“I wasn’t drunk, Ruth.” Jamie twisted her long hair into a bun. “I did a good job of drinking. There’s a difference.” She extended her hand and wiggled her fingers. “Please give me my phone.”
With wide eyes her assistant held the device close to her chest and shook her head.
“My phone, please,” Jamie repeated, emphasizing the last word. It wasn’t like Ruth to be stubborn. If anything she was overly accommodating and excellent at following instructions.
“Maybe your New Year’s resolution should be to check your phone less,” Ruth suggested, her attempt to sound casual failing miserably.
“You know I don’t make resolutions.”
“Please don’t freak out,” Ruth pleaded.
“Freak out about what?” Jamie’s impatience was evident as she lowered her chin, her gaze sharp.
Finally Ruth relented and passed her the phone. There were ten missed calls from Shorty, three from Lisa—her record label’s publicist—and a flood of text messages from nearly everyone with her number.
“Did someone die?” Jamie asked, her voice wavering. “Is it my dad?” Her father had always felt more like an acquaintance than a parent—distant when she needed him, a bad influence when she didn’t. She swallowed hard, dreading the answer, and tapped the first text message from Shorty.
Breath rushed from her lungs. A photo filled the screen: Clayton, lips pressed against hers, caught at midnight.
“Fuck.”
“It’s not that bad.”So much for Ruth never lying.“It was just a peck.”
“Yeah, but it doesn’t look like it!” Jamie slid her phone under the duvet and pulled the collar of the hotel robe over her ears. “Everyone’s seen it!” She buried her face in her hands. “This is so embarrassing.”
“It’s New Year’s. People do that kind of stuff all the time.” Ruth’s efforts to comfort her were pointless. Above anything she hated feeling embarrassed.
“What are the fans saying?” she dared to ask.
“Honestly?” Jamie nodded, so Ruth continued, “It’s a mix of people hoping you guys are together.” Jamie stuck out her tongue in disgust. “And people asking, ‘who’s Clayton Langley?’” She added, “Mostly younger fans.”
“I’m going back to bed.” Jamie closed her eyes, wishing it were a bad dream but knowing it wasn’t. How could she face the world after this? Maybe she’d get lucky with a celebrity death or a natural disaster—anything to change the news cycle.
“You can’t.” Ruth handed her the cup of coffee. “Shorty booked you a studio session for today. You need to leave in an hour.”
“Aren’t you coming with me?”
“I have to get Poppy.”
“That’s right.” Jamie paused for a moment, recalling their conversation from last night. “What if Derrick sees the picture?”
“I’ll tell him it was nothing.”
“No, let him stew.” Jamie hadn’t slept with anyone since meeting Derrick, but they both played games when they were single to make each other jealous. “With any luck he’ll jump out of an airplane without a parachute.”
At that moment Jamie’s phone rang beneath the covers to the tune of “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” by the Temptations. She wondered what her father wanted—he wouldn’t be calling for shits and giggles.
“AJ,” Jamie answered. She never called him “Dad.” His name wasn’t listed on her birth certificate because he didn’t want the government involved in his “personal business.” Besides, not being recognized as her father allowed him to collect foster care payments after her mother had skipped town. He didn’t seem to mind that aspect of government involvement. He was a walking contradiction—but not in a good way, like that Green Day song.
“Happy new year, sweetheart!” Her father’s voice sounded like he gargled with gravel from being a lifelong smoker. “Your phone’s been off.”
“Happy new year, Mr. Baxter!” Ruth shouted from the bed.
Jamie was given her mother’s last name, which interestingly never caused a problem or raised an eyebrow at border crossings when she was a child.
“I had a gig last night,” Jamie said. “Ruth says hello.”
“She’s a good kid, that Ruth. New Year’s, huh?” He whistled. “How much bank?” Her father cared more about money than anything else. After being MIA for several years, he had popped back into her life after she wonStar Factor.
