Faking It With The Wrong Superstar

Lori “Give it up for L.A’s latest hotshot!” The interviewer's voice echoed from the TV mounted inside the restaurant as my boyfriend Cole sat onscreen beside America's sweetheart, Mariah Bellamy… Or rather, his public girlfriend. You read that right. According to Cole, dating Mariah was good for his image. And like an i***t, I agreed. We went through so much to get here and when his big break came, I simply didn't want to become the insecure girlfriend holding him back. Not like he would have listened if I protested anyway. I told myself I was okay with the arrangement since we'd loved each other for five years, and he had assured me it was fake… that he would never get intimate with her. But, watching his hand rest comfortably on Mariah’s thigh while she leaned against his shoulder, smiling… their relationship didn't look fake anymore. These days, the only time I ever saw Cole was at the production company during work hours. “Back to earth, Lori,” Alison waved at my face, yanking me out of my thoughts. I didn't even notice when she got here. I’d been waiting for her before the TV came on. She glanced at the TV and then back at me. “I'm going to say this again for the last time. Move on from Cole. That asshole doesn't love you. He likes the life he’s got right now and I can assure you, you are not a part of his plan.” One thing I hated about my best friend was how blunt she was. I didn't know what to believe anymore. What if I moved on from him and it turned out he was telling the truth? I sighed, not knowing how else to defend Cole. Just then, the interviewer's voice came on again. “You've just won the Rising Star Award. Was it all thanks to your girlfriend that you landed such a role as a newbie?” Cole smiled at Mariah giving her a gentle squeeze on her thigh before returning his gaze to the interviewer. “Mariah’s been incredibly helpful,” he said easily. “I honestly don't know what I would have done without her, but at the end of the day, hard work is what got me here.” The interviewer grinned. “Good. You two are so lovely, by the way... But fans couldn't help but notice you hanging out with a certain girl on different occasions. Some were even speculating you might be cheating on Mariah.” Cole laughed and shook his head. “Lori is just one of the company's makeup artists, I promise you.” My chest tightened painfully. But I still told myself, he couldn't possibly say I was his girlfriend right next to Mariah. All the while Alison was staring at me. “Do you need any more proof?” A sigh escaped my lips as I stared down at my glass of ginger ale. “You don't know Cole like I do.” “Right,” she said, taking a sip of her cocktail which the waiter had just dropped off. “Keep telling yourself that.” She glanced at her Cartier wristwatch before grabbing her purse. “I should go, I have a dinner date with my dad, and I still need to buy him something ridiculously expensive.” I forced a smile, nodding slightly. She just got here and was already leaving. Alison came from money. So, I didn't expect her to know what people like me had to do just to survive in this industry. I had called her for a date because we hadn't seen each other in weeks. And lately, it felt like work was slowly tearing our friendship apart. With my Ginger ale gone in one gulp, I slipped a twenty-dollar bill beneath the menu and headed home. Since the date was already over, I’d rather go prepare for tomorrow's work than sit around wallowing in self-pity over Cole and Mariah. The production company I worked in was changing hands and if we were lucky they might keep some of the employees. Stepping into the apartment I shared with Cole, silence greeted me as usual. The apartment wasn't overly luxurious despite how much money Cole made now, but it was modern, spacious, and expensive enough to remind me every day that he was no longer struggling. We had moved in a year ago after he complained that the old apartment no longer suited someone of his status. I dropped onto the bed and pulled out my phone, still hoping to see a missed call from him. Hell, after denying me on national television, the least he could do was call. After giving the phone a stare down for a while, I finally gave up and was about to toss it aside when my eyes caught the date. “Shoot.” It was my dad's birthday… Well, stepdad technically, though he had been in my life since I was eight. An involuntary but deep huff left my lips as I stared at his contact. He hadn't been returning my calls either. Honestly, I couldn't blame him. After what I did, I probably wouldn't want anything to do with me either. I was sure he was waiting for me to admit he had been right all along, but part of me still held on to hope… Maybe one day, things wouldn't hurt this much between us anymore. Quickly, I typed out a birthday message and hit send before my nerves would make me chicken out. The second the text went through, my phone pinged and for one foolish split second, my heart jumped, hoping that he had somehow read and replied instantly. But it wasn't him. Warmth spread through my chest when Cole’s name flashed across the screen. A smile curled onto my lips as I opened the message… and my heart stopped cold. Cole: Hey, Lo. I'm just going to say this straight because dragging it out would be pointless. I don't know if you saw the interview with Mariah earlier, but I think it's best if we stop seeing each other. My career is finally taking off and being tied to someone like you doesn't exactly help my image. No offense. People are watching everything I do now. What I have with Mariah matters a lot to me more than you probably realize. I can't risk ruining that. And before you overreact, I did care about you once, but people grow up, Lori. Things change. What? I scoffed, blinking rapidly at the screen. This had to be some kind of sick joke. “What the–” My breath came out shaky as my vision blurred with tears. I reread the message over and over. This couldn't be from Cole. Shaking my head, I quickly dialed his number only for the call to go straight to voicemail. The nerve he had to break up with me over a text. Just as I tried to think of another way to reach him, my phone pinged again. This time from the company. Supervisor: If you have anything personal in the department room, get it today. New management will be doing a walk-through first thing tomorrow, and access may be restricted. Ten minutes later, I was already in a taxi, silently counting to steady my breathing and stop myself from totally breaking down right there. The taxi glided through the palm-lined streets of West Hollywood as the sunlight bounced off glass buildings and parked luxury cars. Within minutes, I arrived at the company and headed to the department room. Even for a Sunday, the place was busy. Apparently, my department wasn't the only one clearing its personal belongings before the handover. Most of my co-workers were already done packing by the time I walked in. We exchanged silent nods before I began gathering my things. If I opened my mouth to speak, I probably wouldn't be able to stop myself from crying. Once I finished, I tried calling Cole again. Still nothing. One minute, I was sitting on the couch in the corner of the room, flipping through one of the celebrity magazines lying around, the next minute, my eyes snapped open. It was already evening. How long had I been asleep? I checked the time, just a little past six. Yawning, I stretched my stiff arms. I must have been more exhausted than I thought to fall asleep like that. Not wanting to waste another second, I grabbed my makeup box and headed out. The moment I stepped into the hallway, a familiar voice stopped me cold. That was definitely Cole’s voice. My brows furrowed as I turned toward the sound. He was supposed to be out of the city with Mariah. What was he doing here this late? Whatever it was, he had some explaining to do. Starting with whatever the hell that text was supposed to mean. The second I pushed open the door to the rehearsal room, my world stopped. My make-up box slipped from my fingers and landed on the floor with a loud thud. My knees nearly buckled beneath me as I stared at the three people in the room. Cole sat sprawled across the couch with his pants down to his ankles, while a woman knelt between his legs, his c**k deep in the woman’s mouth. Behind him, Mariah’s arms draped possessively around his shoulders, her tongue tracing his bare chest. I hadn't recovered from the shock when the woman between his legs turned. My breath seized. “Alison?”