Saibo-creator/bookcorpus_deduplicated · Datasets at Hugging Face

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she slipped on a pair of black heels , then stepped back and checked herself out in the mirror .
she looked like the sort of woman who 'd attended her father 's parties .
the same sort that zack dated .
well , she may hate her new look , but at least she would have made her father proud if he were alive .
not to mention pleasing zack .
she sighed , a little deflated by that thought .
the doorbell rang and her heart stopped .
when it started again , it beat so fast and heavy she checked herself in the mirror to make sure it was n't noticeable beneath her skin-tight top .
she opened the door to a very dark , very sexy zack .
his gaze took in her outfit but his guard was up and she could n't read his thoughts .
if it was n't for the quick peck on the cheek she would have wondered if he 'd noticed her at all .
so that 's how he wanted to play the evening .
she suddenly saw the entire night stretching out before her , and she wished she had n't agreed to go .
getting the cold shoulder from zack for the next few hours would severely destroy her ego , and it was already hanging by a thread .
chapter 15 it definitely was not the reaction she wanted .
eyes popping out of his head would have been nice , a `` wow '' would be even better , and begging was definitely an acceptable response , but not this frankly-my-dear-i-don't-give-a-damn attitude .
he barely even waited for an answer before stepping back to allow her past .
annie scratched snoopy behind the ears , locked her door and placed the keys in her fendi bag .
he 'd brought the ferrari , and before she knew it they were zipping along familiar streets .
they were heading back to his place .
`` i thought we were going to louisa 's . ''
she lives a few streets from me . ''
`` you came all the way to pick me up when she lives near you !
i would 've driven myself . ''
she sighed and decided not to press the issue .
he did n't seem in the mood for logic .
they stopped outside a well-lit mansion and a parking attendant greeted them .
zack handed him the keys to the ferrari and without a second glance back at the expensive machine , he took annie by the arm and led her inside .
they were greeted at the door by a waiter and a glass of champagne .
zack whisked her inside so quickly she did n't even have a chance to feel nervous or take in her surroundings .
the one thing she did notice was that everything was made of white marble .
they were led along the hall and through to a sparsely furnished lounge where a throng of impossibly sexy people chatted .
an attractive woman approached .
annie recognized her as a well known tv actress .
`` you did n't tell me this was louisa mondeo 's party , '' annie whispered to zack before the woman reached them .
he held out both hands and louisa caught them in pink talons .
he smiled but not widely .
for the first time , annie wondered if he really enjoyed this sort of thing or whether it was all a carefully acted play .
`` zack , daaahling . ''
louisa pecked him on both cheeks .
`` we have n't seen you out and about for sooo long .
what brings you to my little soiree ? ''
louisa mondeo was exactly like the character she played in the tv soap steamy nights-slick .
her black hair was tied back in a tight knot , pulling the skin on her face tight in a vain attempt to make her look wrinkle-free .
all it really did was stretch her lips into a permanent smile .
the pink lipstick matched the pink claws , pink earrings , pink dress and shoes .
annie felt a headache coming on just looking at her .
louisa had started to chat to zack about her show when he interrupted her and introduced annie as `` a friend '' .
she extended her claw and annie shook it , being careful not to touch the pink talons in case they snapped off .
`` annie mccallum . ''
`` she 's an agent , '' zack said .
louisa perked up and thrust her cle**age forward .
perhaps her contract was up with the network .
`` music agent , '' annie clarified .
louisa 's top lip curled .
but you look so familiar . ''
she tapped a talon on zack 's shoulder .
`` have i met her before ? ''
`` she was in today 's papers .
she got arrested at a protest outside city hall . ''
louisa 's eyes bulged so wide annie grew concerned the blue contacts would pop out .
trust you to go out with a girl like that , zack . ''
she grinned cheekily at him and sauntered off , but not before giving annie the once over beneath lowered lashes .
once louisa was swallowed up by the crowd , annie surveyed the room .
there were more celebrities at the party than a pbs telethon and she suddenly realized how much of a nobody she was-and how much of a somebody zack was .
she swallowed her anxiety , but the damn thing kept rising back to her throat trying to choke her .
she took another sip of champagne and felt zack 's hand tighten around her shoulders .
`` just relax , '' he said quietly .
`` remember , you 're better than everyone here . ''
good try , but he needed to do better than lie to get her to relax .
his eyes were dark and mysterious and she fought the urge to reach up and brush his cheek with her fingers .
problem was , she had n't put any nail polish on so she kept them discreetly at her side .
on second thought , she tucked her right hand in zack 's arm where it could n't be seen .
he squeezed it and gently tugged her forward .
they joined a small group of people who greeted zack like a long lost friend and eyed annie suspiciously .
`` ah-ha , '' cried the young guy beside her .
`` you were in the paper today . ''
`` she hit a cop , '' zack said .
`` got arrested . ''
`` no way , '' said a young girl , dressed in a skimpy white dress , standing too close to zack .
`` did they hurt you bad ? ''
`` um , not- '' `` she 's got a few bruises , '' zack said .
`` cuts , that sort of thing .
lucky she knows people in the right places or she 'd still be in a cell . ''
`` no shit , '' said the original speaker .
he was mid-twenties with hair that needed a cut and clothes needing an iron .
his attention was completely focussed on annie .
it was unnerving but she stood her ground .
he was the perfect candidate to try her flirting technique on .
problem was , she really did n't want to .
she felt drained , emotionally exhausted .
she sighed and grabbed another champagne from a passing waiter to give her strength .
`` that 's so cool , '' he said again , inching closer .
`` so what do you do , annie ? ''
music industry . ''
his eyebrows nearly flew off his forehead .
what a coincidence , i 'm a musician . ''
her gaze flicked to zack but he was brooding and she doubted she could rely on his help to extricate her .
the musician , rick , launched into a well-rehearsed spiel-which he probably saved for just such occasions-about how he 'd got started and how he was `` gon na make it big '' .
if only he had the right agent .

she slipped on a pair of black heels , then stepped back and checked herself out in the mirror .

she looked like the sort of woman who 'd attended her father 's parties .

the same sort that zack dated .

well , she may hate her new look , but at least she would have made her father proud if he were alive .

not to mention pleasing zack .

she sighed , a little deflated by that thought .

the doorbell rang and her heart stopped .

when it started again , it beat so fast and heavy she checked herself in the mirror to make sure it was n't noticeable beneath her skin-tight top .

she opened the door to a very dark , very sexy zack .

his gaze took in her outfit but his guard was up and she could n't read his thoughts .

if it was n't for the quick peck on the cheek she would have wondered if he 'd noticed her at all .

so that 's how he wanted to play the evening .

she suddenly saw the entire night stretching out before her , and she wished she had n't agreed to go .

getting the cold shoulder from zack for the next few hours would severely destroy her ego , and it was already hanging by a thread .

chapter 15 it definitely was not the reaction she wanted .

eyes popping out of his head would have been nice , a `` wow '' would be even better , and begging was definitely an acceptable response , but not this frankly-my-dear-i-don't-give-a-damn attitude .

he barely even waited for an answer before stepping back to allow her past .

annie scratched snoopy behind the ears , locked her door and placed the keys in her fendi bag .

he 'd brought the ferrari , and before she knew it they were zipping along familiar streets .

they were heading back to his place .

`` i thought we were going to louisa 's . ''

she lives a few streets from me . ''

`` you came all the way to pick me up when she lives near you !

i would 've driven myself . ''

she sighed and decided not to press the issue .

he did n't seem in the mood for logic .

they stopped outside a well-lit mansion and a parking attendant greeted them .

zack handed him the keys to the ferrari and without a second glance back at the expensive machine , he took annie by the arm and led her inside .

they were greeted at the door by a waiter and a glass of champagne .

zack whisked her inside so quickly she did n't even have a chance to feel nervous or take in her surroundings .

the one thing she did notice was that everything was made of white marble .

they were led along the hall and through to a sparsely furnished lounge where a throng of impossibly sexy people chatted .

an attractive woman approached .

annie recognized her as a well known tv actress .

`` you did n't tell me this was louisa mondeo 's party , '' annie whispered to zack before the woman reached them .

he held out both hands and louisa caught them in pink talons .

he smiled but not widely .

for the first time , annie wondered if he really enjoyed this sort of thing or whether it was all a carefully acted play .

`` zack , daaahling . ''

louisa pecked him on both cheeks .

`` we have n't seen you out and about for sooo long .

what brings you to my little soiree ? ''

louisa mondeo was exactly like the character she played in the tv soap steamy nights-slick .

her black hair was tied back in a tight knot , pulling the skin on her face tight in a vain attempt to make her look wrinkle-free .

all it really did was stretch her lips into a permanent smile .

the pink lipstick matched the pink claws , pink earrings , pink dress and shoes .

annie felt a headache coming on just looking at her .

louisa had started to chat to zack about her show when he interrupted her and introduced annie as `` a friend '' .

she extended her claw and annie shook it , being careful not to touch the pink talons in case they snapped off .

`` annie mccallum . ''

`` she 's an agent , '' zack said .

louisa perked up and thrust her cle**age forward .

perhaps her contract was up with the network .

`` music agent , '' annie clarified .

louisa 's top lip curled .

but you look so familiar . ''

she tapped a talon on zack 's shoulder .

`` have i met her before ? ''

`` she was in today 's papers .

she got arrested at a protest outside city hall . ''

louisa 's eyes bulged so wide annie grew concerned the blue contacts would pop out .

trust you to go out with a girl like that , zack . ''

she grinned cheekily at him and sauntered off , but not before giving annie the once over beneath lowered lashes .

once louisa was swallowed up by the crowd , annie surveyed the room .

there were more celebrities at the party than a pbs telethon and she suddenly realized how much of a nobody she was-and how much of a somebody zack was .

she swallowed her anxiety , but the damn thing kept rising back to her throat trying to choke her .

she took another sip of champagne and felt zack 's hand tighten around her shoulders .

`` just relax , '' he said quietly .

`` remember , you 're better than everyone here . ''

good try , but he needed to do better than lie to get her to relax .

his eyes were dark and mysterious and she fought the urge to reach up and brush his cheek with her fingers .

problem was , she had n't put any nail polish on so she kept them discreetly at her side .

on second thought , she tucked her right hand in zack 's arm where it could n't be seen .

he squeezed it and gently tugged her forward .

they joined a small group of people who greeted zack like a long lost friend and eyed annie suspiciously .

`` ah-ha , '' cried the young guy beside her .

`` you were in the paper today . ''

`` she hit a cop , '' zack said .

`` got arrested . ''

`` no way , '' said a young girl , dressed in a skimpy white dress , standing too close to zack .

`` did they hurt you bad ? ''

`` um , not- '' `` she 's got a few bruises , '' zack said .

`` cuts , that sort of thing .

lucky she knows people in the right places or she 'd still be in a cell . ''

`` no shit , '' said the original speaker .

he was mid-twenties with hair that needed a cut and clothes needing an iron .

his attention was completely focussed on annie .

it was unnerving but she stood her ground .

he was the perfect candidate to try her flirting technique on .

problem was , she really did n't want to .

she felt drained , emotionally exhausted .

she sighed and grabbed another champagne from a passing waiter to give her strength .

`` that 's so cool , '' he said again , inching closer .

`` so what do you do , annie ? ''

music industry . ''

his eyebrows nearly flew off his forehead .

what a coincidence , i 'm a musician . ''

her gaze flicked to zack but he was brooding and she doubted she could rely on his help to extricate her .

the musician , rick , launched into a well-rehearsed spiel-which he probably saved for just such occasions-about how he 'd got started and how he was `` gon na make it big '' .

if only he had the right agent .