Page 15 of One Wild Night
‘Probably the same thing that made you want to be a journalist,’ she replies. ‘To meet famous people, obviously.’
I furrow my brow, unimpressed with her words.
‘I saidhold still,’ Kitty reminds me.
‘Sorry, sorry,’ I reply. ‘That’s not why I became a journalist.’
‘It got you a famous boyfriend,’ she points out.
It didn’t, of course, but I can’t tell her that.
‘There is more to life than celebrities,’ I tell her. ‘And, to be honest, they are not the best people to have relationships with.’
‘What do you mean?’ Kitty asks, stopping all at once.
‘I just mean that dating “normal” people, going out with boys who aren’t in the public eye, who have quieter lives – they are a much better choice, to start a relationship with,’ I explain.
‘Why?’ Kitty says, not sounding like she believes a word of it.
‘Because men who are in the public eye don’t always have the best intentions,’ I explain. ‘They have everything they could possibly want, and they’re not used to hearing no, and there are rarely any consequences for their actions so the likelihood of getting into a loving, healthy, faithful relationship is slim.’
Kitty leans in to look me in the eye, her face only a matter of inches from my own.
‘I’m sure Dylan will be pleased to hear that you just said all of that,’ she tells me with a smug smile.
Oh boy. This really isn’t the smoking gun that Kitty believes it is. Dylan would probably be the first person to admit that the last thing he wants to do is settle down. Not here though, I guess, but at least I don’t have to worry about him fake breaking up with me.
‘Obviously Dylan is different,’ I lie. ‘I wouldn’t be with him, if I thought he was like all of the rest.’
‘I don’t believe you,’ she claps back. ‘I think you’re just saying that, so that I don’t tell him.’
‘Dylan has been there for me, ever since the day I met him,’ I tell her – and that is true. ‘He supports me, not just with work, but he takes care of me too. If I’m having a hard time, he falls over himself to make me feel better. He does this thing that always relaxes me – usually when we’re on the bus and I can’t sleep – where he strokes my stomach as he sings to me. Sure, he’s a little chaotic, but whenever I need him, he’s right there.’
I smile as I sigh to myself. Dylan might not be my boyfriend but every word I just said is true. I’m lucky to have him.
‘Can I cut your hair?’ Kitty asks, changing the subject.
‘Are you doing hairdressing too?’ I reply.
‘No,’ she says simply.
‘Then no,’ I tell her. ‘Nothing permeant.’
‘It grows back,’ she says under her breath as she goes to fetch more make-up from the drawer.
‘Can I get a preview?’ I ask her. ‘I’m curious, to see what you’ve done.’
‘Not yet,’ Kitty replies. ‘Anyway, I don’t have a mirror.’
What kind of make-up artist doesn’t have a mirror? I glance around her room suspiciously. I was sure that she had a mirror in here yesterday.
‘You’ll just have to trust me,’ she says, reading my mind. ‘I am almost a professional, after all.’
‘Is it a digital camera you use?’ I ask. ‘Perhaps you can show me on there.’
‘I’m not taking pictures,’ she tells me firmly. ‘You’re just not right for my portfolio.’
‘I thought that’s why I was here?’ I say.
