Page 50 of Pretty Wild

“Atta girl,” she replies, and I can feel her grin through the phone. “You keep servicing it. Have fun.”

“I am, Ariana.”

“Good. I’ll let you go, so you can get back to the vagina servicing,” she blurts out with a hearty laugh.

“Goodbye, Ari.”

“Bye-bye, sweetie. Oh, wait! Don’t forget about the release celebration when you get back. It’s the following night. You’re still coming back for that, right?”

How could I not? The release celebration has been in the works for the last three months. It’s a culmination celebration of the reality show, the summer release of my line, and a preview of what’s to come. “Yes, I’ll be home on that Friday.”

“Good. Anything I can help with?”

“No, the party planning company is on it, and my mom is their point of contact, working on all the behind-the-scenes details. You know she loves these kinds of things.” Jade Holmes is the ultimate party planner and event organizer.

“I’ve got a meeting scheduled for later this week to go over what she needs from me on this side. Plus, we’re working together on announcing Desi as the new face of Ryan Holmes Cosmetics, since the network completely fucked you over and didn’t include it during the finale.”

No shit. I was totally fucked, and not in the good way.

“We’re working on it. The celebration is in good hands. Don’t let a single worry enter that pretty little head of yours. Take this time and decompress. Everything will be here waiting for your return, and then we’ll hit the ground running. Until then, we have it handled, and if there’s something we need help with, we’ll reach out.”

“Thank you, Ari.”

“You’re welcome, Ryan. Talk soon.”

I hang up the phone and shake my head. Everything is being handled.

My vagina is still in firm agreement with Ariana, hoping to get a little more servicing soon. The way blood keeps humming through my veins and my panties are slick with desire, I might be sitting on his front porch, waiting for him to get home.

Or maybe I’ll stop by the repair shop.

No, that won’t work. Not that I think the paparazzi are hanging out near Marcus’s auto shop, but the last thing I need is to be photographed coming out of his office after being “serviced.” I wouldn’t mind having his fingers in my hair, but I don’t necessarily want the world to see the aftermath.

I scan through the rest of my emails, replying to the ones I need to and putting the rest off until later. My fingers hover over the ones from Bradley and the network, but I don’t tap to open them. I should—I’m under contract—but I told him I needed time, so that’s what I’m doing.

Taking time.

That stupid reality show.

No, I can’t exactly blame the show. It did exactly what I was hoping it would. It gave me the exposure to elevate my makeup and skincare line into a global sensation. My name is being carried in some of the biggest department stores in the world, and I couldn’t be prouder.

Now, all that feels…inconsequential.

Why? Because what should have been dubbed a success—meaning the end of a great first season and the skyrocketing global sales—was completely overshadowed by the fact my boyfriend betrayed me.

On television.

And I found out along with the rest of the world.

Bradley told me they were planning a big bombshell during the season finale, but it wasn’t what I expected. Ithoughtit was going to be the announcement of my new product line and the fact one of the biggest stars in Hollywood was going to be the face of my company. That’s what I was expecting.

That’s not what I got.

Instead, I watched in horror as the man I’d been seeing off and on for three years confessed his darkest secret—and biggest lie—to the world. Sure, the network got exactly what they wanted. Ratings gold. Me? I get to clean up the mess.

After replying to a few emails from my mom and the party planner, Veronica, about the celebration event, I closed down my email and flipped over to my text messages. I scan through the list, tapping out replies to the few friends who reached out following the finale. Most were shocked, repulsed by what they saw, and a couple even had comments about Vaughn’s duplicity and the fact he should be shunned right out of Hollywood.

Couldn’t agree more…

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