Not If I Date You First

Chapter 13

I shake my head at her.

"OMG. That's your photographer girl, isn't it?" Ariani whispers as Paul starts hinting at what fans can expect from the upcoming season.

"That's her, alright," I mutter.

"You know I hate to admit Wes is ever right about anything, but she really is cute." Ariani gives me an approving nod like she's forgotten I'm only pretending to date the girl. As if on cue, Ada narrows her eyes at me in an extra-salty glare. Ariani giggles. "Yikes. You weren't kidding about her hating you."

"She absolutely detests me."

"What are we whispering about?" Faye leans around Ariani.

"Liam's new girlfriend." Ariani jerks her chin toward Ada, who's still scowling at me from over her camera.

"Ooh, she is cute," Faye agrees.

"Told you," Wes says from the other side of Faye. Unfortunately, he has his mic turned on, and his voice carries through the concourse, cutting Paul off mid-sentence. Wes bites his lips together, shoving the microphone behind his back, looking like a kid who just got caught talking during class.

"Since our actors seem to have so much to say today, let's go ahead and open it up for questions." Paul shoots a look at the four of us. We all wince, and everyone laughs.

A dozen hands shoot into the air, and Paul points at a woman with spiky, gray hair in the front row.

"Gloria Jones with Fame," the woman identifies herself. "My question is for Ariani and Liam. After seeing the trailer, I think it's safe to say that what everyone wants to know is whether your characters are finally going to get together."

I raise the mic to my lips. "We wouldn't want to spoil anything for the fans, so we can't answer that one just yet. Sorry."

There's a collective groan from the audience.

"But," Ariani chimes in, "we're confident you'll all be very happy with the way everything plays out."

Hands fly up again, and Paul nods at a paunchy middle-aged man with astonishingly hairy arms.

"Jonathan Smart with The Trib. This question is for Ariani and Liam also."

I nod my head at him and see a sheen of sweat across his forehead.

"Wouldn't it be awkward for the two of you to kiss on camera, considering Ariani and Faye are currently dating in real life?"

My temper sparks. I can't believe this dude thinks it's appropriate to ask such a personal and invasive question. Before I can get too upset though, Ariani deadpans into the microphone, "More awkward than you can even imagine."

I turn to her, mock-offended. "I'm going to pretend like that isn't a dig at my kissing skills." I nudge Ariani with my shoulder. "But when you have an entire crew watching your every move and someone directing you on the angle of your head, where to put your hands, and how much tongue you should be using...yeah. Kissing anyone on camera is awkward, to say the least."

"Unless you're lucky enough to be cast opposite me, of course," Wesley adds. "These lips are never awkward." He strikes a duck-lipped pose and the audience whistles.

Faye turns to him, tilting her head to the side. "You sure about that?" she asks, earning some belly laughs from the crowd. Faye and Wesley's characters dated briefly during the first season.

"Over here, Liam," a woman shouts, not waiting for Paul to call on her. She doesn't look much older than I am. "Can you tell us how your new paparazzi girlfriend feels about you kissing other people on set?"

Her question catches me off-guard. I probably should've been expecting it after the show me and Ada have been putting on over the past week, but I legit don't have a clue how to answer. I dart a look at Julian, who's sitting in the front row. He waves his hand in a small circular motion, and I can practically hear him thinking, Come on, kid. Say something.

I glance over at Ada. She's eyeing the exit as though she'd like to try and shove her way right back out of here. But since she's the one who branded us with the whole boyfriend/girlfriend label on social media, it's her fault I'm being asked this question right now. If I have to deal with the fallout from her posts then so does she.

"Oh, it's not a problem," I say into the mic, plastering on my most charming smile and hoping no one else will register the sarcasm in my voice. I fix my eyes on Ada. "She's very supportive of my career, and she has so much respect for other people's boundaries."

Ada crosses her arms over her chest, eyebrows arching and lips twisting into an unamused expression.

"She's also a huge fan and is just totally crazy...about me."

The death stare Ada hurls at me is so vicious, I'm pretty sure she's attempting to liquify me by sheer force of will.

I have to press a fist to my mouth to keep from laughing. One by one, the photographers follow the direction of my gaze, swiveling their lenses toward Ada. The color drains from her cheeks as she drops her scowl and forces her face into what I think is supposed to be a smile. It looks more like she's baring her teeth at them.

"Is that true, Miss Datchery?" one of the reporters hollers at Ada. "Can you tell us how you feel about Liam in your own words?"

Ada shifts her weight from foot to foot, wrapping her arms around her waist. Her shoulders hunch like she's trying to disappear inside herself. "Uh..." She clears her throat. "Well, Liam is so...sexy and, um, very talented. And I have just, you know, all the feels." She nods a little too vigorously in an attempt at enthusiasm that comes across looking slightly rabid.

I snort. God, I hope she's a better photographer than she is an actor. It's hard to believe anyone is actually buying this, but when I look around the room, everyone is hanging on her words. I even hear a couple people say, "Awww" from the back of the room.

Paul calls everyone back to attention. "As fascinating as our stars' personal lives certainly are, let's try to stay focused on the show here. Who's next?"

The reporters jump out of their chairs, hands firing into the air, and the conversation transitions to safer topics. They bombard us with question after question about Cipher, about what filming the last season has been like, and if we think we'll still be friends after we wrap this summer. On, and on, and on it goes.

But the panic that always unravels me during these events ebbs a little each time I look at Ada and see her scowling back at me. Antagonizing her is, apparently, the ideal distraction for me to cope with the media.

When the interrogation eventually comes to an end, Paul asks everyone to remain in their seats, so we can safely exit the building. I'm only too happy to hop off my stool and follow a couple of security guards down the staircase.

The fans cheer. Some of them call my name, and I raise my hand in a wave, sweeping my eyes over the room one last time. I find Ada in the crowd.

She looks right at me and mouths the words, 'You're the worst.'

Pressing my fingers to my lips, I blow her a kiss.

She wrinkles her nose in a look of utter revulsion as I laugh.

Faye comes up beside me and loops her arm through my mine as we walk through the corridor, heading for the exit. "You know, I think I like that girl. She's spunky."

"She's something, alright," I mutter. But when I glance at Faye, she's watching me, a knowing expression on her face