05

I rolled my eyes. “I never told you to guess. This is why.”

She shot me a grin. “Okay, I’m listening. Tell me !”

“My dad got us last minute VIP tickets to Paramore’s sold out concert tonight.” I smiled smugly, fishing the tickets out of my bag and waving them in front of my face.

Taylor’s eyes widened. “Nuh-uh !”

“Would I lie to you ?”

“Actually, you would,” she said, laughing as she climbed into the passenger seat of my car. I was going to protest, but even I had to acknowledge that was true.

Before climbing into the driver’s seat, I looked over at my bodyguard. “Jack, can you drive Taylor’s car over for us ? She’s riding with me.” Taylor reached over and handed me her keys, and I threw them over to Jack. His quick reflexes were the only reason they didn’t hit him in the groin ; I wasn’t much of an athlete.

“How did your dad get these tickets ?” Taylor asked as we drove over to our apartment. “That concert was sold-out way before we even found about it.”

We usually didn’t have any problem getting VIP tickets to concerts, but getting VIP tickets to sold-out concerts was a different matter. “I don’t know,” I said with a shrug. “He’s my dad. He just got them.”

“Is there anything your dad can’t do ? Holy crap.” She shook her head. “I’m so excited now ! What time does it start ?”

“It starts at eight, but we meet the band at six, and it’ll take around an hour to get there, so we should be ready before five.”

“Are you kidding ? I’ll be ready by four !”

“Of course you will,” I said, pulling into our designated parking spot over at our apartment building. It was more like a permanent five-star hotel than an apartment building, really. It was located in the nicest part of the city, and the rent was ridiculously high. It was so worth it, though ; our apartment was huge and gorgeous.

People always thought it was weird that Taylor and I had our own penthouse apartment, and I guess I saw where they were coming from, but it wasn’t like we never went home. We just stayed at our apartment when our parents didn’t come home or were away on business or something. Our houses were beautiful, huge, and lavishly decorated, sure, but they were downright depressing when they were empty. This apartment may not have been homely, exactly, but at least Taylor and I had each other when we were there.

“I’m going to go take a shower,” I said, setting my bag down on the couch the minute we walked through the door. Looking around, I realized Jack was nowhere to be found. “Where did Jack go ?”

Taylor slowly pointed to the kitchen.

“He’s going to try to eat my chocolates again, isn’t he ?” Taylor didn’t answer, and I let out an angry breath. Those were my special chocolates. My dad brought them back from his trip to Europe, and they were the most delicious thing I’d ever tasted in my life. There was no way I was going to let Jack take them from me.

When I sauntered into the kitchen, I saw Jack hunched over the counter, sneaking some of my chocolates. Why was I not surprised ?

He was obviously aware I’d never fire him for stealing my food or being downright annoying. There was no way any of my other bodyguards would ever pull any of the crap Jack pulled. I had several bodyguards, but most of them were only needed for big events. Jack was the only one who accompanied me everywhere.

“What do you think you’re doing ? Those are my European chocolates, you fat pig ! We’ve gone over this !”

“You clearly learned nothing in Kindergarten,” Jack said, shoving one last chocolate in his mouth. Once he’d chewed and swallowed, he added, “Sharing is caring.”

I rolled my eyes. “You know I don’t share or care. If I catch you stealing my food one more time, you’re getting an unpleasant surprise. You’ve been warned.”

“Do I even want to know ?”

“No, you do not.” My imagination tended to get carried away. “All I can say is you won’t like this surprise.”

I shot him a look that was supposed to be threatening, but he just looked amused. “I’m sure I won’t,” he said, shoving yet another chocolate in his mouth.

I snatched the box out of his hands, shooting him a dirty look as I strode away. I headed to my room to hide the chocolates, and I could hear his laughter fade as I got further away.

After taking a shower, I walked past Taylor’s room, and I could actually hear her squeaking in frustration through the closed door. Her squeaks were that loud. I was going to ignore her, figuring it couldn’t be anything important, but when she started to scream for me, I found that a bit harder to ignore. “Emmy,” she yelled. “Come here ! I need your help !”

I tried to walk away, but eventually her nasally screaming grew to be unbearable. “Emmy !” she whined. “Come on, Em, I need your help ! Please !”

Heaving a loud sigh, I gave in and trudged into her room, adjusting my towel as I did so. “Yes ?”

“I have nothing to wear,” she wailed. She was sitting on the floor in front of her closet, a frustrated look on her face. “I have nothing. Absolutely nothing !”

I made my way over to her closet and shuffled through it, examining every piece with a critical eye. I pulled out several adorable tops and dresses as options, but she dismissed each one. “These just will not work,” she exclaimed, shaking her head at each and every option I gave her.

After I’d had enough, I said, “Oh, screw you, then. Go naked for all I care !”

Her mouth dropped open and she huffed. I decided that would be a good moment to go to my room to get changed and did just that. I’d just finished changing into my bra and underwear when she barged in with a triumphant look on her face. “I picked an outfit !”

“That’s nice.”

“Now it’s your turn,” she sang, strutting over to my closet.

“I can pick my own outfit.”

“Yeah, but I want to help,” she said, and she began pulling out options. Just to get back at her, I dismissed each and every one with a ridiculous comment. I actually liked a few of the things she pulled out, but she’d made me stand there like an idiot for ten minutes. I was just returning the favor.

“Too bright.”

“Not bright enough !”

“Not slutty enough…”

“Too slutty. Ugh.”

“Too old-fashioned.”

“So last season.”

“What do you want me to look like, Chewbacca ?”

“I’m not going to Antarctica, Taylor.”

“That looks like something my dad’s dog would wear…”

“And that looks like something my dad would wear.”