Free Slow Burn by Nina Perez Page A

assurance that she’d be in Chloe’s capable hands, Kelly had signed a contract a few days prior.
     
    “Really?” 
     
    Yeah, I know, but it was all I had.
     
    “She’s very nice.”
     
    “Yup.”
     
    “And smart, too. I just signed on to do a guest spot on Shannon’s World and—” Realizing I had no idea what that was, Kelly explained. “It’s a cable show for teenage girls. It stars Shannon Becker.”
     
    “I have no idea who that is.”
     
    Kelly sighed. “She’s like Lindsay Lohan before all the bad decisions. I was originally hired to play a fictional model-slash-actress who comes to Shannon’s town to judge a local modeling competition that Shannon and her enemy both want to win.”
     
    “Fascinating.”
     
    “I know, but listen to this. Chloe came up with this idea where I would instead play myself judging a competition for Raven Cosmetics. They took the idea to Raven and the network and they loved it. I’m so excited!”
     
    Kelly had every reason to be excited. Her star was on a steady rise. She was also from Roman Glen and we had gone to high school together, although I was a year ahead. I was vaguely aware of who she was, being such a small town and all. She was the pretty popular captain of the dance squad and a member of the drama club. We hadn’t gotten to know one another until years later when we were in the same acting class. Kelly had a successful three-year run on a popular soap opera, Shining Moments , before leaving to try her hand at the big leagues—movies.
     
    “Puh-lease,” she’d said when I asked her at the time if she was sure she wanted to leave a sure thing for the uncertainty of the big screen. “If things don’t work out, Moments will take me back like that.” She had snapped her fingers for emphasis.
     
    “But they’re killing off your character,” I reminded her.
     
    “Patrick, no one stays dead on a soap opera,” she said.
     
    Kelly was right. I shouldn’t have worried. Within six months of being off the soap she was cast as Bruce Willis’ lover who gets killed in his latest action film.  Due to that role, plus a scorching hot spread in Maxim magazine, Kelly was on everyone’s “It” list. The changes had worked in Kelly’s favor. She was always a pretty girl with a nice body, but once she decided she wanted to spread her wings one of the first things she did was hire me to become her personal trainer. She’d looked like the typical girl next door with her straight blonde hair, sky blue eyes, and round face, but after working out with me for the past two years she now looked leaner, more sophisticated, and sexier, yet not too sexy. This is what made her perfect for the new Raven campaign.
     
    “She’s also really pretty.”
     
    “Who?” I asked, knowing damn good and well who she’d meant. 
     
    “Chloe.”
     
    “Yes, she is.”
     
    “Are you two a thing?”
     
    “No,” I answered a bit too quickly.
     
    “Patrick, it’s okay if you are. We’re not dating anymore.”
     
    Dating was probably too strong of a definition. After spending so much time together in class it just seemed like the natural progression for things to turn romantic. If you want to call random, middle of the night hook-ups romantic. It got old after a while and I called things off. I didn’t feel good about where things were going and I sensed that Kelly wasn’t happy either. She wanted more and I didn’t. When I put an end to our sexual relationship she assured me that our friendship would remain intact, but sometimes I had doubts. She got mean and jealous whenever I went out on even a casual date.  There was no way I was going to discuss Chloe with Kelly. I’m a lot of things, but stupid ain’t one of them.
     
    “Chloe and I are just roommates.”
     
    I turned to find Kelly watching me as she jogged. Her blonde ponytail bounced left and right. Her face told me she didn't believe a word coming out of my mouth.
     
    “I’m going to