Lauren Conrad - Sugar and Spice: An L.A. Candy Novel

Chapter 1
Not Dating

Over here!

Lets get a shot of the two of you!

Smile, girls!

Jane Roberts felt hands on her shouldersher publicist? random PopTV assistants?maneuver her into place as several paparazzi shouted out to her and Scarlett Harp. Nearby, dozens of fans waved wildly, screamed the girls names, and snapped photos with their cell phones.

Scarlett bent her head toward Janes. What are the rules on skipping the red carpet at your own premiere?

Ha-ha, Jane said, grinning. Think youre gonna have a hard time getting out of this one, Scar.

Im giving them five minutes, then heading inside for a drink. Something tells me Im gonna need it tonight.

Good luck. I think were stuck here till, like, seven thirty. Besides, live television and booze arent the best combination. And Im pretty sure the two drinks you had at dinner should tide you over.

Scarlett rolled her eyes. Whatever.

Flashbulbs began popping brightly. Jane took a deep breath, fixed a smile on her face, and tried not to feel overwhelmed. Of course PopTV made sure the media was out in full force on the red carpet for L.A. Candy s Season 2 premiere. Their little show had somehow become the top rated on the network, and a lot was riding on the premiere. The party would air live on PopTV, to be immediately followed by the episode itself.

Jane glanced over her shoulder at the sprawling lawn of the magnificent Spanish-style Hollywood Hills mansion. Hundreds of people were at this event: photographers, fans, and an assortment of entertainment industry types. On a makeshift stage near the infinity pool, pop star Aja was revving up to sing. There were TV cameras everywhere.

PopTV really knew how to throw a party!

Scarlett, turn more to the left, a photographer shouted.

Stand closer together! another one added.

Jane obeyed, never breaking her smile. After all, as one of the four main girls on L.A. Candy , tonight was work, not play (even though she had to act as though she was having fun).

But Scarlett wasnt quite so understanding. Good thing theyre here to tell me how to pose for a picture. I couldnt have figured it out without them, she muttered. She glared at a PopTV assistant who was coming toward her with a powder brush; the assistant backed off.

Scar! Jane whispered.

Yeah, yeah, I know. Im trying my best.

As the photographers continued shouting directions and taking pictureswhy was it taking soooo long?Jane kept her smile in place and resisted the impulse to touch her long, blond, wavy hair, which felt stiff and weird from the insane amount of hair spray the PopTV stylists had subjected it to. Nor was she totally comfortable in her black ruffle dress by a new designer named Mario Nuez, which accentuated her five-foot-five, sort-of-in-shape figure nicely, but made her feel way older than her nineteen years. Nuezs publicist had worked it out with Janes publicist: a free dress for Jane in exchange for publicity for Nuez. (Jane could see the magazine caption now: Jane Roberts rocks a Nuez strapless at the L.A. Candy premiere!)

Before famed producer Trevor Lord chose her to be on his new reality TV show, Jane had no idea that so many spontaneous celebrity photos (Anna Payne stocks up on pumpkin soap at Lush! Jared Walsh hand-feeds sushi to Brazilian supermodel Catarina at Geisha House!) were actually prearranged by publicists. Of course, before L.A. Candy , Jane had been clueless about what really went on in Hollywood. Now that she was a celebrity (although she still had a hard time thinking of herself that way), her life had completely changed. She and Scar were no longer the anonymous girls from Santa Barbara who moved to L.A. seven months ago, Jane to intern with a top event planner, and Scar to be a freshman at USC. Back then, the girls didnt wear nine-hundred-dollar designer dresses that they didnt have to pay for, and paparazzi didnt try to record their every move.

Gaby! Lets get you in the picture, honey! one of the publicists called out.

Gaby Garcia, the third L.A. Candy girl, waved to the photographers as she walked up to Jane and Scarlett. Hey, have you been inside yet? There are soooo many hot guys here! she gushed.

Hey, Gaby, Jane said. She liked Gaby, who could be a little spacey but was sweet and easy to hang out with. She looked pretty tonight in a pale mocha sequined slip dress.

Scarlett wrapped an arm around Gabys shoulders. The two of them had become fast friends in the last few months, which Jane thought was kind of funny, because they couldnt be more different. Hey, stranger. Whats new?

Not much. Oh, yeah, I got highlights! Gaby patted her light brown updo and peered around. Wheres Madison? Shouldnt she be in the picture, too?

Madison. Jane pretended to adjust her dress in an attempt to mask her reaction to Gabys comment. She couldnt let the photographersor anyone elsesee her lose her cool. If she and Gaby and Scarlett were going to discuss Madison at all, it was better to do so backstage behind a locked bathroom door, not on the red carpet where every word and facial expression was being noted, recorded, scrutinized.

The fourth girl on the show, Madison Parker, was the last person Jane wanted to see tonightor ever (although of course she was here , somewhere, so an encounter was inevitable). Three months ago, just before Christmas, Madison secretly leaked photos of Jane hooking up with her then-boyfriend Jesses best friend, Braden. When the story broke in Gossip magazine, Jane almost had a breakdown, and Madison pretended to be a good friend and came to her rescue, holding her hand through the entire painful, humiliating ordeal. Madison even let Jane move into her penthouse apartment after Jane and Scar had a big fight.

After she found out what Madison had done, Jane packed her bags and moved back in with Scar, full of apologies. That was on Valentines Day, five weeks ago, and Jane and Madison hadnt spoken since. Jane had told Trevor in no uncertain terms that she would not film any scenes with Madison ever again. She still couldnt believe she had fallen for Madisons act, or that she had chosen a backstabber like Madison over Scar, who had been her best friend since kindergarten.

Scarlett squeezed Janes hand and turned to Gaby. Madisons probably getting an emergency Botox treatment, she said, too low for anyone else to hear. I guess her mom never told her that being a manipulative, lying bitch can cause wrinkles.

Funny, Gaby said, giggling awkwardly. She was obviously uncomfortable poking fun at Madison. Gaby and Madison were close, or they used to be, anyway. Jane wasnt sure where things stood between them these days. Jane wondered if Gaby felt weird being friends with Madison, even though Madison hadnt done anything to her personally, because Gaby was friends with Jane and Scarlett, too, and maybe she was worried about seeming disloyal to one or the other side?

Out of the corner of her eye, Jane saw Dana, one of the PopTV producers, hurrying across the lawn toward them, clipboard in hand. The woman looked super-stressed, as usual. And she was dressed in all black again, except her outfit was more tailored and less faded than her standard attire. She had even put on makeup, which was saying a lot, considering that the most Jane had ever seen on her face were the remains of her morning muffin.