The Playboy's Princess (21 page)

“Oh, that’s not necessary. I trust your judgment, and if you would like clarification on anything, I know Laura has impeccable taste,” Jade said.

“If you prefer.” Cassandra looked over at Laura, who nodded her head in agreement.

“Very well. Laura and I shall flush out the details, and I’m sure she will fill you in on everything as the decisions are made. In the meantime, I
will
need both bride and groom to be at scheduled fittings, rehearsals, and press appointments. Plus, Jade will need media training.”

“Press appointments?” Jade asked, her voice higher than normal.

“Of course,” Cassandra said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Aaron Malik’s son is getting married. Andrew will be the main focus of the attention, but they’ll be curious about you too, Jade. I’m surprised they haven’t approached you already.”

“We’ve had a few paps following us around,” Drew said.

Cassandra nodded her head knowingly.

“I’ll schedule some interviews with the media, and hopefully that will help to quell their curiosity. Now, Jade, we only have a few weeks, and it’s going to be
impossible
to get your dress made by then, so we can’t waste any time. You’re going to come with me today, right now in fact, for a fitting.” She handed them each a printed timetable. Drew’s appointments were highlighted in blue and Jade’s in pink. “As you can see, Andrew, you aren’t needed today so I’ll see you tomorrow for your tuxedo fitting. Jade, follow me please.”

“Bye,” Jade said, sounding like a child who’d been sent to her room.

Jade tried to think of something that would be worse than her current situation, but nothing seemed that bad.

“Maybe being submerged in a tub of live insects,” she pondered softly to herself. “No, this is still worse.” She let out a long sigh and stared at the full-length mirror.

“Ouch!” she said.

“Sorry,” the seamstress said from under her skirt. “These pesky pins keep slipping. I’ll be more careful.”

“I like this off-the-shoulder look,” Cassandra said, chewing the end of her pen and looking the dress up and down.

It was much fancier than anything Jade would have picked on her own, but she had to admit as she looked in the mirror that it was a beautiful gown. The ivory silk practically glowed as it cascaded over her hips to where the seamstress was hemming the train.

“Fire!” Jade blurted out, causing the seamstress to jump up and Cassandra to spin around, looking wildly around her. “Oh, sorry. There’s not a fire.”

“Why did you say that?” Cassandra asked, taking a deep breath and laying her hand over her heart.

“Sorry. I was thinking of something else.”

Jade decided that being burned alive was worse than this. She stood still for the three hours it took to pin and cut the dress to her measurements and kept reminding herself that at least she wasn’t on fire.

“Wanna play some ball?” Sam asked.

Drew sighed and moved the phone from his left ear to his right. “I’m a bit basketballed out.”

“What? You love shooting hoops!”

“Yeah, but now I have to do it every day. The fun’s kind of been taken out of it.”

“A drink then?”

Drew smiled. “That will never lose its fun. I’ll be over in ten minutes.”

Drew drove the few blocks to Sam’s place and let himself into the large house. Sam’s trust fund had matured when he was eighteen. The one thing his parents had insisted on was that his first purchase was a house so that even if he wasted the rest of his money, he’d always have somewhere to live.

“I’m out back!” Sam called.

Drew went to the fridge and grabbed a beer on his way out to the pool. Sam was lying on a deck chair wearing sunglasses and a pair of shorts, a beer bottle balanced on his abs.

Drew cracked the top off his own beer and settled down in the deck chair next to Sam.

“’Sup?” he asked.

Sam rolled onto his side and pulled his sunglasses up. “So, how goes the fake wedding plans?”

Drew spat beer down his shirt front. “What?” He pulled his shirt off and dropped it onto the ground.

“Oh come on, Drew. I’m not stupid. You might act all high and mighty that our plan was a joke, but look at you now. A few weeks later, and you’re magically engaged. Who is she? She’s the blowjob girl, right?”

Drew closed his eyes and settled into the chair, tipping his face up to the sun. He was trying his best to look casual while he thought his way out of this. He couldn’t let Sam know he was right. The ego on his friend was ridiculous, and Drew would never live it down.

“It was a coincidence.”

“Fuck off!” Sam laughed. “You truly expect me to believe you threw out all those letters and then miraculously met a girl who wanted to marry you instantly? Oh, and that you got a personality transplant and actually
wanted
to get married?”

“It’s the truth.”

“So, you’re in love. You’re head over heels. You never want to see another woman naked for as long as you live.”

Drew laughed. “I’m still a guy, Sam. I’ll always want to see naked girls.”

“Nice avoidance, my friend. Come on. I thought we were friends. I’m not going to tell anyone. It was
my
plan all along, remember?”

Drew sighed and drained his beer. “Fine. Jade is the hater girl.”

Sam’s jaw dropped open, and he hooted with joy. “I knew it! How did you make the
hater
agree to marry you?”

“With my charming wit.”

“Phew. You are
good
, my man.”

Sam got up, put his empty bottle on the ground, and did a back flip into the pool. When he came up, he shook his hair like a dog, splattering Drew with water.

“You can’t tell
anyone
. I’m serious, Sam.”

“My lips are sealed. But, seeing as you’re not in love with her…that means I can have a crack, right?”

“She’s going to be my wife!”

“Legally maybe, but not
really
. And anyway, she’s smoking hot. If you’re not going to enjoy her, someone should.”

Drew glared at his friend. He was going to have to keep Sam away from his Ariel.

“Now, before the wedding, it’s going to be important for you to learn how to deal with the media. I’ve seen clips of you and Drew out together, and your performance was…well, it was pitiful.”

“Gee, thanks,” Jade said, sighing.

Cassandra smirked. “I’m not paid to be kind, dear.”

Jade shifted in her chair. She knew this was inevitable. If she was going to be part of the Malik family for the next year, she’d have to face interviews, and the paparazzi would only get more intense, especially with the wedding coming up.

“Okay, educate me,” she said.

Cassandra smiled and gave an approving nod.

“First lesson—posing for photos.”

“We can skip that. I have my photo taken for a living,” Jade said proudly.

Cassandra set her lips in a thin line. “Posing for a photo you want taken and ones you are being hounded for are two very different things. Just go with me for a few minutes.”

Jade spent four hours (Cassandra’s version of a few minutes) smiling while showing teeth, smiling without showing teeth, learning how to give a polite I’m-not-happy-you’re-taking-my-picture-but-I’m-not-going-to-be-rude face, and some full body stances specifically for the paparazzi.

“You have an excellent figure, so I won’t bother teaching you about hiding wide hips or a round tummy. Any way you stand, you look good, so just focus on looking comfortable. Don’t ever look directly into a camera lens. Even if you’re posing for a specific camera, always look slightly to the side.”

“Why?”

Cassandra’s advice went against everything she’d been taught for photos at work. When she was Princess Ariel, she always smiled directly into the lens.

“The pros get paid more if they get eye contact. Why do you think they’re always screaming at celebrities to look at them? Just don’t do it. They are going to make your life hell, so don’t do them any favors.”

“Got it.”

A knock sounded, and Jade wanted to kiss whoever was on the other side of the door. Drew stuck his head in.

“Andrew, how lovely to see you,” Cassandra said, her arms held wide in welcome.

“I thought it might be time for a break,” he hinted. “Have you stopped for lunch yet?”

“Is it lunch time already?” Cassandra asked, shocked.

“It’s almost two,” Drew told her. He winked at Jade when she flashed him a grateful smile.

“All right, we’ll call it a day on lesson one. You did well, Jade. Tomorrow we’ll work on lesson two. Interviews.”

She strode out of the room and turned in the direction of the kitchen.

“How was lesson one?” Drew asked, leaning against the doorframe and looking much too handsome for his own good.

Jade gave her best I’m-not-happy-you’re-taking-my-picture-but-I’m-not-going-to-be-rude face.

“Very nice,” he said, chuckling. “I’m impressed. It took me months to get the I-hate-your-guts-but-have-to-smile face down pat. You wouldn’t believe how many pictures there are of teenage me scowling at photographers.”

“I think I’ve seen a few of them.”

Drew rolled his eyes. “Of course you have.”

“I might have Googled you after we met.” She blushed a little.

Drew laughed. “I’m not surprised. I would have done the same thing in your shoes. You hungry?”

“Starving.”

He led her out of the study, and they walked down the hall, hand in hand.