“I might have to let you out here ma’am. Something’s going on at that coffee shop.”
Looking through the window, I gasped in shock. Morning Jolt was surrounded by cameras, TV vans, and people who I presumed were reporters. There must have been fifty of them.
“Can you pull over for just a second please?” I asked the driver.
I called the shop, grateful when someone answered the phone.
“Oh my God, Hailey, what’s going on? This place is crawling with reporters and they’re all looking for you,” Amy, one of the weekend crew said. She sounded frazzled. “Madison Phoenix is sending her attorney over to scare them away.”
Madison Phoenix was a billionaire tech executive who bought Morning Jolt after she fell in love with one of the other baristas. They were married now but she held onto the shop to make sure she didn’t lose her favorite cup of coffee.
“Don’t tell anyone you talked to me, or share anything else about me,” I ordered, hanging up before she could respond.
I leaned forward to ask the driver, “What do I need to do if I want a longer ride to a different location?”
“How long?” he asked.
“About an hour away,” I said. “Little town called Ferndale.”
The driver gave me a curious look. “That’s going to cost you a pretty penny, lady.”
I suppressed a sigh. This was going to put a dent in my emergency credit card. Then again, this qualified as an emergency. There was no way I could get up to my apartment undetected right now.
“I know.”
He glanced at the reporters then back at me again, clearly figuring out that whatever was happening involved me. “Okay, do a ride request and I’ll accept it so you don’t have to wait.”
“Thank you.”
I waited for him to end my current ride, then requested the new destination. Once we were moving again I pressed the first contact on my phone.
“Mom? I need you. I’m heading your way.”
Tori
“What do you mean they had permission to access my property and take pictures?”
My attorney winced at my high pitched tone.
“They said Barbara Cross told them she was the homeowner and gave them permission. That you wanted pictures to leak as a soft launch of your new girlfriend.”
“My mother has no ownership in this property,” I said angrily.
“I know, but they believed her. They’re working on taking everything down now.”
“It would have been nice if that had happened before everyone saw me finger fucking my girlfriend on fuckingTMZ!”
I didn’t often lose my temper, but this situation definitely justified it.
My fury only intensified when I saw that I’d missed a text from Hailey while I was meeting with my attorney.
Hailey:Hey, I hope you’re OK. We have a problem here. The coffee shop and my apartment are swarmed with dozens of reporters, there are cameras everywhere. Somehow they found out who I am. They also have my cell phone number and now they’re blowing up my phone with calls and texts asking for comment on our relationship. Just wanted to give you a heads up, I’m turning off my phone and heading to my mom’s for a while until this blows over. Cell service is spotty there, but I’ll be in touch when I can. Take care.
I typed back a response.
Tori:Oh my God, I’m so sorry Hailey. I know this is scary as fuck and I promise you I’ll take care of it.
She didn’t respond, and I wasn’t sure if it was because she’d turned off her phone already or she was ignoring me. I knew she was uncomfortable with the realities of my life as a superstar actress, and all my efforts to shield her from it had gone to shit as soon as that drone flew into my backyard.
