Chapter One: Caffeine and Crazy Schemes
I was born and raised in Southern California, so seeing celebrities is no big deal for me. I feel about famous people the same way that native New Yorkers feel about rats. You accept the fact that they're all over the place, but you try to ignore them and hope that they don't run over your feet. So it really didn't mean much to me when I noticed that the dark haired guy in front of me at Starbucks was one of those boy band escapees. I briefly try to recall his name. JT Shazam? KC Cheaze? Something like that. Don't know. Don't care.
I've got bigger things to worry about. Like my boyfriend. Lately I feel like he's been pulling away from me. He seems weird and distant when we talk. Things are beyond awkward, because not only is he my boyfriend, he's my boss. I know that it's not a good idea to date at the office and actually being involved with your direct superior is against company rules. But Daniel and I always behave discretely and do our best to keep our professional relationship and our personal relationship separate.
I snap out of my thoughts when I notice a woman with messy blonde hair stumble through the front door. She's wearing a huge pair of shades that I'm guessing are hiding a pair of really bloodshot eyes. When she spots the guy in front of me she zeroes in on him like a vulture eyeing a fresh carcass. She pushes her sunglasses up to the top of her head and I realize that she's an actress. Big surprise. She's been in a few movies, but she seems to be better known for busting out of her tops and having to be carried out of nightclubs.
Now that I look at them together, I vaguely recall seeing pictures of them in some glossy trash mag. I think they used to date. She walks right in front of me and taps Mr. Boy Band on the shoulder.
"JC, I haven't seen you in forever. How have you been?"
The fact that he doesn't want to talk to her is clearly evident on his face, but he tries to be polite anyway.
"Hey Tara. I've been pretty good. How about you?"
"I'm great. Just been trying to keep busy. I was so sorry to hear about you and Eva breaking up." She says she's sorry but you wouldn't know it by the big cheshire cat grin on her face.
He shrugs his shoulders. "Shit happens." Then he starts looking around like he's searching for someone to save him from this conversation.
She steps closer to him and links her arm with his. "I've been thinking about you a lot lately, JC. Maybe you and I should get together. Give us another try."
His huge silvery blue eyes start darting around in his head like ping pong balls. I think if he could he would dig a hole straight through the floor. "Um...Tara....that would be nice, but I'm actually seeing someone right now."
She drops his arm and takes a step back. "I haven't heard anything about that."
"She's not in the business, so I don't really want to put her name out there like that. You know how the press can be. I'm protecting her privacy."
"How long have you been dating this mystery woman?"
"About six months." His face splits into a shy smile. "We're still in that honeymoon phase."
A pinched, sour looks settles over her features while she scans his face. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were making this girlfriend up just to blow me off."
A look of panic comes over his face. "I wouldn't do that to you."
Watching this guy squirm has been fun, but I need my caffeine and these two are holding things up. Not to mention that fact that Ms. Boozy jumped me in line.
"Excuse me." I tap her on the shoulder to tell her to take it to the back of the line when suddenly KJ or CT or whatever his name is grabs my arm and pulls me to his side.
"Tara," he proudly announces, "This is my new girlfriend."
What the hell did he just say? "Get your hands off me." I try to pull away, but he's wiry and has a tight grip. He plasters a smile on his face while I continue trying to squirm away.
"Calm down baby." He rubs his hand up and down my arm. "She is so cranky before she gets that first cup of coffee."
He presses his mouth against my ear and whispers, "Please, please help me. This woman is crazy. Please."
This is just pathetic. Against my better judgement, I decide to help him out. I don't suppose it will hurt me to go along with this for a few minutes.
I extend my hand to the blonde. "Hi, I'm Reece. Nice to meet you."
She limply shakes my hand and then lets it drop. "So you're JC's new girlfriend."
"That's right. He's my boo." If I'm gonna be phony, I might as well pour it on thick.
"How did you two meet?"
I look to my new 'boyfriend', but it doesn't look like he's coming up with anything. I guess I'll have to answer myself.
"We met here actually. We were waiting in line and started talking and he asked me out. One thing led to another and here we are."
"Really?" She seems skeptical.
"Really." He finally comes back to life and gives me a kiss on the cheek.
"You two make a really cute couple." Her sentiment is as fake as her boobs.
JC and I are next in line, so we place our orders. Hey at least I got a free cappuccino out of this. When we get our drinks we go outside to sit down and wait for Tara to disappear so that this hoax can come to an end.
She stops by our table on the way out. "It was nice meeting you Reece. Guess I'll see you on Saturday."
"Saturday?" I don't plan to ever see either of these two nuts again.
"At the party that Jive is throwing to announce the group getting back together and releasing a new cd."
"Of course. The party."
"Well, see you two later." Tara throws a suspicious glance at the both of us and then twitters off.
I wait a few minutes for him to make himself scarce, but he doesn't seem to be going anywhere. "I don't mean to be rude, but she's gone."
He gives me a blank stare.
"That means you can go too."
"Yeah. Right. Just tell me where to pick you up on Saturday and I'll be on my way."
"Did I miss something?"
"You have to go to that party with me."
"I don't have to do anything but stay black and die." His eyes widen and he sits back from the table. My grandfather was right. That is a funny thing to say to white people.
"Tara is going to be at that party. If I show up without you, she'll think I was lying."
"You were lying. If you don't want to be bothered with that woman you need to grow a pair and tell her so."
He scoots his chair closer to me and looks around. Then he starts speaking in a hushed tone. "I'm gonna tell you something that a lot of people don't know about me. I have a hard time saying no. Especially to women."
"That sounds like something to discuss with your therapist."
"I don't have a therapist."
"You might want to look into that."
He runs his fingers through his hair and goes into a full tilt melt down. "I know this is a lot to ask of you, but I've got a lot going on right now. I'm getting back together with the guys and we're trying to put together a new cd, but it's taking us a while to get used to each other again. We can't agree on anything anymore. I am beyond stressed out right now. The last thing I need is Tara attaching herself to me like a leech. Please come to this party with me."
"Listen, KC. . ."
"JC. My name is JC."
"Whatever. You seem like a nice guy, and I didn't mind helping you out for a few minutes. But I don't know you and you don't know me. There is no way that I'm going to spend an entire night pretending to be your girlfriend. If you're too afraid or too weak to tell Tara to get lost, why don't you just take some other woman with you?"
"She's already seen you. If I show up with some other woman she'll know something isn't right. She'll be all over me."
"That sounds like a personal problem."
"I could pay you."
"Do I look like a hooker to you?"
"I didn't mean it like that. You'd be like an escort."
"Which is just a colorful word for hooker. I don't want your money. I have a job and a real boyfriend to spend my Saturday night with." I scoot my chair away from the table and stand up. "I'm sorry, but I've got to be getting to work."
"Wait." He grabs a napkin and scribbles down his phone number. "Will you at least take this, just in case you change your mind."
"I don't think that's going to happen." He looks so distressed and desperate that I just take the napkin anyway and stuff it into my purse. "Good luck, KC."
I faintly hear him calling after me. "My name is JC."
Doesn't matter, I'm already gone.
