“The diamonds pale next to your beauty,” Aiden whispers into my ear. I know his sweet gesture will be all over the internet in a matter of moments.
I can feel the flashes around me but when Aiden is this close everything else fades away and I'm just a girl.
In love.
“You’re being awfully complimentary tonight,” I tease him.
“Well, you did just give me a new car,” he teases back.
We move on to the next big-name reporter.
After an appropriate amount of discussing my wardrobe choices, she asks, “We understand you’re doing a remake of your mom’s cult classic, A Day at the Lake. When do you expect it to be in theaters?”
“We just wrapped filming this week and are hoping to get picked up for distribution soon. But tonight is all about my mom and Tommy’s film.”
“Speaking of Tommy,” she says. “We know that your film debut, Retribution, is slated for a highly-coveted Thanksgiving release.”
“That’s correct.”
“And rumor has it the studio is creating a new spin-off franchise for you and Knox.”
I smile, because they are. I'm even helping revise the script.
“That would be pretty awesome,” I say, unable to comment because the studio hasn’t officially announced it yet. They’re waiting for people to see Retribution first.
“Then, tell me, after you were kidnapped, why wouldn’t you do any interviews? You could’ve had instant fame. Your publicist must’ve been going crazy.”
“I hope if I ever have fame it’ll be because of my acting ability,” I reply, as Knox photobombs us.
He and Aiden are cracking up about it when the reporter asks another question. “So, what's next for you?”
“What's next is kind of a secret.”
“I think we’ll cut with that,” she says, quickly moving on to Matt Moran, who has caught up to us. He’s a man of very few words on the red carpet.
As Aiden and I walk down the stairs to make our way toward the last row of reporters and fans, he whispers to me, “So, did you decide if you’re going to do that book to film project? Didn’t they want you to start next month? Is that what the secret is?”
“No, I turned it down.”
“Why?”
“Well, Knox and I will start working on the Trinity project next summer.”
“I know. That’s why I’m surprised you turned it down. The timing worked out so that you could do both.”
“Except that I have another project I'm way more passionate about.”
“What's that?”
“I’m going to be starring in the movie of my life. It will be filming at Eastbrooke, and I’ll have the hottest co-star. His name’s Aiden Arrington. You may have heard of him.”
Aiden’s grin blinds me.
I lean close to him and whisper in his ear. “And I can guarantee you that rumors of our off-screen romance will be completely true.”
“You're really coming back? For our whole senior year?”
“Yep. I am a prefect, after all. And I'm wearing cowboy boots to New Student Orientation.”
Follow your heart.
10pm
We quickly make the rounds at the after party, and then go back to my house. All my closest friends are meeting here, so I can introduce them before heading to the club for my birthday party.
Aiden offers to greet everyone as they arrive while I go change.
But when I return in my party dress, I find my friends all congregated in groups with the people they already know.
That will not do.
I grab Dallas and Dawson.
“RiAnne, I’d like you to meet Dallas, my friend from Eastbrooke.” I wink at her and whisper, “He’s a really good kisser.”
She gets a huge smile on her face and giggles when Dallas says, “Howdy. And Keatyn’s right. I am a good kisser. You wanna find out?”
RiAnne bites her lip like she’s actually contemplating it and nods. Dawson and I both raise our eyebrows at each other and laugh when they just start making out.
“Dawson, I think you need to meet Vanessa.”
Vanessa turns around when she hears her name.
“Keatyn, you look gorgeous.” She eyes Dawson and says, “And so do you.”
“Vanessa, this is Dawson Johnson. He’s headed to NYU this fall and plans to major in luxury marketing.”
“We have a lot in common, then,” she flirts, putting her hand around his buff bicep and purring, “because I plan to major in luxury spending. Let’s go in Tommy’s office and have some of his good scotch, shall we?”
Dawson doesn’t reply. He’s busy taking her in, studying her long dark hair, aristocratic face, long eyelashes, authoritative stance, killer body, and couture shoes. He turns to me and says, “She’s the Alpha of all Alphas, right?”
Vanessa and I both laugh.
“What a sweet sentiment,” Vanessa says, “but I kinda like it when a man takes charge.”
Dawson smirks and replies, “Let’s go find that scotch.”
“Did I hear the word scotch?” Damian asks, and he and Peyton follow them into the office.
I’m introducing my surfer friends to my Malibu party friends and all of them to Katie, Annie, and Maggie, when Cush walks in.
“Damn,” Katie and Maggie say at the same time. “Who is that?”