by Leigh James
Finally the lighting was arranged, the sound check was done, and it was time.
"So," Jose said, smiling and sitting on the couch across from us. He was a reporter for the Entertainment network, and he'd always seemed like a nice guy, always polite and smiling, no nasty questions. "I landed the exclusive interview of the year. Thank you. I thought that bitch from XYZ was gonna get it."
"She wasn't an option," Lowell said, smiling at him. "We wanted to save the good stuff for someone we liked. By the way, love the jacket."
Jose beamed at her, and she beamed back. The girl had been studying me. And she was pretty good.
"We're ready when you are, Jose." I twined my fingers through Lowell's and took a deep breath.
"Three, two, one," the camera man said.
"I'm here with Lowell Barton and her fiancé, Kyle Richards. Kyle, up until yesterday, I thought your last name was Jordan. Can you catch me up with what's been going on?" Jose asked.
I put on my best smile, making sure my dimples were on full display. I was going to need them. "Well, Jose, it all started eight years ago…"
Lowell
Jose blinked at us. "So you're her stepbrother?"
"That's right. Well, I was her stepbrother. For a few years."
"And eight years later, you were her escort? Do I have that right?"
"That's right. Lowell hired me after that incident with the police. For damage control," Kyle said.
I gritted my teeth. It had been my idea to tell the truth, but it was still an ugly truth. I noticed that Lucas's PR woman had gone from looking grim and tapping into her phone to watching raptly with her mouth wide open.
"And then you two… fell in love?" Jose asked.
"Correct."
"And got engaged?" He sounded incredulous.
"That is also correct," Kyle said.
"And it's real?" Jose leaned forward on the couch, his hands clasped together. "You can tell me the truth, you know. America wants to know."
"It's real." Kyle smiled at him and pulled me close. "Are you married, Jose?"
Jose nodded.
Kyle gave him a long look. "So when you proposed, you knew it was real, right? Like you had to marry your wife? That you had to make it official and show the world that she was yours?"
Jose smiled and nodded again. "It's been six years, but yeah, I remember. That's how it felt."
I rubbed Kyle's back. What he'd said gave me the chills. It was exactly how I felt.
"For us," I said, jumping in, "it should have been a difficult decision. In some ways, it was. I had some feelings for him in the beginning, but I didn't act on them. There were just so many obstacles."
Kyle tucked my hair behind my ear, and I squeezed him again.
"But then I realized that the only obstacles were the things I let stand in my way. I was worried about my career, about our parents… and I still worry about them," I said. "But I wanted to do the right thing for me. Because you only get one life, right? And when you finally meet the person you want to spend that one life with, you have to be brave and go for it."
"Wow," Jose said. "Kyle, you're a lucky guy."
Kyle beamed "I'm fully aware of that."
Jose turned back to me. "What about the fact that he was… an escort? Was that difficult for you?"
I shrugged. "Lots of people screw other people for money. What Kyle was doing was just more… direct, I guess."
"If I could go back and change the past, of course I would," Kyle said. "But I was in a place where I felt that I had very limited options. So I did what I had to do to survive, and I don't regret that. I actually quit a week ago. I didn't even tell Lowell. I just… had to be with her for the right reasons. There were lots of them."
Jose nodded as if we were actually making sense to someone other than ourselves. I could only hope that our parents, my fans, and the people in the industry felt the same way.
"What do you think is going to happen now?" Jose asked me. "With your career? The director of your latest film's been pretty vocal since your run-in with the police."
I nodded. "I have no idea what's going to happen. I can only hope that my fans know how much I love them and appreciate them. I want to keep working, that's for sure. But will that be possible?" I shook my head. "I don't know. Plus, my director's still on me to lose another ten pounds, so—"
Jenny, Lucas's PR girl, stood and stamped her feet. "Enough! That's a wrap! Not another word, Barton!"
Jose raised his eyebrows.
"I'm not taking orders from you. Or anyone else," I snapped at her.
Jenny stood there, fuming with her arms crossed.
I squeezed Kyle's hand and looked back at Jose. "We're doing this interview to tell the truth. The truth is this is the man I love. I also love my work. While I'm at it, I want to add that I really hate starving myself just so I can do my job. I guess my point is that I can't keep living a lie just to save face. To pretend I'm perfect when I'm not. I just want to be who I am. And be a good person. And do good things. I hope you all can accept that."
I looked up and saw Jenny glaring at me while Gigi gave me the thumbs-up. So my performance was already getting mixed reviews, but I didn't regret it.
I looked at Kyle, who was beaming at me, and I felt sure.
Doing the right thing really was always a good idea.
* * *
Jose was thanking us for what he said was the best interview of his career when we heard a commotion out front.
Kyle and I jostled past the crew to the door.
"What's going on?" he asked as I peered out the window.
I groaned and leaned against the door, wishing I could un-see the scene outside.
"What? Tell me," he said, his voice urgent.
"It's my mother. It looks like she's holding a press conference, chock full of fist-waving and screeches."
Kyle blew out a deep breath. "You wanna just ignore her?"
I shook my head. "Let's go out the back door and sneak around." We hustled past Jose, and I jerked my thumb toward the front of the house. "You're missing a story out there. My mom's holding an impromptu press conference."
Jose let out a low whistle. "You two are exciting." He grinned. "My wife and I just binge-watch cable shows for excitement. We're boring."
"Boring is good," Kyle called, pulling me toward the back. "We're striving for boring as soon as this is all done."
"I highly recommend Game of Thrones," Jose called. "A little something for everyone. Even has dragons."
Kyle gave him a thumbs-up then headed into the kitchen.
"You did a fantastic job with that interview," Shirley said when she saw him. "Seriously, we listened from in here. I might have to hire you, Kyle. Public relations in this town isn't for the faint of heart, but you're a natural."
"Thank you—if my dad decides to fire me again, I might just take you up on that." He grinned. "But right now we have a situation. Lo's mom is out front, having a hissy fit in front of the press. You might wanna come watch."
Tori looked at me in sympathy as Shirley grabbed the vodka. Gigi joined us and they followed us out.
"I can't keep up this pace," Shirley said, huffing behind us. "I might have to retire after this, Lowell. You might be my last client."
"Nah," I said, "you're too good at what you do. Plus, you'd get bored."
We rounded the corner to find my mother standing on my steps, her face fully made up. She was wearing a cashmere T-shirt that had probably cost a thousand dollars and was gesticulating wildly.
Shirley let out a low whistle. "Bored sounds pretty good to me right now."
"Me too," I whispered as I watched in dread.
"My daughter has been taken hostage from me," my mother said. "This new boyfriend of hers, this Kyle, has emotionally blackmailed her. He's turned her away from me. He has Lowell under his control—like a puppet. I fear for my daughter's safety."
"Do you have any evidence of abuse, Mrs. Barton?" one of the reporters called.
"'Cause that's a pretty harsh claim."
My mother was the picture of righteous indignation and unnaturally smooth skin. "I knew him when he was growing up. He was a bad boy then—very irresponsible. I don't know what sort of trouble he's dragging my daughter into now."
I took a deep breath and gathered what was left of my strength.
"I think she's been brainwashed," she said. "If anyone wants an exclusive interview with me, for all the gory details, I'm accepting bids now."
"Okay! That's enough," I said, coming around the corner. I looked at my mother accusingly, but she just squared her shoulders and stood her ground, as if daring me to contradict her. I pointed at my mother and faced the press. "This woman is my mother, and I love her. But she's having a temper tantrum right now because I've chosen to be with Kyle against her wishes. What she's telling you is a lie." I turned back to my mother. "It's time to get off the podium, Mother. Your mascara's running."
She quickly ran her fingers underneath her eyes. "Is it better now?" she whispered. I just blew out a deep sigh and nodded.
"If you guys want to know the real truth about my relationship with Kyle, make sure to tune into the Entertainment network tonight at seven. Jose said it was the interview of a lifetime. He got the real scoop." I looked at my mother, though I was still addressing the press. "All of it."
She paled beneath her makeup.
"Ladies, gentlemen, we're going in now, but I'll be back this afternoon if you want to take some pictures then. Anybody thirsty or hungry?"
Some of them yelled yes.
"I'll send out lemonade and cookies." I waved to the photographers, and they waved back. Then I grabbed my mother's elbow and hustled her into the house.
"You're quite the actress." She sniffed.
I just rolled my eyes at her, finally loosening my hold when we got inside. "You've got some nerve. I'd say I was surprised, but I know by now there's no bottom to how low you'll go."
She shot a look at Kyle. "You either, apparently."
He smiled at her and winked, which made her flush a deep, angry red.
"I won't have you ruin my daughter's life—"
"That's enough," I said, cutting her off. I wanted to tell her the specifics of the interview that was going to air tonight, just to rub her face in it, but I couldn't. I couldn't risk her running out the door and selling the story to the highest bidder.
She had to stay. Here. For now. As if she were… a prisoner.
"Tori… Shirley… Gigi… my mother needs to stay here. Probably locked up. At least until the interview airs."
"Locked up?" My mother whirled around. "You've gone completely crazy. Under no circumstances will I stay in this house. Not until you apologize to me and do something about him." She jerked her thumb toward Kyle.
I crossed my arms and smiled at her, my real smile. "But I'm not sorry, Mother. So I don't actually owe you an apology. I love Kyle, and we're getting married, and I'm not supporting your bony ass anymore. So when you're done being locked up here, go get a job. Or a husband."
I thought I saw Tori and Shirley high five in the background, but I was so focused on my mother that I couldn't be sure.
"I don't know why you're here anyway—I thought Pierce had you on salary."
"He does. But this goes further than the pittance he's offered me, dear. You're ruining everything. I figured if you were going to blow up your career, I might as well try to get some long-term security out of this debacle. I'm the one who helped you build your career. But you don't seem to remember that, or to care."
"You came out here to extort me. To sell my story to the highest bidder. To make a profit from my mistakes. I don't owe you anything—I've already paid. I'm done."
She was shaking, she was so livid. Then she started to cry. "I can't believe you're turning your back on me like this. I've done everything for you. I was the one who believed in you and your career. I drove you to all those auditions… sacrificed money for your acting lessons and your braces…"
"That wasn't your money! And what else did you have to do? Play tennis? It's not like you were out curing cancer or even waiting tables, for Christ's sake!"
She looked as if I'd slapped her. "You've changed, and I don't think it's a good change, young lady. You're flushing your career down the toilet because of a man—no, a boy. He can't even support you. You know that, right? Pierce cut him off cold."
"I don't need a man to support me. I can take care of myself, thank you. And if my acting career's over, so be it. I can get some other sort of job. I'm not afraid to start over. The only thing I'm afraid of is missing out on the chance to love Kyle. A chance to really be happy." A traitorous tear crept down my face, and I roughly wiped it away. I needed to say this, but even after everything she'd done, it still hurt me to hurt her.
"I love Kyle." I reached for him, and he moved beside me, letting me have my say with my mother. "We're meant to be together. I love him more than I love my career. If I have to choose between the two—and I hope I don't, but if I do—I choose him. Because a life without him would be an empty life."
She shook her head. "You are making an impertinent, lust-based decision that's going to ruin your life."
"Just because Dad left you doesn't mean it'll happen to me! Or to you again!" I yelled. "I know you were hurt when that happened. I know you never got over it! But you've just pushed everyone aside. You treat people like they don't matter. All you care about is things. I don't want to be like that. I don't want to be you."
I was crying for real now, my nose running, and I didn't care. I'd never called my mother out on her feelings for my father and on what that abandonment had done to her. It was as if she'd become an ice princess after he left. No one could get to her heart, make it warm and loving again, full of life and vulnerability.
"Don't you dare speak about your father. You don't know anything about it." Her voice was hoarse.
"I'm sorry that happened to you. To us." I wiped my face and was grateful to feel Kyle still at my side, strong and supportive. "But you never gave anyone else a chance after that. It was like you were playing a game with your husbands: How much money could you get? How cold could you be?"
Caroline straightened her shoulders and dried her eyes, looking at me levelly. "Did it ever occur to you that it's less humiliating that way? That it's more dignified to be angry than sad?"
For better or for worse, I felt my heart soften. "No, Mom. It didn't."
"Well, of course it didn't." She sniffed. "You're not the only one in the family who's a great actress. Now"—she turned to Gigi—"if I'm being held prisoner for the rest of the afternoon, I have a couple of requests: Kleenex, a stiff drink, and magazines." She sniffed again then sashayed off to the living room.
"Don't let her out of your sight," I whispered to Tori, Shirley, and Gigi.
Tori nodded solemnly and handed me a tissue. "I'm proud of you." She gave me a quick hug.
I blew my nose loudly and grimaced. "Ugh. I'm not done yet. I gotta go see Lucas. Please don't let my mother drink all the booze. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna need some when I get back."
Kyle
"I'm proud of you too," I said.
Lowell was looking in the visor mirror, fixing her makeup, as I drove us to the studio.
"Thank you," she mumbled. "I only had the courage to say that to her because of you though."
"Don't undo it." I put my hand on her knee and squeezed. "You did that yourself. It took lady balls, and you did it."
She smiled and put on some more lipstick. "I'm going to need even bigger lady balls to deal with Lucas."
"Well, I have my man balls. For backup."
She laughed, and I suddenly knew that everything would be all right.
* * *
"You've got a lot of nerve," Lucas's assistant said to Lowell when we walked in. "Jenny wants you dead. Lucas is off-the-wall right now."
Lowell just smiled tightly at her. "I'm sure he is. Is he available?"
"Fo
r about two seconds, which is all it's gonna take to fire you," the assistant quipped.
We went into his office, and Lucas shook his head at Lowell. "Jenny told me everything. That was fucking unbelievable. You have royally fucked me. You know you're fired, right?"
Lowell dealt him a tight smile too. "Actually, Lucas, I quit. I don't think this movie supports a healthy body type, and I no longer want to be associated with it."
"Are you fucking kidding me?" He stood, red and livid.
"Nope. And that's the interview I'm giving tomorrow. No need to send Jenny. You're no longer affiliated with my brand."
She tossed her hair, and I followed her out. Lucas didn't even have the chance to speak. We walked back through the office, and his assistant was sitting at her desk, clearly stunned. She must have been listening in.
Lowell smiled at her again, but this time it was genuine. "See ya, Cristina. He's all yours. Good luck with that."
* * *
A new Mercedes SUV was parked outside Lo's house when we got back.
"I've never seen that one before. It doesn't look like one of the photographer's cars." I glanced at Lowell.
"I don't recognize it either," she said.
We smiled, held hands, and kissed for the photographers on our way in. Katie was back, scowling at us. I winked at her and blew her a kiss. She frowned sourly, but I no longer cared.
That was a nice feeling.
Lowell grabbed my hand and checked her watch. "It's almost time. Are you ready?"
I nodded and pulled her to me after we went through the door. "I'm only ready because you've given me the strength to be ready."
"Nah," she said, beaming at me. "We were already both strong. We just gave each other another really good reason to be."
I kissed her forehead and wrapped her in my arms. "Thank you for being my reason."
Shirley interrupted us. "We've got company."
I raised my eyebrow at her.
"More company," she insisted.
