Escorting the Actress by Leigh James
Kyle
Lowelland I went to bed a little after that. I felt thoroughly dejected.
"It's just a matter of time," I said. "They're going to find out that I was working for Elena and that you hired me. It's all gonna come out."
Lowell wrapped her arms around me and pulled me close.
"I'm so sorry," I said.
"For what?" She put her head against my chest.
"For being your stepbrother. And your escort. And all this drama." I gently kissed the top of her head.
"I'm not sorry anymore." She looked at me. "I love you, and we're getting married. End of drama."
"Lucas is going to fire you. And then your premiere… the producers of Hearts Wide Open aren't exactly gonna be happy either. There's plenty of drama."
"What if I told you I don't care anymore?" she asked softly.
"I'd say I don't believe it." I watched her face, which was defiant. "Or that it was a damn shame, because you're a talented actress."
"There are some things that're more important than that. Like you." She blew out a deep breath. "I'm worried about your father."
"What about your mother?"
She shrugged. "My mother… is a pain in the ass."
"I know that. But she's going to freak."
"She already did. She screamed at me and threatened to come out here."
I scrubbed my hands over my face. The idea of seeing Caroline Barton again exhausted me. "Great."
"I know, right?" Lowell groaned.
We just snuggled against each other, each of us lost in our thoughts.
"What do you want to do tomorrow, Lo? During the interview?"
She looked at me again, her eyes searching my face. Then she smiled. "We're going to do the right thing, babe. Together. From here on out."
We had scheduledthe interview for the ass crack of dawn. I groaned when the alarm beeped. I slammed it off then reached for Lowell's nipple and rubbed it slowly with my thumb. I kissed her shoulder, feeling heat shoot through me.
"Mmmm," she said, then she sat bolt upright. "Kyle. Stop." She swatted me off of her. "We've got work to do."
I groaned again. "Do you think you're always gonna be so Type-A?"
She shot me a filthy look. "You can play with my boobs later. Now shush. You're gonna wake up the others."
She bustled around the room, and I took small comfort in her promise about her boobs and later.
Lowell made me wear a suit, claiming that I would look dashing and respectable. I knew what she really meant was that I wouldn't look remotely like a hooker, but that was fine with me. She chose a simple white dress that showed off her curves, which she was apparently through with hiding.
The network showed up, and they did our hair and makeup.
"There," the artist told me, putting a final puff of powder on my nose. "You're gorgeous."
I flashed him a smile. "I kind of get that a lot." I needed to feel some bravado right now to counteract the nervous boulder of dread sitting like deadweight in the center of my stomach.
"I bet you do, honey. I bet you do," he said as he hustled off.
I turned around to find Lowell watching me with raised eyebrows.
"Are you flirting?" she asked.
I shrugged. "Maybe a little."
"Aww, you're nervous." She took my hand. "Don't be. We're gonna be all right."
I laced my fingers through hers. "If you say so."
She leaned against me. "I do."
Lucas sentover his PR person, Jenny, a grim, razor-thin woman with black nail polish and a cool haircut. Gigi tried to make small talk with her but finally gave up. Jenny smiled at no one and constantly tapped things into her phone. She was sitting in the room with some of the network's crew, and I had a feeling she would get a nasty surprise today.
Or two.
Gigi was staying out in the room with us too, doing nothing to earn her commission except flicking her hair and smiling. Tori and Shirley sat in the kitchen, drinking coffee and vigilantly checking every website known to man for signs of trouble. They were also researching Caribbean resorts for our honeymoon, but fearing reprisal, they'd made me promise not to tell Lo.
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…"
