Twenty minutes later we were walking into a restaurant that I could tell was way out of my price range just by the entrance. A valet swept Sienna's car away as another man in a full suit held the door open for us. He greeted Sienna by name and smiled so widely at me that I could almost count all of his teeth. I felt like I wouldn't have been greeted nearly so cordially if I'd walked in there alone.
Sienna thanked the doorman and waited for Kellan and me to catch up to her. When Kellan was level with her, she wrapped her arms around his elbow. "Ready? I'm starving." She leaned around him to speak to me. "You're going to love this place. The food is to die for."
I tried to ignore how much of her body was pressed against Kellan's. And how much thigh was showing on her mini mini-skirt. And that her top was loose and billowy in the front, but almost backless, with a deep V that nearly reached to her skirt; it screamed to the world that she wasn't wearing a bra, and I figured clothes like these were exactly why she sunbathed with her top unfastened.
As Kellan politely escorted her toward the open restaurant door, I saw flashes of light behind us. Glancing over my shoulder, I noticed men with cameras snapping picture after picture, until Thing 1 stepped in front of them and firmly asked them to leave.
Did I just have my photo taken by the paparazzi? Really? God, I hoped not.
The restaurant was just as opulent on the inside, and I suddenly felt a little underdressed. The refined hostess took one look at Sienna and instantly started leading us to a secluded table in the back of the restaurant. Sienna confidently followed the waitress; the pop star's walk had a slight swagger to it that was impressive, considering the size of her heels. Kellan followed after her with a hand on the small of my back.
A white linen tablecloth was draped over an intimate round table with four place settings. The waitress deftly removed one setting, sweeping the silver cutlery into her pocket as she indicated the three remaining places. Looking around, I saw that Sienna's bodyguard hadn't come into the restaurant with us. Guess he figured she was safe enough in here. I noticed some other guests stealing a peek here and there, but no one gave any indication that they were going to bother us. When your meal cost as much as a week's worth of groceries, you probably want to savor it, even if a celebrity is sitting a few tables away.
Not long after we ordered, our cocktails appeared, and we sipped on them while we waited for our food to arrive. This was the first time I'd really had a chance to talk to Sienna one on one. She was surprisingly warm, pleasant, and friendly-down-to-earth in a way I wouldn't expect someone in her position to be. She was even remarkably funny. It was easy to see why the world was so in love with her.
When our calorie-laden food arrived, she put a hand on her stomach and moaned, "My trainer is going to kill me for this." Lifting a perfect brow, she added, "Being scrutinized as much as I am, I try to stay fit. The last thing I want to see is my rippled ass on the cover of some tabloid." Lifting her fork, she purred, "So basically I've been starving for a freaking decade." The pasta-coated fork slid into her mouth, and she made a noise that was almost too erotic for the dinner table.
Kellan chuckled at her and gave my plate a suggestive glance, like he wanted me to one-up her satisfaction. Rolling my eyes at him, I told Sienna, "That must be difficult, having complete strangers pick you apart all of the time."
She smiled as she ate. "You have no idea." Shifting her eyes to Kellan, she bumped his shoulder with hers. "Men have it so easy. You just have to have an amazing smile and you're golden." She gave him a dazzling grin as she studied his features.
I cleared my throat while Kellan asked her, "What was it like, growing up in this business?"
She paused between bites, then lowered her fork. "Not easy. I had the domineering, stage-mom type parents. Not a lot of sympathy if I wasn't perfect. That sort of expectation is . . . challenging . . . to say the least." She looked down. "There were many nights I just wanted normal, loving parents who didn't care if I flubbed a line or missed the high note." She looked back up and her eyes were glossy. "It just would've been nice to feel loved, no matter what."
Kellan was staring at his glass, his expression thoughtful. After a moment, he whispered, "I know just what you mean."
Knowing what he was referring to, I put my hand over his. He smiled, his eyes still on his drink. Sienna glanced between us, then her expression brightened. "Well, if I've learned anything in this business, it's that you either roll with the punches, or you simply roll over." She popped a bite in her mouth. "And I'm not rolling over for anyone."
Remembering just how Sienna had skyrocketed to fame-mainly her very private moment being exposed to the world-I fixed my eyes on my plate. I didn't know how she dealt with the entire world knowing so much about her. I couldn't handle that. I wondered how Kellan would handle it, once his intimate act was exposed.
Seeing my face, Sienna asked, "Wondering about the tape, aren't you, love?"
My head shot up. "No, I . . . maybe. I just . . . can't imagine anything more horrifying." I glanced at Kellan and he sighed; the apology in the sound was crystal clear.
Sienna studied us for a minute before answering. "Yeah, that was a moment in time I'll never forget. The media had a field day-Sienna Sexton's Scintillatingly Scandalous Sex Tape." She rolled her eyes. "Alliteration junkies."
Pausing, she took a sip of her drink. "But, like I said, you develop a thick skin in this business, or it will eat you alive." She shrugged. "Was I thrilled that someone I once trusted betrayed me? No. But the genie was already out of the bottle, and before I knew it, the footage was everywhere, so what could I do? In the end, I did the only thing I could. I embraced it. I rode the hype, and steered my career down the path I wanted." A coy smile touched her lips. "It wasn't how I planned it, but it's been an incredible journey, and I haven't looked back." She gave Kellan a pointed look. "No regrets. It's the only way you'll survive in this town."
Chapter 9: Finishing Touches
The following morning Kellan and I took Anna back to the airport. Properly chastised for not being at the airport when we arrived in L.A., Griffin came with us to see her depart. It was weird to see my sister off. I kept feeling like I was missing my flight by not boarding with her. Even though I'd spent a few months on my own in Seattle when Anna had been back east with our parents, I'd gotten used to having her around. Watching my sister leave the city was hard.
But I still had Kellan, and that made things considerably easier.
After Anna left our sight, Griffin turned to Kellan. "Did you hear, man? She's having a boy . . . my boy." He lifted his chin up, pride evident in his light blue eyes.
Kellan smiled and tightened his grip around my waist. "Yeah, I seem to recall hearing that somewhere."
I contained my smile as best I could. Anna had found a way to mention the sex of her baby at every possible moment, most of the time with a perturbed scowl on her face. She still wasn't overly excited about Maximus, but I knew she would be when he arrived.
Kellan clapped Griffin's shoulder, then we made our way back to the car. As was usually the case with boys, whatever beef had been between them was over. Kellan and Griffin seemed just like they always did as they joked around while leaving the airport. I was starting to get over the embarrassment too-I could finally look Griffin in the eyes again.
As Griffin went on and on about how hot Anna and Sienna were when they lounged by the pool together, I thanked fate that Sienna was also leaving the city today. She hadn't done anything wrong, per se-and I did like her-but her interest in Kellan got under my skin a little. Sure, it was mainly a professional interest, but I wasn't naive enough to think that that was all it was. She found him just as attractive as she found him talented. She knew he was taken, but would that stop her from making a play for him? I didn't really want to find out. Distance was a good thing.
We went straight from the airport to the recording studio. Kellan and the guys were finishing up their stuff so they could get started on the new song with Sienna. I was excited to see the recording process. I'd heard Kellan describe it a thousand times, but I was eager to see it with my own eyes. Plus, I hadn't seen Kellan sing in ages, and I'd really missed it.
Showing the proper credentials to security, Kellan confidently walked me back into the working area of the studio. True to form, Kellan had his preferred instrument slung over his shoulder, while a plethora of studio instruments were waiting for everyone else to use.
The "live room" was a large soundproof space designed to achieve the best acoustics possible, or so Kellan told me. In the back was a room-within-a-room holding a drum set. There was another room off to the side that only had a microphone in it. Different sections of the main room were separated by movable panels that isolated sound. Two guitars were amped and miked, while a third space was empty and waiting for Kellan's guitar.
Just being in there made my stomach buzz with excitement. Part of me wanted to pick up an instrument and start jamming away. Too bad I was astoundingly bad at playing everything. As the rest of the guys strolled into the room, Kellan waved at some people watching us though a large glass window. Setting down his guitar case, Kellan led me to the mixing room where the magic happened. Inside, I was introduced to about five different people who were the brains behind the album.
Eli was a highly respected producer, with a resume about as long as my arm. He'd worked on Justin and Sienna's award-winning albums, and those were only a couple of his accolades. He seemed way too young to me to be as prolific as he was, but he sure knew his way around the very confusing assortment of levers, switches, and dials.
The dark-skinned man gave Kellan a complicated handshake for a greeting. Waving a hello to me, he turned to Kellan and said, "Heard you said yes to Sienna's song?"
Kellan nodded, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, it should be interesting."
Eli smacked him on the chest. "Interesting? It's going to be hot! Just wait until you hear what she's already laid down."
I sat on a chair near the door and stared around the room, feeling a little out of my element. Kellan gave me supportive smiles, but he was at work now, and his focus was on his music. Realizing I should get to work too, I asked one of the men in the room if I was in the way in the corner. He assured me it was fine, and I dug through my bag and pulled out my notebook and story notes. I made time every day to write a little, and I was well over halfway finished with my novel. I still hadn't shown it to Kellan. He was respectful, giving me my space. But I could tell he was curious.
As I tapped the pen cap to my lip, I tried to block out the world and remember how it felt when Kellan quietly pleaded with me to leave Denny and stay with him-when he'd given me the ultimatum that had seared my soul. Just remembering it brought tears to my eyes.
Just as I was about to write something, a voice intruded my thoughts. "Hey, Kiera. You okay?"
I glanced up, then did a double take. Justin Vettel, lead singer of Avoiding Redemption, was standing right in front of me. Having met him a time or two, the shock of who he was quickly left me. Giving him a warm smile, I nodded. "Yeah, what are you doing here?"
He nodded at Kellan, still talking with Eli. "Wanted to see how the album was coming along." With light blue eyes and blond hair in a layered cut that only a rock star could successfully pull off, Justin was definitely cute. He was wearing a collared shirt, and I could see part of the tattoo that stretched from one collarbone to another. I still had no idea what it said, but it was a beautiful piece. He smiled as I tried not to stare. "We're finalizing the next tour, and I want to get Kellan on it."
"He'd love that. He had a lot of fun touring with your band."
Justin smiled. "Yeah, it's a hell of a lot more fun if you're touring with guys you get along with." He paused for a minute, then added, "Do you think Kate would join me for a couple of weeks if I asked?" Sputtering a little, he immediately added, "Or would that be too forward, since we're not technically dating or anything."