“I didn’t think it was that big of a deal, and I didn’t want to go into our past or have to explain our breakup. I was really just wanting to focus on my job.”
“Oh, you look focused,” she said, gesturing at the magazine.
“I’m sorry, you didn’t get more press Tess, but I don’t understand how any of this is anyone’s business but Jake’s and mine.”
“Look, I get it because Arthur Scott got to me before, but I worked damned hard to keep this from happening this time, and I even killed a potentially good thing with Austin just so there wouldn’t be any scandal. Now I wish I hadn’t. At least if I was dating the stuntman, I might have gotten some of the press.”
Tess stormed away, and I took the article with me as I searched for a private place to call Jake and give him the heads-up. The round-table room wasn’t going to work for this conversation. Everyone who passed me was still glaring at me like I had ruined their life and the film was only going to be known as Jake Storm’s sex romp in the rainforest.
I wanted to hide.
Before I could take two steps, my phone rang in my pocket. I fished it out and saw it wasn’t Jake like I’d expected. It was my boss, Kenneth O’Connor, and he wasn’t in a very good mood either.
“Kate, what the hell is with this article?” His usual casual and quiet tone was harsh, and he didn’t give me a chance to respond before he continued. “I sent you on that job thinking you were going to be the perfect person to represent the department, and this is how you repay me? By having an affair with the star?”
“I’m sorry, Kenneth. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen, and it’s not at all what it sounds like.”
“So you didn’t sleep with Jake Storm?”
I didn’t know what to say to that. I couldn’t lie, but my entire future with the department was on the line. “I have known Jake since we were kids. We grew up together, dated even, and I didn’t expect him to be there.”
“That’s not a ‘no.’ Your job wasn’t to rekindle old flames. I personally recommended you for this because I thought your integrity was unshakable. Now I’ve got Ashton Gilfoyle breathing down my neck to fire you and spare the department further embarrassment. He says the entire department is in danger of going down because of this.”
“I’m so sorry. I don’t know what else to say.”
“Well, you’ve violated your ethics clause, and I’m afraid that I have to do what Gilfoyle wants.”
I couldn’t believe it. All of this because I was with Jake? “It’s not fair. I didn’t do anything wrong. And besides, that article was taken way out of context. It was supposed to be about the movie, and I didn’t even get a chance to talk about the department.”
“So you didn’t even do what Gilfoyle asked? That doesn’t help your case.”
“I wasn’t given the chance, but I did get Arthur Scott’s card, and we were going to set up another interview once we got back to LA.” I realized in that moment how naïve I’d been to think that would ever actually happen. Arthur Scott had gotten what he wanted, and I was pretty sure he never intended to meet with me again. “This is a mess.”
“Yes, and I’m really sorry, Kate. Sorry and disappointed that you’ve left me with no choice. I have to think of the good of the department.” He hung up the phone, and I was left feeling like the wind had been knocked out of me. Everything I’d worked years for was gone, just like that.
All of my time working to be someone with integrity, who could make a change and make a difference in the world, was over, and now I’d have to figure out something new.
I turned to walk outside, and things got uglier.
“Oh, there’s the slut now,” Portia said into her phone, its case had a photo of Jake wearing a crown with a big lip print on his cheek, but his picture was the only one smiling. “How dare you insert yourself into Jake’s life? I hope you’re happy that you just ruined his entire career and reputation.”
“Excuse me? I haven’t done anything of the sort.” I wasn’t going to take all the blame. Jake had as much to do with it as I did.
“What do you call this?” she asked, holding up the photo. “You clearly seduced him.”
I wasn’t sure how Jake holding me against a tree with his tongue down my throat made me the instigator, but I knew Portia, who worshipped him, wasn’t going to see things my way. “I think you should talk to Jake about it. There are things you don’t know about him.”