From Fame to Shame

by Veronica Blade

  “I’m curious.” He laid his fork on the table. “Luke was all over you yesterday at the grand opening. I expected you to cancel on me and go out with him.”

  “Oh.” When I realized he was waiting for a more substantial reply, I dabbed my mouth with a napkin to stall. “He’s not exactly gross.”

  He chuckled. “And?”

  “Guess I’ve been watching my parents too long. Married almost twenty years and they still like each other. The Luke type would be fun for a little while, but when all that newness wears off, would I still like him?” I shook my head. “Probably not.”

  My stomach twisted. This time, my answer was so not something Jackie would say. I took another bite of my pizza and chewed. Dallas hadn’t moved yet and the look on his face made my hands sweat. I had to think of something quick.

  “After the whole Pete thing, I’m reevaluating my system for choosing the guys I date.”

  “I like this new Jackie.” His mouth curved up and he leaned away from the table to watch the band.

  “Me too.” I threw him a smile and mimicked his movements, careful to keep a friendly distance from him. “I’m glad you brought me here.”

  He patted the spot next to him. “C’mere.”

  That spot would put me right up against him. “Friends don’t snuggle,” I reminded him.

  “Of course, they do. All the time.” He gave me a mischievous grin. “Hands to myself. Promise.”

  Just like every other time we’d hung out, this was a bad idea. Against my better judgment, I faced the stage and leaned into him, then he wrapped his arms around my waist. Warm tingles shot through my limbs.

  I craned my neck to say, “I thought you were going to keep your hands to yourself.”

  “Trust me, there are other places my hands would rather be. You’re getting off easy.” He grinned.

  Suddenly, I couldn’t stop thinking of all the places his hands could go.

  Josh Adams came on stage and did his one promised song. When it ended, I clapped until the applause died down.

  “Should we hang out longer or get out of here?” Dallas asked, his breath tickling my ear.

  And give up this heavenly snuggling? It was for the best. Damn. “We can go now, if you want.”

  He jerked his head toward the exit and rose before offering a hand to help me out of the booth. He didn’t leave me much room, so I stood there sandwiched between the seat and Dallas.

  “You’re going to drive me crazy, aren’t you?” he asked.

  Me drive him crazy? Dallas had it totally backward.

  “Oh, look who’s here. Dallas, my boy, get up here,” a voice sounded from the speakers.

  Dallas and I looked to the stage where Josh was motioning toward himself and grinning. “Dallas is going to jam with us. Right, buddy?”

  “You sing?” I asked.

  “That’s a matter of opinion,” Dallas replied with a wry smile. “And taste.”

  “Well, get up there, so I can have an opinion, too.” I shoved him toward the band, because I knew I’d probably never have another chance to hear Dallas sing.

  He stumbled and glanced back at me. Oh, crap. Had Jackie already heard him sing? He flashed me a grin. I breathed a sigh of relief and returned to our table.

  As he neared Josh, one of the band members thrust a guitar at him. Dallas pulled the strap over a shoulder and leaned into the microphone.

  “I’m Dallas Bines. How’s everybody doing tonight?” he asked.

  Pandemonium ensued as the crowd — all girls from what I could tell — screamed at the top of their lungs. I joined in, slapping my palms against the tabletop.

  “I’m not sure if I should thank Josh for coercing me into this.” Dallas grinned at Josh, then faced the audience again. “Tina was great, wasn’t she?” Dallas paused while the crowd cheered for the band — although not as enthusiastically as they had for him. “This is a song I wrote this morning. It’s miraculous what inspiration you can get from kissing an amazing girl.”

  His eyes found me and I slouched in the booth. Maybe the photographers wouldn’t notice I was the girl he was talking about. Cameras flashed in my direction and my hopes plummeted.

  Not only did this sweet and totally hot guy just announce to the world that he’d written a song inspired by me, but he’d told everyone we’d kissed — including whoever was taking pictures. No doubt, those pictures would be slapped up all over the internet by the time we got home. Someone might have even caught it on video.

  Jackie was going to kill me.

  The purpose of not getting involved with him was to avoid the gossip magazines and so Jackie wouldn’t be upset. Done and done. But I couldn’t take back our previous kisses or his words a moment ago… which led me to wonder again what the point was in not kissing him again.

  Dallas hummed a slow, throaty and incredibly sexy melody.

  I didn’t expect it, I had no clue

  That the girl I needed would want me too

  A stolen kiss she gave for free

  Then I knew she was the key.

  Dallas looked so rock-star sexy up on that stage. And his hot factor increased by a hundred knowing he wrote that song for me. My girl friends at home would be so jealous if they knew it was me he sang for and not Jackie.

  He flashed me another smile and, oh God, I so wanted to make out with him.

  My eyes fixed on him as he strummed the guitar and rasped the chorus into the microphone.

  This world can be such an ugly place

  Full of violence, hate and disgrace

  But you smile and make everything right

  I can do anything with you by my side

  If it doesn’t work out, we would’ve tried

  No matter what happens, we still have tonight…

  Oh, yes. We sure did.

  Girls shouted over the roar of the stomping and clapping.

  “Thanks for listening,” he told the crowd, then handed over the guitar and made his way back to our table.

  I rose again and we headed to the exit. “You wrote that for me?” I asked once we were outside.

  “I only write songs for blondes.” He flashed me a grin.

  My cheeks heated up and I was thankful he was walking and looking straight ahead, not at me. “How did Josh know you sang?”

  “He and his band played in my last movie. We jammed a few times during filming. Just messing around.”

  Dallas stopped at his SUV and opened the passenger door for me.

  I climbed in, buckled my seatbelt and turned to face him as he got behind the wheel. “You deserve a record deal.”

  “It’s just for fun.” Dallas glanced over his shoulder to back out of the parking space.

  Fifteen minutes later, we were stepping out of the elevator and onto our floor. We both paused in front of our respective doors.

  “Coffee?” Dallas asked.

  Jackie was already going to be pissed at me in the morning. But the damage was done.

  I bit my lip, wanting to tell him I wasn’t Jackie, but knowing I needed to say goodnight. Except that who knew when I’d get to hang out with him again? “Sure. My place.”

  I spun and went into Jackie’s condo, leaving the door ajar. Once I was standing in the kitchen, I realized that all the times I’d made tea, I’d never seen any coffee, let alone the coffee maker. And did Jackie even take creamer in her coffee anymore?

  Crap. Crap. Crap. I whirled around to face Dallas. “Uh… I just remembered I’m out of coffee.”

  “That’s okay. I’m not interested in coffee.” He closed the distance to stand inches away from me. “So why did you really invite me in?”

  “Uh… you wanted coffee.”

  “Which you are lacking.” He reached up to brush my hair off my shoulder, then his gaze moved to my exposed neck. He was looking at me the same way he had after breakfast, just before he’d kissed me.

  “We could go to your place,” I said. It would distract him from what I suspected he was about to
do. Plus, if I got the feeling anything was about to happen between us in his condo, it would be easier to escape than getting him out of Jackie’s condo.

  Except I wanted to be trapped with him. No escape. Nowhere to run.

  He dropped his arms. I expected him to back up and lead the way toward coffee across the hall. Instead, his hands clamped onto my hips and he turned me until I was flat against the kitchen cabinet. “You really want coffee right now?” he asked.

  It was a perfect opportunity to kill the moment. All I had to do was say yes.

  I let out a shaky breath, then tilted my face to meet his. “I only drink coffee with blonds.”

  “Excellent,” he whispered and leaned into me.

  I closed my eyes as his lips moved against mine and I opened for him, heat searing my tongue and traveling to my brain like a lit fuse.

  Holy Mother of God.

  I ran my hands over his wide shoulders and overlapped them behind his neck, pulling him closer. I must have moaned or something, because he gripped my waist a little harder and pulled my hips against his. Denim brushed denim as one of his knees wedged between my legs. He angled his face to take the kiss deeper.

  For every second he touched me, my IQ plummeted. Soon, I’d be completely void of any sense at all. But as delicious as Dallas was, I couldn’t sleep with him. No matter how much my body needed me to give in. I hadn’t known him long enough. Besides, he thought I was someone else. It wasn’t right.

  Too bad I didn’t know left from right anymore. And as much as I told myself how wrong it was, it didn’t feel wrong at all.

  Dallas’s hands crept up my waist, his thumbs pressing into my skin just above my ribs. Heat rushed through my body and my adrenaline kicked up.

  An image of Jackie flashed through my mind. It didn’t matter how charming Dallas was or how much I liked him, he was still my sister’s ex. Explaining one kiss or two was easier than explaining a full-blown make-out session. And, if I were to be honest with myself, I liked him too much to stop. But how could I justify sleeping with him to Jackie?

  I let my hands slide down to his chest. With my palms flat, I nudged him until he released my mouth. His glazed eyes were half closed, like he wasn’t anywhere near finished with me. The feeling was mutual. The last thing I wanted to do was stop.

  He gave me a lopsided grin and brought both hands up to cradle my face.

  Okay, one more.

  Dallas kissed my cheek on his way to my neck and I arched to give him better access. His hair slipped through my fingers as my other hand gripped his muscular arm.

  “You’re so beautiful, Jackie,” he whispered into my temple.

  Jackie.

  Reality hit me like an anvil.

  I was lying to him and anything building between us would end as soon as he discovered my deception.

  My heart hurt at the thought of leaving him. And I didn’t even care anymore about avoiding the media. When I pictured myself with Dallas by my side, getting hounded by paparazzi seemed way worth it — whether they thought I was Jackie or just me.

  At the risk of being the world’s biggest tease, I dropped my hands to his chest again. “We should probably get some sleep. I had a great time though. Thanks for taking me out.” I pushed, then again a little harder, until he was through the front door and standing in the corridor. “Goodnight.”

  So he wouldn’t think I was upset, I smiled. He blinked, cocking his head, just before I closed the door and locked it.

  And the award for most horrible sister goes to…

  Actually, I was similar to Pete, in a way, putting my own desires above someone else I claimed to love.

  Jumping onto the sofa, I covered my face as shame ravaged me. How could I ever look Jackie in the eye again?

  Tomorrow, I’d end it with Dallas.

  Wait. Who knew if I’d even see Dallas tomorrow? It’s not like he’d asked me if I had plans. Maybe he had other things lined up. Then I’d end up agonizing over it until I ran into him again.

  But he was awake now.

  I darted into the hallway and knocked on his door. He opened it straight away, a slow smile spreading over his face at the sight of me.

  I backed away and shook my head. “I’m sorry. I really am. But I can’t do this.”

  “Jackie, what’s wrong?”

  “I can’t see you like that anymore. This has to end. Now.”

  “Fine. We’ll take it slower, like you said earlier.”

  “No.” I shook my head. “I mean, I can’t go there with you. Ever.”

  His brows lowered. “Because of Pete?”

  Not directly. As I struggled for an appropriate answer, my gaze drifted to the cream colored walls of the corridor.

  Taking my silence as confirmation, his face fell. “I don’t get it. We have a connection. You feel it too.”

  Dallas was right, but we were over before we’d really even begun. To my horror, my chin quivered. “I’m so sorry.”

  “If that’s the way you want it…” He looked wounded.

  “Yes.” I dashed inside Jackie’s condo and slammed the door.

  I’d known from the start that pretending to be Jackie would be a bad idea. If only that knowledge would take away the pain in my chest.

  * * * *

  “Maddie!”

  The earth moved around me and I braved the bright sun against my bleary eyes.

  “Maddie, what the hell?”

  My blurred vision focused. Jackie was sitting on the bed at my hip, waving several sheets of paper.

  “Can you explain how you were out on a date, looking all cozy with Dallas, after our last conversation? While you’re at it, tell me why he’d write a freakin’ song for you.”

  Jackie thrust the papers at me. I didn’t need to look at them. I knew what was there — photos of Dallas and me.

  “Please tell me you didn’t sleep with him. It would be too weird, Maddie.” She scowled, but it sure beat the anger I’d expected.

  I propped myself up by my elbows. “I didn’t. I promise.”

  “Why go out with him at all?” Jackie’s voice caught and she looked defeated as she pressed a finger to each temple.

  “It was uncomfortable here with no friends or family.” I sighed. “He made it bearable. I didn’t expect hanging out with him would lead to kissing. I really didn’t.”

  “But you did kiss him, Maddie. Do you realize what this means? I’m going to have to clean up this mess. I can’t keep seeing him. You didn’t… you didn’t tell him the truth about our switch, did you?”

  “No!” I leaned forward off my elbows. “And don’t worry, I ended it last night.” Even if I could face Dallas again and even if I had Jackie’s blessing to confess, it’s not as if he’d want me after finding out I was a big fake.

  She released her breath in a whoosh. “Thank God.”

  “Is that why you’re back, to avert a Dallas disaster?”

  “No.” She tilted her head thoughtfully. “I realized that hiding isn’t going to get me what I want.”

  “True, but you don’t need to rush it,” I said. “Maybe I shouldn’t go just yet, in case you need anything.

  “Stay, if you like. I always love having you around. But don’t do it for me. I’m okay now,” Jackie insisted.

  “After just a couple days?” I shook my head. “I don’t know, Jackie. You were pretty upset when you left.”

  “I’m not saying coming back is easy. You’re right, I was really upset. And poor Mom and Dad spent a lot of time listening to me whine. But once I got through that, I was more objective.”

  “What did you figure out?” I asked.

  “Hiding from my problems isn’t making them go away. In fact, the longer I stay away, the more screwed I am. I need to get back in the game if I want that part in Winter’s Edge.”

  “Are you sure you’re up for that?” I took her hand in mine.

  “It was good to get away and regroup. I feel stronger. Pete was a jerk who doesn’t deserve me
, but wherever I go, I can’t change what happened.” She lifted her chin. “I will own that role. I’m going to have to fight for it though and I can’t do that from our parents’ house.”

  Yep, Jackie Bloom was back.

  * * * *

  Jackie didn’t keep much food in her kitchen, but we managed to scrounge up a decent breakfast. After she repeatedly assured me that she was going to be fine, I gathered what few belongings I’d brought and we said our goodbyes.

  “Hey, don’t forget this.” She thrust a car key into my palm. The Tesla key.

  “You brought my Beetle back. I don’t need this.”

  “I promised it to you. A deal’s a deal.”

  I screwed up my face. “But you love that car. I can’t take it.”

  She smiled and backed away when I tried to return the key. “But you love it more. And you deserve it after walking the red carpet. You really rocked it, sis. I looked amazing.”

  I rolled my eyes. “What am I going to do with a car like that in Hemet?” Hemet… I’d be there soon. And further away from Dallas and any chance of being with him. But whether I lived in Hollywood or Hemet, we had zero future. Still, the thought of getting in a car and leaving made my chest ache.

  “Not my problem.” She grinned. “Park it in the garage, if you want, and visit it every day. I don’t care. It’s yours now.”