“You’re going to unbutton your top and offer to have Shane’s babies?”
“Shut-up! Of course not!” she said with a big dopey grin. “Though, if he were to suggest making out…”
I laughed despite my grumpy mood. “You are such a groupie.”
“So you’ll come?”
“It’s never going to work.”
“But you’ll come?”
“If I must.”
“You must. You need a girls’ night out anyway.”
I couldn’t argue with that. I needed to blow off some steam. Maybe a little live music would do me good. Maybe meeting Kyle would be fun. “Fine. But I call dibs on Sassy.”
Sassy. Otherwise known as a Gucci miniskirt that Cara and I found in one of our random thrift shop adventures. Normally both Cara and I stick with vintage looks, but when we came across Sassy we just had to have it.
Honestly, who donates a designer skirt to a second hand clothes shop? Cara and I like to believe it was some overprotective dad because the skirt really does make you look
that
good.
Cara and I are both a size six even though I’m nearly 5’11 and she’s closer to 5’5”. The difference is in the curves. Cara has them and I don’t. Cara’s like this exotic Egyptian princess looking girl with shiny rich brunette hair and an olive complexion that is to die for.
I, on the other hand, am more of what you’d call the All American Girl Next Door. I have long dishwater-blond hair, which of course I have to add highlights to just to make it look halfway decent, and the most generic brown eyes ever. Add the fact that my boobs are a little on the small side and I don’t have a whole lot going for me.
What I do have is legs. Long ones. Thanks to all the volleyball I play, they stay pretty toned. That makes Sassy my best friend when I need a self-esteem boost.
It worked. I felt a little better about myself as I saw the heads turn when I walked into the club that night. I’d coupled Sassy with my Victoria’s Secret Wonder Bra—which works wonders, by the way—and a pair of lace up knee high leather boots. I don’t usually go all-out like that, but getting dumped and becoming a social pariah had taken its toll on me. I was determined to get my money’s worth out of this girl’s night.
Just as Cara promised, we’d been given backstage wristbands and were shown to the VIP section. I headed straight for one of the empty booths, but, before I could sit, Cara grabbed my wrist and yanked me in the direction of a door marked private.
“It looks like they’re about to start,” I said. “Shouldn’t we wait until after the show?”
Cara glanced up at the stage and shook her head. “That’s just the opening act.”
“But won’t Kyle’s band be getting ready right now?”
“Trust me, they can’t do anything until after these guys are finished.” She pointed to the group of guys on stage fiddling with equipment. “Right now’s the perfect time because they’re all sitting back there totally bored. We need to catch them while they’re all geared up for a show, instead of after when they’re exhausted and over it.”
With that, Cara waved our wristbands to a bouncer and swept me through the backstage entrance.
Backstage was dimly lit and crowded with all sorts of equipment lying around in what looked like absolute chaos. In the middle of a sea of electrical chords there were a couple of couches. There were three rock star looking guys playing poker around a coffee table, and a fourth sitting off in a corner plucking at the strings of an unplugged electric guitar. There was most likely a fifth band member underneath a wannabe Playboy playmate on the other couch. Hard to say for sure because I couldn’t see one, but I’m sure that girl wouldn’t just be making out with the upholstery.
Cara took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, tugged at her outfit and then squeaked in excitement, alerting everyone, except the make-out king and queen, to our presence.
Guitar Boy glanced at us and then went right back to his strings, but the three other guys put down their cards. One of them gave a low whistle. “Who ordered the legs?”
My eyes widened at the way Kyle Hamilton’s eyes roamed up and down my entire body. The smile on his face did something to the pit of my stomach. I knew the skirt looked good, but I still couldn’t believe a guy like him was looking at
me
like that.
Our eyes locked and his smile turned cocky when my disbelief registered with him.
“Hi beautiful.”
My heart fluttered. Before I could respond Cara squeaked again. “V!” she whispered. “
Kyle Hamilton
just called you beautiful! Oh, my gosh! Can you believe this? We’re meeting
Tralse
! Look! Shane’s right there! Oh, my gosh, V, he’s looking at me!
He’s looking at me!
”
She was going to hyperventilate. Trying my hardest not to laugh at Cara, I prompted her to take a deep breath through her nose. “Remember what we talked about, C. You’re being one of those girls. You have more dignity than this. Get it under control.”
That elicited a laugh from the band. “Big fans?” Shane asked.
I grabbed hold of Cara in case her knees decided to give out. “She’s the big fan,” I said.
“Just her?” Kyle smirked like he didn’t believe me.
I didn’t mean to be rude, but I’d been on the defensive so much today that I automatically responded to the challenge in his voice. “That’s what I just said, isn’t it?”
“Legs with attitude.” Kyle’s tone warmed with approval. “Why don’t you bring those beauties over here. I got a spot all ready for ‘em.”
He and his buddies all chuckled when he patted his lap. I wasn’t exactly impressed.
“I think these legs are fine where they are, thank you very much.”
Kyle wasn’t deterred at all by my rejection. “I wouldn’t have expected legs like those to be quite so shy.”
“Not shy,” I informed him. “Just holding out for a better offer.”
His friends howled at the insult while Kyle and I continued to analyze each other. We fell into in a staring match so intense that I was startled when a deep voice from beneath the bleach-blonde said, “Dudes, what’s with all the noise? You’re killing the moment.”
“I don’t think forty-five minutes counts as a moment, Reid,” Shane grumbled. He chucked a pillow at the happy couple. “Sit up dude. Can’t you see we have company?” To Cara he said, “What’s your name, goddess?”
It took Cara a minute to find her voice. “Cara.”
“Cara.” He smiled. “It’s nice to meet you. Why don’t you and your friend come have a seat?”
I sighed at the way Cara’s entire face lit up, and then stepped over Turner and Hoochie to take a seat on the couch. The guys had obviously made room for me next to Kyle, but I chose to sit between Cara and the blonde girl instead because Kyle was just too tempting.
He was tall—6’ 3” or so—with haunting green eyes that seemed to smolder despite his lazy smile. His eyes were a great contrast to his thick, shiny, dark hair. And not that I’d ever seen it personally but judging from the way his t-shirt clung to his torso, he had a body that completed the entire handsome package. He was every inch a rock star. He was charming, playful and confident. He was practically irresistible. His only flaw was that he knew it.
Since his big break, Kyle had become quite the Hollywood bad boy—breaking hearts wherever he went. Judging from the way he spoke about my legs, I could only assume the reputation was legit. Not my favorite type of person considering I was just dumped for not wanting to put out.
I realized I was staring again when Kyle pulled me from my thoughts. I only hoped it was dark enough that he couldn’t see me blush. “So, how about you, Legs?” he asked. “You got a name?”
“Legs?” I scoffed. “Nice. Am I supposed to swoon?”
Kyle’s answering smile lit up the entire room. “You’re swooning on the inside.”
I told myself not to take the bait, but I’ve never been good at backing down from a challenge. “In your dreams.”
“You promise?”
I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from cracking a smile.
“You’d better tell me your name,” Kyle said. “Or Legs is going to stick permanently, and it won’t be my fault.”
He had a point. “It’s Valerie,” I admitted grudgingly enough that Kyle laughed at me.
I’d almost forgotten there were other people in the room, but just then a manicured hand came crashing down on my arm. “No way!” the blonde girl shouted. Literally shouted. Even though she was only a few inches from me. “I
knew
you looked familiar!”
“Do I know you?” I asked, startled.
“I can’t believe it! You’re, like, way famous!”
Famous? Me? Hardly.
“You’re Virgin Val!”
Oh.
I’m not sure if someone had hit the pause button on the entire room, or if that’s just what it feels like when the space-time continuum falls apart. It was completely silent for a moment, and then slowly certain sounds began to fade back in. My heart beat—pulsing at four times its normal speed. My breathing—so shallow I wasn’t really getting any oxygen to my lungs. Cara’s stunned gasp. And then…
“Virgin Val?”
Suddenly I missed being called Legs. It was Kyle who’d said it. I ignored him and looked at the girl. “How did you…?”
“You’re a
virgin
?” Again, Kyle.
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” I couldn’t help but snap.
“I’d be more than happy to help you fix that problem.”
“I’ll bet you would.” To Blondie I said, “Do you go to my school?”
“My cousin goes to Huntington. He posted the YouTube link on his Facebook.”
Cara took over the conversation then, because I was too shocked to speak anymore. “The YouTube link?”
“Oh, yeah. You’ve got over 20,000 hits already. I’ve seen it like five times myself.”
I buried my face in my hands doing everything I could not to have a full on mental breakdown in front of these people.
Cara’s arm went around my shoulder for the millionth time that day. “So someone had a camera phone,” she said. “It’s not the end of the world. Everyone you know already saw it happen anyway.”
“I haven’t seen it.”
The eagerness in Kyle’s voice made my stomach churn. I was grateful when Cara ignored him. “Who cares if some random chick from L.A. has seen it?” She looked at the girl and added, “No offense.”
The girl laughed. “None taken. I’m Nikki, by the way. I thought what you did was pretty cool. If I’d caught my boyfriend like that, I’d have killed someone.”
“Wait a minute,” someone other than Kyle interrupted. It was Shane. “What video? What happened? And are you seriously a
virgin
?”
The guy in the corner put down his guitar and walked over to us. “Who’s a virgin?”
“Legs here’s a virgin,” Kyle explained in a half proud, half mocking tone. “She’s got some video scandal posted on the Internet.”
“Ooh, virgin porn,” Guitar Boy cheered, and then squished down on the couch next to Kyle. “I’m in!”
“No, it’s not like that,” Nikki explained. “Here. I’ve still got the link on my Facebook page.”
My stomach lurched again as she pulled her iPhone out of her pocket. I gave Cara another withering glance, and she patted my arm. I didn’t want to watch, but I couldn’t stop myself from looking when Nikki brought up the video. It turns out Cara was right about people waiting for my breakdown. Whoever captured this had started filming even before I saw Olivia and Zach.
Nikki handed her phone to Kyle, and the rest of the band crowded around him eager to see the video as well. The moment I heard Olivia’s wretched voice say how sorry she was for making out with my boyfriend, I sank deeper into my seat, wishing the couch would just swallow me whole.
“Of course he chose you, Olivia,” I heard a distorted version of my voice say. “You’re the biggest skank in Orange County….”
The guys exploded with laughter. I could feel Kyle’s eyes burning into me but I didn’t look up and meet them. “Ballsy,” he said when I ignored him. “I’m impressed.” His voice sounded as if I should be doing cartwheels down the hallway because Kyle Hamilton was impressed with me.
Then, as I heard myself publicly profess my virginity on the video there was a round of gasps, then giggles and finally more obnoxious laughter.
“Cara, can we go now please?”
“We can’t,” she whispered. “We haven’t asked them yet.”
“Ask us what?” Shane asked through his laughter.
“Nothing,” I grumbled then looked at Cara. “We can find somebody else. I need to get out of here. Please?”
Cara pouted, but she could see in my eyes that I was desperate. “Fine.” She sighed and started to pull us up off the couch.
“Wait.” Shane put a hand on her wrist, and she sat back down. “Ask us what?”
Of course Shane won the battle. Cara’s face brightened as she turned to him, and once again we had the band’s full attention. “Well,” she started. “We’re on the student council at Huntington High School. V’s the vice president.”