“EXPLAIN TO ME why something like this happened last night!” Ri-Ri’s mother shouted at her, tossing a newspaper onto the floor right in front of her. Judging by the redness of her neck, it was only a matter of time before she smacked Ri-Ri with the thick paper.
Ri-Ri let out a deep sigh and rubbed her forehead, which was starting to throb from her mother’s shouting. “Ma, we were just having fun. I don’t think it’s wrong to enjoy ourselves,” she reasoned.
“Having fun?!” her mother repeated, incredulous. “You were drunk, for goodness’ sake! What will people say about you? Look at this picture in the paper. Even the best PR team on Earth couldn’t salvage your image now.”
Ri-Ri just looked at her mother. This was exactly why she regretted letting her become her manager. Whenever her mother exaggerated, it was as if the world was ending—just like now. She glanced at the picture in the newspaper. Her hair was a mess, one shoe was missing, and her smile was ridiculously wide, gums showing clearly. She winced. Oh well. That’s just how she looked when she came out of the club’s back exit.
“Good morning,” her father cheerfully greeted as he entered the mini-library, completely unaware of the storm his wife was brewing.
“What’s so great about this morning?” her mother asked sarcastically. Ri-Ri couldn’t help but secretly smile at the playful smirk on her father’s face. Her mother grabbed the newspaper and handed it to him.
“That’s exactly why this morning is terrible. Oh, dear! My head is about to explode because of this child of yours. She doesn’t know how to take care of her image. What if no company hires her to endorse their products? Goodbye, career, Ri-Ri Tadeo.”
“‘Pop Princess Turned Into Lindsay Lohan Wannabe,’” her father read aloud from the newspaper headline. Ri-Ri shrugged as his gaze shifted to her. “Wow, already Lindsay Lohan? Wait… who’s Lindsay Lohan?”
“A Hollywood socialite and actress, dad, known not just for her movies but also for her drinking problem,” she replied with a small smile.
Her mother rolled her eyes. “The point is, your daughter is completely losing it.”
At that point, Ri-Ri’s eyes rolled too. She slumped onto the bean bag and let out a long sigh. “Ma, just because I decided to unwind doesn’t mean I’m losing my mind.”
“Fair enough, my love—”
“Tch! Don’t even try to justify your child’s behavior. That just makes her more stubborn. And you,” her mother shot him a glare, “…don’t even try to excuse what she did. The damage is already done. And what was Matteo doing that you slipped past him again? What an incompetent bodyguard! That Matteo’s going to feel my wrath. Starting today, that fool is out of a job. My God, how many bodyguards have you gone through already?”
Ri-Ri shrugged again.
“From now on, you’ll have a new bodyguard. And if your new escort has to drag you away just to keep you in line, I don’t care. This time, I’ll make sure your bodyguard is strict. The kind who’ll drag you away from clubs and lock you in your room if necessary.”
“Don’t be like that, my love—”
“You too!” her mother snapped at her father. “I’m not in the mood for your ‘my love’ right now. My head is about to explode, and you’re trying to make it worse.”
Ri-Ri snorted. “Pa, I’d rather not talk to—”
“And you, Strawberry!” Ri-Ri winced at her mother calling her by her full name. Yup, she was named after her mom’s favorite fruit, and she was trying hard not to cringe for the umpteenth time.
“This should be the last time you give me a headache! You’re already twenty-five years old! You don’t need to be told twice or three times, for goodness’ sake! Act your age, not your shoe size!” With that, her mother finally stormed out, making an extra dramatic exit for good measure.
Ri-Ri sighed once more.
“By the way, what’s your shoe size, kid?” her father asked casually.
She pouted but couldn’t stop herself from smiling. “Pa, really?”
He laughed. “Just asking.”
“OMG, I could not believe how your mother reacted. It’s like she never went through being a teenager,” Ri-Ri’s best friend Blanca said sympathetically. She was telling her how Ri-Ri’s mom had reacted when she saw the newspaper picture of her looking completely out of control.
Ri-Ri hated to admit it, but she was grounded because of that. That was why she and Blanca were stuck in her room doing nothing but painting each other’s nails. She couldn’t even try to sneak out because Matteo, her bodyguard—whose shift was only a few hours from ending—was posted outside. Her mom still hadn’t found a replacement, so she’d have to put up with Matteo for now.
“So… what’s your plan now?” her friend asked casually.
Ri-Ri shrugged. “Lock myself up and wait until I’m no longer grounded? You know, Mom’s the one holding my life in her hands.” She added the last line with a tinge of sadness in her eyes. Blanca noticed, so she took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
“You’ve got to be very honest with your mom, Ri,” she said.
“I already was,” Ri-Ri replied matter-of-factly.
“So… what’s your plan now?” her friend asked casually.
“Do it again,” she said. “I know it’s not easy. Don’t get me wrong, Ri. I love Aunt Josie, but I love you more. She needs to understand that you’re suffocating. That you need some space. That you need a life of your own.”
Ri-Ri could only sigh. Ever since she became famous, her mother had held her life in a tight grip. She couldn’t do the things she wanted without permission. And it wasn’t just her mother—it was also the company she’d signed a contract with for the past eight years. They controlled her life. In short, she was a marionette.
“You’ve always wanted to go road-tripping. Why don’t you do it?” Blanca asked.
Ri-Ri grinned. “Let’s do it together!”
Blanca rolled her eyes and pouted. She already knew what Ri-Ri was getting at. “I wish I could do that with you. But you know, I’m a teacher, right? Always on-call.” She laughed. Blanca was an elementary school teacher and loved every second of it.
“Then I can’t go on a road trip alone,” Ri-Ri said. “And besides, I’m still grounded.”
“Do it when you’re no longer grounded.”
“I have no one to go with me.”
“You and your bodyguard, then,” Blanca joked. Ri-Ri shot her a sharp look. “Oops, he’s married already. Well, just the new bodyguard then. Matteo will be replaced soon, right?”
Ri-Ri frowned. “What if the new bodyguard is also a married man?”
“What if he’s not?” Blanca shot back. “I remember one time Aunt Josie hired a handsome bodyguard for you. He was single, right? What was his name again?”
Ri-Ri closed the nail polish and blew on her nails. “Yes, he was single… but couldn’t get over his ex. The reason he got fired was that he chose to meet his ex-girlfriend instead of keeping an eye on me. I can’t remember his name.”
“Whether your bodyguard watches you closely or not, if you want to go bar-hopping, you’d really go out of your way. No one can stop you.”
“That’s also true.” She didn’t deny it. After finishing their nail polish, they both flopped onto her big bed, waiting for their nails to dry.
“What’s your plan later? I was thinking we could have a movie marathon,” Ri-Ri asked.
“Sorry, I can’t. I still need to prepare for a seminar tomorrow,” Blanca said, rolling her eyes.
“Does that seminar ever end?” Ri-Ri asked irritably.
Blanca laughed. “Welcome to the world of school teachers.”
Soon after, she walked her friend to the car. No matter how much she begged Blanca to stay, her friend didn’t budge. She called her heartless—but just smiled and blew her a flying kiss.
As Blanca’s car drove away, Ri-Ri realized how quiet the house had become. Her mom had gone to the company to try and fix the mess she’d made. Her dad had gone to the pet clinic he owned—he was a veterinarian. Matteo wasn’t anywhere in sight either. Ri-Ri decided to look for him since she had something to ask him to do.
She headed to the veranda and saw Matteo there. But he wasn’t alone. Another man was with him, talking by the pool.
Ri-Ri froze mid-step, standing by the sliding glass door. She watched the newcomer’s side profile. He was handsome, alright, and a couple of inches taller than Matteo. His hands were tucked into the front pockets of his jeans as he spoke. The sunlight highlighted his dark brown hair. His nose was straight, his style simple—just a white T-shirt and dark jeans. But despite that, he radiated sexiness and confidence, like he knew he was good-looking and didn’t even need to try.
Dreamily, Ri-Ri sighed and leaned her head against the door frame. Her movement caught the man’s attention. He suddenly turned. One eyebrow arched as he looked at her. Ri-Ri froze. She hadn’t expected the magnetic pull when their eyes met. Something pierced her heart and stole her breath. She swallowed instinctively, wanting to blink—but doing so would only make her look guilty for staring.
Instead of feeling shy, she met his gaze head-on. His mouth moved again, as if he were speaking, causing Matteo to glance at her too. Matteo nodded at whatever his companion was saying while they both kept looking at her. Great—she was sure they were talking about her. Her cheeks instantly flushed pink.
She turned around and hurried upstairs. Once back in her room, she threw herself onto the bed, trying desperately to push the image of the man out of her mind.