ROSE CALLOWAY
My parents have rented out the loft to a ritzy hotel in New York City,
complete with thirty sprawling flat screens, hors d’oeuvres and two hundred of their closest friends. They call it a screening party for the first episode.
I call it a nightmare.
Letโs be clear. This is aย realityย show. Weโre not going to look like proper, upstanding ladies of Philadelphia. I reiterated these sentiments to my mother and she waved me off. โI know what a reality show is, Rose,โ she said. โBut this way, weโll be laughing with you and not at you.โ
Iโm not sure thatโs much better.
4 months and 25 days until the weddingย โ Mom
I slip my phone into my clutch and snatch a champagne glass from the nearest server, who wears a signature-fitted Calloway Couture black pleated dress. Another reason why a hundred plus people are here to watch our antics: they have big checkbooks. Ones that may want to invest or buy
some of the clothes that Lily, Daisy, and I wear on the show.
I scroll through my phone, checking for the millionth time that the CC website is still online. God forbid it crashes during the show. That would be my luck.
The largest flat screen at the front of the room has a countdown before the show begins. 10 minutes.ย 10 fucking minutes.
Where the hell is Connor?
My nerves have spiked to new degrees, and I restrain myself from pulling out my phone and checking the website again.
I scan the crowd quickly, and I spot Loren and Lily standing off to the side, nearest a large potted plant. This is their first Calloway hosted event since Lilyโs sex addiction became public. Half the people in the room stare
at them with curious, admonishing gazes. The other half gossip in whispers.
Lily and Loren look about as uncomfortable as they can be, shifting and avoiding eye-contact. Lo has his arm around Lilyโs shoulder, touching her in comfort and rotating her body every time a camera edges too close.
There are twelve cameramen here. Just to ensure that every moment is captured for the show.
Iโm about to walk over to Lily for moral support, but I barely take a step before Ryke approaches the couple. He hands Loren a can of Fizz Life and Lily his plate of Swedish meatballs. Whatever Ryke says, it has Lo smiling for the first time all night.
Two years ago, Lo and Lily would be standing miserable in a corner.
Addicted and enabling. A few months ago, no one could persuade my sister to leave the house because of the gossip and ridicule.
Now theyโre here.
Smiling.
Iโm usually not so sentimental. But watching my sister go from lying to broken to halfway-okay has moved me in immeasurable ways.
Itโs easier to be born strong than to find a strength that you never thought existed. For that, I believe she has more courage and prowess than I could ever possess.
My eyes linger on them before I start searching for Connor again. I find Daisy first, entertaining my mom with a few head nods. While Loren steals one of Lilyโs meatballs off her plate, Ryke watches Daisy from across the room, his smile fading and his features hardening in concern.
None of the guys like when we surround ourselves with our mother for long. I really donโt want Daisy around her for more than an hour or two.
Mom sucks our energy dry, but thatโs just her abrasive, all-consuming personality. Even if you never get used to it, you just have to deal.
When I finally spot Connor, all the built-up fuzzy, warm (generally foreign) feelings I had are replaced by annoyance.
I watch as my boyfriend greets a younger guy by hugging him and slapping him on the back in a typical bro-hug. It isย soย out of Connor Cobaltโs natureโhis true self that I know and love.
My heels clap loudly on the marble floor as I strut towards him. I tip the rest of my champagne in my mouth and set the empty glass on a tray before I land by his side.
โRichard,โ I say with heated eyes. I donโt care if I look like a bitch.
Thatโs the point. I am who I am. Why canโt he just let people see the real him? Who cares if people donโt like him?
โThere you are, babe,โ Connor says, hooking his arm around my waist.
He nods to his friend. โPatrick, you know Rose, right?โ
โWeโve never been formally introduced,โ Patrick says. He holds out his hand. โPatrick Nubell.โ
I donโt shake it. โAs in Nubell Cookies?โ It makes sense. Connor doesnโt schmooze anyone. He has to have a reason to give you his time. Money and prestige are two important factors. Nubell sits just below Kraft (Oreos) and Keebler on the marketplace. Though Nubell cookies are more natural and less appetizing.
Patrick laughs and drops his hand, realizing Iโm not going to shake it.
He doesnโt seem affronted. Maybe heโs heard of my reputation. In these social circles, I am frequently called an ice queen.
โYeah, itโs my great-great-grandfatherโs company,โ he explains. โYou probably know how that is. People always asking you which flavor of Fizz you like the best. Well, I getย do you prefer nugget or cinnamon.โ
I stay quiet, which leaves Connor the opportunity to say, โDefinitely,
man.โ He nods like he is entranced with this nugget/cinnamon conversation.
Sure, I could probably relate to Patrick on some level, but now is not the time for bonding. I haveโI check my watchโfour minutes until the show airs. And I need a pep talk. Preferably from Connor Cobalt and not the twat he has impersonated.
โCould you give us a minute, Patrick?โ I ask now.
โYeah, of course.โ He leaves, probably searching for someone as young as him in the middle-aged crowd.
When I turn to Connor his eyes drop to mine. โThat hurt me just as much as you,โ he says immediately. โTrust me, I had to use the wordย killerย andย dudeย in the same fucking sentence.โ
โYou didnโtย haveย to do anything,โ I retort. โAndย babe, really?โ I smack his arm. โAnd you gave him a bro-hug, Connor. Who are you?โ I donโt give him time to answer because I know it will be something profoundly aggravating. โAnd what were you doing with Nubell Cookies? Are you trying to partner with them? That sounds like a fantastic idea. Put magnets in the tins and make everyone sick.โ
I finish my rant and he full-on grins. But itโs different this time.
He smiles at me like every word I said was special. Like they belonged to him and me.
โWhat?โ I snap, but my voice softens when I see the look in his eye that says I mean everything to him.
He intertwines his fingers with mine and draws me to his chest, โNothing, darling.โ His breath warms my ear as he leans down. โYou look
gorgeous in that dress. Is it yours?โ
Is it yours?ย Heโs asking if I designed it. I nod.
He brushes my hair off my shoulder as I inhale strongly. His fingers run across the black fabric with studs on the collar, and he skims my neck with an even lighter touch.
โAs gorgeous as it is,โ he says, โIโm going to love taking it off you
tonight.โ He kisses my cheek, and I have to look around the room at all the faces to remember weโre in public.
With hundreds of people.
My emotions have suddenly calmed, and as Connor squeezes my hand, I realize why.
Lo is right. He has a gift.
The countdown on the screen ticks down from ten.
Ten seconds.
Thatโs all it takes to decide whether this show will fail. Ten stupid seconds.
* * *
Thirty minutes in, and itโs not looking so good.
Beside me at the screening party, Lily shields her eyes with her hand, peeking beneath as we watch the train wreck that is our lives. The six of us have congregated in solidarity by the fucking potted plant as the show
continues playing. Scott chooses to stand beside my parents, whispering things to my mother, and she laughs with sincerity.
Connorโs eyes flicker from the television screens to Scott and my parents every so often. I can tell heโd like to go interject and break up
Scottโs ploy to make nice with my mother and father, but he stays here. With me. And I appreciate that more than he knows.
We already watched the psychic disaster, and then I endured a five- minute clip where Daisy popped wheelies on her Ducati. She revved the bike too hard, and she slid off the back of the seat and ate it. Instead of
crying, she picked up her motorcycle that rode off without her, and she tried again.
After watching that, our mother looked ready to storm over to us and scold her in front of everyone. The only thing that stopped her was the two- hundred onlookers.
I finish my second glass of champagne and snatch another one before
the server darts away. The interview segments are the most interesting part ofย Princesses of Philly.ย None of us have seen each otherโs tapes. Scott would stand behind Savannahโs camera, conducting the interviews in our study, the walls lined with books. And heโd dictate questions to her to ask usโjust so his voice wouldnโt be recorded. God forbid anyone knows heโs orchestrating the show.
โLily and Lo f**k a lot,โ Ryke says, each f-bomb bleeped accordingly. He sits on a brown leather chair. โIf we had to rank whoโs getting the most, itโd be my brother, his girlfriend, then maybe Connor Cobalt and his hand.โ
Beside me, Connor grins and sips his wine, finding Rykeโs comment more amusing than I would.
Rykeโs eyes float towards the door that opens.
Daisy peeks her head through, walking straight in. โI need you out front for a second,โ she says. โWhat was the last question? If itโs important, I
can come back later.โ
Ryke stands. โNo itโs fine.โ
I donโt like where this is headed. Why would this be shown?
We hear Savannahโs voice but canโt see her. โHe was ranking who has the most sex in the house. How would you rank everyone?โ Savannah asks.
Daisyโs face lights up with a smile. โDonโt answer her,โ Ryke says.
โLily and Lo,โ Daisy ignores him with a playful grin. She bounces on her feet like she drank way too much caffeine. โThey f**k a lot.โ
Ryke rolls his eyes.
By the potted plant, Daisy apologies to Lily, โIโm so sorry.โ And then her eyes flicker between Ryke and Lo. โPlease donโt get upset.โ She directs that mainly to Lo.
Lo turns to his brother and just gives him a deep glare. โHow many shades of inappropriate are we about to see?โ
โFifty,โ Ryke quips, his lips slowly rise and we all burst into laughter,
despite the show still playing. People stare at us like they missed something on screen. They didnโt. But finding the humor in our lives is much better than reliving the bad parts.
โAnd then who?โ Savannah asks Daisy.
Ryke stares down at Daisy with a hard glare. โDonโt answer her.โ โYou did.โ
โI didnโt get that far.โ
Daisy grins like sheโs excited to be the first to divulge the information.
She spins around and stares right at the viewers [the camera] and Ryke grabs her around the waist to stop her from speaking. But she says, โIโm totally getting more ass than Ryke Meadows.โ
She laughs as she squirms in his hold.
โSheโs not getting more ass than me,โ he says. He tries to pull her into his arms and turn her away from the camera. But she spins around quickly again and plants her hands on his chest.
โOh yeah? I have a boyfriend. What do you have?โ โA six-pack and big f**king c*ck.โ
The crowd breaks into loud talk at that. Lorenโs eyes flash murderously at his brother. And Ryke just shakes his head at himself.
Connor canโt stop laughing.
Daisy tries to wrestle with him again, and her shirt rises on her waist, revealing a purplish bruise on her hip. Ryke goes incredibly still, and Daisy stops moving as her face falls.
โItโs nothing,โ she says quickly. โCome on, I need you out front.โ
We all turn on Daisy who has taken a seat on the floor, texting in solitude. Sheโs ignoring us on purpose. And I wonderโฆ
When I gave Daisy pepper spray, it seemed like she was keeping a secret with Ryke. I completely forgot about that, and so I never badgered them for the information. I think Iโm finally going to get some answers, and theyโre just going to be handed to me. No work involved. Look, the show
has another perk. Who would have thought?
โHey.โ Lo nudges Daisyโs back with his foot. โWhat the fuck is going on?โ
โItโs taken care of,โ she says noncommittally, fixed to her phone. Lo glances at Ryke. โWhy didnโt you say something?โ
โJust fucking watch,โ Ryke says. โIt doesnโt matter now. Theyโre airing
it.โ
Connor sips his wine. โClearly you hoped they wouldnโt.โ
โA part of me did, actually. But I was protecting that oneโฆโ He leans
behind his brother and points to Lily who has her head on Loโs shoulder. โSo give me a fucking break.โ
โWhat? Me?โ Lily points to her chest sheepishly. โIโm okay.โ But her
voice is small. Sheโs had to see herself make out with Lo, and all of us had a three-minute heated debate whether this was considered soft-core pornโ which sheโs not allowed to watch.
Then Daisy off-handedly admitted to being a porn-watcherโmore to keep Lily from shrinking into herself in shame. And Lo made a face like someone stabbed ice picks in his ears.
Iโm immediately brought back into the show after hearing one particular line from my sister:
โHe threw something at me.โ
Ryke breathes heavily. โIt looks like he f**king grabbed you.โ She pauses. โCan you please come outside and Iโll explain.โ
With locked shoulders, Ryke follows Daisy downstairs, into the living room, and out the front door. When they reach the street, she leads him to her parked Ducati on the curb. The taillights and headlights are busted. And the handlebars are bent out of shape.
โWhat the f**k? Mother ****ing, piece of sh*t **** **** ******* kidding me.โ He glares. โWho f**king did this?โ
โSome douchebag downtown. I came out of Luckyโs, and he was smashing my bike with his boot. He told me, and I quote, โGet out of here, you spoiled c*nt of Philly.โโ
Ryke cringes at the one swear word Iโve never heard him use. โIt wasnโt your boyfriend?โ
โNo,โ she says. โHe wouldnโt hurt me. I justโฆI was trying to get my bike back, and we had a bit of a confrontation, hence the bruise. Itโs nothing really. I was just glad the paparazzi didnโt show up.โ
Lily gapes. โTheyโre that angry at us for filming?โ The fear blinks in her eyes. If Philly locals did this to Daisyโthen what the hell are they going to do to my little sister whose sex addiction has been plastered on national
news?
The hecklingโitโs not something I really thought about before. โIt wasnโt that bad,โ Daisy tells both of us.
But Rykeโs hardened jaw says differently. On screen and off.
Ryke inspects the damage on her bike, shaking his head more and more. โWe need to press charges.โ
โI didnโt get his name.โ
โBut you can describe him to the police.โ She stays quiet.
โHe f**king assaulted you, Daisy. Heโs not getting away with this sh*t.โ โI donโt want to cause more trouble, really. Letโs just forget about it.โ โYou want me to f**king forget about it?โ His eyes fall to her waist
where he saw the bruise. And then he stands and tries to pull her shirt up.
Connor chokes on his wine. I rub his back with a mechanical hand. I really want to smack Rykeโs head, but Iโm restraining myselfโsomething Ryke clearly cannot do.
โI gave you way too much credit,โ Connor tells him. โI thought you were smart enough not to do that on camera.โ
โOn camera?โ Lo interjects. โHow aboutย not at all.โ
Daisy waves her hand from the ground, still texting. โRight here, guys.โ
Ryke extends his arms. โWhat do you want from me? She just told me she got mauled by some fucking angry idiot on the street, and she wouldnโt tell me how bad it was.โ
โFor the record, it wasnโt that bad.โ
โIt was fucking bad.โ Ryke glares at her. โYour whole side was fucked up.โ
โWhat isย fucked up?โ I say in worry. โDo you need to go to the doctor, Daisy?โ
โI already went,โ she says. โIโm fine. No internal bleedingโโ
โIโm going to strangle you,โ I tell Ryke. I step towards him, and Connor clutches my arm, pulling me back to his chest. My sister wasย thatย hurt and
no one thought to inform me?!
โWhy are you fucking yelling at me?โ Ryke shouts. โIโm not the one who tossed her to the ground.โ
โYou should have told me!โ
โDaisy didnโt want you to know,โ Ryke retorts. โIs it that hard of a
concept? You freak the fuck out, Rose. Youโre about to hyperventilate right now.โ
Iโm not.
And then I realize that my chest rises and falls in a strange, uneven rhythm. Okay, maybe Iโm not all there. But I hate that Daisy was hurt and I was purposefully left out of the secret. I should have remembered they were keeping something from me. I should have been by her side while she was at the doctorโs. This is my fault. If we didnโt have the reality show, she wouldnโt have met such a hostile pedestrianย withoutย a bodyguard.
โWere you alone at the doctorโs?โ I ask Daisy. โRyke went with me.โ
At least she wasnโt alone. But Lo glares at him, hardly thinking heโs a good replacement. Heโs better than no one.
I glance back at the big screen.ย Ryke and Daisy stop fighting each other.
He holds her arms while she stares up into his brown eyes. โIโm fine,โ she says.
โThe more you keep saying that, Calloway, the less I believe you. Whatโd he do, body slam a hundred-twenty-pound girl on the f**king ground?โ
โNo, we wrestled. In the mud. There were cheerleaders in attendance too.โ
โShut the f**k up.โ She grins. โItโs funny.โ
โYou being hurt is the least funny thing in the entire f**king world.โ โAnd thatโs the biggest exaggeration Iโve heard all day.โ
They just stare at each other for three long seconds. Ryke tries to cut the tension by looking away first. He says, โIโll take your bike to the shop. You can ride mine if you need to go to a modeling gig.โ
People mutter again, and my motherโs bony collar juts out as she inhales, her frame too skinny. With the scandal, sheโs eaten less and less. And itโs not long before her hateful gaze finds her target, landing on Ryke. Direct hit.
โMomma Calloway is going to ream your ass,โ Lo tells him. He slaps his back and squeezes his shoulder hard. โGood luck,ย bro.โ He smiles.
โYouโre enjoying my distress way too fucking much.โ โIt keeps my life bright.โ
The commercial break airs, and Iโm surprised my mother has the balls to stay here. She could cave in embarrassment at her daughtersโ impropriety and bluntness and their boyfriendsโ habit to tell it like it is. But she smiles and waves at her stereotypical WASP friends without carrying a morsel of shame. Either sheโs a terrific actress or sheโs grown to look past our unbecoming natures.
Iโd love to think better of my mother, but people donโt change that quickly, especially not stubborn middle-aged women whoโve been rooted in their beliefs for so long.
But maybe this reality show could help her forgive and accept rather than hate.
By the time the show starts again, my head spins with a decent buzz. I grab another glass of champagne, and Connor stands behind me, his hands on my waist. He gathers my hair onto one shoulder, and the cold nips my bare neck.
Weโre both suddenly distracted by the montage that playsโmoments at the house when only Lily was home.
Lily squirms on the leather couch. She adjusts her feet underneath, her forehead wrinkled in distress. Her hand starts to descend towards her jeans. She retracts almost instantly, her cheeks heating. She looks around the room to see if anyone saw. And when her eyes hit the camera, looking directly at us, the viewers, she presses a pillow to her face in humiliation.
It doesnโt end there. Her internet privileges have been restored only because sheโs taking online classes. And weโve all trusted her to stay off dirty sites.
She lies on the couch, her laptop on her legs. She glances over her shoulder and then she immediately shuts her computer, fighting a dangerous compulsion. Her hand descends towards her jeans, but she stays above the fabric and touches the spot between her legs.
โHow can they air this?โ I ask angrily.
โThe PTC will bitch tomorrow,โ Connor says calmly. โJust let it play
out.โ The Parentโs Television CouncilโIโm sure theyโll wave pitchforks at the network and producers, but itโll be all over entertainment news and blogs, just stoking the fire and causing more people to watch the footage.
Lily covers her eyes with her hands, and Lo has his lips to her ear, whispering to her rapidly while silent tears start to fall.
The clips keep coming in quick succession.
Lily rubs against a kitchen chair, unconsciously. When she catches herself, she reddens.
Lily rubs against the corner of the kitchen counter.
Lilyโs hand descendsโthree different times. But she always stops before she gets too far.
I donโt get embarrassed about many things, but I sense the judgment, the weird stares pinning on Lily in the party room. I can practically feel my sister crumpling before I even look at her.
Lily turns into Loโs chest and she grabs at his black crew-neck. She stuffs her head underneath, literally hiding inside his shirt while heโs still wearing it. โIโm not coming out,โ she says. โDonโt make me come out, Lo.โ
Loren touches her head. โStay there as long as you want, love.โ When
he looks up, he sends shriveling glares to anyone who so much as glances at him. His glares arenโt necessarily like mine or like Rykeโs. Theyโre the kind that make you feel like heโs about to go get a chainsaw and murder your
whole fucking family. Itโs a sadistic,ย I have nothing to lose, type of look that his father taught him well.
And itโs enough to cause everyone to face the big screens again.
The footage has changed to a compilation of interviews with Daisy, Lily, and me. I remember the questions being focused on sex. No surprise. Lilyโs addiction is whatโs drawing the viewers toย Princesses of Phillyย in the first place.
Since we shot everything separately, they cut to each of our answers.
โWhoโs your celebrity crush?โ Savannah asks. Daisy smiles wide. โJames Dean.โ
My eyes pierce the camera. โAudrey Hepburn.โ
Lily stares off in thought. โUhhhโฆโ She flushes. โLoren Hale.โ
Lo laughs and stares down at Lily whoโs still hidden in his shirt. โRight answer, love.โ
She sniffs, and her arms wrap around his waist underneath his clothes.
โHave you read Fifty Shades of Grey?โ
โYep,โ Daisy says, โone handed.โ She wags her eyebrows deviously.
I say, โAny patriarchal c*cks*cker who makes a woman ashamed to read it should be slapped across the face with hisโโ
Lily blushes. โUhhhโฆโ โTop or bottom?โ
โMy motherโs going to kill me,โ Daisy says. โBoth. Sorry Mom!โ
The people in the party room laugh, and my mother even cracks a smile.
I think we all forget how young Daisy is because she looks older than Lilyโฆand sheโs incredibly endearing.
But every time we cut to my answer, I look like a royal bitch compared to her, cursing the entire audience to hell.
โIโm a virgin,โ I say. โWhy ask me that inane question?โ โUhhhโฆโ Lilyโs eyes widen.
โBack door or front door?โ
โNo c*cks have been near my a**h*le, sorry.โ Daisy shrugs after answering crudely.
Lo gives her a look. โYouโre spending too much time with my brother.โ She just laughs.
I tilt my head to the side. โReally?โ
โUhhhโฆโ Lilyโs eyes grow bigger with each question. โWhat do you wear to bed?โ
โI sleep in the nude,โ Daisy answers.
โA nightgown,โ I retort, not elaborating whether itโs silk or ankle-length cotton.
โUhhhโฆโ Lily turns her head to look at the door. โLo!โ โWhips or handcuffs?โ
โOooh,โ Daisy grins. โI like the idea of whips. But you know, me dodging the whips. Make it into a game.โ She laughs.
I swear the men in this room grunt in audible desire.
I must wear a look of pure disgust because Connor squeezes my hip and whispers, โWeโre not all pigs, Rose.โ
Heโs right. I know I shouldnโt generalize the entire male species as vile, gross things thatโll get off to my sixteen-year-old sisterโs image.
And just when Iโm feeling apologetic, I spot a guy with aย clearย bulge in his suit pants. โWhat do you call that?โ I whisper in detest.
โA boner.โ
I shake my head. โYouโre such aโฆโ I trail off and then smile. โSmartass.โ
He touches his chest mockingly. โรa fait mal.โย That hurts. โJe suis content.โย Iโm glad.
His grin only grows. โThey could have chosen anything else to label me, you know. Genius would have been my number one pick.โ
โPretentious,โ I argue. โOr popularโฆโ
โConceited,โ I continue.
He flashes another smile. โHandsome.โ
My eyes flit from his white button-down that fits him perfectly to his deep blue eyes. โMaybe.โ
He takes a sip of his wine and waves me to keep going. โI have you
almostย giving me a compliment, why stop now?โ
Our banter sets a fire underneath my heart. I could kiss him. But I regretfully turn towards the big screen. I realize I missed my response to theย whipsย orย handcuffsย question, which was evasive anyway. And Lily most likely gave her perfunctoryย uhhhh.
Now the guys are being asked a series of questions, cut together like our interviews.
Loren glares, waiting impatiently for Savannah to ask him something.
โBlondes or brunettes?โ
Lo stares harshly. โBrunettes.โ
โI donโt give a sh*t about hair color,โ Ryke says, his forearms on his thighs as he sits on the leather chair.
Connor is seated with his ankle on his knee, leaning back like a CEO of a multi-billion dollar company. He has his fingers to his jaw in mock contemplation. โWhat happened to redheads?โ
Savannah clears her throat.ย She has red hair.ย โOr redheads.โ โWhat about gray hair?โ His eyes flicker up a little. Heโs staring at
Scott, who stands off screen. โYouโre forgetting black hair too. And purple, blue, orangeโโ
Lo is back, glaring.
โWow,โ Lo says, his hand on Lilyโs head, still concealed in his shirt. โThey cut off your little rant, Connor. Howโd that feel?โ
โChapped,โ Connor says easily.
โCome here, Iโll rub your ass for you.โ
Connor smiles into his sip of wine. But it must be annoying that Scott has the power to shut him up with a simple edit. I can see his irritation in the tight muscles of his jaw.
โWhoโs the messiest?โ โRyke.โ
โMe.โ
โRyke.โ
โHave you ever been with a man before?โ
Lo cocks his head to the side. And he flashes a bitter, dry smile, not giving anyone anything they want to hear.
โNo,โ Ryke says.
Connor wears an unreadable expression. โMany people want to be with me. I may give them all my attention, but Iโll only be with a handful, and of those, Iโll only really like a few.โ
โWho has the best legs?โ
โLily,โ Loren says. โBut she wonโt believe me if I say it.โ Ryke rubs his lips in thought.
Loren glares at him like โyou better not have fucking said her nameโโ but I think we all hear Daisy in his head anyway.
โRose,โ Ryke grimaces.
I laugh into my sip of champagne.
โRose,โ Connor says. โAnd then me, of course.โ โTop or bottom?โ
Lo glares. โTop.โ
Ryke shakes his head in annoyance. โI donโt care.โ โTop.โ Connor grins. โAlways.โ
โDo you think Daisy is as sexually active as Lily?โ
Loโs eyes flash cold. He stands up. โIโm done with this sh*t.โ โWhat the f**k kind of question is that?โ Ryke asks. He rises and
chucks a pillow.
โNo, sheโs not,โ Connor says definitively. He stands and buttons his suit jacket. โThatโs enough for the day.โ
While we go to commercial break, Daisy picks herself off the ground, her cellphone in hand. She tries not to make eye contact with any of the guys. Itโs clear that the media is trying to determine whether or not my little sister will turn out like Lily.
And this fact only causes Lily to stay buried in Loโs shirt, not only doused with shame but now guilt.
My chest hurts for both my sisters, but thereโs nothing in my power that can reverse whatโs happened. Maybe my clothing line isnโt worthย thisย attention.
I scroll on my phone. My salesโฆtheyโre up by ten percent so far. The little ads that cut to the commercials must be helping. They say,ย Purchase the clothes worn by the Calloway sisters right now!ย And they show the
links to the CC website.
I wish my body didnโt soar by the small success. A part of me wishes this reality show was a failure so I could easily choose my sistersโ welfare over my dream. I should do it. Two years ago, I think I would have. But I wonder if Lily would ever forgive herself for driving my company to the ground. I think she needs to know that my company is okay tooโthat she didnโt destroy everything with her addiction.
Daisyโs phone slips between her fingers and clatters to the floor. She bends down to pick it up, forgetting that sheโs in a black backless dress I
designed, short on her thighs. The dress immediately rides up, showing half her ass since she wears cut-off boy-short underwear.
My little sister has sufficiently mooned the crowd.
Ryke is the closest to Daisy. โFuck,โ he curses, quickly standing behind her. He grabs the hem of her dress and tugs down.
The three guys look over their shoulders at the nearest camera.
โDid they see herโฆ?โ Lo trails off, not able to talk about Daisyโs ass without cringing.
โThat one did.โ Connor motions to a photographer with horned-rimmed glasses, gesturing for him to come over to us. As the photographer nods and approaches, Connor pulls out his phone and makes a quick call.
Daisy struggles to pick up her cell.
โDaisy, grab the fucking thing,โ Ryke tells her, having to literally tug her dress down three more times as she moves.
She finally snatches the phone and spins towards him with a large smile. โGot it!โ
Ryke stares at the hem of her dress, making sure itโs not riding up. I should be the one doing it, but Iโm slightly tipsy, and I fear moving the wrong direction in my four-inch heels. I already sway a little. If it wasnโt for Connorโs hand protectively on my waist, I would have stumbled by now.
โAre you checking out my ass?โ Daisy asks with the raise of her eyebrows
โYeah, so did the rest of the fucking party.โ
โSo whatโd you think? On a scale of one to ten.โ She grins playfully. โIโm not rating your ass.โ
โWill you ride it then?โ
โDaisy,โ I interject.ย Stop, I mouth. She pushes Ryke too far, and heโs not one to back down from these kinds of conversations.
Daisyโs smile fades. โSorryโฆI was just messing around.โ She flips her phone in her hand. โIโm going to goโฆmingle.โ
Now I feel bad.
โNo,โ I tell her sharply. โYouโre staying.โ
โNo, itโs cool. I need to go talk to Mom anyway.โ She avoids Ryke who stares down at her with a strong gazeโfilled with this unadulterated concern. Itโs strange for such a hard-lined guy to have such potent empathy for others. But Iโve seen it come out on more than one occasion.
Connor speaks into the receiver of his phone. โGreg, you see this photographer nearing me?โ
So he called my father.
Connor continues, โHe has a picture of your daughterโs ass. Iโm going to take the camera if you donโt send someone to do it.โ
I hear my father say, โWhich daughter? And I have someone on the way.
Thank you.โ โDaisy.โ
My father lets out a large sigh. โThat oneโs going to kill me.โ
Connorโs lips slowly upturn, and his eyes glimmer with this unbridled longing. Itโs powerful but barely visible. Fleeting. Like an eclipse of the sun.
He truly wants children.
He wants the challenges that each one brings.
He smiles as though he canโt wait for that day where he has to deal with the hard parental choices, the dilemmas, the chaotic situations he must calm.
He does want it all.
But Iโm afraid I may not be able to give it to him.