From Fame to Shame

by Veronica Blade

  More than anything, I wanted to tell him who I really was. That I wasn’t Jackie and he’d only just met me. “It's just…”

  “Is it Pete?” he asked softly. “Is it too soon?”

  I burned to lay it all out for Dallas and tell him I didn’t even know what Pete looked like. But how would he react when he found out I’d been lying to him? Even if he didn’t care about the lie, I couldn't divulge Jackie’s secrets to him. This was Jackie’s life, not mine.

  “You know…” He leaned on the window sill. “I watched my dad cheat on my mom for years. Doesn’t matter how much that type of guy thinks he loves his wife — people like that care about themselves more or they wouldn’t cross that line. Guys like Pete are only thinking of their own gratification, what they want. He could never have loved you the way you deserve.”

  I’d never looked at it that way. Of course, I’d never needed to since I wasn’t the one who’d unknowingly dated a married guy. Regardless, Dallas’s insight moved me. But just because he was a guy I could totally fall for didn’t mean he would fall for me.

  “Thanks.” I stared out the window for a moment as I talked myself out of spilling my guts to Dallas. “Let’s get a couple more shots and call it a day. Lean your shoulder on the other side of the window frame and put your left hand on the other side. Good. Face the window, like you’re daydreaming.”

  Click. Click. Click. “Now turn only enough to look at me.” Click. Click. “Okay, let’s pack it up.” I turned off my camera and slung its strap over my shoulder. “I can have these developed after my Vanity Fair shoot tomorrow. I’ll come by as soon as I have them.”

  “So what’s your fee?” His mouth curled up.

  I laughed. “Let’s see if they’re any good first. If nothing else, it might give you an idea of what to go for next time.”

  “We’re still on for tomorrow night?”

  I bit my lip and dropped my gaze. After he’d just laid that delicious kiss on me, not a good idea to hang out with him. "We shouldn't…"

  “If I keep my hands to myself?” he asked.

  With those ground rules, it would work. Plus, it’d be fun to see Josh Adams. “We’re on.”

  * * * *

  The photo shoot the next morning went smoother than I’d expected. Understanding the other side of the lens helped. The photographer, even though he asked for impossible positions too often, made me feel relaxed. He’d get excited if I gave him a pose he felt worked and that positive energy was contagious.

  When he wanted a sultry look, I’d remember Dallas’s kiss the night before. When he wanted passion, I’d think of Dallas’s kiss the night before. The photographer got anything he wanted, with Dallas’s image in my head.

  At last, the photographer released me and I wandered the huge, high-ceilinged room, looking for Stella. I found her close to the exit on her cell phone.

  Stella held up an index finger. “I’ll call you back in a few minutes, okay?” She pressed a button on her cell and dropped it in her purse. “My brother got in an accident yesterday. That’s why I canceled our movie.”

  “Is he going to be okay?” I asked.

  “Yes, but he needs surgery. In a few minutes, actually. It’s nothing serious, but I still need to be there for him. I didn’t know what else to do so I called Dallas to come get you. Could’ve called a cab, but I wanted you with someone you knew and he’s the only one I could think of who you’d feel comfortable with.”

  “It’s fine.” I stroked the back of her arm. “You should go be with your brother.”

  “Dallas will be here soon, but you have time to get changed.”

  Stella said goodbye and I dashed to the dressing room to throw on my jeans and tank, then headed toward the front door to wait for Dallas. He was already standing near the back door.

  I beamed. “Thanks for coming to get me.”

  “Purely selfish. I wanted to see those pictures.” He grinned.

  “We dropped them off on the way here. They’re probably ready now.”

  * * * *

  I waited behind the tinted windows of Dallas’s SUV, while he went inside to pick up the photos. A blond girl about my age stopped to gawk at him. He disappeared into the photo lab and she whipped out her cell. Moments later, a brunette girl joined her. They stood near the entrance pointing and whispering.

  Dallas came out and the girls called his name. He stopped and the blonde thrust a piece of paper and pen at him. As he scribbled on the paper, her lips moved. I rolled down the window of the SUV to hear them.

  “So it is true you’re back together with Jackie?” the blonde asked.

  “Please tell us you’re not back together with that skank,” the brunette begged.

  “You guys don’t know Jackie at all. She’s a great girl. You should meet her.” He crooked his finger at me and they turned in my direction.

  Fans were one thing, but these girls called Jackie, me in this case, a skank. I definitely didn’t want to talk to them. No way.

  He raised his brows expectantly. Damn. If I stayed in the car, I’d appear beyond rude. I grabbed the keys from the ignition and jumped out of the SUV.

  I took the few steps to stand in front of the girls and held out my hand for the brunette with a smile. “Hi, I’m Jackie.”

  “Heather.” She hesitantly shook my hand.

  “I’m Katya.” The blonde beamed and grabbed my outstretched hand.

  I gave them my red carpet smile. “It’s nice to meet you. Do you guys live around here or just visiting?” I asked them.

  “We’re visiting from North Dakota.”

  “Must be culture shock,” Dallas said. He looked so comfortable chatting it up with the girls, like talking to regular people was the most natural thing in the world. “Are you staying long?”

  “For the summer,” Heather answered.

  “Can we get some pictures with you guys with us?” Katya asked, bouncing like she was about to leave her skin.

  “Of course,” he said.

  “First, I want one of you two together.” Heather whipped out her camera.

  If you can’t beat them, join them. I put my cheek next to his and smiled.

  A few minutes later, on my way back to his SUV, I glanced over my shoulder to find both the girls aiming their cell phones at us. Video for youtube later, no doubt.

  I climbed in and closed the door. “You were so nice to them.”

  “I’m getting déjà vu.” He started the engine and studied me with squinty eyes. “Like you don't do this same thing every day. This is getting weird, Jackie. You thought they’d actually serve you alcohol at the premiere, you didn’t know where the restaurant bathroom was after that, and lately you just look lost. It’s as if we’ve never hung out. What’s going on?”

  Oops. “It’s just been a long week.”

  “Are you feeling okay?” He reached a palm out to feel my forehead.

  “I’m not sick or anything.” I turned straight ahead, hoping he’d stop with the questions.

  “Hey.” He waited until I faced him again. “It’ll get better.”

  Was he referring to Jackie’s affair with Pete or the ridicule she’d received over that movie role? Or the pregnancy scandal I'd started? I shifted in my seat, hoping he’d drop the subject and wishing he’d get back on the road. A moment later, he signaled to merge with traffic. Whew.

  I really needed to be more careful with what came out of my mouth, but I was getting so comfortable around him.

  “Let’s see the pictures,” he said, glancing at the envelope in my lap. “C’mon. Open it.”

  I chuckled. “You can’t give my photos your full attention and drive too. Just a few blocks and we’re home.”

  Five minutes later, he waved to the security guard of our building, drove into the parking structure and stopped next to Jackie’s Tesla. Stretching out an arm, he tried to snatch the envelope, but I held it up against the window, and quickly got out.

  “No cheating.” I darted into the
elevator. Wrestling over the shots seemed fun in my head, but that wasn’t the best way to stay out of trouble. I opened the envelope and pulled out the stack of pictures.

  Dallas pushed the number of our floor, then peered over my shoulder. “Wow, that’s not bad. Oh, I like that one.” He snagged the stack out of my hands and held it low so I could see, too. “Much better than the ones I showed you yesterday.”

  He was right. The lighting was perfect and so was Dallas. I’d never seen him more gorgeous. And the one with the open shirt was right before he'd kissed me…

  The elevator door opened and, as if I didn’t exist, he shuffled to his front door, eyes fixed on the photos in his hand. “These are fantastic.”

  “Thanks.” I grinned. “I asked the lab to put them all on a disc, so you could make copies any time you want. Disc should be in there.”

  His gaze met mine. “No, thank you.”

  “No problem.” I checked my watch. “Still going out tonight?”

  “Yeah. I’ll pick you up at five?”

  “See you then.” I marched to my own door and went inside.

  Oh, hell. Two hours until five o’clock. I liked Jackie’s apartment. It was pretty and had a sweet view of the Hollywood hills. But it didn’t make up for being alone, when all I wanted was to be with Dallas.

  * * * *

  An hour and a half later, Dallas stood beside me in Jackie’s enormous walk-in closet.

  His gaze left Jackie’s rows and rows of shoes for a moment to eye me appreciatively. “You look hot.”

  “Thanks.” My cheeks flushed and I averted my gaze. “So what should I wear tonight?”

  “That’s why you lured me in here? I thought you wanted seven minutes in heaven.” He gave me a lopsided grin.

  I laughed. “Why would we need a closet when your kitchen or bedroom works just as well?”

  “I agree,” Dallas said, his fingers grazing my wrist.

  I pulled away. “Dallas, maybe we should, you know, ease up.”

  His eyes narrowed. “You mean, like not go out tonight?”

  “No.” I shook my head. “I like hanging out with you, but maybe we should try harder to remember we’re just friends.”

  “Sorry.” He turned toward me, staring intently. “I was asking what was going on with you, but I’m beginning to wonder what’s up with me. Last week I didn’t have this itch to kiss you — and you wouldn’t have let me if I had. It’s weird.”

  “Like you said, it’s been a rough week for me. Maybe it’s rubbing off on you.” I shrugged, knowing I needed to steer the conversation away from us. “So what should I wear?”

  “Since when does Jackie Bloom ask advice on clothes? You know what you like.”

  “I want to know what you like.”

  “What I like?” His eyes smoldered as he took a step toward me, then paused.

  I stepped back, but my mind flooded with fantasies of him. Damn. “You know what? I can pick out an outfit on my own.”

  He just stood there watching me, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

  “Why are you here anyway? You weren’t supposed to come over for another half hour.” I carefully maneuvered around him until I’d reached the closet door. Once out, I released a breath.

  Dallas shrugged, then grinned. “Bored.”

  “I’m so flattered.” I suppressed a grin. “Hang on. I’ll get dressed and we can leave early.”

  “Why do you have to change? You can’t go wrong with jeans, especially those. You look spectacular.” His gaze slowly skimmed up my legs and landed on my hips. “Like I said, hot.”

  Just nice? Dallas? What planet did Jackie live on? Because in my world, nice was not nearly enough to describe Dallas Bines. He was like a panther on the hunt, total predator, and he was all man.

  “Great.” I forced a smile, pushing away my fantasy of rolling around on the bed with him. “Then we can go any time.” I needed to get him in public where he wouldn’t be such a temptation.

  * * * *

  “We’ve hung out a lot the last forty-eight hours. The other night at the premiere, breakfast the next morning, the restaurant opening, my photo shoot, your Vanity Fair shoot and now this.” He leaned an elbow on the table. “We’ve crammed weeks of dating into two days.”

  I sat right next to him in a circular booth that faced the stage. Twirling my straw in the ice water, I smiled. “These are supposed to be dates?”

  “Nah.” He waved a hand. “This kind of raw sexual energy is completely normal with buddies, right?”

  Blunt. I had to love that about him. But… “What are we doing, Dallas? We already broke up once. Now, all of a sudden, you want to do a take-back?”

  “If my memory serves, it was a mutual decision.”

  It was? I’d better not go there, since I had no idea what he and Jackie had talked about.

  “But why now?” I asked.

  He wagged his finger at me. “It’s as if you’re a totally different person.”

  I didn’t want him to analyze the differences between Jackie and me. Actually, I kind of did. Why would he be interested in me and not my sister, the starlet? “Different person? How?” I asked.

  “It’s so easy with you now. Reminds me of what it was like with this girl I met one summer. We hung out almost every day talking about things my guy friends would never get into. Religion, politics, books — everything.”

  “You liked her,” I said.

  “Yeah, but she was just a friend. I think it’d be cool to have that kind of a relationship with a girl I really liked though.” He laughed. “It sounds lame, right?”

  He kept throwing me curves. “Not at all,” I said. That kind of connection wasn’t so hard for me to buy, not since I’d gotten to know Dallas. Who would actually expect a guy like Dallas, superstar who was adored by teen girls everywhere, to want that from a relationship? Most guys I knew around my age were only interested in getting laid.

  “What does that girl have to do with me being different?”

  “I’m getting’ there. Before you and I met, I’d seen Love Rush.”

  I gasped. Though it was my favorite of Jackie’s movies, I’d thought it was a little heavy on the romance for most guys. “Of your own free will?”

  Dallas chuckled. “Only to make my mom happy. And I kind of fell a little bit in love with you. As an actor, I should’ve known better, but you were so convincing. And despite what you’d been through, it didn’t make you bitter and you didn’t lose your innocence.”

  Did he just say in love? “Dude, that wasn’t me. It was the character.”

  “Like I said, I should’ve known better.” He shook his head.

  “So… what does that have to do with me being different than before?”

  He scooted closer to me. “The first time I saw you in our building, I was a little star struck. I expected to feel that connection with you, but I never did, so I suggested we call it quits and you agreed.”

  “Yet here you are.”

  “Yeah, because now, I feel it every time I look at you. It wasn’t there and now it is. How do you explain that?” he asked.

  Yes, how would I explain that, indeed?

  Chapter Seven

  And here we came full circle, back to the change in Jackie. “Well…” I stared at the white linen napkin on the table that was folded into a tiny mountain.

  “Sometimes, things happen that make you see things with new eyes,” Dallas said. “First, all that crap with Pete, then the Henley White fiasco. That’s a lot to deal with.”

  I didn’t want to talk about any of that, because I was bound to say something to demonstrate my lack of knowledge. My gaze remained focused on the table.

  “Sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up,” he said.

  The lights dimmed and the music faded, saving me from a reply.

  “I’d like to welcome you all this evening to Hank’s Blues Club.”

  I peered past the guy at our neighboring table to the man on stage, tall and lan
ky with light, messy hair.

  “Tonight, we have with us the beautiful and talented Tina Laws. Let’s give her a warm welcome.” Clapping erupted and, and after a moment, he continued. “And for one song, we have a very special guest, Josh Adams.”

  The crowd hooted and hollered. I clapped and grinned at Dallas, just as a light flashed at our side.

  Paparazzi. I groaned.

  “A lot of celebrities here tonight. Now I’m thinking my inside information was a little too convenient. Free publicity for Josh.” Dallas cocked his head. “Why the long face? You’re normally a huge supporter of that.”

  “Right.” I grimaced.

  He studied me a moment. “Two weeks ago, Jackie Bloom would’ve never complained about photographers.”

  I shrugged. “Temporary insanity. Next week, I should be back to my old self.”

  “I hope not.” Dallas nudged me with his shoulder.

  The server brought our pizzas and we lapsed into silence and ate. Tina Laws and her band did a soulful tune, then kicked it up with some guitar and the bass hummed at my feet. They followed that up with a bluesy tune and I shared a grin with Dallas.

  My phone vibrated and I rummaged through my purse to check the caller ID. Stella texted, E/thing ok? I answered her with, Eating w/ Dallas. Home soon. How’s ur bro? She answered right away. Again?! Does Jackie know? Bro doing gr8. C u tmrrw.