"What? You hired Ariela? What the fuck? Work is my sacred place. You told me that I couldn't hire the girls I date. That I couldn't mix business with pleasure."
She tilts her head at me, giving me an amused smile. "You just said you have no desire to date her, so if I hired her, it shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Tyler, my assistant, walks through the door with dark roast coffees. Best hangover cure ever. And it smells amazing.
He hands one to Keatyn, comments on how lovely her new Chanel bag is, and then sets mine on the desk in front of me. "Rough night, boss?"
I wave him away and he prances back through the door. Yes, I hired a gay assistant the day I started working here full time.
Although, I originally hired him because I knew I wouldn't have to worry about sleeping with him, I hit the jackpot. He's been my assistant for the last five years. I keep giving him big raises because, quite frankly, I don't know what I'd do without him. He's my right hand man. Incredibly organized, meticulous, never gossips, picks out most of my wardrobe, and works as hard as I do.
"Thanks, Tyler!" I yell.
A few moments after he leaves, Keatyn says, "Oh, shit."
Then she rushes over to my trash can and throws up.
Actually, she doesn't throw up.
She dry heaves into it. Nothing comes out.
She's just gagging.
And it makes me gag.
I grab the trashcan from her and puke into it.
"Oh, god," she says, covering her nose and turning white. She leans over and presses the button on my phone. "Tyler! Get in here!"
Tyler rushes back in, looking confused. Then he covers his nose too.
"Riley threw up. Can you please get this trash can and that coffee out of here? And maybe bring him some crackers and a Sprite instead?"
"I'd recommend a nice reviving green tea smoothie. Shall I go fetch one?"
"No," both Keatyn and I say.
"You do realize you both have to speak at the board meeting in exactly forty-two minutes, right?" Tyler chastises.
"We know," Keatyn says, dry heaving again.
Tyler turns up his nose at us and quickly removes the offending items.
"We'll be in my office," Keatyn tells him, as she grabs my jacket sleeve and pulls me across the hall.
She plops down on the couch and pulls me down with her.
"Whew," she says. "What were we talking about again?"
"Ariela. You hired her?"
"No, I didn't hire her to work here. Although, I invited her to lunch with the girls today. And if she passes Vanessa's bullshit meter, I will probably ask her to help with my wedding."
"Bullshit meter?"
"Aiden isn't convinced we should trust her."
"And what do you think?"
"Honestly, I think she made a big mistake ten years ago and has been paying for it ever since."
"She destroyed me."
"I know. But this could be a good thing, Riley. You never got closure. Maybe, now, you will."
Tyler brings in a tray of assorted crackers then backs out of the room saying, "Excuse me, while I go bathe in hand sanitizer."
"He's funny," Keatyn says with a laugh as she shoves two crackers into her mouth.
"So, are you ready for the board meeting?" I ask, changing the subject. I don't want to talk about Ariela anymore. I can't.
"Of course, I love board days. I get to see my grandpa."
"We've come a long way from the Eastbrooke kids full of dreams. Captive Films has done well. Very well."
"That's because we always choose projects we're passionate about."
"I was looking at the reports before you got here. The board will be quite pleased. The Keatyn Chronicles, part three, is doing insanely well." Her ring catches my eye. "It's really cool he got you a sunset for your finger. I always thought I'd get Ariela . . ."
I stop.
Shit.
Why does she keep invading my thoughts?
Why can't I get the fucking kiss or the elevator out of my mind?
Or the way she shoved her hands down my pants like it was her right.
Or the look on her face when she saw Shelby.
"A big pink diamond." Keatyn says, finishing my sentence and four more crackers.
"Yeah."
"Did you notice she was wearing the Hello Kitty ring you gave her?"
"Yeah, bitch move."
"She told me last night she wore it to give her strength. She came to California for you, Riley."
"I don't want to talk about it. So if not Ariela, who the hell did you hire without asking me?"
"Don't get mad, but . . ." There's a knock on the door. "Grandpa!" she says, jumping off the couch and ending our conversation.
After the board meeting, Grandpa says to Keatyn, "I better see you this weekend."
"I'll be there," she replies.
"You're going up to the vineyard this weekend?" Dallas asks Keatyn.
"Yeah, hopefully I'll get there Saturday. But I'll be there, for sure, on Sunday. Aiden's flying up today with my grandparents."
"RiAnne's mother is in town to help her shop for the nursery. How would you feel about having me and a mess of kids join you?" Dallas asks Grandpa.
"Sounds like heaven," Grandpa says.
"Sounds like hell," I mutter, even though I love his kids.
Grandpa hears me and slaps me on the back. "Hollywood, you need to start thinking about settling down yourself. Money can't buy you love."
"No, but it can buy you a whole lotta sex. Right, Riley?" Dallas quips.
Grandpa laughs at Dallas' joke, but is serious when he speaks to me. "I hear your old flame is back in town."
"Where'd you hear that?"
Dallas raises his hand. "Guilty."
"Not that it matters but I've moved on."
"You need to kiss her, son."
"Why?"
"Because a kiss will tell you just how moved on you really are."
Keatyn starts to open her mouth, but I glare at her, stopping her from announcing to the world that I already kissed Ariela.
And that we both know I haven't really moved on.
I've never moved on.
CHAPTER FOUR
Rodeo Drive - Beverly Hills
VANESSA
"What's your schedule like today? Can you meet at Harry Winston's before lunch?" I ask Keatyn, when she answers her cell. "I just got the final check in my divorce settlement. I need to buy myself a reminder of why no one should ever get married."
"Aiden and I got engaged in Paris last week," she says, laughing.
"If you tell me it was at the top of the Eiffel Tower at sunset, I'm going to puke."
"Ha! It was! It was beautiful and perfect. And wait until you see my ring!"
"I can't believe you're just now telling me? And how the hell did the press not get wind of it?"
"We've really only told our families."
"Hmm. Not to talk shop, but we'll make a big announcement of it. Come of think of it, it's a great movie tie in. It will be good for you and Captive Films."
"Oh, I never thought of it that way, but I guess it does sort of show fans our big happy ending, right?"
"Exactly. And I should rephrase my original statement. I'm buying myself something fabulous to remind myself why I should never get married again. You should absolutely marry Aiden. How was the board meeting?"
"Short and sweet. Riley and Dallas did their presentations and told them how well we're doing. I gave them an update on new projects. Everyone left happy. I just finished an appointment and was going to kill some time shopping before lunch. So, as usual, you have impeccable timing. I'd love to meet you there."
"See you--Bitch, get out of my way!--oh, sorry, old woman in the road. See you in a few."
Heads turn when Keatyn walks into the store.
Which makes me smile.
As the owner of the boutique public relations firm that handles her publicity, I know that it's mostly my doing
. Sure, she has talent for days, but I help keep her on the front pages of magazines and in the spotlight. And since I've taken over a teeny chunk of Captive Film's PR, Riley and Keatyn are being touted on the latest Majority magazine, where Riley is looking completely delicious. If it weren't for the fact that I've been trying to get him to outsource their movie publicity for years, I'd have already slept with him.
But in the last two years, I've sworn off men.
