When makeup artist Nia Balewa signs up to work for the Glamorous Beauty Pageant, she is unaware that her ex-best friend, whom she hasn't spoken to in six years and who also happens to be the current Hollywood heartthrob, is judging the pageant.
This...
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"So, your ex is judging the pageant. Big deal."
A pillow hurled across the hotel room and slammed Isha in the face.
"What the—" she started to say, but her words were cut off at the sight of a second pillow hurtling towards her. She ducked as it flew into the open door of the bathroom and landed on the marble floor, soaking up the small puddle of water.
"—hell were you thinking?" Isha finished as she hurried into the bathroom and grabbed the pillow off the floor. Examining it, she cursed under her breath. "Great, it's wet!"
Nia snorted. "That's what she said."
She was sprawled on the bed, her hand clutching a third cushion as she stared straight at the ceiling. Her mind conjured up images from six years ago, and she mentally stuffed them all into an imaginary bin, one by one. This method of hers had always been effective to help clear her thoughts, but today, it was pointless.
Moist fabric made contact with her face as Isha dumped the wet pillow on her, and she sat up straight. "Asshole," she muttered.
"I'm the one who makes the that's what she said jokes," Isha said, rummaging through her closet, searching for something to warm her up. "You're the innocent girl who scrunches up her face whenever something remotely sexual comes up. Get it?"
Nia shifted on the bed, leaning against the headboard as she sat cross-legged. "I know it's no big deal, but it bothers me, you know," she said, tugging at the frayed ends of the blanket on her lap. "This whole Myles situation."
Isha turned towards her, fitting her arms into the sleeves of the fleece jacket that she'd just pulled out from the pile of clothes dumped in the cupboard. Once a mess was made, it stayed.
"Look," she said, rubbing her palms together, as she sat at the edge of the bed. "Let's take this step by step, okay?"
Nia nodded. Even with the heater in the hotel room, the three layers of clothing did little to help the chill that she felt at the thought of stepping out of the room and facing Myles.
"Today is the day for the promotional shoot," Isha continued. "Myles, Sarah and Alfredo will be busy with it in the afternoon. They have their own makeup crew, thank god, so there won't be a need for us to be present while they work.
"The shoot including the participants starts later this evening, so there's no way Myles and you will cross paths today," she paused and drew her lips into a smirk, wiggling her eyebrows. "Unless, you know, he is desperately dying to meet you."
A third pillow hit Isha in the face.
Isha grunted. "You've got serious anger management issues. You're going to be pillow-less by the end of the day if you keep throwing them around." She picked the pillow which had bounced off her and fallen to the ground and threw it back at Nia who caught it swiftly.
