Page 16 of Between Never and Forever

Olive’s mouth made an O, and there was a whole beat of silence where we tried our best to be professional.

And then we all started laughing. Hard. Tears were in my eyes because my record label had pieced together this sham of a relationship so abysmally over the years that I couldn’t even feel bad that it wasn’t looking great. I needed that laugh, too, because I was about to endure what would most definitely be months of torture.

“Don’t you dare blink and have those tears fall over onto my work of art.” Pink pointed at my face, trying to stop her giggling.

I took deep breaths. “Okay. No more jokes about my terrible career and dating life.”

“It’s not terrible. It’s fantastic considering you’re performing in a HEAT and Black Diamond resort. Artists kill to get these contracts,” Pink told me, showing she knew a bit about who had performed here in the past. “You get rehearsal time correct?”

“Yeah, a month.” I shrugged. “And then five months of performing every weekend.” It wasn’t the norm, but again, Dimitri had pulled the strings to make it happen.

Pink nodded as she moved to finish up a deep-violet eye shadow on me. “Perfect. You can survive that. Especially looking like this. Stand up and let’s see if the dress works.”

I sighed and got up to straighten my deep-purple dress. Although I had dark-brown eyes, the purple of the dress made them seem violet, and my hair up in the bun accentuated my high cheekbones. My eyes were now as smoky as Pink’s. My lips glistened. Everything was in place. I smoothed my hair again.

“You should wear it down.” Pink chewed her cheek, and when I glanced at her, she shrugged. “You’ve got beautiful hair, and you look uptight with that bun.”

I turned to the full-length mirror now and frowned. “I always wear it up.”

Olive held up her brush. “It’s her brand.”

Pink pursed her lips and then shrugged. “If your brand is you and you love it so much, then keep it up.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I said softly, trying to hold back my irritation.

“That good-girl act, the all-American sweetheart thing, has got to be a load of shit.” She turned to my friend. “Am I right? No one can possibly doll up like a cute Hawaiian Barbie all the time and sayyes, please,andno, thank youtwenty-four-seven.”

Olive didn’t even hesitate. “She’s got the sweetheart down pat for about as long as the cameras are rolling and not a second longer.”

“Olive, what the hell?”

“What? You already told her you and Ethan are fake. What’s the point in lying now?”

“I knew it.” Pink clapped her hands together and smiled big. “I was nervous I was going to have to do boring makeup for a half a year.”

“Well, that is my brand, and I—”

“You’ve got the casino backing you now. Do you know what that means?”

“Well, no, because—”

“It means you can do whatever the fuck you want. Bane and Dex aren’t going to let anything happen to you.”

“You know Bane?” I asked with a bit of hesitation. The man was ominous. He had dark hair, piercing blue eyes, wore black, and seemed to have a dark soul. Even when he talked, it seemed the whole room quivered. Yet, he was equal partner in the casino deal with HEAT. I knew his last name was Black and that he had enough money to stand beside the Hardys.

I wasn’t sure how he came about that money, but I was sure I didn’t want to find out.

“Yeah, I know him.” She rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry about him. Or the Hardys. You know they take care of what’s theirs. So, show them what you’re made of. We should have some fun.”

She said the word with vigor, like it was the only way to live, and I remembered the days I felt the same. The days back before I’d sold my soul to a devil named Trinity Enterprises. “Um…”

Olive was supposed to be my sidekick, but she nodded along with Pink. “She might be right. Maybe it’s time to show them what you’re made of. You know, for after your contract is up.”

“What?” I whipped my head to look at her.

“I’m just thinking”—she wrinkled her nose like she hated what she was about to say—“maybe it’s time to start putting a little more of yourself out there, sing some of the songs youwant, be a little more yourself, and—”

“Definitely screw Dex once or twice. See if the dick still fits,” Pink finished for her.