Fifteen Minutes

“I can’t think of anything worse.” Chandra spun her chair around and searched the auditorium. Zack and Zoey were sitting beside each other near the back, laughing about something, their heads bowed close to each other. Be careful, Zack . . . you have so much to lose. Last night the judges had watched a segment on Zack and Zoey that the producers had put together. It was set to run the first week the show went live.

“We’ll air it if the two of them make it that far,” William Gaines had told the judges.

Chandra rolled her eyes again at the memory of his statement. As if anyone would dare kick Barbie and Ken off Fifteen Minutes. “Romeo and Juliet,” the piece was titled. The footage was compelling, the production perfect. By all accounts Zack and Zoey seemed to have found love on the journey to Fifteen Minutes of fame. The kiss in the hallway that night provided the most dramatic moment in the piece. The producers positioned it right after Zack’s earnest statement that he had a serious girlfriend back home.

“So negative, Chandra.” Cullen’s makeup artist was gone. He took the seat beside Chandra and turned the chair so that he, too, could watch the contestants interact during the break. “This show made you who you are.” He raised his eyebrows at her. “You could be a little more thankful.” His eyes scanned the room. “One of them will win it all. And when he does, you need to be part of the celebration.”

Chandra considered her attitude. Cullen had a point. Nothing would change her views on the sudden fame that a show like Fifteen Minutes cast upon its finalists. But she had to remember the reason she’d agreed to this. Not because she believed in fame. No, it was so she could remember the girl she’d once been and maybe warn a few contestants along the way. Not only from the pitfalls that awaited them when the show placed them forever in the public eye. But from desiring that life in the first place.

She glanced at Zack again. If only she could get him to believe her. She had thought he was different, that he would hear her story and want nothing more than to tread carefully through the landscape of escalating fame. But maybe she was wrong. Maybe he was just like every other contestant.

Including herself.

Chandra sighed and slowly turned her chair back around to the table. The next group would take the stage in two minutes. Kelly returned to her spot, and a minute later Cullen joined them. Chandra shot Kelly a quick look and she felt a hint of remorse. She’d been rough on Kelly. Truthful but rough. Chandra leaned closer to her. “Everything okay?”

Kelly’s eyebrows raised ever so slightly. “What’s this? You have a heart?”

“I do.” Chandra faced her fellow judge. “I’m sorry. About the other day.” She looked down at her painted nails, her glittery jeans and high heels. She found Kelly’s eyes again. Maybe it was time to let her walls down a little. “Sometimes . . . I kind of panic.”

Suspicion colored Kelly’s expression. “Panic?”

“Yeah.” She hesitated. “Being Chandra Olson, it’s cost me everything. So then I see you and I want to say, Kelly baby, if you can save your marriage, save it. Don’t let this”—she motioned toward the table and the contestants and the vast, hallowed walls of Carnegie Hall—“all of this . . . don’t let it take one more thing.”

For a long time Kelly only stared at her, studied her as if she wanted to be sure Chandra was being sincere. Finally she nodded. “Thank you. But some things you give up willingly.” Her slight smile looked plastic. “No one’s taking my marriage from me. It was over a long time ago.”

Chandra nodded slowly. Kelly still didn’t get it. Maybe before the season ended. “Okay. Well . . . I am sorry about the other day.”

“We’re all under a lot of pressure.” This time Kelly’s smile seemed almost genuine. “And with your past and all.”

“Sixty seconds!” a voice shouted. “Places everyone.”

Chandra held still while an assistant ran onto the set and adjusted a few strands of her hair. Here we go, she thought.

Zack’s group was up next.

ZACK DYLAN WAS killing it.

Despite everything Chandra knew about the changes ahead for Zack Dylan, the heartache and compromise sure to come, she couldn’t help but enjoy his performance. He really was that good. Zoey, too. Most days, they were easily the strongest singers remaining in the competition.

As the song played out, Zack and Zoey commanded the stage, so that it was impossible to watch anyone else. They sang a Lady Antebellum ballad, and the number showed the difference between Zack and Zoey’s talent and that of the others in the group. When they finished, this time Cullen was first on his feet. “Zack Dylan!” he shouted above the roar of applause from the other contestants. “Good onya, bloke. You can saaang!”

“Thank you!” Zack was out of breath. He had his arm loosely around Zoey’s shoulders. The rest of the group stood close by. All of them were beaming.

Cullen stayed on his feet, over the top about Zack. “I mean, look at Zack Dylan, will you, America?” He raised his arms toward the audience of contestants, and another roar of applause and whistles followed. When they settled down, Cullen turned to Zack. “You ever get the feeling you were born for this?”

Zack laughed, his humility very much part of his charm. “I don’t know about that.” He grinned at Zoey and the others, then back at Cullen. “Singing . . . well, it’s a gift. I can’t really take credit.”

Chandra’s heart dropped. Usually this was where Zack would’ve given credit to God. He would’ve talked about prayer or Jesus or faith or all of it. Not today. She noticed the change even if no one else did.

Cullen was still gushing. “Today the whole group was better because of Zack. Zack and Zoey.” He turned to Zoey. “You love singing, don’t you?”

“I do.” Her cheeks were tanned from an afternoon performance at Central Park the day before. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.”

Cullen looked at Kelly. “I don’t think singing is all she loves.”

Chandra cut in before the conversation could turn to Zack and Zoey. “I agree with Cullen.” Chandra looked straight at him, through him. As if to keep him on track. This was about singing, not dating. Chandra held her hands in Zack’s direction and clapped a few times. “That was easily one of the best performances we’ve seen this season.”

“Maybe the best.” Kelly clapped, too. She smiled at Zack. “I still have a crush on you. But even more than that, Zack Dylan, Cullen’s right. You can saaang.” She looked at Chandra and then Cullen. “I’ll make the prediction right now. Unless someone steps up, you’re looking at the next winner of Fifteen Minutes.”

Cullen chuckled. “Get it together, Kelly. You’re forgetting Juliet over there.” He winked at Zoey. “Darling, if anyone can give Zack a run for his money on this show, you can.”

“Thank you.” Zoey grinned at the others in their group. “We all loved that song.”

“How’s the romance going, by the way?” Cullen straightened a stack of papers on the table before him and raised his eyebrows at Zack. “I heard people are hashtagging the two of you on Twitter.”

Chandra watched, her frustration simmering. Why couldn’t Cullen leave them alone? Hold your ground, Zack . . . don’t give in.

“It hasn’t changed with us.” Zack reached out and took Zoey’s hand. “We’re good friends.”

“Yep, just friends.” Zoey smiled at Zack and then back at the judges. “No matter how it looks.”

Cullen’s laugh took on a sarcastic tone. “That’s what Romeo and Juliet told people, too.” He looked at Kelly. “What about Zoey Davis?”

“She’s stunning, of course.” Kelly turned her attention to Zoey. “Your tone was a little flat that time around. But I still see you in the top ten.”

“Thank you.” Zoey’s face grew red, probably a mix of nervousness and embarrassment.

“We’ll see about that.” Cullen picked up the contestant lists in front of him and straightened them. “America’s going to love you two.”

Zack leaned toward the mic. “The way we feel”—he looked at Zoey—“we’re just happy to be here. Our whole group feels that way.”

Chandra wanted to roll her eyes. No one was just happy to be here, no matter how often contestants repeated the phrase. She sat back in her seat and let her smile fade. Zack and Zoey were falling straight into the trap. They’d be a “couple” at the end of this season whether they wanted that or not. Reality wasn’t reality for the