vaguely French in a pair of slim black pants and a sort of Marcel Marceau–ish striped top. “Rough day at the office?”
Kate laughed. “Well, it’s no rougher than being in front of a dozen cameras, that’s for sure. But I hate composer’s block. It’s the worst.” She opened the box and selected a pink-frosted cupcake dusted with edible silver glitter. “Ohh, almost too pretty to eat.” She smiled.
“Yeah. I actually brought these as an apology,” Carmen admitted.
“For what?” Kate asked, her mouth full of delicious cake.
“I accidentally told Luke about you being on The Fame Game.” Carmen reached for one of the chocolate cupcakes and slowly peeled off the paper wrapper. “I didn’t know you were keeping it a secret from him. Why were you keeping it a secret from him? Also, why were you keeping him a secret from me?”
Kate groaned. “I wasn’t—on either account. I mean, I just haven’t seen you much this week because you were prepping for your audition. And with Luke, I didn’t mean to not tell him, not at first. I just wasn’t thinking about it the night we met.”
“Fair enough. I forgive you,” Carmen said, licking a bit of frosting off her fingertip. “But as for Luke, what about the nights after that first one?”
“Madison told me that I shouldn’t tell him.”
Carmen shot her a questioning look. “And since when do sane people take advice from Madison Parker?”
Kate looked down at her hands. She had frosting under her fingernails and her polish was beginning to chip. “She said that if I told him, it might mess things up. Maybe he’d be totally put off and he wouldn’t want to see me anymore. Or maybe he’d be so into the idea that pretty soon he wouldn’t care about spending time with me—he’d only care about spending time with the PopTV cameras.”
While Kate was talking, Carmen was nodding thoughtfully. “Not terrible advice, especially when you consider the source.”
“Oh, Carm.” Kate laughed. “She’s not that bad.”
“Everyone is entitled to her own opinion,” Carmen said. “But seriously, if it was anyone other than Luke, I’d think she was onto something. Of course, she was probably motivated by some nefarious angle she’s trying to work with your story line. But anyway, I’m sorry I screwed it up.”
Kate frowned. “Was he mad?”
“No,” Carmen said. “I mean, I don’t think so.”
“I should have just told him.” Kate sighed. “I’m so lame.”
Carmen reached out and patted her hand. “Hey, Hollywood is crazy. Celebrity is crazy. Trust me, I was born on the sidelines of this game and now I’m on the playing field. And it only gets crazier in there.”
“Why does everyone who ever counsels me use sports metaphors?” Kate asked.
Carmen looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”
Kate shook her head, smiling. “Nothing, nothing. You were saying?”
“I was just trying to tell you that getting involved in show business, or whatever you want to call it, can really mess with a person. You have to try to remember who you are. And right now, you’re just Kate Hayes, singer-songwriter extraordinaire. Enjoy it like you are enjoying those cupcakes. Seriously, is that already your second?”
Kate looked up guiltily mid-bite. “Urmm?”
“You’re going to ruin your appetite for dinner.” Carmen laughed. “Oh hey, I think your phone just beeped.”
Kate had to search under various pillows for it. When she found it, there was a new text from Luke. Speak of the devil.
IN UR HOOD. CARE 4 COMPANY? She felt a jolt of excitement. Yes, she wanted his company. She wanted to climb on the back of that motorcycle and ride up into the hills with him. But Carmen was on her couch, and pretty soon the two of them were going to have to head over to film an “impromptu” dinner party at Madison and Gaby’s place.
“It’s Luke,” she said to Carmen. “He wants to come over.”
“Well, by all means,” Carmen said. “I’ll make myself scarce until dinner.”
Kate texted him that he didn’t have much time, so he’d better hurry, and it seemed like she’d hardly said good-bye to Carmen before Luke appeared in her doorway, wearing that motorcycle jacket of his and smelling like wind and sand and leather.
“I didn’t hear the buzzer,” she said, flustered. She was both excited and nervous to see him.
“Carm let me in,” he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. He’d shaved the stubble that he’d worn for The End of Love auditions, and his skin was tan and smooth.
“So, are you mad at me?” she blurted. She couldn’t help it. She just had to know for sure immediately.
Luke laughed. “You’re not even going to say hello?”
She looked up at him, her expression a mix of embarrassment and hope. “Hello. Are you mad at me?”
“Hmmm,” he said, folding her into a hug. “Let me think about this. If I say I’m mad at you, will you be extra, extra nice to me?”
Kate nodded into his broad chest. This was a good sign, wasn’t it? You didn’t hug a person you were mad at. “Yes,” she said, relief flooding through her. “Extra, extra nice.”
He put his finger under her chin and lifted it. Their lips met in a swell of warmth and softness, and Kate wrapped her arms around his waist. She felt like she could have kept kissing him forever, but after a moment, Luke pulled away.
“I do wish that I didn’t have to hear about it from Carmen,” he said. “But I think I can forgive you.”
“I’m really sorry,” she said, twining her fingers in his as they walked into the living room. “I just didn’t tell you when we met because it didn’t seem important, and then, I don’t know, I thought you might think less of me. I’m a jerk, I know it.”
Luke laughed. “No, you’re not. You’re just new to this kind of thing.” He took off his jacket and draped it over the arm of the couch. He was wearing a flannel shirt underneath it, and it sort of made him look like the foxiest lumberjack she’d ever seen.
“Do you think it’s a bad idea?” Kate asked. “Being on a show like this?” She didn’t know why she was asking him; it wasn’t like she could back out now. But then again, she didn’t want to.
Luke picked up her guitar and idly strummed a G chord. “I say, whatever helps you live your dream. If The Fame Game brings you attention for your music, then it was the best idea you ever had.”
Kate flopped down on the couch. “I hope you’re right. But the music is . . . well, I’m stuck on this song,” she said. “I’ve got this four-chord progression and the beginning of a melody, but then it all falls apart. I can’t get the right chords for the chorus. I’m stuck on those stupid four.”
Luke
