Stardoom 4: Chick Lit/Romantic Comedy Series, #4

By Sophia Kingston

Lauralie Shaw finally feels like her life is coming together. She has a wonderful, fulfilling career, fantastic friends, and is engaged to Ford Miller.

But Lauralie’s friends, Anna and Rachel, don’t believe that Ford and Lauralie are Hollywood’s new golden couple, and the modern-day version of Lauralie’s parents, Sebastian and Lana, as hyped up by the tabloids. The girls go along with Lauralie's wedding plans, but they’re secretly working with Colton Dixon to make Lauralie see that Ford is anything but good.

Will Colton and the girls succeed in their endeavors? Or will Lauralie walk down the aisle with Ford?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sophia Kingston
• Release date: Jul 12, 2016
• ISBN: 9781533704665

Book preview

Chapter 1

Colton Dixon reached for his black coffee. Steam was rising and dancing on the surface of the black liquid. He took a long, slow sip and glanced back down at the many pieces of newspapers spread out on the kitchen table.

Since his return from St. Thomas island five weeks ago, not one single day went by without the media coverage of their — Ford and Lauralie — engagement. The couple had become the most talked about topic in cafes, offices, subways, and every other places.

Gloria Capshaw, Colton's ex-girlfriend, and Shawna Harris, Ford's friend, were featured earlier on in the media reports as well. Both Gloria and Shawna had gone to the island with the group and were later sent home prematurely under unhappy circumstances.

Because of grudge and unhappiness, they had contacted the media offering ‘eyewitness accounts’ of the secret lives of Ford and Lauralie. Upon hearing their accounts, the reporters began to question the genuineness of their relationship. Some reported that the two couldn’t stand each other and were only putting on an act for their soon-to-be televised reality series. Others reported that Lauralie and Colton were still romantically involved.

Elated and excited with this piece of 'juicy' information and not wanting to pass this up, the reporters went to camp outside Ford's house hoping to catch Harrison Miller, Ford's father, to confirm the accusations fingered at them. They even flew all the way to St. Thomas in search of the couple.

Lauralie was not without support. With all the bad reports, Lauralie’s publicity team swung into action swiftly. Thanks to advanced warnings by Rachel, Lauralie’s friend, and Harrison Miller, they were able to flip the story in her favor. What greatly helped them was that Lauralie’s gang got their side of the story out on the same day as Gloria and Shawna’s versions. As a result, on the next day and subsequent days that followed, the media had reported that Gloria and Shawna were in fact two scorned women who were making up lies to get attention.

Colton took another sip of his coffee. His eyes scanned through the many pieces of report on the table once more. Out of all the reports, the ones that tore at his heart were not reports of the breakup between him and Gloria. The reports to which he felt like a knife had plunged into his heart were their engagement. Ford and Lauralie's engagement.

For the past four weeks after the Gloria-Shawna saga died down, every tabloid, magazine, and newspaper in the country had run featured articles on the engagement of Ford Miller and Lauralie Shaw. They came with super big headlines that even grandpas and grandmas with super poor eye-sights would not miss out.

Colton flipped through the pages for the umpteenth time. Pictures of Ford and Lauralie were everywhere. One picture showed them shopping arm in arm, another showed them lounging on the beach, and even visiting the pediatric cancer ward at St. Thomas hospital in another. They looked so happy and blissful in them. Every part of them — the way they posed, their body languages and their facial expressions — conveyed love, trust, and contentment. This alone was enough to convince anyone that the couple was meant to be.

To an unfamiliar eye, they seemed to be the magical couple the media portrayed them to be. But Colton knew better. He knew that both Ford and Lauralie had learned at a young age how to pose for the cameras that conveyed genuine happiness through the photos even if they weren't feeling that. He knew that Lauralie was determined to bolster her reputation as Hollywood’s golden girl, and Ford would do anything to stay in the spotlight.

Most importantly, Colton knew how Lauralie looked when she was truly happy, and that was not the face that was staring up at him right now from the mounds of articles on the table.

Since their return to Los Angeles, Colton had been thinking very hard, trying to come up with a plan to get Lauralie away from Ford. He thought often of their last passionate night together and cussed himself for running away the next morning. He’d been scared and still a little upset about the way Lauralie had drug out their first breakup in the tabloids. In a way, walking away the second time had been Colton’s way of punishing her. But now, he regretted his actions. There's a consequence to every action, right?

Colton got up from the table and fetched his phone from the kitchen counter. He scrolled down to Anna’s number and hesitated. Yet again. Should he or should he not?  He had been doing this countless times since the day he came back and never got around to making that call. He didn't have enough courage to do so.

Anna had offered to help him with Lauralie if he decided to get her back. Both Lauralie’s friends, Rachel and Anna, didn't like Ford. Although all of them, including him and Lauralie's father, didn't like seeing them together, the idea of working with them behind Lauralie’s back seemed wrong.

In frustration, Colton threw the phone onto the table. He sat back down and scanned through the front page of that morning’s paper, The Sun. Big and bold headline that read 'HOLLYWOOD’S FAVORITE COUPLE SET TO WED BY THE END OF THE YEAR!!!' was scrolled across it.

The article contained an interview with Lauralie who confirmed that she wanted a short engagement. 'I’ve found the love of my life, and I’ve never been so certain of a decision,' she was quoted as saying. 'I’m planning a wedding as quickly as possible, and I can’t wait to start my new life with Ford. We'll be starting a family soon after too.'

Colton balled his hands into fists so tight that his knuckles turned white. He couldn’t take the pain and anxiety any longer. He swooped the phone up in one swift motion and slid his finger across the screen. He took a deep breath as he held the phone to his ear and waited.

Anna? This is Colton. He paused and mustered all the courage he could get. I need your help.

Chapter 2

Sweetheart, isn’t this a bit too fast? Sebastian Shaw asked, his eyes surveying the small tornado-mess on the dining table.

The dining table was covered with all-things-wedding stuff. From wedding magazines to thick binders of flower choices, cake decorations, and booklets of wedding gown sketches, and whatever things in-between, you could find them all right there on the table.

If people didn't already know, they would have thought Lauralie was getting married tomorrow. Every inch of the table was so covered to the brim that even an ant would find it difficult to crawl.

Your mother and I were engaged for two years before we even got married, Sebastian said. I don’t see why you can’t slow things down a bit and enjoy the planning process instead of running around and having panic attacks over venue availability and blooming seasons.

Daddy... Lauralie sighed. I’ve already told you... I’m sure about what I want, and I see no reason to delay any further. I’ve dreamed of this day since I was a little girl (seriously?!), and I don’t want to put it off for one more second.

Since Lauralie was little, she already had in mind what kind of wedding she wanted to have. She wanted a princess-y theme where everything was going to be in white, pink, and silver colors. She also wanted to have a wedding gown just like Cinderella's when she danced with the prince. And the glass slippers to finish the look. Perfect! It's going to be a perfect wedding!

That’s what concerns me, Lauralie, Sebastian said, eyebrows knitting together in a frown. You’re so excited about your wedding day... but are you as excited about your marriage? Wedding's just a wedding... a celebration... a party. Are you excited about the life you're going to have with Ford for the rest of your life after the celebration? If you just want a party, I can throw you the biggest bash this town has ever seen. Even bigger than your sweet sixteen birthday party, he offered.

"Dad, I know you're worried about me, but I