at his eyes, too.

  “No, stop. You don’t understand,” the man said, holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I’m not a crazy person. I’m—”

  “Sorry, buddy, but that’s what they all say.”

  Without further hesitation, I gave him a direct shot in the eyes. He groaned angrily and tilted his head back, pushing his palms into his eyes as I slipped my mace back into my purse and motioned for everyone to follow me.

  Cautiously, the group walked around the men, except Vanessa, who I’m pretty sure purposefully stepped on the fingers of the man on the ground for good measure. She probably would have shoved the other guy but he was solidly built and she probably wouldn’t have even made him teeter on his feet.

  “Remind me never to mess with you, Kiki,” Ruby said, wide-eyed.

  Collin nodded, glancing over his shoulder with a twinge of pity at the two men. Vanessa gave me a rare nod of approval, and I returned it with a smug smile and raised eyebrows. She thought she was a hardcore diva? Please. I could run circles around her in my sleep.

  We walked with purpose to our destination. Under the lighted overhang that jutted out over the sidewalk, red carpet had been rolle
d down the steps and a bright LED sign wished Ruby a happy birthday.

  “What is this?” Ruby asked, staring at the flashing lights.

  “It’s your birthday party, obviously,” I said. “And a congrats on not messing up our concert tour.”

  “Oh, ye of little faith,” Ruby said with a laugh.

  Mandy stood at the top of the steps, pacing back and forth in her usual skirt suit. “Where have you been?” she hissed.

  “Chill, Mandy. It’s a party and people expect the guest of honor to be tardy. Plus, we got a little sidetracked,” I explained.

  “Signing autographs?” Mandy asked, flipping her perfectly straight flaxen hair in its usual high ponytail behind her shoulder.

  “Yet another marriage proposal. Then, someone else thought they could cash in on an opportunity and wrestled the first guy to the ground. I maced them both,” I said matter-of-factly.

  “What? You’re kidding!” she exclaimed.

  “I’m not allowed to defend myself now, Mandy? You try being the one who’s being approached by a lunatic who I’ve never met before but is somehow convinced we’re meant to be.”

  “This is why Mr. Drake has been on you for months about hiring a personal bodyguard, and since you haven’t done it, that means it’s fallen to me,” Mandy said, with a very decided few jabs of her pointer finger in my direction. “He’ll be here tonight, so get used to the idea.”

  I felt my blood pressure spike, and I folded my arms in front of me. “I’ve told him before, I don’t like being restricted by having bodyguards follow my every move. I can take care of myself.”

  “I can vouch for that,” Collin agreed. “You should see her with that mace. I’d hate to see what she could do with a taser.”

  I raised my eyebrows at Mandy, daring her to defy me. She’d been in the business long enough to not be intimidated by a sassy diva and gave me an equally defiant look in return, tightly pinching her pretty mouth, but said nothing more on the subject.

  “Well, let’s not keep the party waiting,” Vanessa chimed in. “I for one am not wasting my night out here, listening to you two argue about security details.”

  Mandy apologized and turned to ascend the steps up to the glass doors that led into a dimly lit lobby. On the other end was a set of ornately carved doors, behind which was a low murmur of conversation.

  “How many people did you invite?” Ruby asked me with her brow scrunched together. “I don’t know that many people in New York City.”

  “Only the really important people who admire you most,” I said.

  “I somehow doubt that,” Ruby laughed. “The only thing small about you is your height.”

  I drew myself to my full stature. “I’ll have you know I am considered average height for a woman. You’re the ogre who practically scrapes her forehead on door frames when she walks through them.”

  “I’m five-ten, Kiki. That’s hardly gigantic,” Ruby pointed out.

  “Yeah. Gigantic.” Vanessa chuckled while Ruby patted me on the head. I swatted her away and caught my reflection in a mirrored column, making sure my short, blond hair was still perfectly coiffed.

  Collin pulled open the heavy doors and a gush of air poured out of the ballroom.

  “Happy birthday, Ruby!” a crowd of several hundred-people shouted in unison.

  Ruby slapped a hand over her mouth, half-laughing, half-crying. Even though she knew it was coming, she was obviously touched by the gesture. She stepped forward, immediately enveloped by people wishing her well. Everyone from Mr. Drake and his wife, Harrison, Ruby’s backup singers, Wanda and Casey from hair and makeup, George our manager, the pyrotechnics crew and a hundred other people had come. I faded into the back, grabbing a mini hors d’oeuvres, made of hummus and roasted red peppers and crunchy phyllo dough off a tray as a white-jacketed waiter walked past. Despite what my public persona put off, I was naturally inclined to be a silent observer, but for the sake of fame, I could put on a very convincing act.

  A DJ started up the music and kept the dance floor packed, and there was more than enough decadent food lined up along the buffet. Smiling and waving, kissing a few cheeks, I didn’t bother mingling with anyone in particular. I just wasn’t in the mood. As much as I hated to admit it, Ramiro’s words were still buzzing around in my head.

  Sneaking between people at the food table, I grabbed a bunch of grapes, popping one in my mouth. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a muscular, well-dressed man staring intently at me. Oh, crap. When we made eye contact, I noticed the smallest smile tug upward at the corner of his lips. It was the second man I’d maced on our way to the party.

  “Mandy, I think now would be a good time for the bodyguard you hired to show up.” I swung my head discreetly in the man’s direction and she followed my line of sight.

  “Why?” Mandy stood up a little straighter and hugged her tablet closer to her chest. “What’s the matter? Did one of your old boyfriends crash the party?”

  “Worse. One of the guys I used my mace on is here.”

  “Where?” Mandy asked, straining her neck to look over the crowd.

  Ruby had taken to the stage and was leading the audience in a singalong of Taylor Swift’s Twenty-Two, and was happily unaware of the man standing at the back of the room with the well-cut suit and the red, puffy eyes.

  “He’s over there,” I said, pointing in his direction.

  “Oh. Him,” Mandy said, relaxing.

  “Mandy,” I warned, my sassiness threatening to rear its ugly head, “Do you know that man?”

  “Yes. He’s working security.”

  “Security? The guy I maced?”

  Mandy nearly dropped her tablet. “You sprayed him with mace? Why’d you do that?”

  “I thought he was attacking me! Would it have killed you to send me a text to let me know I should have been expecting someone to be following me to the party?”

  Mandy tightened her pretty lips, regarding me in a very calculated manner. “I’m pretty certain you would have maced him even if you knew who he was. You have been impossible when it comes to your personal safety.”

  “I don’t like being restricted!” I snapped.

  Turning on my heels, I marched a beeline to where the irritatingly good-looking man stood, with his bloodshot eyes still undeniably trained on me. I never did care for people gawking, and over the years, I’d become confident enough to let people know exactly what was on my mind without hesitation.

  Stopping inches away from the man, I looked up into his face and demanded, “Mandy tells me you’re working security tonight.”

  He rubbed one of his eyes and looked at me a bit too smugly for my taste. He answered in a smooth, rich voice. “You come over to tell me I didn’t pass my first test very well? Because in my defense, nobody told me what a spitfire you can be. Of course, I should have remembered that about you.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean? Do we know each other?”

  “It’s been a while but yes, we do. Hello, Mina.”

  Chapter Three

  “What did you call me?” I asked, unsure if I’d heard correctly.

  “Mina,” he answered. “Mina Quackenbush. The shy, skinny, awkward girl with braces who also had the biggest singing voice in the whole of West Central middle school and who everybody knew to leave alone when she was irate. I still remember that time Wilson Clarke made fun of your pigtails, and you yelled at him until he cried.”

  I cocked my head and squinted my eyes, as my brain jogged through the foggy memories of adolescence. I remembered the school building, the smell of gym socks and body odor, the anxiety I got every lunch period when I had to find a place to sit by myself because of my perpetual inability to make any real and lasting friends. The harder I thought, the clearer this man’s identity became. He’d been one of the popular boys, destined to be the star quarterback in high school and beyond, but by the time my classmates were attending prom and vying for spots on the student council, I’d long since left scho
ol in pursuit of my dream of reinventing myself into a music icon.

  “Joshie Coleman?” I asked in disbelief.

  He smiled and chuckled. “Nobody’s called me Joshie for quite a while. It’s Josh, now.”

  “It’s been even longer since Mina went by the wayside,” I said in hushed tones. “Mina doesn’t exist anymore.”

  “Mina who?” Ruby asked, strolling toward me with Collin still attached to her side and Vanessa strolling behind, like she owned the party.

  “Kiki,” Vanessa interrupted. For a second, my heart stopped, thinking she’d guessed my secret but she was glaring at Josh like she just realized he was the man who’d tangled with my wannabe fiancé out on the street. “I thought you’d gotten rid of him outside. Do we need to call security?”

  “Funny thing…” Josh started.

  I cut in, not sure I wanted everyone thinking he was my new bodyguard. Maybe I could still convince Mr. Drake that I could handle the day-to-day safety on my own. “No, it was my mistake. He’s supposed to be here.”

  “Oh. Well, hello then.” Vanessa purred, taking a step forward and putting out her hand like she expected a kiss on the knuckles. Josh kept his amusement largely concealed and gently shook her hand. “Sorry about that little misunderstanding outside but glad you could make it, regardless. Every party is made more enjoyable by the presence of attractive gentlemen.”

  I rolled my eyes at Vanessa’s unbridled lust but let her gush. Maybe everyone would forget about Mina Quackenbush, and her identity could remain an unsolved mystery that nobody cared to figure out.

  “So, who’s Mina?” Ruby asked again.

  No such luck.

  “Oh, nobody,” I waved my hand dismissively, hoping Ruby would drop it.

  Instead, her eyes brightened, and she took it as a challenge. “Mina is not a nobody. Who is she?”

  “Mina?” Vanessa said, scrunching her nose and brushing her thick black hair behind her shoulder. “That sounds like an old woman’s name. Like a town’s white-haired abuela.”