"Of course, it would. I've got the money; I can afford it. In fact, I can afford anything you want. You'll never have to work again."
"But that's just it. I want to work. I've been trying to be a model for years, ever since I was a teenager. I've worked my ass off to get where I am today, and now that my career is finally taking off, my billionaire boyfriend wants me to throw it all away so I can sit back and take advantage of his money.
“No, forget it. I've worked too hard and I want this too much. One day, I'm going to travel around Europe, modeling for all the biggest brands, and Kayla will be a household name. People will associate me with beauty and glamour and all the best things in life. Me. Little ol' Kayla Brandt, the middle child from the middle of nowhere."
"So, you won't quit and come home with me?"
"No, I won't. I'm sorry, Ethan."
"I thought you loved me. I thought what we had meant something to you."
"I do love you and what we have means so much to me; but my career means something to me, too, and if you loved me like I love you, then you wouldn't ask me to give it up."
"Come home with me, Kayla. Look what they've done to you. They've turned you into a sex object. Quit now and come home with me, or don't come home at all."
"Fine then," I shouted back at him.
I turned on my heel and strode back to the motorcycles with my head held high. Jay and Nathan were both staring with their mouths agape, as was everybody in the crowd. I turned to face Ethan and I could see his face was purple and twisted with rage.
With an alluring smile plastered on my face, I put my arms around the guest standing closest to me, a pudgy man in his sixties, and said, "Smile for the camera. You'd look so sexy on the new Road Rage. Let's get our picture together."'
He grinned stupidly and I planted a kiss on his cheek just as the photographer’s flash went off. When my vision cleared from the light, I saw that Ethan was storming out of the room with his fists clenched. I wanted to go chasing after him, to tell him I was sorry, and to tell him I quit this stupid job and wanted to be his forever — but I didn't.
It took all my effort not to, but held fast to my principles. My career and my name were at stake, not just my pride and independence. I needed to stand firm. If I caved now and allowed my career to be ruled by my boyfriend, I would be setting a dangerous precedent.
Not to mention the fact that if I allowed myself to be a kept woman, living a life of luxury off of someone else's wealth and spending money I hadn't earned, I would hate myself for it. I wouldn't be me anymore. The woman Ethan had fallen in love and committed himself to would no longer exist. In a strange way, the only way to preserve the relationship we had was for me to refuse to go home to the man I loved. So, I drew in a deep breath and resigned myself to a long night at this shitty job.
"That was quite the scene earlier. Are you alright?" Jay Wendt approached me at the end of the evening.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied, being careful to keep as much distance between him and me as I could without being obvious about it.
"Do you need a place to stay tonight? My car is parked right out front." He stepped closer to me, and I moved around the beverage table to create a barrier between us.
"No, I'm fine. I still haven't changed my mind about us. I don't think it would be a good idea for us to..." I couldn't finish the sentence, but I didn't need to.
Jay held up a hand apologetically and said with an embarrassed grin, "I wasn't talking about taking you home with me. I was just offering to drive you to a hotel if you needed a ride."
"Oh." I blushed. "Thanks, but I prefer to take a taxi."
"Okay, but if you need anything, just let me know." Jay put his arm on my shoulder in a sympathetic gesture, but it quickly slid down my back to grab my ass. So, this was what it was going to be like being single again? I'd only broken up with Ethan a few hours ago and slime balls like Jay already thought it was a free pass to hit on me.
I hurried from the hotel and got in a cab.
"Where to?" the driver asked, and I realized that I didn't know how to answer. Where to? I had told Ethan I wouldn't go home to his mansion in Beverly Hills. I'd lost my best friend when she slept with Mick. I couldn't face going home to my family after Ethan had so generously helped Tommy. They'd think I was the most selfish brat on the planet, and I was afraid they'd be right.
What kind of a person chose her modeling career over a great guy like Ethan? One who wasn't willing to give up who she was just for a man, that's who — and one who now didn't have any place to go.
Tears sprang unbidden to my eyes and I reached in my purse for a tissue as the cabby stared at me impatiently. As I blew my nose, I reminded myself that this wasn't the end of the world. Surely, I wasn't the only woman on earth to stand up for herself against Ethan's strength and charm and dump him. That was it. With new confidence, I told the driver where to take me.
It was the middle of the night and all her lights were off when I walked up to her front door and rang the bell. I could hear the sound of yapping dogs on the other side and it was several minutes before lights turned on and I could hear footsteps approaching.
Gwyneth Manzranni opened the door, looking beautiful even with no make-up on and her bathrobe on.
"Kayla, what are you doing here?" She was surprised to see me, but she opened her arms wide to me in a welcoming hug. "Is everything alright?"
I opened my mouth to speak, but all that came out was a wailing sob as I finally released the tears of my heartbreak.
Chapter Thirty-Eight