Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 85135 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85135 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
“She’s got a point,” Felicity says in a low stage whisper.
“Then what?” Tommy asks.
“We don’t have to decide now. What about, “Vivian is visiting England, catching up with friends and working on new music as she prepares for the launch of her next album, the hotly anticipated follow-up to her double platinum album, Moonlight Whispers. Then sources close to the star can say that she’s doing really well after her split with her long-term boyfriend—we won’t mention the fiancé bit—and that she’s not dating anyone seriously at this time.”
“No,” Tommy says. “That suggests she’s dating all over. I’m not having that. Who is this guy? Does he have a sister? Could he be the brother of a girlfriend?”
“He’s practically a stranger,” I reply. “I’m not lying when I say I literally bumped into him at a coffee shop. And no, he doesn’t have any sisters.”
Tommy purses his lips and taps his pen on his laptop, which I know will irritate Felicity.
“Strictly between us, are you dating? Are you attracted to each other? Level with us, Vivian, we’re here to help.”
I pause, not sure what to say. I exhale. “I’m attracted to him. He’s asked me out, so I suppose he’s attracted to me. I’ve said no, because it’s too soon after Matt. We’ve been for a couple of walks and we had a private tour around an art gallery the other evening.”
“So you have been on a date with him,” Tommy says.
I inwardly cringe. I’ve been refusing to accept that I’ve been on a date with Beau, but of course, that’s what happened. “I made it pretty clear I’m not going to date him. He didn’t try to kiss me or even hold my hand, but I suppose, from the outside looking in, it could look like a date.”
“Yes,” Felicity says. “That fulfils all the requirements of a date. And now you’ve been caught together.”
“We weren’t naked.”
“It causes an issue if we start talking about you being in a relationship with Leo or—”
“I’m not dating anyone thirty years older than me.”
“Then give me another name, sweet cheeks,” Tommy says.
“I haven’t looked at the list,” I lie.
“Liar.” He’s known me far too long. “I know you don’t want to do this, but believe me, it will save a lot of awkward questions about Matt if you just grit your teeth and choose someone.”
“It’s true,” Felicity adds. “And it might even turn into something. You know half the couples in Hollywood started off as fake.”
I groan again. I can’t think of anything worse than managing another person’s ego. Most celebrities act like spoiled brats as far as I can see—surrounded by people who pamper and fawn over them. I don’t want any part of that version of showbusiness. The fact that Matt is a lawyer—a man who, I thought, shunned the limelight—was core to who I was. It kept my feet on the ground. “I’m not going to end up with a celebrity. It’s just…not who I am.”
“We need to talk about this Beau. Do you have his contact details? I need to brief him, send him an NDA and such.”
I suddenly feel defensive of Beau. “What does he need to be briefed on?”
“How to deal with press questions if he gets them.”
“I can tell him to say ‘no comment.’”
“You know it’s easy to get tricked into giving a response. He should also know how paps can goad a reaction out of people. He needs to understand what he could come up against. You’ve seen the pictures of Bieber looking like the Hulk or even Sean Penn back in the day. None of us need the fallout of your new boyfriend beating up some photographer.”
“Jeez, he’s not my new boyfriend. How many times do I have to tell you?”
“That’s not what the papers will say,” Felicity says. “Especially if they have other sources—people at the gallery. Drivers. You know how these things work.”
“Things will die down when they can’t get any more pictures of us.” My stomach sinks a little at the thought that I won’t be able to see Beau again. But it’s too risky.
“You know, it’s just a thought, but maybe we could kill two birds with one stone,” Tommy says. “Why don’t we get this Beau guy to sign up to be your new boyfriend? This pap shot can be the start of his introduction to the world. Because he’s a normie, and a doctor, people won’t expect him to travel alongside you all the time. He’s got a job to do after all. You think he’d be up for it?”
Has Tommy planted a listening device on me? It’s almost like he’s heard Beau’s suggestion.
“He can’t possibly know what opening himself up to being my boyfriend could mean. It’s not fair to ask him.”
“It wouldn’t work anyway, Tommy,” Felicity says. “It’s not like Vivian is moving to England anytime soon. It would be challenging to spin the story that they’re together when they’re on separate continents…”