“Now, like I was trying to tell you earlier today—”
“You mean when you snuck into my penthouse to try and surprise me naked in the shower?”
Her brown eyes go big, and she sucks in a breath. The smile drops. “You…” She grinds her teeth. “Vile…” She composes herself. “There is a ten step-plan”—she slaps the paper on the table—“to revamp your image in the press.”
I cross my arms.
“Number one.” Her eyes flash as she glares down at me.
I’m unrepentant.
“We’re going to get you involved in the charity scene.”
“No.” I flash teeth as she purses her mouth and sets her jaw.
“Number two.” She stabs at the paper with her pen. “Viral content creation so that when people google your name, all these unsavory videos don’t come up in the search.” She waves her tablet at me. On the screen is a .gif of me hurling Joseph into a fountain.
A smile spreads on my face. It felt so fucking good to lose control. What’s even better is that fucker deserved it.
“Content will include but is not limited to cute videos with senior citizens. You out in the world, doing random acts of pastry. We’ll adopt you a pet—”
“No pets, Jenna,” Salinger says quickly, before I can light into her, and flashes me a concerned look.
I cross my arms, just in case he thinks he’s going to treat me like I’m ten again and hug me or some shit.
“No problem!” PR Princess crosses it off the list. “We can just use Truman for cute animal content.”
“What? Who?” Salinger squints.
With a flourish, I wave to my right, where the dachshund is perched on my bookcase next to my NASA award.
“Down, Truman,” Jenna says mildly.
Truman pants.
I lean back in my chair, arms behind my head.
“I’m sorry, but how much money did you pay to go to school to do this?”
Jenna purses her mouth again.
“Actually, the better question,” I say before she can answer, “is how much didyou”—I turn to my older brother—“pay for her to be here? I mean, do you even hear her? How is this girl even employed?”
“Next on the list!” Jenna sounds shrill.
“For fuck’s sake.”
“You need to stop cursing.”
“Fuck you.”
“You just dropped fifty-two F-bombs, told your own brother to suck your dick, called multiple people a cunt—”
“You’re a cunt.”
My brother cuffs me.
Jenna holds up a hand. “I can handle him.”
