Eye Candy by Reshonda Tate Billingsley Page B

straight here to see you.” He stepped back and looked her up and down. “Dang, girl, you look good. Is that the Chanel outfit I bought you?”
    She modeled, a big cheesy grin across her face as she twirled around. “It sure is.”
    At that moment, I wished that a big earthquake would come, create a gigantic gap that would then immediately swallow me up. How was Nelly dating Ross Nixon? And he was buying her expensive outfits?
    â€œI was just standing here talking to Maya. For some reason, she thinks I’m here for her show.”
    Nelly giggled as she looked at me. “No, Ross is here to pick me up.”
    â€œYeah, I’m just here for my boo,” he said, pulling her closer.
    His boo?
    â€œSo, are you ready?” he asked her.
    â€œI sure am.” She tucked a small clutch under her arm, then turned to Liz, who was obviously eating all of this up, at the front desk and said, “Can you let Tamara know I’m gone?” She took Ross’s hand. “Oh, and Maya, I don’t quite know how to say this, but it’s our show now.”
    â€œExcuse me,” I said.
    â€œ Our show,” she repeated. “You might want to go talk to Tamara about that.”
    â€œYeah,” Ross said, grinning hard, “that’s what I’m here for. To take my baby out and celebrate her being named cohost of Rumor Central .”
    â€œAre you freakin’ kidding me?” I shrieked. For some reason, both of them and Liz looked at me in shock.
    But Nelly quickly pulled it together and went back to flashing that stupid smile.
    â€œI’m sure Tam will explain everything. Ta-ta.” She gave me a stupid finger wave as they walked out the door.
    Liz averted her eyes when I glanced in her direction, but I knew as soon as I left she’d be on the phone telling everybody and their mama about the drama that had just unfolded. But I couldn’t concern myself with that now. I pushed through the lobby doors, and stomped down the hall, straight into Tamara’s office.
    â€œI think I need to fire Kelley, since she doesn’t seem to be doing her job,” Tamara snapped as I barged into her office.
    â€œAnd what would her job be? Keeping me out so that I didn’t know that you had stabbed me in my back? Again?”
    â€œOkay, Maya. What are the theatrics about now?” Tamara said as she set her pen down and let out a long sigh.
    I stood over her desk, trying to contain my anger.
    â€œThere are no theatrics unless you want to count stabbing me in the back once again.”
    She rolled her eyes like I was boring her.
    â€œAnd do, please, tell me how I stabbed you in the back this time.”
    â€œLet’s see. Nelly Fulton. As cohost? I thought we’d been there and tried that.” Tamara had forced my former Miami Divas costar Evian Javid on me a few months ago after Evian got kidnapped on spring break. Or, shall I say, pretended to be kidnapped. Turns out Evian was a big, fat liar, had faked the whole thing, and that whole mess had blown up and given the station some really bad press. So, I couldn’t believe they were even thinking about trying that again.
    â€œWe did try it, and it was actually going pretty well until Evian’s little mishap,” Tamara said. “We have to keep Rumor Central evolving. And even though it didn’t work out with Evian, we think Nelly’s the one. Her popularity alone is a definite ratings draw.”
    I couldn’t believe this. “Uggh. Shouldn’t she be off somewhere making a record or something?”
    â€œThat’s just it. She actually likes this better and we’re more than willing to let her do both. Kinda like Kelly Rowland doing X Factor . J. Lo doing American Idol .”
    â€œThis is freakin’ insane,” I screamed.
    She shook her head. “It always is with you, Maya. It always is,” she said as she went back to work like she was dismissing me.
    I