Sugar and Spice_ An L.A. Candy Novel - Lauren Conrad [77]
When Jane stepped onto her floor, she made a quick right—and was surprised to see another PopTV camera camped outside her door, along with Matt. The camera guy spotted her and zoomed in on her.
What’s going on? Jane wondered. Was her red wine stain emergency really that interesting? But she couldn’t ask questions during a shoot, so she just kept walking to her door and inserted her key card in the lock.
She was halfway inside the room when she realized that she wasn’t alone in there. Two more PopTV camera guys were set up in opposite corners, filming.
And Caleb and Gaby were sitting on the edge of the king-size bed, kissing.
“What? Caleb!” Jane yelled.
Caleb and Gaby jerked apart.
“Janie!” Caleb exclaimed, swiping at the red lipstick smeared on the side of his mouth. “Listen, I can explain. That dude from your show told me to meet you up here so we could do a scene. Then she showed up and threw herself at me. I swear!”
“Jane, I’m sorry!” Gaby cried out. “I didn’t wanna do this. But Annabelle told me that if I didn’t, Trevor was going to kick me off the show!”
“Wait, what?” Caleb said, turning to Gaby.
Jane shook her head and covered her ears. “No! You know what? I’m really not interested in your explanations. Either of you.”
“But, Jane!”
“Janie!”
Jane went over to her closet and yanked a fresh white blouse from a hanger. “Have a nice life,” she said coldly, and stormed out the door. So I guess this is what happens in Vegas, she thought.
Once in the hallway, she pulled out her phone and called up the text from Braden.
DINNER ON MONDAY SOUNDS PERFECT, she typed.
Chapter 31
Survivor
Madison took a sip of her martini and glanced around St. Mark’s Square, wondering what had possessed Jane to suggest a Venetian masked ball. All the people in their feathery black masks were so lame, and the long, flouncy gowns made the girls at the party look old. Madison, on the other hand, had taken care to select the perfect dress for the occasion: a black Prada strapless with an asymmetrical hemline that was at once edgy, stylish, and sexy.
Actually, Madison was supposed to be “on duty” tonight, whatever that meant. But she had no interest; she attended parties, she wasn’t the help. She hated her event-planning “job” and even pretending to work there for the cameras was getting old. Besides, there was no way she was going to run around the Venetian in a uniform like Jane and Hannah. No wonder Jane’s BF had disappeared, and Intern Boy seemed so moody, with their girlfriends looking so frumpy. Madison had half a mind to move in on one or both guys. But what would be the point? She could do better.
Madison’s gaze drifted to Aja and Miguel Velasquez slow-dancing out on the floor. Now there was a boyfriend worth stealing: a super-hot, super-rich, super-famous baseball player. Her mind reeled with the media possibilities, not to mention the lifestyle upgrades.
“Maddy! There you are!”
Madison turned, sighing. Sophie was staggering toward her, holding a drink with one hand and clinging to Jesse with the other. Great. Sophie was halfway to wasted—or possibly already there—and the party had barely begun.
Madison casually switched off her mike and pretended to kiss her sister on the cheek in case anyone was watching. In fact, wasn’t that Veronica Bliss talking to the Marley twins? And Veronica’s hideous ex-assistant-turned-blogger Diego at the bar?
“For the hundredth time, it’s Madison, not Maddy,” she hissed in Sophie’s ear. “God, you reek. What is that, pot?”
“You are so old, Maddy!” Sophie whined. “Isn’t she old, baby?” She stood on her tiptoes and nibbled on Jesse’s neck, looking a little unstable on her five-inch platforms.
Madison caught her by the elbow and steadied her on her feet. She had seen Sophie trashed before, but not quite this bad.
“You wanna hit, Madison?” Jesse whispered, reaching into his breast