“And five, four, three, two…”
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” Kelly said, turning that full-wattage beam toward the camera. “I’m Kelly Kane and do I have a special edition of the show for you tonight.”
It was mesmerizing to see her do her spiel. I’d personally never watched any of her programming, but Devon and Chaz hadn’t been lying when they said she was good at what she did. She conveyed poise, professionalism, and mischievousness simultaneously. I found myself more interested in watching her talk than I was in being nervous.
I looked over her shoulder as someone gesticulated wildly. Beyond the lights, just off set, Chaz and Devon watched. It made me feel better to see them, to know they were here with me, until I could make out what Chaz was trying to convey. Oh—I improved my posture immediately and plastered a smile on my face.
“Joining me in the studio tonight is June Clark. If you don’t know the name already, hold tight. You’re about to start hearing it more and more.”
I pursed my lips and frowned before breaking out into an uneasy smile again, prompted by Chaz’s exaggerated gesturing. What in the hell was Kelly talking about? Did this have to do with her saying I was about to be famous? Was this interview going to launch me into stardom? I had my doubts about that.
“Everyone, this is June,” Kelly said, turning to me, that smile still so bright that I was sure she had some kind of hidden mechanism stretching her mouth apart for her. “You might know her better from this photo.”
Colors and lights shifted behind us, and I realized there was an enormous screen, currently showing the horrible photo of me taken with Devon at the airport upon our mad dash through the terminal.
“That’s not the best photo of me,” I said uneasily, laughing weakly.
“Well, you do clean up nicely,” Kelly chirped.
“Thanks,” I said before I considered the fact that it wasn’t that great of a compliment. That meant I looked like shit before this extreme makeover Chaz had orchestrated. He gave a big thumbs-up behind Kelly, and she continued.
“June Clark is the one you see in this picture, hat pulled down over her face, hanging on for dear life to America’s boyfriend, Devon Ray.” Kelly folded her hands in her lap, leaned forward, and adopted a look of mild concern. “June, what were you trying to hide?”
“Um, hide?” I squeaked. “I wasn’t trying to hide. To be honest, I didn’t know what was happening until we were in the thick of it.”
“Surely you knew photographers were going to be there to meet Devon Ray,” Kelly said, winking at the camera conspiratorially.
“I really didn’t. I don’t really think about those kinds of things. I’m…um…I’m from Dallas. Our most famous resident is Tony Romo. And I’m not dating him.”
“Well, you better not be!” Kelly exclaimed in pretend outrage. “You’re dating Devon Ray! You can’t have both of them!”
I swallowed. She was making me look like a fool, but then again, maybe I was one. I didn’t know how to play this game. She hadn’t asked any of the questions Chaz had prepped me with. I was afraid to look over in the wings, afraid to see what kind of faces of despair he and Devon were making.
Devon had to be mortified that I was up here, being a dummy on live television.
“You met Hollywood’s hottest actor right now in Dallas, didn’t you?” Kelly asked.
“That’s correct,” I said.
“You delivered his pizza,” she said, and burst into wild laughter, as if she’d just uttered the funniest string of syllables known to man.
“That’s also correct,” I said, puzzled at her mirth.
“Tell us about that.”
Now she was an “us?” There was more than one of her? That truly was terrifying.
“It was just a normal day, delivering pizza,” I said, shrugging.
“Pizza delivery,” she cooed. “That’s your full-time job?”
“No,” I said, struggling to not curl up and die of embarrassment. Everything that came out of Kelly’s mouth was either patronizing or condescending.
“What were you doing with your time, then, June?”
“I was caring for my grandmother full time,” I said. “Pizza delivery was a part-time job.”
“Your grandmother was sick.’’
“Yes.”
“And she raised you.”
I paused. Had Kelly done her research, or had Chaz let her know? And how in the hell would Chaz know such a thing? It had to have come from Devon, and that pipeline of information was extremely troubling.
“June?” Kelly prompted, her voice sickeningly soothing. “Did your grandmother raise you?”