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"Pimp?" Shirley asked, aghast. She drained the rest of her drink and shoved the tumbler back into Kyle's chest. "Does that mean you're a—"
"Escort," Kyle said smoothly. He poured her another vodka. "I'm an escort. Well, I was anyway, until I accepted a new position with my father's company."
"You're a hooker." Shirley couldn't hide her shock.
"I'm retired now." He gently handed her the drink. "You should probably sit down. You look a little pasty."
Shirley sat down obediently and drank some more. Gigi watched us all with avid interest. Tori twirled her hair, trying to look innocent. I just paced, knowing that I was anything but.
"You hired a hooker," Shirley said to me, and I nodded. "And he showed up." She jerked her thumb in Kyle's direction. "And you recognized him… because he was your stepbrother."
I smiled at her in sympathy. "It gets a little convoluted, I know."
"And did the reporter from XYZ find out all of this?" Shirley asked.
I shook my head. "She knows that our parents were married. I don't think she knows about the… other part." I looked at Kyle. "I guess we'll find out when she posts something."
"What about the proposal?" Shirley asked. "Was that just for show?"
"Yes," I said at the same time Kyle said, "No."
"We're getting married. For real. That's the important thing," I said soothingly. "I know. It gets a little convoluted."
* * *
It was a long night of refreshing: refreshing the XYZ website and refreshing our drinks. Shirley, Gigi, and Tori were sleeping over in order to be there for the interview early the next morning. Pierce hadn't called again, and neither had my mother. I would be relieved about that, but somehow it didn't seem right.
Finally a picture of us from earlier in the day was posted to XYZ with the headline: Stepbrother Fiancé?
We clicked on the article—if you could call it that—and my heart sank. It named Kyle as Kyle Richards and speculated that "Kyle Jordan" was a name fabricated to fool the press. It told all about our time living together in northern California and how our parents had been bitterly divorced. To my horror, there was even a school picture of me in glasses and braces, smiling pleadingly at the camera.
I wondered who had sold them this information. It was mostly banal, with few details, so I wondered if it could have been someone who had worked at the house and recognized both Kyle and me.
There was no mention about AccommoDating. Not yet.
But I knew it was only a matter of time.
Kyle
Lowell and 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."
