“It says I’m like them, okay. That people make mistakes.” I was sobbing, and Avery took my hand. “But a baby isn’t a mistake!” I was such a mess. “Just give me some time. Let me figure this out.”
“Okay. I get it, this is too much, too soon, but we don’t have a lot of time. If you ask me, Alec seems to have put on quite a show so far. You can take the mistake/not mistake angle and the two of you can make your ‘love’ this epic thing. Have a baby together, make it crazy love then divorce … separate … cry, it’s a tragedy. People will care. They’ll be hooked, and then you and Alec can arrange whatever you want privately. We’ll handle the publicity. I’ll get his PR guys in on it. A couple of dinners, concerts, baby clothes shopping, ribbon cutting on the building … This is perfect for you, Kylie. You’ve wanted to change your image; well, this is the time to do it. You’ll be Mrs. Alec Blair, sophisticated, elegant. I can get you exclusive contracts with top designers. This is gonna be amazing, Kylie.” Suddenly, my baby was the best marketing move I’d ever made.
Chapter 18
Alec
It was infuriating that Kylie refused my calls. I was about to go over to her house again and make her sit down and talk with me, but I didn’t want to lose my manhood to those women she lived with. I’m glad she had people who loved her with such conviction, but I wasn’t happy being on the wrong side of that. I called her modeling agency; I knew who to contact and how to work my angle. I made myself a part of Kylie’s world whether she wanted me there or not. We were all over the internet just as I had planned. Maralis Gutierrez snatched up my one-dollar lease offer as I knew she would. I planted the seed in her mind that Kylie and I might be more than a minute and we discussed how we’d spin that.
Worst case scenario I’d be able to protect Kylie’s changing reputation. Even if she and I didn’t last, she’d walk away from this as the mother of my baby on paper and in the press. I was horrified when she told me she was pregnant, but her roommate was right, the responsibility to keep the world Alec Jr. free was mine and mine alone. We were completely careless that night. I had allowed it. Yet despite our ‘mistake,’ I was starting to get excited about Kylie carrying my child. I had vowed never to have another child, but she didn’t know that, and I certainly wasn’t acting as if I was taking that vow very seriously.
At least I wouldn’t have to stalk her anymore. We were bonded, whether she liked it or not. My next course of action was to get her in a room alone so we could discuss our next steps. I went to the bar where we first met and spoke with Greg. I had an idea that I was pretty sure was going to work. Either her agency would make her talk to me or we’d bump into each other, which was more ideal because I needed our ‘story’ to work.
“So, when she comes in, I call you,” Greg recited the plan back to me.
“Yes, invite her to come and pick up a check from the bar for her foundation. I’ll give you the money, but say since she and her roommates are regulars, you wanted to do your part. When she’s here, have her try a new mocktail you’re working on. Keep it casual.” My heart raced just thinking of the moment.
“Sure. So tomorrow, at four o’clock.” He wrote the date and time down in a beat-up, liquid stained day planner.
Who used pen and paper planners anymore? Anyway, as long as he had the date.
The next day, I made sure that the paparazzi, who had been hanging outside of my house since news of my donation broke across the internet, knew I was on the move. I made sure to have my car service send a limo to pick me up. We traveled the few blocks through Manhattan to the bar as soon as I got word from Greg that she had come and she was alone.
I could hardly contain my excitement. I knew I was being reckless diving headlong into this, but I was consumed by my thoughts of Kylie and our baby.
Kylie was at the bar with Greg. “Wow, thank you so much. That’s so very generous. You didn’t have to donate, but I’m so glad you did. Thank you again. I’ll make sure to put you on the donor list and in our press, so you can get some advertising for your donation. And this is so good. What is it again?”