Page 27 of Get Me (The Keatyn Chronicles 6)
"You look much better," he says. "You're smiling."
"I think we should do some shots of us just sitting and floating together. We do that all the time."
"Yeah, let's do that. We could probably lie down on our boards and pretend to paddle, too," Damian agrees.
"Let's try it," Riley says. "And remember to look like you're having fun."
We get some successful shots of us lying on our boards and paddling with our arms, then floating on the boards, holding hands.
"Do you think you could do a handstand. Act like you're showing off?" Damian asks me.
"It's usually the guy who shows off," I tease, laughing.
"I love the laughing," Riley says. "Do more of that."
I glance at Damian. He gives me a nod, encouraging me to try doing a handstand. I can do one in the water, but I'm not sure if it will work here.
I pop up on the board, place my hands directly over the spring, and flip my feet up into the air.
"Ah!" I yell as my body leans dangerously toward Damian, finally hitting the tipping point and falling onto him.
He laughs, catches me, and pulls me over onto his board, somehow, without knocking us both off.
"That was adorable!" Ariela shrieks, jumping up and down and clapping.
"Can you both stand up on that board?" Riley asks.
"You go first," Damian says.
I stand up. Once I'm set, I feel Damian standing up behind me. But then he grabs my waist and we both go flying off the board into the fake waves and, thankfully, onto the stunt mats Aiden thought to put below.
"One more time with both of you up on your own boards, smiling this time, and we should have enough for this part."
The remainder of the day is spent shooting more of the date scenes. We order in food and sit back, watching as Riley works his video magic.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30TH
Sexy and skanky.
1pm
Riley is still putting the finishing touches on the video when I get a call from Kym. She's in town dressing other stars for their New Year's Eve appearances and wants us to meet her.
"Are you sure you don't need anything else?" I ask Riley, who mutters something unintelligible to me and nods his head.
I wrap my arms around Aiden's neck. He and Damian are sitting on either side of Riley's workspace, which consists of multiple computer monitors, each playing different footage.
"Do you want to come with us?"
"Naw, you girls have fun. I've got a couple new suits at the loft. I'm sure one of them will work."
"I think Kym wants to dress you. So we kinda match. But she knows your size. If I think you'll like it, I'll bring it home."
He kisses my arm then turns around and kisses me goodbye.
Cooper escorts Peyton, Ariela, and me to Kym's new digs. Her lab, as she calls it. She thinks of herself as a mad scientist of fashion. Mixing and matching things together and giving each of her clients a different look. When we arrive, she greets Cooper with great enthusiasm, running her hands across his broad shoulders and telling him how fantastic he'd look after she was done with him.
She greets the girls with air kisses, leads us into a showroom space, and directs us to a buffet of snacks and drinks.
"Are the guys not coming?" she asks, pulling me aside.
"No, they're still working on the video, so we're just supposed to bring everything back to the studio with us. And I sent you my friend Riley's measurements and photos."
"I got them and should have everything pretty well set. Let me go grab your rack of clothes and you can start trying on while I get sexy's measurements," she says with a sly grin.
"Just what all are you planning to measure, Miss Cougar?"
"How old is he, anyway? Tell me he's at least twenty-five."
"Uh, not quite. He acts way mature, though, if that's any consolation."
"At least he's legal." She sighs, glancing in his direction then giving me the eye. "He's been guarding your body."
I smirk. "Yes, he has. And teaching me self defense. I will admit, he's quite powerful. And it's kinda fun when he throws you on the floor. Even if it hurts a little."
"Oh, my god. I want to be manhandled."
"You know, I always thought you and James might get together."
She rolls her eyes. "We've gotten together."
"Really?! And?"
"And nothing. We're friends. We get lonely sometimes. We have a little fun. I want something more serious. I'm still waiting for a guy to whisk me off to a Russian ballet."
"Aren't we all."
"Oh, give me a break. At the wedding, Peyton was telling us all the things that Aiden's done to woo you."
My face breaks out in a wide smile. I can't help it. Aiden makes me smile. "He's pretty dreamy. Really, he's kind of my dream guy in many ways."
"What ways is he not?"
"He's not B."
She sighs. "He didn't dance with you at your birthday party, Keatyn."
"No, but he came to it. He even dressed up. I've realized a lot, Kym. I know I complained about him sometimes. But, looking back, I probably wasn't the easiest person to love."
"Bullshit. You are very lovable."
"I wasn't then. Don't I seem different to you than I did last summer?"
She gets tears in her eyes. "I'm lucky your mom took a chance on me all those years ago and I've gotten to be part of your life. I'm proud to say I've helped dress you for nearly every important occasion in your life."
"You have. I'll never forget the dress from Mom and Tommy's first date. It's still in my closet. I'm hoping to have a little girl who can wear it someday."
"You have a great style. You never look like you try too hard but you always look put together. It's a look young girls will want to emulate once this movie comes out. You need to remember that when you choose your outfits."
"Nothing too skanky?"
"There's a big difference between sexy and skanky."
"Does that mean you picked me out something sexy?"
"Sparkly and sexy. That's what the perfect New Year's Eve dress should always be. Remember when I told you to have an intervention if you ever saw me cooking for a man?"
"Yeah."
"That Cooper makes me want to put on an apron and bake a cake."
"You're bad!"
She giggles. "I know!"
She rolls racks of clothing into the showroom, shows the girls their selections, and sends them behind the curtain to start trying on.
"Okay, Keatyn," she says. "Let's look at yours. Notice, you don't have as many options."
"Why's that?"
"Well, I know you better, for one. I know all these will look great on you, but I want to talk you through them."
I nod at her, so she holds up the first dress.
"This sparkly, silver sequined dress. What do you think of it?"
"It's really pretty. I love the plunging neckline. The sequins are mixed with spangles, which makes it a little different. The cut is pretty, but it's a little--um, predictable, maybe?"
"Exactly. Very good. Okay," she says, holding out the second option. "What about this?"
I examine the dress. "This one has great lines
for me. I look good in a tank style dress and I love how it's covered in black sequins that are more matte than shiny. And the bottom, how it flares out and is covered in shiny black feather, it's so cute! I really like it."
I run my hand across the soft feathers, remembering when Aiden stole my feather earrings after our tutoring with food date.
"You seem like you want to add a but."
"I'm a little worried how the feathers will hold up to a night of dancing."
"You going to be grinding on Aiden?"
"Absolutely."
"Tell me what you think of the dress itself. What message would it send?"
"This dress has a little edge. The combination of the tank style and the matte sequins pair unexpectedly with the feathers on the bottom. You know I like mixing things that seem like they shouldn't go together. And with a great pair of shoes, I think it'd be a good option."
"Tell me what you think of this last dress," she says, pulling it out.
"Oh, wow. I love this one. It's a little more mature than the others. No, that's not it. It's like rocker chic. It has an edge that I love, but still has an elegance about it."
"Tell me about how you're dressed in the video."
"My wardrobe consisted of a bikini, a bikini and shorts, and a cute little mini-dress."
"So, it's sexy?"
"They did choose the skimpiest bikini I had, so, yeah. But it's how any girl looks on the beach."
"Except you have a ridiculously good body and you're gorgeous. My point is, in the video you will look like a model, not an actress. If that was all you wanted to be, I'd put you in the silver dress. If you were a model wanting to be an actress, I'd put you in the feathered dress. But you are Hollywood royalty and this televised New Year's Eve party is your coming out. Not as Abby Johnston's daughter, but as Keatyn Douglas, future movie star. This dress will scream it to everyone who's watching."
I get tears in my eyes looking at the dress. It's like I'm standing in a doorway, looking out at my hopes and dreams. All of them there, waiting for me. Acting. A career that I'll love. Movie premieres. Award shows. Red carpets. Magazine covers. My scripts becoming box office hits. It's everything I've ever dared to dream.
"Can I try it on now?" I ask.
She gives me the dress, but not before giving me a hug.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31ST
