Chapter 17
Emma hit the bottom of the pool, then thrust upward, away from Katy’s grasp. Thankfully, the spot they were in was shallow enough that she could stand with her head above water.
Katy popped up a few feet away and threw a punch at her, which thankfully hit only water.
“Something is seriously wrong with you!” Emma yelled, swimming away from her toward the nearest ladder.
Katy splashed after her and wrapped an arm around Emma’s neck. She squeezed tight, trying to pull her under.
Emma wrapped her fingers around Katy’s forearm to keep from being choked to death and tried to break loose.
She heard another splash and prepared herself for the next blow.
“Let go of her!” Ronan shouted from somewhere nearby.
Katy yanked again, and Emma’s head went underwater, but then suddenly Katy’s arm was gone.
Emma stood back up, sucking in as much air as she could. Once she was breathing again, she turned toward Katy, expecting the woman to attack.
Instead, Katy was several feet away, struggling to break free from Ronan and another man Emma didn’t recognize, who were holding on to her tight.
“Enough, Katy!” Ronan barked. “It’s over. You’re done.”
Katy seemed to realize for the first time that Ronan was one of the men holding her down. She stopped moving and pleaded, “It’s not my fault! She started it!”
Emma scowled. “Right. I started it.”
“Are you okay?” Ronan said to her.
Emma looked down at herself. “Do I look okay?”
“I meant are you hurt?”
She shook her head. “Just drenched.”
Katy laughed. “That’s rich. Look at my dress! You ruined it!”
“Katy!” Ronan snapped.
“You can’t listen to anything she says, Ronan. She’s had it in for me the moment I met her. She’s a little—”
“Enough!” he barked.
“But it’s her fault!”
“That’s not true,” a female voice called from the edge of the pool.
Emma looked over, noticing for the first time that a good number of partygoers were now gathered at the end of the pool. Standing right at the edge was Mari Chen.
“I saw everything that happened from the stage,” Mari said. “That woman—” She gestured to Emma. “I’m sorry, I don’t know your name.”
“Um…Emma.”
Mari gave her a warm smile. “Emma was walking away when…Katy, is it?”
Ronan nodded.
“When Katy ran after her and knocked her into the pool.”
Katy’s eyes widened. “That’s not true! You’ve got us mixed up. She rushed me!”
“You’re lying,” Mari said.
Katy looked at Ronan. “She was too far to see anything. You can’t believe her.”
Ignoring her, Ronan said to the man in the water with him, “Mr. Barnett, do you mind helping me escort Katy to the steps?” He nodded toward the end of the pool.
“Of course,” Billy said. “And it’s Billy.”
Katy blinked. “Wait, are you Billy Barnett? The producer?”
“I am.”
“It’s an honor to meet you. I, um…I’m sorry about the circumstances. But as I was saying, it wasn’t my—”
“Can it, Katy,” Ronan snapped.
As he and Billy moved her toward the pool stairs, Emma made use of the nearby ladder.
A familiar-looking woman met her as she stepped onto the patio and draped what appeared to be a tablecloth around her.
“Someone went for towels,” the woman said. “But this should do until they get back.”
“Thank you,” Emma said, gratefully.
Over by the pool steps, Ronan and Billy guided a dejected-looking Katy into the custody of a pair of security guards.
Ronan said something to the guards before they hustled Katy away. He then hurried over to Emma, Billy Barnett right behind him.
Ronan looked her over. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. I just—”
Someone ran up with several towels before she could finish and handed them to Ronan.
The woman who’d helped Emma climb out from the pool pulled the tablecloth off so that Ronan could wrap a towel over Emma’s shoulders.
Near them the crowd parted, and Damian stepped through. “Ronan, what is going on?”
“I’m so sorry,” Ronan said. “We had a party crasher who caused a scene. I’ve had her kicked out.”
“And who is this?” Damian said, looking at Emma.
“My friend Emma. You’ve met her before.” It had been one time, and briefly at that.
“Ah, I apologize for not remembering. Ronan, take her inside so she can warm up. She can use one of my robes if she wants to get out of those wet clothes.”
“The only thing I want to do is go home,” Emma said.
“Then, Ronan, I think you should take her home,” Damian said.
“But the party,” Ronan said, torn between Emma and his job. “I need to—”
“The party will be fine. I’ll make sure everything is handled.”
“Thank you.” Ronan looked at Emma. “Let’s get you out of here.”
“Thank you for your help,” she said to the woman with the tablecloth.
“Don’t even worry about it.”
As Ronan guided her out, he whispered, “You know who that was, don’t you?”
“She looks familiar, but I don’t remember where from.”
“That was Tessa Tweed.”
Emma looked at him blankly.
“The Oscar-winning actress,” he said.
“Never heard of her.”
“You need to get out more.”
She looked down at her wet clothes. “I beg to differ.”
—
Onstage, DJ Anthony Ortega began his set, and the partygoers flooded onto the dance floor.
“I don’t suppose you’re up for a dance,” Tessa said to Billy as she eyed his suit.
“Why would you say that?” he asked. “I thought the wet look was all the rage.”
“That was last season,” Stone chimed in.
“Trends change on a dime,” Ben said. “If you want to stay relevant, you need to keep up.”
Billy sighed. “And here I thought I was on the cutting edge of fashion. I guess there’s nothing for me to do but head back to the house in shame.”
“Now?” Peter asked.
“Unless you brought a change of clothes I can use.”
“I knew we forgot something.”
“I’ll send the limo back after it drops me home.”
“I’ll go with you,” Stone said. “I’m heading to L.A. in the morning, so it’s probably best if I call it a night.”
Ben and Tessa shared a look, then Tessa said, “We’ll join you, too.”
“Peter? What about you?” Billy asked.
“Good question.” Peter looked over at Hattie and Mari, who were huddled together, deep in conversation. “Sweetheart?” When she didn’t react, he said it again.
Hattie finally glanced over, but before Peter could ask what she wanted to do, she said, “I hope you don’t mind, but Mari and are going back to the house.”
Mari nodded enthusiastically. “We need to get into the studio right away.”
“Inspired?” Stone asked.
“You could say that.”
“I guess I won’t need to send the limo back after all,” Billy said.