Begin Again (Book One Of The Kingston Series)

Chapter One: Kaden

Begin Again (Book One Of The Kingston Series)
"Love, love, love - all the wretched can't of it, masking egotism, lust, masochism, fantasy under a mythology of sentimental postures."

Chapter One: Kaden
"It was love at first sight, at last sight, at ever and ever sight." -Vladimir Nabokov

I lock eyes with one of the many cameras surrounding me and smile softly. My black hair brushing my cheeks slightly. My blue eyes shine dramatically. The crowd hushes into murmuring and I relax my expression. I turn to the host of this talk show and grin.
    "Thanks for having me." I tell him and he nods with a fake smile. I continue. "I have something to announce. I was told you agreed with Sheryl, my publicist, that I could announce it on here exclusively."
    "Yes. You'll know when it's time to announce it." He looks at the timer that counts down to when the commercial is off, and we are live. "Let's throw in a hug at the end. That alright with you?"
    "Yes. Of course." I watch as the timer clicks down. He welcomes the show back with a big grin. His eyes meet mine. Even as I smile back, I knew he was about to sneak in a question. His expression, the slight raise of an eyebrow, the snide smirk. Told me he would be doing something nasty. Like throwing in a question. A question not authorized by Sheryl.
    "Welcome back, I'm your host Randy Ray and this is our guest Jasmine Ryder. Jasmine, is a very well known Actress, and a close friend of mine." He tells the crowd leaning in dramatically. "Jasmine, there are some rumors going around about you, and Nick your co-star in your latest movie."
    "Okay...?" I drag out. "Please do tell." There are lots of rumors going around about the two of us. Since we shot a movie together. We are only friends. Platonic until the end. Though the producers wished it wasn't.
    "Rumor is, a scene was getting steamy and," He leans in with a wicked little smile. "You actually had sex on screen." His eyes are that of a predator.
    "Not true." I tell him with a laugh. A fake laugh. "No further comment."
    "Okay, I respect that." I almost laugh at the lie, but instead, smother my expression. "So, your publicist mentioned we would get some big exclusive news about your future."
    "I'm moving." I announce, which only gets a few murmurs. It's not that big of news to most. "I'll be attending a High School in a small town in Virginia."
    The crowd roars.
~~~
    My move wasn't really planned. Actually I only decided, yesterday. I'm 19 and I didn't do my last year of high school with my tutor, (There was some stupid ruling saying I needed 1 year in a public or private school,) I didn't have a death wish. Knowing being mauled was likely. So, I stayed away from that many teenagers at once.
    My parents are swimming in debt. They spent the percentage they got from my past acting jobs, buying a diner and fixing it up. Then they spent the little they had on more stuff for the dinner. The diner, a big house and a load of employees. They had given some money back to me when I turned 18. Mostly because they were worried about their reputation. They settled in a small town.
    Now, all their money is gone and they won't accept mine. Probably, because they fear someone finding out. I've done what I can, tweeting about the diner. They insisted they didn't need any help. So, I'm moving to a small town. Just until my parents are settled and happy. They are my parents, I can't just sit and do nothing.
~~~
    The interview ends quickly and I walk out with my head high and my entourage at my sides. My entourage includes my agent Polly, my publicist Sheryl, my mentor Rowdy, and a few fake friends I haven't bothered to know. I smooth out my dress as I walk to my waiting limo.
    My thoughts drift as the driver starts the journey. How many bodyguards will I need for attending a public high school? Probably two. It'll cost me. Two full time bodyguards. There goes a truckload of money.
       Around me, my entourage laughs and chats, my publicist types fast on my twitter account. My manager talks lowly with a producer. My assistant, Kelly, isn't in today.
    I stare out the window, my thoughts on how much moving, along with bodyguards, and essentials will be. I always worry about money, though I shouldn't be, I could probably buy an island. I think of my parents, sitting in a diner, barely hanging onto their last dollars. I think of my condo. Styled blue and white, spotless, untouchable, pointy.
    "There is a wicked party happening tonight! Jasmine, we should totes make an appearance, it will be like totes cool." Wendy or Willow says in a very loud voice. What was her name? I lock eyes with her quietly. She has dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. Her expression is hopeful.
    "What's her name again?" I ask my publicist, Sheryl. She looks up from her tweeting and looks where I'm looking. "Samatha. And next to her is Wonda."
    I hum. I was way off. Wonda has black eyes and brown hair. Both very pretty. I tilt my head slightly as I study the two party girls, sitting next to each other and watching me. I turn to my publicist again.
    "Am I going to a party tonight?" I ask disinterestedly.
    "Yes." Her voice is emotionless and she keeps her eyes on her phone. I nod and turn to my manager.
    "What party am I going to?" I question, just so she'll work out a party. She pulls the phone from her ear and her phone's screen lights a glow onto her blank face. Short brown hair, elf like features, tall agile body. She types a few letters in and my phone buzzes with a text. I raise both eyebrows, I never mastered the whole one-eyebrow-raise thing, and pull out my phone.
    Hansen Berry, Singer, Songwriter. Birthday Party.
    I dial my assistant. Two rings and she picks up. "Kelly."
    "Jasmine." She greets in the same monotone. "Did you need something? Todays my day off."
    "I need a birthday present for one Hansen Berry. I'll find it, I need to know what I should get him." I hear a sigh and then fast typing.
    "Karaoke machine?" I groan at that.           
    "Find an expensive, amazing one. You can play it off like a joke. It will fit his singing career."
    "Okay." I hear the click of the phone and turn to my publicist, Sheryl. "Buy an amazing Karaoke machine and bring it with you when we arrive at the party. I'll be ready at 8:30pm. Don't be late."
    "Got it. This is your stop." She murmurs and I look up at my condo. I step out and quickly walk past the press and get into my condo locking the door after. I drop my purse onto my floor in my bedroom.
~~~
    I shower, then dress into a royal blue halter dress, with blue and black pumps. After doing my usual routine of moisturizing and then applying makeup, I transfer all my stuff into a black purse. I set the purse on the island in my kitchen and I pull out my pre planned dinner by my chef Antoine. I am halfway through when I hear a knock on my front door.
    Showtime.
    We make it to the party quickly and before I know it I'm mingling, a sweet fake smile on my lips.
~~~
    "Yes, it's true." I grin. "I feel like my latest acting is much darker than what my fans are used to, it's very raw and naughty."
    "I can quote you on that?"
    "I wouldn't have spoken into the recorder if you couldn't." I tease and excuse myself. Once I turn from the journalist my expression becomes blank. I start to walk towards my entourage, a raised voice stops me. I turn to see a tall, (Really tall, wow, was he drinking miracle grow or something?) blonde haired man. I have to look up at his face, even from the few feet away I am. His back is to me but I can see how tense his back is. I move to the side of them, catching the side of his face. His jaw is clenched and the hardness to his eyes tell me someone's pissed this huge guy off. The guy he is facing looks like he's about to pee, and I don't blame him.
    "Well?" The Hottie prods. A thick Australian accent colors his deep voice.
    "N-No."
    "Don't fucking lie." The hot Aussie growls out. His eyes glaring harder, if possible.
    "Yes, but I didn't think-"
    "You are absolutely right. You didn't think. You think being gay makes you less? You think it's an insult?" He grabs the guys collar and pulls him about a foot into the air. "Its 2016, gay marriage is legal. Its human rights, idiot. There are people out there killing themselves, because people like you tell them they shouldn't be themselves."
    "L-Look, man, I'm sorry-" He shoves him to the ground and turns away, facing me. The blood drains from my face and I gulp. Fear shoots through me, along with a jolt of attraction as I finally see his entire face. His dark brows are slightly furrowed, his bright green eyes on my face. The fear disappears. I feel the overwhelming urge to twirl my hair and giggle like a schoolgirl. I had been around a lot of attractive guys, met all sorts of people, but he topped them all. He looked like he was photoshopped.
I meet his green eyes. His nose twitches. Like he had suckedin a breath. The tightness around his green eyes are suddenly gone and a grin threatens to break his face. He blinks like he cant believe his eyes.Still grinning. I wonder if it hurts to smile so hard. He has a face that looks much hotter with a smile. My instinct tells me to trust him. He has this familiar way about him.
    He takes a step towards me, and my eyes go wide. Was he going to throw me around as well. For some reason I didn't get that vibe from him. I just felt this automatic trust for him. He motions to the bar with his chin. I walk to it while he follows closely. I sit on the tall bar stool and he stays standing and watching me. It puts me at only a foot shorter than him.
    "So..." He coughs, then smiles. "You-You come here often?"
    A laugh tumbles out of my mouth. I practically choke out, "Pardon?"
    "I'm Kaden." He offers a hand, not looking the least bit deterred I'm laughing at him.
    "I'm Jasmine." I smile a rehearsed smile that accentuates my best features.
    "Can I buy you a drink?"
    "Its an open bar." My voice is deadpan but my eyes are filled with silent amusement.
    "Can I stand next to you while you get a drink then?" His voice is completely serious and I laugh again. I tilt my head.
    "You are so-"
    "Handsome?" His voice is playful.
    "Haha." Sarcasm is my default mode. "I mean you are really-"
    "Funny?" He smiles and holds up his hands. "I'm done. I swear."
    I open my mouth to throw back a sarcastic response but the bartender walks over and double takes when his eyes land on me. A fan it seems. If there is anything I actually have a steady love for it's my fans. Hard to be annoyed with the people who made it possible for you to be someone.
    "Jasmine Ryder?" His voice cracks slightly and I give him a smile.
    "The very one." I sign a napkin for him, and take a quick photo. The process so familiar and done so often, it becomes instinct to pose and sign quickly. Some fans couldn't even get a full sentence out and just squealed picture.
    "So, you're pretty famous then?" Kaden asks after the bartender walks off to get my drink.
    "You could say that." I answer taking the shot of vodka with a quick flip of the wrist. I act like it's nothing, even though it burns on the way down, because he looks like he could have ten shots without feeling it. I'm not going to let him know that though.
    "Can I take you out?" The question takes me off guard. I widen my eyes at him.
    "I just met you."
    "And?" His face expresses he knows why I won't go out with him and he is going to play dumb.
    "And I don't know anything about you."
    "Fine. My favorite color is green." His accent seems thicker as he speaks. Or maybe that's the vodka. I get lost in admiring his body for a moment. He leans against the bar, his left forearm rests flat against the top of it. He is wearing a button up green shirt, along with black slacks and dress shoes. I lean backwards to continue checking him out. He keeps silent and watches me.
    His blonde hair is in an amazingly attractive bed head style, his green eyes on me, and a smile tripping on his lips. He says something and I just tune him out as I admire his biceps through the shirt. I like him better when he doesn't talk. At least so far, he seems a bit more forward than any guy I ever flirted with.
    "Jasmine?" His brows furrow. Like he has no idea why I'm staring at him.
    "Yeah?" I blink. Snapping out of my daze. Damn Grey Goose.
    "What's you're favorite color?"
    "Mine? Blue." I watch his expression change quickly before becoming unreadable, was that guilt? "What? Is there something wrong with blue?"
    "No, of course not. The color just reminds me of someone." Before I can ask who, the bartender fills my shot glass. Kaden watches the movement before facing me again. "How old are you?"
    "19." I answer easily.
    "19?" His eyes dart pointedly to my shot.
    "How old are you?"
    "21." He slightly hesitates. I hide a suspicious look. Did he lie about his age? He looks old enough to be 21.
      "What's you're favorite movie?" I ask the vodka bringing me to continue the conversation as it gives me slight buzz.
      "Which one do you star in?" The question is innocent enough but I automatically assume he is a journalist looking to destroy me.
      "How do you know I'm an Actress? You didn't recognize me before." My eyes just slightly glare at the hot huge idiot.
      "I was watching you from across the party, I saw how you acted with that bartender. You are an excellent Actress, but your eyes aren't in it. They look far away. Distant somehow."
      "What?" My voice cracks. Surprise shoots through me. The urge to leave and get away from his steady perceptiveness, and handsome face shoots through me. I need to run away before he starts to see any more of me.
       "I see you."
       "I stared in Oblivion, it was released a few years ago." My voice is toneless and fear speeds up my heartbeat. If you can't run from them, change the subject. He is much too huge to run from.
      "How long have you been acting?"
      "Since I was a baby." Loaded question.
      "Is it lonely? Never knowing who your real friends are-"
      "And where do you work?" I interrupt, feeling cornered. My voice defensive. A crack in my demeanor. When you grow up acting, devoting yourself to different roles it's really hard to figure out who you actually are, if he sees me, I have no idea who he is seeing.
      "I don't."
      "Unemployed? Wow. Sounds oddly lonely." I raise my voice, and put emphasis on lonely.
      "Completely." He agrees with a smirk. "I wish I had a short brunette to eat a burger with."
      "I'm not short. I'm 5'7, what are you? Ten feet tall?"
      "7ft and a half inch."
      "You're kidding." I choke on my spit, and start to feel a crick in my neck from the angle my heads tilted in. I blink at him. His massiveness suddenly dawning on me.
      "You look gorgeous. Blue looks perfect on you." He speaks the complement so suddenly and matter of fact, that a warm blush sweeps through my whole body. I don't blush unless directed to, so it takes me off guard. Why would he even say that? We aren't talking about anything near that topic.
    "What are we doing?" Loaded question. Again.
    "Playing twenty one questions?" He quips.
    "Why?" I ask with a smile. He is adorable, not that I would ever tell him that.
    "So I can buy you a burger." His answer sounds so absolute that, for a moment, I believe him.
    "I didn't agree to that. I still don't know you."
    "You know my favorite color, my age, my name, my favorite movie. What else is there?"
    "Are you an axe murdering psychopath?"
    "Only on Thursdays, Love." The pet name knocks the breath out of me and I blink at him before glaring slightly.
    "I still barely know you, I don't go out with strangers." He let's out a sigh, pouting. It was a seriously hilarious image, his huge frame sporting puppy dog eyes and pouting lips.
       "Fine." He slips a hand into his slacks and pulls out a pen. He starts writing on a napkin.
       "Why do you have a pen in your pocket?"
       "Can't a man have a few secrets?" I raise my brows.
       "Come on, pretty boy. Tell me all of your secrets." My voice is playful. I finally surrender to the back and forth we have going. He holds out the napkin, our eyes lock.
       "There isn't enough time in the world. To tell you all of them, I'd have to stop time for centuries."
       The party had disappeared a long time ago. The moment he looked at me everything had become background noise. I could hear the crowd now though. My mind searches for the meaning behind his words. He has a lot of secrets?
       "I have to go." I blurt out quickly. I had to get away from Kaden and his intense eyes. He was seeing me much too quickly. I was trusting too easily. I need time to think.
       He admitted to being a murderer, he has a temper, he is too forward. No, I just didn't want his intensity to burn me. I wanted to run instead.
       Slipping into the always on standby limo. I stare out the window and ignore the drivers questions on where I needed to go. How had he seen through me? I have been acting my entire life, I could convince you that you're hand was green. My gut instinct has never been wrong before, and something deep inside me says he is a good person, with some impulse control issues.
~~~
I dreamed a prince with green eyes looked deep into my soul and hated what he saw.
~~~