Luxe Glamour (The Glamour Series Book 5) (2 page)

“Hear we got some new killers to reform.” Luis lived to work with these hard-core dogs. He was magic. He stopped in front of Rose’s kennel.

“Females are the toughest.” He stood with his hands on his hips. “Once they turn it’s hard to get them to trust again.”

I didn’t want to compare women with a dog, but that sounded oh-so-familiar. Lucky for me, after a long rocky history with the fairer sex, I now chose to spend my time and money on dogs, not women.

My phone vibrated in my pocket. I always kept the ringer turned off when I visited the kennels. The sound could send these red-collars into a frenzy. I pulled out my phone and glanced at the caller ID. “Gotta take this one.” I hustled down the corridor and through the two safety doors into the bright light outside. The desert sun warmed my arms.

“Hey, Choo, what’s up?”

“You out there in the dirt playing with the pups?”

A grin split my face. Choo and his older brother Dillon were big supporters of Pawtown. I’d recently asked Choo to handle publicity for our non-profit no-kill shelter and he had jumped at the chance.

“How are things going at Dillon’s house? Are the dogs behaving?”

“Kong rules that household. Even with the new baby. You’d think that Chihuahua was meant to be the baby’s bodyguard. Kong won’t let anyone but Dillon and Lane near the little guy.”

“What about Bernie?”

“He’s a pussycat. The big boy lopes along beside Lane and Dillon, never letting them out of his sight. He even nudges them when he hears the baby wake up from his nap.”

“Sounds as if they’ve got a good pack at that house.”

“Don’t I know it? And it’s all because of you, you know? Jackson and I were talking about it, and we’re about ready to adopt some dogs of our own.”

“Come on out any time. We’ve always got pups looking for their forever home.”

“Maybe you could bring a couple in to Los Angeles? End of this week?”

My shoulder muscles tightened. Los Angeles was only two hours away and yet I avoided the place as much as I could. When I was there I felt as if I were on an entirely different planet.

“I’d want you to attend the Left Coast 30th Anniversary Concert.”

“Uh-huh.” I kicked my boot through the gravel and gazed out over my fifty acres of land dedicated to every kind of critter except humans.

“Trick, they’ve been big supporters of Pawtown. This is the type of event we talked about you doing when I agreed to do PR for you.”

“Holding that one over my head, are you?”

“They’d like to underwrite a Pawtown event the day after their anniversary party. They want to set up a public adoption. Of course, many of the Left Coast musicians want to adopt, but I’ve also contacted a long list of actors who also love Pawtown and what you’re doing out there. I’ve gotten a lot of yeses.”

Damn. How could I say no to an event that might help some of our dogs find a permanent home? Plus the attention at an event like this would be great for Pawtown.

“Trick, I know you like a private life, and I understand that you prefer to live that private life at Pawtown. But sometimes, man, you’re going to have to use that celebrity of yours and be
The
Trick Williams.”

My chest tightened. I had a past I’d never escape.

“Pawtown needs this,” Choo continued. “You guys do great work and the more money you raise, the more animals you can save. And don’t forget, the public still loves you.”

“The public doesn’t
know
me.”

“They miss you, no matter what you say or think. Besides, you do these two events and you’ll find homes for a lot of your animals. Isn’t that what you want?”

I filled my lungs with air and scanned the blue sky. Choo was right. He was
always
right.

“I don’t want to rub it in, but this was part of our deal, right?” Choo asked. “You come out of hiding for a few of these high-profile events and I help you with Pawtown.”

“I’m not hiding.” Even I knew I sounded defensive.

“Mmmhmm. Let’s just say you have your story and I have mine.”

His singsong voice let me know that he wasn’t buying my story. Hiding was for cowards, and I wasn’t hiding. I just didn’t want to go to L.A., and I sure didn’t want to be around people. I preferred the dogs at Pawtown to most humans. Choosing to remain at Pawtown wasn’t hiding; it was just admitting that I knew who I was. Wasn’t it?

“I already talked to Angie.”

Of course he’d spoken to my sister. He wasn’t a PR guru for nothing. Now I had no choice but to say yes.

“When is the event?”

“The party is on Friday night, and the adoption event is on Saturday. California casual.”

“Fine.” Damn if I didn’t love these animals and what Angie and I had built out here. Changing the subject, I asked Choo, “Do you and Jackson want a large or a small dog?”

“I like the little dogs like Kong. They’ve got lots of personality in a tiny package, but Jackson? He likes them big. He wants a dog that he can run with every day because, you know, I’m not getting my ass up and out the door for exercise.” Choo said the words and I pictured his eyebrows nearly hitting his hairline for emphasis. “So bring us a cutie pie and an athlete.”

A laugh burst from my lips. I couldn’t help it.

Choo said, “I know, baby, I know this sounds exactly like what I’ve got going on at home. Go figure. Listen, when you come out for the weekend, you can stay with us, or with Dillon and Lane. Angie, too. We’d love to have you. Just let us know what you decide.”

“Thanks, Choo, I’ll see you Friday.”

“Yes, Trick, you certainly will.”

Sophia

“Daddy, thank you for sending the car.” I leaned back onto the plush black leather seat of his Bentley and pressed my phone closer to my ear. The driver was taking me from my cover shoot to my home. Such a relief not to have to fight my way through Los Angeles traffic after a long day on set.

“Doll, the way you’re working right now, you need to find luxury anywhere you can.”

A small smile spilled across my face as I listened to Daddy’s words about how hard I worked and how he knew how much my success meant to me. I
wanted
Daddy to be proud of me. I wanted him to know that I deserved the Legend name. Now that the world knew about me and my siblings, and our relationship to the great Steve Legend, I would never, ever, let him down. Even if my childhood had been one big letdown after another since Daddy hadn’t wanted to claim us. At least not publicly. 

“How’d the shoot go in Santa Monica?”

“The Pacific is freezing cold.” I wrapped my arms around me as I remembered the sand in my bathing suit and the water turning my lips blue. I’d spent hours today getting in and out of the water.

“We all make sacrifices for our work, doll. Did Beverly book any of her other girls for the shoot? Any of your beautiful friends riding in my Bentley with you?”

My heart sank. Daddy always wanted the names and numbers of the models I worked with, and while my model friends were more than happy to hang on the arm of my very famous father, a sad sick feeling trickled through me every time he called to get numbers for the girls I worked with.

“No, this shoot was just me.”

While his response should’ve been full of congratulations knowing that I had been featured in this
Vogue
spread, I got only silence. Hurt pulled through my chest. Even now, Daddy continued to disappoint me.

“Sounds good, Doll,” he said, changing the subject. “What’s on your agenda this week?”

“I’m going to the Left Coast Gala later in the week. What about you?”

“We’ve got our own table front and center. What with your big brother Rhett dating Tasha, we Legends are taking over the entertainment world. Did you see that Rhett’s album went platinum?”

“Yeah, I know. I’m thrilled for him.” Despite my words, a twinge of jealousy pulsed through me. I wasn’t envious of Rhett’s success—I was happy for him—but to hear Daddy speak so highly of him when he ignored my achievements made my heart ache. I wanted to remind him that I was making a success of my life too, so I added, “Did you see that my Twitter account reached one million followers? I’ve been working so hard on that.”

“Great, Doll, just great.” I knew he was blowing me off when he added, “Sterling’s film is tracking number one for its opening weekend.”

You mean the film you nearly disowned him for making? The film that you claimed would never be made? That film?
I wanted to yell at him, but I didn’t. I knew he really didn’t have much interest in my career aside from being able to meet my beautiful co-workers.

“That’s great, isn’t it? He must be very proud.” Just then the car pulled up in front of MacAvoy & Tremont PR. “Look, I’m going to have to go. I’ve just arrived for my meeting with Choo MacAvoy.”

“Too damned bad you couldn’t go with Boom Boom. But your sister Amanda would kill us both if I took you to her.”

“Doesn’t Boom Boom still represent Kiley?”

“Yeah, that’s right, but Kiley is working on Sterling’s next picture. You’d think Amanda would be over that tiff with Kiley by now. Business is business.”

If nothing else he was pragmatic, but I wasn’t certain I would have ever been able to get over the fact that Kiley, one of his ex-wives, had started rumors that I was strung-out on pills and an alcoholic to boot. As strained as my relationship with my
half
-sister Amanda might be, I totally understood why she didn’t want any Legend family member working with Boom Boom Wong.

“Well, that may take a while. Kiley did some pretty nasty things to Amanda.”

“Doll, this is Hollywood. Everyone does nasty things to everyone else. That’s how you know you’re important. If nobody is screwing you then your career is fucked. Good luck at your meeting. Do whatever they say. A good publicist can save your ass from a career-killing hell.”

“Thanks Daddy—” But he was already gone.

I tucked my phone into my purse. My dad threw me off every time we spoke. He’d been this giant of a man when Ellen and Rhett and I were kids. He’d come by the house a few times a month and slide into the house and into our lives. He’d make Mama laugh and smile and then he’d be gone. Back to his public family and his Hollywood life. The life that didn’t include the dirty little secret about his Hispanic housekeeper and how she’d given birth to Steve Legend’s bastard kids.

That secret hadn’t come out until just last year. Now we, the secret kids and the very public Legend kids, were all trying to become one big happy family. Ha! What a laugh. Amanda, my half-sister and Dad’s daughter by his wife Joanne, wanted us to be a weird sort of Brady Bunch mix.

No way.

She may have gotten my brother Rhett to buy into her fairy-tale version of life, but not me. I was on to Amanda and her tricks. She wanted to keep me close so she could be in charge, but I wanted none of that. I’d use the Legend name, the Legend fame, and I’d use it all to get what
I
wanted. Besides, I had one sister, my twin Ellen, and I definitely didn’t need another.

I peeked at the mirror in my compact just to be certain that I still looked perfect. The driver parked and then walked around to pull open the door for me. I stepped out. This is exactly as it should be. Daddy sending the car to transport me from my shoot at the Santa Monica pier to my meeting in West Hollywood. Since my siblings and I were no longer his dirty little secret he’d become quite proud of us. And why shouldn’t he be? His children by his housekeeper had become a rock star, a cover model, and a soon-to-be doctor all on their own.

The driver walked ahead of me. He opened the front door to the building and I walked inside. I took the elevator up to the top floor where MacAvoy & Tremont had their offices. Daddy and Amanda had encouraged me to sign with this agency, and specifically with Choo MacAvoy. While part of me would have preferred to have Boom Boom Wong represent me, because she was a killer bitch with an unassuming smile, there was currently too much bad blood between Boom Boom and the Legend family.

The office space was done all in white with silver accents. Very Luxe Euro. I’d never been here before, and until recently, having my own PR person hadn’t been a priority. I’d just completed my own spread for
Vogue
and had done the runway in Milan. Plus the agent Webber Conner had signed me as a client. I wanted everything: film, TV, fashion, apparel. Like the most successful people in this town, I needed to become a brand, and to accomplish my goal I needed PR. Good PR.

“Miss Legend, please follow me.” The blonde with the perfectly colored hair and fabulous legs led me into the conference room. With one wave of her hand the glass windows went from clear to frosted. Impressive. I pulled out my phone and made a note. I wanted this little bit of magic in my own house once I was ready to either build or buy something larger. But, right now, my pretty little townhouse in Brentwood did the job. But soon, very soon, I’d have to upgrade. Something lovely on the west side. I’d go as far as Santa Monica but, truly, Bel Air was the better option.

“How can one woman get more gorgeous every time I see her?”

Choo stood just inside the doorway with his hand on his hip. While I
wanted
Boom Boom Wong, I had to admit I adored Choo. How could you not?  He was lean and tall and had that wild tuft of blonde hair. He was pretty fab. And he rocked his skinny Hugo Boss suit. Not many men could pull off that look. A tiny slip of a girl trailed behind him. She wore Mary Jane high-heel shoes and an A-line skirt with a pink sweater set and plaid headband. She’d either just arrived from Savannah, Georgia or from a sorority recruitment meeting.

“Sophia, meet my assistant Betty.”

Betty? I cocked an eyebrow. For real? I nodded toward her. I didn’t work well with most women. They were all jealous of my name, my beauty, and how effortlessly life seemed to provide me with everything I wanted.

“She is amazing. If you need something, Betty can get it for you. Consider her your helper too.” Choo walked over and he wrapped me in a hug.

“How’s Jackson? How’s the wedding coming along?” Choo and Jackson were in the midst of planning their Hollywood wedding. Jackson was a former tight end—and the man still had a very tight end—and he was now a major league sports agent. Between the two of them, they had a killer client list and I was glad to be among them.