On the Avenue Read Online Free PDF

looked directly at the paparazzo.
    He was a short, bald man with ruddy cheeks and fat fingers. Dressed in a tuxedo, he wore a press badge around his neck.
    “You!”
Madison screeched. “Give me that!”
    The little man jumped back, cradling the camera against his chest.
    “You're in the ladies' room, taking pictures!” Madison ranted, mascara streaking her angry face. “How dare you!”
    “Pig!” Coco cried.
    “Hand it over!” Lex demanded. “Daddy will freak!”
    “Oh, shit! If those pics make it into the paper, my publicist will kill me.” Jeremy Bleu raked a hand through his wavy hair. He drew the end of his sleeve across his mouth, nervously wiping away all traces of smeared lipstick. “Dude,” he said stiffly, taking a step toward the paparazzo. “That's just not cool. You can't come in here and start snapping pics. That's not right. Hand the camera over.”
    “Absolutely not!” the little bald man replied. He tried backing out of the doorway hurriedly, but then Jeremy caught him by the elbows and started roughing him up.
    Park watched the scene with mounting concern. “Be careful!” she said. “Don't hurt him. Don't pull the strap from around his neck—you could damage his voice box.”
    “Pig!” Coco shouted again.
    “No respect for privacy!” Madison was saying.
    “… not gonna ask you again, dude,” Jeremy warned.
    The paparazzo, backed against the wall, held the camera out and began to aimlessly snap more pictures. One flash. Two, three, four, five. “Leave me alone!” he yelled back. “Get out of my way!” Then, with a pitiable roar, he charged past Jeremy and made for the hall.
    “Stop him!” Madison cried.
    Lex tightened her fingers around her purse. She raised it in her left hand and then brought it down with a
whoosh
—smacking the paparazzo broadside in the head.
    He stumbled, moaned, and caught himself on the edge of the doorframe.
    “Oh, no!” Park cried. “Lex! You hit him with the magic purse? It weighs a ton!”
    “Grab that camera!” Jeremy Bleu yelled.
    Madison and Coco rushed forward. In unison, they wrapped their hands around the camera and began prying it from the strap at the paparazzo's neck. He resisted, lashing out at them with his hands.
    Lex lowered a barking Champagne to the floor. She watched as the dog sprinted toward the door, all three pounds of him, and bit down on the pa-parazzo's pants.
    “I've got it!” Coco cried triumphantly. She held the camera up like a prize, then started tinkering with the buttons.
    “No!” the paparazzo screamed. “Don't do that!”
    “It's a digital!” Madison said. “There's no film in it. Take it and get out of here!”
    As Coco dashed for the door, the paparazzo jumped in front of her. She froze, eyes wide, and nervously scanned the bathroom. “Incoming!” she yelled, and chucked the camera into the air.
    Park looked up as it swooped in her direction. Her hands shot out and the camera landed in her palms.
    “Stop!” the paparazzo ranted. He lunged forward, grabbing Park's shoulders.
    “Don't you touch her!” Jeremy Bleu appeared at Park's side like the proverbial knight in shining armor. He locked his hands on the paparazzo's, trying to free Park from the older man's grip.
    Quick as a cat, Park launched the camera into the air a second time, aiming it straight across the room at Lex.
    Lex caught it.
    The paparazzo instantly dashed after it. But he stumbled and pitched forward as Champagne locked jaws with his ankles again.
    Madison was standing not two feet away. Following the path of the paparazzo's plunge, she yanked open the door of the first stall and then jumped back.
    There was a loud
smack
as the paparazzo slammed into the toilet. His howl of pain was drowned out by the roar of the flush valve.
    Madison kicked the door shut, temporarily trapping the man inside. “Everybody out!”
    They filed into the hallway quickly, Champagne trailing behind them. Music played from the ballroom. Mercifully,