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“Wow … they are going to love this, Alec. Why are you being so wonderful? I didn’t think it was like you to be so generous …” I didn’t know him, but he never struck me as overly kind or altruistic.
“You’re not the only one who can live a fake life.” He winked at me and stood up to greet the kids coming.
He was charming and attentive to each of the teens that came through the door. They had all just come from several beauty salons and barbershops around town where they had their hair and nails done. The young men had their hair cut and were shaved and primped. After their makeovers, each was taken to a special boutique set up just for them where they picked several outfits from name-brand designers. Maralis was there to orchestrate the whole thing. The media was also in attendance as were my bewildered roommates who walked into the party at the last minute.
Luques was the most happening restaurant in town; it took months to get a reservation. The kids, most of them still homeless, must have been beside themselves with happiness. I flitted from table to table greeting each guest until I could catch up with Maralis while my roomies got drinks. Their expressions looked as shocked and overwhelmed as mine.
“Did you know about this?” I asked with a smile plastered on my face.
“Alec approached me yesterday. Don’t freak out; this is a good thing. He’s a saint.” I fucking hated her at that moment.
“And when did I stop being in charge of my life?” I growled still smiling like a stupid ass.
“The minute you spread your legs and got yourself pregnant.” Fuck her, really?
“Don’t!” I bit back as my smile faded.
“The agency owns your body; you want to get pregnant, you sign a contract, and we let you get pregnant. Do you want to date a billionaire, have his baby? Ditto. We design your life just as we always have. You are just damn lucky Alec came to us … this is a no-brainer. Take the ride, Kylie. This is going to blow you up so big you’ll need to call your assistant to book time for your own thoughts. You will belong to the world, and there’ll be no bigger icon than perhaps the father of your child, depending on how you play this. Now go talk to these kids; we’ve spent a hell of a lot of money on them.” At that moment, I hated her, though I knew she was right.
Maralis had always been right about those things, especially when she scooped me up at the age of seventeen after seeing me in a school play. At the time I was in foster care, and she worked with me through high school, then college, and now through this. I didn’t see a way out of it, so I smiled again and drifted toward my true sanctuary that was at the bar still wide-eyed and bewildered.
When I finally got there, I plopped down next to Madison and ordered a grapefruit fizz.
“What the fuck?” Avery blurted out. “Tell me what is happening here.”
“The Tsunami known as marketing and enterprise is happening. Alec told Maralis I’m pregnant. Now I have to live with him and pretend to be a happy couple with a fake marriage and eventually a fake divorce someday all so I can have the baby and he or she can grow up in the spotlight and eventually smoke crack or do opioids because his or her little life is so screwed up.” My stomach bottomed out just thinking about it.
“Or,” Madison reeled me back in. “You accept the grand gesture of a billionaire who could have left you stranded or worse branded you a whore, denied paternity, dragged you through the mud, and made your life a living hell.” She smiled at me and raised her martini to my face.
“And living with a stranger I slept with once isn’t going to be a living hell?” I countered her move with my mocktail.
“What choice have you got?” Madison asked. “I mean you do have choices; no one is holding a gun to your head. You can stand up on one of these tables, get everyone’s attention and spill that “T” all over the floor. ‘Hi everyone, I hate to ruin your great night, I know you don’t get many of them living on the streets and all, but I just wanted you to know that my asshole of a one-night stand billionaire dick face just dropped one million and a half dollars on this foundation, planned this evening for you and had the fucking audacity to offer to man up and be the father of the child we made one night while fucking …’ Because, you know, I can bang a glass and get their attention if you want.” Damn, she was such a pragmatic pain in the ass.
