Hollywood Hearts (Steamy Standalone Instalove)

It’s hard to take in everything she’s saying, but I let her do all the talking, just how she wants.

Jack’s looking out the window, and then over to me, but his hand creeps into mine and I squeeze it, telling him we’re all good.

No matter what happens from now on, I’m on Jack’s side.

Whatever my boss is trying to pull I don’t hold it against Jack.

Far from it.

“You did all this yourself?” I hear myself ask her, butting in. Not even trying to hide my disbelief.

I know for a fact that Naomi couldn’t write a real news story to save her life.

“Well. Not exactly,” she snorts. “I got someone, a friend to piece it together, but it’s got my name on it and I sold it to every major paper and gossip rag once we got the scoop,” she says triumphantly.

Scanning the story, I’m struggling to make sense of it. There’s no real scandal as such. It just says Jack Mercury kissed a chubby mystery girl and he maybe slept with her.

Big deal.

But it’s the visual of it. The questions it puts in the reader’s mind.

“Where are you, Fanning? I need you to talk to me if any of this is gonna work. You disappeared off my radar yesterday and it wasn’t until late yesterday someone called me with this. I need you to check-in at the office. We need to take this as far as it can go,” she gasps, finally taking a breath of air.

I’ve never heard her so wound up, I thought she was not too far from me at her film festival, but it sounds like things have changed.

“What’s the angle?” I ask, genuinely confused.

I just don’t see a story, not even for a trashy magazine or newspaper column.

One-off filler, maybe. But no real traction like she’s foaming about.

“Don’t you get it?” she almost shrieks. “Jack Mercury, the king of Hollywood heartthrobs, lowering himself to boning a total scrubber? No offense,” she murmurs, taking a long breath.

None taken. I don’t think.

“It proves he’s finished. Washed up. Must be on drugs or booze by now… Can’t you see it, Fanning? Don’t you get it?” she gasps. “It’s the nail in the coffin for that prick and I can’t wait to drive it home, making sure he never gets another job that shows his face on a screen ever again!”

Feeling my face furrow and then loosen, I’m more than glad when her call drops out.

Something common near the airport, I find out later.

“I guess we all know now,” Jack says, eyeing me with a curious look. But not one I’d take as him being even remotely upset about the whole thing.

“You… You don’t mind?” I ask, wondering again if I really care either.

He shrugs, shaking his head and leaning over, gives me the only answer I could ever need from him.

His mouth on mine makes everything else disappear, and I moan softly, feeling like we should have stayed in bed after all.

Hang the flight back. Hang it all. Right?

I know how I feel about Jack and I’m pretty certain he feels the same. But it’s another thing for me to just assume he’s gonna provide for me just because we…

Well. I’m not his responsibility, even if we have… almost… or just because we have hooked up.

Is that what it’s called? What happened between us? God, I’m so naive it hurts.

“What should I do?” I ask, making him pull a small smile and kiss me again.

“Do whatever you think is right,” he says with feigned determination. “Just don’t disappear on me, will ya?” he asks, looking a little serious.

“Hey,” Jack suddenly exclaims, opening up one of the papers. “That’s the movie I was in it’s out on DVD, how about that?”

He seems excited, but I’m more concerned about the business at hand.

Am I really expected to drum up some complete lie, some total BS about Jack and me just to keep my job?

I know what Naomi is like. If I don’t play along, she’ll be pissed.

More than pissed.

If she’s found someone else to ‘help her’ with her column, it might be goodnight Olivia as well as sayonara Jack Mercury if that’s her game.

“Ha,” Jack beams, slapping the paper with the back of his hand. “And it got the worst reviews, yet there it is… Blue Ray too! I love it! I hope they send me some copies.”

“Jack. This is serious,” I protest. Holding up a few headlines as proof of an argument I’m not even sure I can make.

“Pfft,” Jack laughs, waving his hand and pointing to the half-page ad for his movie on DVD. Blu-ray even.

It does make me smile, seeing him so happy. He looks like a little kid he’s so excited.

“But the Naomi thing,” I remind him, almost nagging now. “She just told me she’s gonna run with this story until it buries you.”