The Right Choice

Chapter 18

‘Look out world, here she comes!

Meet Jessica Sanders, the newest entrant to the New Central Harbor social scene. Daughter of well-known socialite Elaine Sanders and real estate mogul William Sanders, this girl has brains, beauty and style. A deadly combination which everyone loves to read about. Mrs. Sanders, we can’t believe that you have been hiding her from us for so long.

Saturday marked Jessica’s first foray into the limelight at a glorious dinner party at the Sanders’ residence. The who’s who of the city’s best were present and pretty Miss Sanders didn’t disappoint. The lady of the evening looked to die for in a luxurious golden dress and glamorous wavy locks. Did the label say Marc Jacobs? That’s right, it did and we totally approve. Ladies, let’s be honest, we sense the jealousy and it’s only going to get worse. And boys, hold your horses and your heart because this girl might just already be taken.

You would think that after spending the evening mingling with NCH’s best our new girl would return home to rest. Sorry kids, if you think that early nights are for her then you’d think wrong.

This brunette beauty had all the energy in the world that would put the poor Energizer Bunny to shame. Just moments after the party, she was spotted locking lips with none other than the handsome and drool worthy hunk Holden Smith. We wonder what his rumored girlfriend, fashion designer Rebecca Hayward has to say about that. Probably not much, as Holden hasn’t exactly confirmed or denied their relationship. So as of right now, it’s all a fair game and by the looks of it Jessica might just be an inch ahead in this race. Rising star indeed. ‘

Jessie read and re-read the black print again and again. She couldn’t believe that this was the kind of news article that was written about her. Her mother’s dinner was barely mentioned and most of the focus was on her apparent dalliance with Holden. That in itself was ridiculous. She didn’t know him at all and barely had a conversation with him. Besides, he was a drunken slob. Who’d want to date that? ‘That would be the entire female population.’

The article was only part of the reason why Jessie was annoyed. It was the pictures that followed that were the major cause of concern.

Sure, there was a picture of Jessie with her parents, each smiling widely into the camera. However, it didn’t matter much as it was surrounded and practically overshadowed by the other three pictures of her with Holden. One where they were staring at the cameras. Second, where they looked as though their eyes were locked with each other’s. The worse was definitely the third one where the two of them were, as per the picture and the tag line at the bottom ‘passionately kissing’. 'Ugh! I still remember his foul breath. Disgusting.'

How could this happen to me? That was all that Jessie could think of at that moment. Not only was she relegated to upcoming socialite status but also to boyfriend stealer. Jessie couldn’t steer her eyes away from the article, nauseating as it was.

“So, that’s not you?” Penelope interrupted her after a while.

Jessie continued to stare at the article as she tried to come up with a decent reply. Who was she kidding? There was no decent reply. Her face wasn’t obscured by anybody’s arm or the door or anything else. Her face was visible as clearly as the sun on a cloudless day. It was her; both undoubtedly and unarguably.

“I don’t know what to say.” Words slowly tumbled out of Jessie’s mouth.

“I see why you didn’t want to come to ‘The Hills’ with us.” It was Neal who spoke up this time.