Free Star Power by Kelli London Page A

reached back over and pounded the little button on the dome until the bell sang.
    â€œHow can I help you?” a dry familiar voice said. “I’m sorry if you were waiting. Have you been here long?”
    She jumped a little because she didn’t hear anyone approach. Charly turned, covering her heart to slow the racing, ready to turn on false charm, but then stopped. Heaven’s emotionless face greeted her. Her makeup still looked like she was from an eighties rock and roll group, and her hair said her surname should’ve been Marley. Her gap-toothed sneer was cold. “Oh, hi, Heaven. I was just getting ready to walk around there to see what could’ve possibly been taking someone forever, which is exactly how long I’ve been here.” She swooped her hair from out of her eye. “Question?” she said.
    â€œAnswer,” Heaven replied, her face still stone. She mimicked Charly, and pretended to push hair out of her eyes.
    Charly didn’t care what Liam said the day before, she wasn’t going to bite her tongue or keep herself in check. This Heaven girl clearly had something stuck up her rear end and was taking it out on the world, which would’ve been fine if Charly were from somewhere else, but she wasn’t. She was down on earth and was more than ready to snatch Heaven back down to it. She shook her head and smirked. “Listen, Heaven, it’s clear you don’t like your job, but that’s not my fault. And that’s cool, you don’t have to, but what you do have to do—what you’re gonna do—is respect me,” she said, waving her finger in the air. “Or . . .” She stopped herself from threatening her, imagining how the headlines would read. DIVA CHARLY FROM THE extreme dream team BEATS DOWN INNOCENT HOTEL WORKER. “Or, I’ll make sure you lose your job,” she said, then leaned on the counter and stared at an unmoved Heaven.
    Another hotel employee walked behind the counter, giving Charly a pleasant nod. From his polished appearance and fine suit, Charly could tell he was the manager.
    â€œWhat’s your question?” Heaven asked, her tone barely different, despite her boss being present.
    Charly squared her shoulders, then asked Heaven if she’d seen anyone or anything strange, inquired if any of the other hotel workers had, then relayed the story of something being slipped under her door. Heaven shook her head, then burst out laughing in Charly’s face. “I’ve been here all night, and what do you think I’ve seen? Look around, and you tell me. Look at the people. Do you see anyone strange? There is a Sci-Fi conference going on.”
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    The small downtown area was crowded. Sci-Fi conference goers, she reminded herself, making her way onto the walk and looking toward the street for a taxi. She’d called Liam five times in two minutes and kept being sent straight to voice mail. She was growing irritated. It was still breakfast time, and already people were bumping into her, and not getting through to Liam wasn’t good, not to mention being haunted by a candy company’s product. The Skittles wrapper was burned into her memory and haunting her. She was still peeved from Heaven having the gall to laugh in her face. She looked around at the people costumed like they’d been featured in science fiction movies and television shows, and her irritation melted. She knew why Heaven had been so tickled. Just about everyone around them could’ve been classified as questionable if their outfits were taken into consideration. Still, feeling less aggravated or not, she wasn’t comfortable. If whoever had slipped the candy wrapper under her room door knew that Liam stayed all night in her room, she was certain the studio could find out too, which would more than likely mean the demise of she and Liam being on the same show. But that was only the tip of her worry. Now she didn’t