Beautiful Liars by Kylie Adams Page A

embarrassment by associationthat he spent thousands of dollars to make restitution.
    â€œI did the Miami thing for a while,” Benji trilled. “Then spent some time in Austin and L.A. But I missed New York. So I’m back.”
    â€œGreat. Who are you pretending to be this time? Paris Hilton’s half brother?”
    â€œI’m through with those games,” Benji insisted. “I don’t need to be someone else. I can make things happen on my own now.”
    Finn merely shook his head. Benji was smoking hot and a consummate charmer and manipulator. But he was also full of shit.At least there was an upside to this surprise phone call. Finn was experiencing no residual feelings whatsoever. In fact, his central nervous system response to the entire exchange was a total flatline.
    â€œWhat’s up with you?” Benji asked. “Are the rumors true? Have you become a homewrecker?”
    â€œTake care, Benji,” Finn said dismissively.“I’ll look for your name in boldface.” He started to hang up.
    â€œBecause I’m here at Retox watching your boyfriend right now, and it looks like he’s getting ready to seriously wreck some blonde rocker chick.”
    Finn stayed on the line, his heart pounding all of a sudden.
    â€œI’ve got the whole thing on cell phone video,” Benji said proudly. “I figure TMZ will make me a sweet offer.”
    â€œI’ll make you a better one.”
    â€œThen you better hurry your ass over here.”

THE IT PARADE
    BY J INX W IATT
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    Fill in the Blanks
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    They say opposites attract. The cowboyand the lady. The blue collar hunk and the pampered city girl. And so on. But who on earth could have imagined that oh-so-snotty Black American Princess linking arms and tipping back Cristal with hip-hop’sreigning kingpin mogul? One thing is certain. She better trade her Pilates classes for kickboxing. Why? Those around-the-way girls who are never shy about moving in on anotherwoman’s man definitely know how to fight.

    12
    Simone
    â€œI’m not coming up!” Simone screamed. “Bring Chanel downstairsto the lobby right now, or I’m calling the police! Seriously , Tommy, I will call them!”
    â€œExcuse me, I’m going to have to ask you to keep your voice down,” the uniformed doorman scolded her.
    Fighting back tears of frustration and rage, Simone ignored him. “I hate you, Tommy! I fucking hate you!”
    Discreetly, the doorman gestured to a security guard.Within seconds, he stepped over to Simone and took firm possession of her arm. “Miss, please exit the building immediately.”
    Simone shook free of his hold. “Get your hands off me! That crazy son of a bitch has my cat! He’s got my cat!”
    But the shocked faces staring back at her—belonging to the doorman, the security guard, and a few residents passing through the lobby—seemed to indicate that the only crazy person in the building was Simone.
    The doorman swiped the front desk telephone receiver from her hand and engaged in a brief, hushed conversation with Tommy before hanging up as the rent-a-cop half-pulled, half-escorted Simone toward the exit door.
    All of a sudden, she was standing on the sidewalk, bawling as if the world had ended.
    Passersby walked onward with little interest.
    Simone just stood there, crying convulsively and wrackingher brain about what to do next. Tommy’s theft of Chanel had occurred a few days ago. Since then, he had put her off with phone tag games and scheduled meetings that never materialized.
    Raw with nerves, she glanced upward to Tommy’s penthouselevel apartment. “Chanel!” she called out desperately, tears streaming down her face.
    It was the violation and sense of powerlessness that had Simone so upset. The thought of Tommy hurting Chanel never entered her mind. Even now she was dangerously close to the edge. Going there would certainly tip her