Chanel

I couldn’t stop smiling when I left his apartment.

During my short ride down the elevator, I sighed with the goofiest grin I could muster on my face, thinking about all the dirty, naughty things we did. I hadn’t felt this good in a long time. Staying the night with him wasn’t planned. I honestly couldn’t even remember falling asleep, and I didn’t mind waking up to his beautiful, sculpted face.

The elevator doors opened and I pulled my keys out of my jacket, but as I started down the hallway, my grin vanished into thin air, replaced with a frown.

Nicole was standing in front of my door, her phone glued to her ear.

“I know but she’s not answering the door. I called her and she isn’t answering the phone either,” she said hurriedly.

She turned when she heard me coming and her eyes widened, lips pressing thin. “Never mind. She just showed up. Yeah, call you in a bit.” She hung up, a hand landing on her hip. “Chanel, what’s going on? Your flight is in a few hours. We’ve been calling you all morning.” She looked me up and down. “Where is your phone?”

“It’s in my room,” I mumbled, stepping past her to unlock my door.

She huffed, trailing behind me to get inside. I avoided her eyes, walking to my bedroom and grabbing the pink suitcase from the corner. “Where were you anyway?” she asked, looking around the loft.

“I had plans with Skye.” I walked to the sofa, picking up my favorite hoodie. “Why are you here so early?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Your dad had breakfast scheduled, remember? He wanted me to pick you up. But it’s a little too late for that so we’re gonna have to reschedule.”

“Oh—shit.” I had completely forgotten about breakfast. “Sorry. We stayed up really late talking and I just crashed at her place,” I lied. God, I felt like a child, having to explain myself. But if I didn’t have an explanation, she would have started prying. And her prying would lead to needing and wanting answers. I had no doubt Nicole would hire a private investigator just to keep my dad and herself updated. She was over the top that way.

I could feel her staring a hole into the side of my head, watching my every move.

“What is that on your neck?” she asked, and when I looked up, her eyebrows furrowed. Then she took a step forward and gasped. “Is that a hickey? What in the hell did you and Skye get into over there?”

“Seriously Nicole, do you really want to know?” I glared at her while she kept up her stunned expression. “I don’t think it’s any of your business.” I walked back to my suitcase, stuffing the hoodie inside of it.

“I know it’s not my business, Chanel, but the world thinks your business is theirs now. They want to know what you’re doing every second of every day. That’s your reality now. I just want you to have a clean reputation. The cleaner you seem, the more endorsements and photo shoots you’ll receive.” She sighed like she was irritated. “Just please don’t tell me it’s Riley again.”

“No,” I retorted, annoyed by his name. “I would never date him again.”

“Well, I guess it’s a good thing you’re keeping it such a secret. But you know your dad won’t be pleased to hear it.”

“Oh, well how about this piece of advice: don’t tell him. Who I talk to or mess around with isn’t any of his business either.”

“Try telling him that,” she scoffed. “Anyway, make sure you cover it up before leaving here, and please be on your flight on time. This photographer is a stickler about his clients being on time and he has a big rep so we don’t want to disappoint him.” She made her way to the door and grabbed the doorknob, but before she walked out, she peered over her shoulder. “Be careful with this random new guy, will you? Whoever he is,” she said.

And then she left.

Sometimes I couldn’t stand Nicole.

Other times I knew that deep down she truly understood me, which made me not dislike her so much. She was a good person, great at her job, but if she found out about Kobe and me, I was certain my dad would be the first person she told.

This sucked.

I liked Kobe. A lot. And I’d just met him so the feeling was strange. Why did I like him so much? Find him so intriguing? Crave him day and night after only a couple of days? I couldn’t wrap my head around it.

He was only a floor up and with Nicole popping up like that, there was a higher risk of getting caught.

I couldn’t let that happen.