Elliot is trying to make me afraid, probably at Dorrine’s behest. If I call father now, it’ll show him I’m weak.
If I’m going to come out on top, I have to ignore him.
Still, the mental toll of the situation and my hormones are doing a number on me, and as I try to stop myself from puking, I burst into tears.
I can’t believe women actually go through this on purpose. Repeatedly.
Thankfully, I have my makeup with me, which I use to conceal my sorrow before moving to the small dining area.
Maria has been a rockstar at handling her workload, and some of mine. When I’m in a better position, I aim to reward her efforts and hire her on full-time, but that will have to wait.
It suddenly hits me that she’s going to be little droid’s aunt.
And that my droid won’t always be a droid.
I need to make an appointment.
Carl slides into the seat across from me.
“What are you doing up at 4 a.m.?” I ask.
He smiles excitedly. “I got an email from that liquor company you connected me to, and they’re all in! They’re talking about a campaign.”
“That was an easy match to make. Just wait until you see what else I have cooking.”
“They want to run bottles out to us at the next stop for pictures, so I have to find out who’s the best at working a camera.”
“A high schooler, though that would be grossly inappropriate. The good thing is that the brand wants you to be authentic and not curated. So the Hunks can just be themselves with very little set up.”
“Well, I’m definitely thankful for your help, and if you have any other suggestions, I’m all ears.”
“Actually, I have a few things I’ve been working on.”
“Great, let’s hear them.”
“There’s a client of mine who’s considering having a fling with Jacek.”
His brow pinches. “Are you…escorting my men to your clients?”
I laugh. “No, not at all. Celebrities get into fake relationships to stir up gossip all the time.”
“How would that help us?”
“Have you heard of Cassie Hoffman?”
“Yeah.”
“Even though she’s only C-list, she’s known by a lot of people, and her hooking up with a Hunk is going to drive up brand recognition.”
“How would it work?”
“Jacek will fly out to spend time with her. Several photo shoots will be done in one day, to make it look like they’ve been seeing each other for a while. Then, he’ll come back to the bus, she’ll come to a few shows, and eventually, they’ll split. Everything will be carefully curated so that no one looks like the villain.”
Carl nods. “I see.”
“But that’s not all I have for you.”
“What else do you have?”
