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7
Jade
“Stop. Stop!” I yell out, giggling the entire time.
“He’s cute!”
“You cannot be serious.” I push her shoulder. “He’s like forty!”
“Silver fox, Jade!” She cackles, continuing to ogle the picture of Blake Danielson, a leading actor who she’s been crushing on for the last few years.
We continue on our way in the back of our Lyft. I could ask for a car service set up, driving me back and forth—or anywhere else around the city—if I want to, but I don’t. While I’m staying at Peter’s, I’m trying to use this as a college experience, if you will.
Yes, the guys and I have free rein to do anything when we’re together. And, yes, I already answer to practically no one. My parents, Peter, everyone else; they all trust me. However, this is the first time I’m alone alone. I’m living in Peter’s beautiful penthouse in L.A., but it feels like it’s my own little place, and I’m on my own. It’s nerve-wracking and thrilling at the same time. Now I want to get this music out of my system before the guys and I start recording our next album.
“Here you go,” our Lyft driver calls out from the front seat.
“Uh, Jade?” Lily taps my shoulder.
Turning off my phone, I glance over at her. She doesn’t make eye contact. Instead, she lifts her hand, pointing out of the window toward the front of Rich Records. Blocking the doorway is a handful of paparazzi, all with their cameras out and pointed inside, snapping pictures.
“I can’t believe this. I trusted that guy!”
“Who?” Lily asks.
“Some guy I met who showed me the studio the other day. He said he’d make sure my name was changed so this wouldn’t happen. I’m so stupid.”
Annoyingly, I pull the hoodie over my hair and slip on my oversized sunglasses. Lily starts laughing. “Yeah, I don’t think that’s gonna do you any good now.”
“Whatever. Come on,” I hiss, waving for her to follow me since she was going to hang out with me in the studio today.
Getting out of the car, the cameramen in front of the building hear the car door slam shut behind them and turn around. They stare at me for a moment, and there’s a splinter of hope that they don’t recognize me. But that evaporates in seconds.
“Jade! Jade!”
“Jade, what are you doing at Rich Records?”
“Are you leaving the Kings?”
“Did the Kings break up?”
Taking Lily’s hand, I hurry us into the building, where a large security guard who wasn’t here the first day allows me to pass. I hear the shouting, but it dies out as he keeps the photographers at bay, shutting the door behind me.
Behind the small desk where Austin sat a few days ago sits a different guy. Wearing a white, pressed uniform shirt and black slacks, this one looks like he’s actually a security guard. With shorter hair that’s just long enough to comb it slightly forward, he looks me up and down. I roll my eyes at his expression.
“Who are you?” I snap at him. I know it’s rude, but I’m already annoyed by all of this. “Where’s Austin?”
“Um, he’s not here today. Are you Ms. King?”
“Oh, don’t you even start that with me,” I spit out, pointing a finger at him. “I trusted that dirtbag! He told me he’d change my name in your log system. Now look at this.” I motion behind me, waving. “I wanted to avoid this exact scenario!”
“First of all, I want to apologize for that, Ms. Barkley. But I assure you, Austin did change your name. I have you right here.” He points down at his paper, then brings it up for me to see. “You’re down as Kristen King. No other name is listed for you. There’s someone here who—”
“What a joke!” I shout at him. I’ve never felt like any kind of diva, but I seriously want to give this guy a piece of my mind right now. “Who says you couldn’t have changed things? Or Austin, whoever that guy was, didn’t just completely forget.”
“Yo, babe!” I hear Bret call out, coming out from around the corner. “You made it. The bathroom in this place is like a museum or something. Did you know they have gold records lined around the toilets?”
I wrinkle my nose at him, more grossed out than surprised that he’s here. “Bret? What are you doing here?”
