The Celebutantes Read Online Free PDF Page A

chaotic scene.
    If Madison, Park, and Lex didn’t move fast, Coco would probably end up undressing right here in front of everyone.
    â€œLook at her,” Lex said quietly. “She’s drunker than Lindsay out of rehab.”
    Park tucked her purse under her left arm. “Come on. Let’s do this quickly.”
    Madison led the way. In her typically staid fashion, she held her head high and smiled at the other, much older guests who turned to stare at her. In ten seconds flat, she, Park, and Lex made it to Coco’s side.
    â€œOh!” Coco said loudly when she felt Madison’s fingers curl around her arm. “Hi there!”
    â€œHello, dear.” In one smooth gesture, Madison whisked the martini glass out of Coco’s hand and gently bumped her friend against the bar. Then Madison looked up at Elijah. She smiled brightly. She extended her hand. And, in an incredibly dramatic tone, she said, “Elijah, it’s such an
honor
to meet you. I absolutely
adore
your work.”
    Lex rolled her eyes.
    Elijah Traymore, visibly flattered, set his drink on the bar and fixed Madison with an equally admiring stare. “Well, the Hamilton triplets,” he said. “I was hoping to meet you.” He took Madison’s hand and kissed it. And held it. “You look absolutely stunning. I noticed you when you first came into the room.”
    Madison blushed instantly. “Well…thank you.”
    â€œNo, thank
you,
” Elijah said, a bit too seductively.
    Madison cleared her throat as his eyes swept over the length of her body. She felt his hot stare everywhere. It was obvious that he came on strong and fast, and she had to actually yank her hand free of his.
    Elijah quickly turned and stared at Lex, studying her with the same unabashed gaze. “You’re quickly becoming one of my favorite designers,” he said quietly. “And you’re even more beautiful in person than I expected.”
    The spicy comment didn’t make Lex the least bit uncomfortable. “Aren’t I, though?” She tossed her head back and nudged him with her shoulder. If not for Park’s hand pulling her back, Lex would have taken Coco’s place close to Elijah.
    â€œHi,” Park said, stepping in between them. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Elijah.”
    â€œNo, Park. The pleasure is all
mine.
” He reached out and clasped her hand. His eyes locked on hers, and he grinned suggestively. “I just can’t wait to see you make your big-screen debut. I’ll bet your director can’t stop staring at you. Let me tell you—that Jeremy Bleu is one hell of a lucky guy.”
    â€œThank you,” Park replied coolly. She extracted her hand from Elijah’s, but she didn’t allow herself to appear rattled by his overt pass. That, after all, was exactly what he wanted.
    Elijah Traymore wasn’t the kind of guy who dropped subtle hints. He genuinely thought he was beyond it all. Sudden fame could do that to people. Especially men. Public adulation and good looks coupled with one spread in
Vanity Fair
and a guy could easily lose his grasp on reality. Park didn’t have to get to know Elijah to make that assessment. It was obvious. And it was an instant turnoff.
    She wasn’t flattered by his compliments either. Everyone was waiting to see her screen debut. For the past six weeks, she’d been working tirelessly on the set of
Short Fuse,
the big-budget action thriller starring her boyfriend, Jeremy Bleu. Not a day went by without a celebrity reporter sneaking past her trailer and snapping a pic of her in wardrobe. Park was enjoying herself, but talking about this new chapter of her life was somewhat scary. She had never intended to become an actor. She hadn’t really wanted to follow in the footsteps of her mother. She knew that most people—especially critics and celebutante haters—would be eager to completely trash her