Free Spin Control by Holly O'Dell Page B

mocking grin.
    "Let's see, I could keep my job, or I could get jealous
of a boy behaving badly."
    Devin looked at me and could only muster a weak
shake of his head. He disappeared into the crowd, and I
turned to where Miranda was standing, and she, too,
had disappeared. Maybe they were heading to his townhouse, and then the AP would pick up on this sordid affair, and I would be out of a career. No, no, I mustn't
think like that. I've been in situations where my girlfriends and I have been trapped at bars talking to men we don't want to be talking to, and we've all had that
look that Miranda had.

    I sucked in my breath and marched through the bar
hoping to find Anna, or even Michael. But I kept one
eye open for Devin, too, just in case he didn't make it
past the front door. I wandered back to the VIP room,
where I saw Anna, Michael, and Miranda laughing and
sharing stories. I motioned for Michael to come chat
with me.
    "Don't worry, he caught a cab home," Michael said.
    "How did you know I-"
    "Miranda told me about the situation on the dance
floor. She found me, and I found him. He said he was
tired and was just going home"
    "You believed him?" I panicked.
    "My guess is that it was a matter of pride, so it was
better for him to just leave. Trust me, it's a guy thing."
    Miranda and Anna had joined us. "Look, Kate,
Michael filled me in on this Devin situation, and I am
so sorry for doing anything to jeopardize your work."
    "Don't worry, you're not the one at fault here. I saw
the whole thing happen. And I'm sorry for, um, interrupting the photo op"
    Miranda threw back her luscious blond mane and
laughed heartily. "Are you kidding? Thank you for doing that! Devin seems okay, but I just am not into guys
who are so forward like that. You know, the ones who
try too hard?" She hooked her arm through Michael's
and beamed at him.
    I looked away, trying to hide my surprise. Maybe
they were an item after all, but really, it wasn't any of my business, I assured myself. And despite her best intentions, Miranda was a wild card. Sure, she was nice,
even sincere, but my big concern was to get Devin on
the straight and narrow, and Miranda Hamilton was a
major distraction. I just needed to find a way to approach the subject ever-so-delicately with Michael.

     

``Can I come in?" I had tapped on Michael's office
door and waited in the doorframe.
    "Sure. I was just going to stop in your office to discuss our schedule with Devin. Between the fund-raisers
for the youth groups and the charity golf tournaments
next month, all his free time will be controlled by us"
    "Well, that's part of what I wanted to discuss with
you. Some of it has to do with the other night at Lux."
    Michael raised his eyebrows. "Oh, yeah, pretty
crazy, huh? I'd say we-really, you-were pretty successful, seeing that Devin went home alone in a cab."
    I pursed my lips and shifted them to the side. This
was going to be harder than I thought. "There's more,"
I blurted.
    Michael's phone rang. "Sorry, I should take this.
Hold on a moment" He picked up the receiver.
"Michael Korten" Pause. "Hey, M. Can I call you back? I'm in a meeting right now." He paused again. "Yeah,
she's right here" Another pause. "Sure, I'll tell her."

    M ... as in Miranda. And they were talking about
me. No need to be paranoid, right? Right?
    Michael put the phone in his cradle and gave me a
smirk. "I think someone is taken with you."
    "Eh?"
    "That was Miranda, and she wants to take you out to
dinner to make up for that whole photography mishap
with Devin the other night. She thinks you're pretty
cool and can't stop talking about you."
    I furrowed my brow. "Hmm, a female celebrity is
taken with me"
    Michael laughed. "No, she just thinks you're so real,
and she doesn't get that in Hollywood all that much.
Kind of makes her miss the old days."
    "She barely knows me."
    "Nah, I've known her practically my whole life, and
she has a good read on people."
    Great.