Page 84 of Inevitable Inheritance

Groaning again, Taylor reached for the remote and turned on the Today Show. There they were Kathie Lee and Hoda, and they were talking about … drum roll … “So, the big story is long-lost Taylor Preston, the heir and new CEO of Preston Enterprises, was out partying last night,” Hoda commented.

“Yeah, I don’t think evenIcould have kept up with her last night,” Kathie Lee quipped. Images of Taylor dancing and video of the salsa number flashed on the screen. Next came pictures of Derrick’s arrival, and then—oh God, it did really happen—there was video evidence of Derrick throwing Taylor over his shoulder.

“It looks like there is a crazy role reversal here,” Hoda commented. “But the question is, is he a bad influence, or is trying to tame this poor young thing when she is just getting a chance to enjoy herself?”

“Fuck!” Taylor shouted at the TV.

No, he is not a bad influence!Both of the hosts’ questions implied Derrick was the bad guy: according to the media, he was either pushing her into the club or making her stay out of them.Hello, he freaking saved me!Taylor wanted to shout at the TV, but her head hurt too much. Taylor flipped to other stations only to find more of the same. She grabbed her phone and checked headlines, same insinuations. Derrick was the bad boy.

Well that was definitely not her plan.

Now what?

She heard Todd’s words from the night before haunting her: “You are not just hurting the company putting this off.”

Taylor’s phone went off, and she was glad it was on vibrate. Groaning, she reached for it. It was a text from Derrick,Up yet?

Thank God he didn’t call. She couldn’t deal with speech at the moment.Yup,she texted back.

We need to talk.

Taylor shook her head against the pillow.Great.

Yeah.

How about dinner?

Okay.

I will pick u up.

I can come to you.

NOT SAFE.

Oh, screw this, she thought. She could barely see the buttons; she couldn’t have a sufficient argument via text right now. She pushed the call button and let it ring.

“I wasn’t sure you could talk,” Derrick said, laughter clear in his voice.

“Har dee har har, Fletcher,” Taylor replied dryly. “Look, I just want to hang. I am not exactly feeling like dodging paparazzi today.”

“All right, well we can eat there—”

“Derrick, I am not in prison. Don’t you keep telling me I am in charge? I want to start living, and I want to eat at your place. Henry just upgraded all the security and felt sure that I would be safe there.”

“He wasn’t sure, and the paparazzi are all over this place, especially after your show last night.”

“I. Am. Coming. There.” She’d had enough. Silence followed, and she knew he was not happy about the idea. “Look, I’ll have Henry bring me—”

“You mean Hanky?”

Taylor grimaced, “Oh God, did I really call him that? Yeah, him. Anyway, I’ll use a secret squirrel exit. I’ll go in an unknown car. Please, Derrick, don’t fight me on this.”

More silence.

“Come on, Derrick,” she said impatiently. “If I have to keep talking I might throw up.”

“Fine,” he relented.