CHAPTER SIX

 

 

“Sutton! Liv!” I call the second I throw open the door of the house and rush inside.

When they have the nerve not to respond right that very instant, I shout for my besties again as loudly as I can. All the while, George leaps and barks at my feet even when I offer him some zealous pats. My exhilaration, apparently, is contagious.

I’m going on a date.

A date!

My dream life just got even dreamier.

“Kali! I’m live on Insta right now!” Sutton whines from our sunlit studio down the hall. “Sorry, Glammers, my roomie is demanding some attention right now. Remember those tips I gave you on choosing the right fit for your denim jeans and stay tuned. We have lots of fun announcements coming up. Mwah!”

I hear Sutton noisily smack her lips for the camera. A moment later, she and Liv emerge from the room to look at me with bewildered expressions.

I ruffle George’s head one more time and then beam at them.

“I did it,” I announce breathlessly

Both of my BFFs continue staring blankly at me.

“Um, did what, Kali?” Liv finally presses after sharing a shrug with Sutton.

“Seriously?” I moan, but my excitement is way too strong to be snuffed out that easily. “I did it. I have a date. I finally ran into that cute guy from the library again and he asked me out!”

All at once, Sutton’s green eyes go huge and Liv slaps her hands to her face with a giddy squeal.

“Really?” they both cry in unison.

When I eagerly nod, they run over and throw their arms around me. Although, maybe tackle me would be a better word for it since all three of us almost fall to the floor.

“Our followers are going to eat up some love advice!” Sutton exclaims. “I just thought of something! Do you think he’ll come on our channel? If he’s as much of a dreamboat as you say, our fans will go wild. What does he think of G&G? Does he want to be an honorary Glammer?”

I clear my throat hard. The last thing I want to do is to lie about the fact that I’m kind of hiding my identity from Grayson. Besides, I’ve done enough subterfuge for one day anyhow.

“About that...” I start haltingly. “I kind of told him I just do makeup.”

“Just do makeup?” Sutton echoes woundedly. She frowns and steps back from me to fold her arms over her chest, a hurt look in her eyes. “So, you told him you’re like a solo act or something?”

Liv shakes her head emphatically. “No way. Kali wouldn’t lie about something like that.” She turns her hopeful brown eyes back to me. “Right?”

While Liv waits patiently for an explanation, Sutton is tapping one impatient stiletto on the ground.

“Well, he…um…doesn’t know about Glossed & Glammed at all actually,” I explain quietly. “In fact, he doesn’t really know who I am. Not exactly. When Grayson and I were chatting, I left out the part about how we’re kind of famous. I want to keep things simple for now and fame is definitely not simple.” I give them a hesitant smile. “That makes sense, doesn’t it?”

“Yes,” Liv answers at the same time Sutton lets out a distressed, “No!”

I twirl a lock of blond hair anxiously around one of my fingers. “Anyway, we’re going to Franco’s tonight. We won’t be recognized there. I’ll figure out the right way to tell Grayson eventually.”

“I don’t get why you’re hiding this, Kali,” Sutton protests, following me into the kitchen. “We’re famous. We’re influencers. It’s not just what we do, it’s who we are. You’re not being honest with him.”

“It doesn’t have to be the entirety of who we are,” I argue. “I'm still just plain Kali, too, you know.”

Sutton shakes her head. “There’s nothing just plain Kali about you. There hasn’t been since G&G took off. Don’t you get that?”

My best friend’s sharp question is enough to make me furious. As much as I love my girls, we still fight about stuff sometimes. Sutton just isn’t seeing things from my perspective. I didn’t do anything wrong by hiding my internet fame from Grayson. I’m just trying to take things slow with him.

But before I can explain that to her, Liv interrupts.

“I hate to break this up, but we have another Insta live scheduled in ten minutes.” She wedges herself between us and looks at me and then at Sutton. “You two better put on your best smiles and get ready to give some makeup tips. Got it?”

I’m not sure if Liv is being as bossy as she is to halt our squabble—at least momentarily—or because she knows how important our deadlines are. Either way, she’s got a point even if I don’t like it. Whether we’re getting along or not, once that camera is recording, we’ve got to pretend to have the perfect friendship. It’s part of our brand, and our followers expect it. One time when we were live, Sutton rolled her eyes while I was talking and all of our social media accounts were flooded not only with concerned comments and questions, but also memes—some of which weren’t so funny. We definitely don’t want to repeat that low point in our career. It’s simply another reminder that every second on camera counts.

Liv herds both Sutton and me into the studio and as soon as we plop down on the plush peony pink couch, brilliant smiles light both of our faces. I’m beaming so brightly, I hardly even recognize myself on the big computer monitor beside Liv and the camera where everything she films shows up in real time for us to see, along with the comments and questions our fans post.

“Hey again, Glammers!” Sutton announces as she eagerly waves at the camera, then throws one arm around me and draws me in close. “I’ve got Kali here with us and we’re going to answer all your questions about makeup.”

I grin. “That’s right! We’ve read all your Q’s and we’ve prepped all our A’s, so let’s get right down to it!”

As we give our Glammers tips and tricks, I watch the number of viewers skyrocket the longer we talk. A thousand watchers turns into five hundred thousand into a million as the video progresses. The whole time, Sutton and I are smiling and laughing so much that my face and abs ache.

By the time we’re done filming, I’m too tired to even be mad anymore. Sutton, however, seems to have more energy than I do. As soon as we’re finished, she storms out of the studio and upstairs to her room. Knowing she’s still angry with me hurts in a way I can’t describe.

At least Liv stays with me. She takes Sutton’s seat on the couch beside me and gently grasps my hand.

“Your date is going to be amazing tonight,” she assures me warmly. “You’re going to have so much fun with Grayson. And you better come home ready with all the delicious details afterward, too!”

“Thanks, Liv,” I murmur sincerely. I can always count on her to try and lift my spirits.

She squeezes my hand and I work up one more smile before heading upstairs to get ready for my date.

Normally, I’d ask the girls for fashion advice before going out with a guy for the first time, but something tells me that Sutton wouldn’t be interested in helping. And asking Liv makes me feel like I’d be leaving Sutton out. As a result, I spend less time finding something to wear without all the girl-talk mixed in and I’m slipping my feet into a pair of cute platform sandals just as the doorbell rings.

The sound makes my pulse skip a beat.

Grayson is here.

Ready or not, I’m going on this date with him. I only hope I’ve made the right decision.

This could be the best night of my life.

Or it could be a huge mistake.