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The room erupted in cheers as people stood.
Kylie was crying now. I wanted to rush the stage and scoop her into my arms. I had no idea. Nothing was ever published about her past. She mentioned it briefly to me, but … what she must have endured. All of my co-workers were impressed by Kylie, and no one knew I’d had a night with her.
“I love Kylie Morgan,” Ashley my marketing manager’s assistant gushed.
I turned to her and asked, “Why?” probably freaking her out because I didn’t mingle with my people much.
In fact, my being at the table with them was making everyone tense. I was always too busy to spend a lot of time with my staff. I never invited them to charity events, and the only time they ever really saw me was at our annual Christmas party, which I would attend for an hour and disappear. Otherwise, I had an office on the sixteenth floor and the rest were on fifteen. I had a personal assistant, Troy. He was a decent guy, hardworking, with a family. We were cordial, efficient, surface level. I had no friends in the office.
My best friend, Christian, was a painter and weird artist, but we’d been friends since childhood. He was my nanny’s son; we were literally raised as brothers. He was so successful, generous, and kind … everything I wasn’t. He would have been Kylie’s perfect partner, but he wasn’t ever going to be, because I made sure he knew she was going to be mine.
“That is so not like you,” he mused when I saw him for drinks the other night.
“I know. What’s happening to me?” I laughed.
“Yeah, usually you’re such an absolute shit to women.” He wasn’t wrong, but it hurt to hear it.
“Well, apparently I was a shit to her … she never texted me again after her ‘Find something to love,’ comment.” It fucking killed me to tell him that.
“She must’ve sensed you. If she really isn’t what she presents herself to be, then my guess is she’s exactly the opposite. You probably scared the shit out of her, but I’m also pretty sure she liked it. That’s why she’s running. She’s afraid you’ll hurt her.” He drank his beer and cupped a handful of peanuts and tossed them at his mouth.
“The worst part is I would annihilate her, but I still want her … damn it.”
“You better move on. She’s going to be way complicated.” He swallowed his peanuts down with more beer.
“Exactly your type,” I grumbled.
“Pretty much.” His smile widened.
“What about Astrid? What happened there? She still thinks she wants girls?” The thought of it was absurd.
Astrid was a girl Troy had dated on and off all of his life, who had just come out as a lesbian, what a crushing blow. But I could see it, Troy was artistic, sensitive … relevant, he could be a lesbian’s last stand.
“It’s too painful to go there. Let’s stay with your complicated mess … shall we?” Poor guy. He was really taking the breakup hard.
My mind had drifted while I listened to Ashley gush about Kylie. “She is just so amazing. You know, sexually aware, in tune with female sexual liberation and so cool. Now she’s upping her game and just came out as a foster kid and a survivor. She’s epic!” I don’t think Ashley cared much that she freaked out a good many of my staff members with her over the top fan-girling, but I was right there with her.
“Interesting. I never gave her much thought.” Such a lie; in fact, I was itching to get up and go backstage and find her, but I didn’t have to, she was there, sitting three tables over.
“Would you like to meet her?” I asked Ashley.
“Oh, my God … no, she’s … she’s probably busy.” Ashley literally started to tremble.
“Kylie is an acquaintance. I can introduce her to you. I’m going to give them a sizable donation. You’re welcome to come along.” The rest of the table looked at me as if my head had just exploded.
Chapter 13
Kylie
I saw him from the wings backstage. I almost didn’t go out there, but I had to do it for Kevin and for the foundation I had started with Madison, Avery, and Maralis from my modeling agency. After my night with Alec, I realized I needed to change how the world thought of me. I didn’t want to be a playgirl; I needed to be a woman. I was in charge of the me the world would see, and I was starting to hate that person. Yes, she protected me from the Alecs out there who were great lovers that only wanted sex, but it was protecting me from the real men who might have actually loved me for me as well.
