by Fiona Riley
Media Darling
Hayley Carpenter has always dreamed of being a famous screenwriter, but dreams don’t pay bills and LA living isn’t cheap. So when a temp position at a celebrity gossip magazine becomes available, she goes after it.
Emerson Sterling has been acting since she was little, but a rough patch as a teenager has given her a bad rap in Hollywood. Just when she thinks her dream role can turn around the public’s image of her, a conflict with her co-star and America’s Sweetheart, Rachel Blanche, puts her on the front cover of every magazine, the villain once again.
Rumors swirl that the starlets’ feud started in the bedroom, and Hayley accidentally overhears a conversation between Emerson and Rachel that could lead to the biggest scoop of her career. Will Hayley follow the story, or will her irresistible attraction to Emerson and the secrets Emerson is desperate to keep buried ruin both their careers...and their chance at love?
Praise for Fiona Riley
Room Service
“The sexual tension between Olivia and Savannah is combustible and I was hoping with every flirtious moment they would jump each other…[A] sexy summer read.”—Les Rêveur
“Room Service is a slow-burn romance written from the point of view of both main characters. Ms. Riley excels at building their chemistry that slowly grows to sizzling hot.”—Lez Review Books
“Room Service by Fiona Riley is a steamy workplace romance that is all kinds of fabulous…Fiona Riley is so good at writing characters who are extremely likeable, even as they have issues to work through. I was happy see that the leading ladies in Room Service are no exception! They’re both fun, sweet, funny, and smart, which is a brilliant combo. They also have chemistry that sizzles almost from the get-go, making it especially fun to watch them grow in ways that are good for them as individuals and as a couple.”—The Lesbian Review
Strike a Match
“Riley balances romance, wit, and story complexity in this contemporary charmer…Readers of all stripes will enjoy this lyrically phrased, deftly plotted work about opposites attracting.”—Publishers Weekly
“While I recommend all of the books in the Perfect Match series, I especially recommend Strike a Match, and definitely in audio if you’re at all inclined towards listening to books. Fans of the other two installments will be happy to see their leads again, but you don’t have to have read them to pick this one up. It’s sweet, hot, and funny, making it a great way to spend a day when you just want to hide away from the world and immerse yourself in a lovely story.”—Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
“Strike a Match is Fiona Riley’s best book yet. Whether you’re a fan of the other books in the series or you’ve never read anything by her before, I recommend checking this one out. It’s the perfect remedy to a bad day and a great way to relax on a weekend!”—The Lesbian Review
“I love this series and Sasha is by far my favourite character yet. I absolutely loved the gritty firefighter details. The romance between Abby and Sasha is perfectly paced and full of wonderful grand gestures, magical dates, and tender, intimate moments.”—Wicked Reads
“Fiona Riley does a nice job of creating thorny internal and external conflicts for each heroine…I was rooting for Abby and Sasha, not only to be together, but also that both of them would grow and change enough to find a true HEA. The supporting cast of family members, friends, and colleagues is charming and well-portrayed. I’m looking forward to more from Fiona Riley.”—TBQ’s Book Palace
Unlikely Match
“The leads have great chemistry and the author’s writing style is very engaging.”—Melina Bickard, Librarian, Waterloo Library (UK)
“Two strong women that make their way towards each other with a tiny little nudge from some friends, what’s not to like?”—The Reading Penguin’s Reviews
“Unlikely Match is super easy to read with its great pacing, character work, and dialogue that’s fun and engaging…Whether you’ve read Miss Match or not, Unlikely Match is worth picking up. It was the perfect romance to balance out a tough week at work and I’m looking forward to seeing what Fiona Riley has in store for us next.”—The Lesbian Review
Miss Match
“In this sweet, sensual debut, Riley brings together likable characters, setting them against a colorful supporting cast and exploring their relationship through charming interactions and red-hot erotic scenes…Rich in characterization and emotional appeal, this one is sure to please.”—Publishers Weekly
“Miss Match by Fiona Riley is an adorable romance with a lot of amazing chemistry, steamy sex scenes, and fun dialogue. I can’t believe it’s the author’s first book, even though she assured me on Twitter that it is.”—The Lesbian Review
“This was a beautiful love story, chock full of love and emotion, and I felt I had a big grin on my face the whole time I was reading it. I adored both main characters as they were strong, independent women with good hearts and were just waiting for the right person to come along and make them whole. I felt I smiled for days after reading this wonderful book.”—Inked Rainbow Reads
Media Darling
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Media Darling
© 2018 By Fiona Riley. All Rights Reserved.
ISBN 13:978-1-63555-279-9
This Electronic Book is published by
Bold Strokes Books, Inc.
P.O. Box 249
Valley Falls, NY 12185
First Edition: November 2018
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
Credits
Editor: Ruth Sternglantz
Production Design: Stacia Seaman
Cover Design by Tammy Seidick
By the Author
Miss Match
Unlikely Match
Strike a Match
Room Service
Media Darling
Acknowledgments
The best part about being an author is learning new things and experiencing life from a different angle, a different perspective. And in this case, if you’re into that kind of thing, it was also an excuse to binge on TMZ, E News, Huffington Post, and other celebrity “news” sites. Media Darling gave me the chance to see the complexities and dimensions of celebrity today, and it was an eye-opening experience. Writing this also helped to remind me that the internet is forever, which is a valuable thing to remember these days. Careful out there, friends!
I want to thank Tonieh Kaikor Ellis for his help with the behind-the-scenes knowledge of the film industry. I really hope I did you proud. I can’t thank you enough for the late-night phone calls and endless patience you showed me when I asked you about the minutiae of your work. I think you are so, so cool. Have I told you that recently? Thank you for being in my life.
To Ruth Sternglantz, thank you for the title inspiration! You are gracious in your comments regarding the editing process and are always willing to discuss a concern, even ad nauseam on my part. You’re a wise word wizard and I am grateful for you. Thank you.
To my BSB family—you’re the best! Thank you for always being just a tweet, text, FB comment, phone call, or FaceTime away. Without all of your support, I’m not sure I would ever meet a deadline or maintain my sanity.
Special thanks to Kris Bryant for always talking me off the ledge. You’re a unicorn, never change.
And to the readers—Thank you for taking this journey with me. Your reviews and feedback are everything. Thank you for taking the time to check in with me and tell me your thoughts. I truly appreciate it. XO!
For Jenn.
Thank you for brainstorming with me when I write myself into a corner.
You’re the best writing partner a girl could ask for.
And I sort of love you forever, too. So there’s that.
Chapter One
Hayley Carpenter adjusted the lanyard around her neck for the fifth time in the last twenty minutes. She hated these things. She hated wearing a name badge and she hated the large, obnoxious lettering identifying the Hollywood Sun as her place of employment. She knew it was a matter of safety and was required for backstage access, but it still felt like a target on her chest. There was a part of her that cringed at the bold PRESS letters under her name. Her dreams of becoming a screenwriter wilted a little more every time she got the inevitable side-eye associated with this tag. Deep down she knew that her beloved grandmother would roll over in her grave if she found out that Hayley was working some throwaway entertainment piece for one of the largest gossip sites in the country. She was better than this and she knew it.
“Ms. Carpenter? From the Hollywood Sun? Are you here?” a short, balding man in a headset called out into the press room.
“I’m here.” Hayley stepped forward and walked toward the door as he motioned her and a few other reporters toward the side entrance.
He blinked at her and made a note on the tablet in his hand before addressing her and the people around her. “Okay, you stand here, you over there, and you are the corner. Don’t touch anyone. You can call their name to get their attention, but otherwise remain behind the barrier at all times.”
“Yeah, yeah, Dennis. This isn’t our first rodeo,” a blond woman drawled out next to her.
Dennis turned toward her voice and narrowed his eyes. “Even if that is true, Ms. Teslan, I would like to remind you all of last week’s debacle at the Daytime Awards. Stay behind the barrier.”
Someone next to Ms. Teslan growled. “Jesus. One nut ball jumps a guardrail with a fake press pass and suddenly we’re all in time-out.”
“You’re new.” The woman looked at Hayley expectantly. “Where’s Sharon?”
“Sharon couldn’t make it. I’m just covering for her.” She didn’t bother mentioning that she was filling in for senior gossip writer Sharon Ferguson because she was in hot water with Sharon over an article she had written recently. Work was hard enough as it was right now. She didn’t need to make any more waves. She extended her hand. “Hayley Carpenter.”
“Anna Mae Teslan. LA Life. Nice to meet you.”
“She doesn’t care who you are, sugar tits.” The owner of a gruff voice from before emerged over Anna Mae’s shoulder. He scoffed, “She’s the one that wrote that op-ed piece on celebrity fragility in the current media market.”
Hayley glanced down at his name badge and swallowed hard. He was James Drake from the Hollywood Daily Mail. His work was infamous. He was known for causing drama with other reporters and going out of his way to ambush celebrities with his intense scrutiny and questioning. Drake had made a career of ruining other people’s.
“Drake, try and use your professional language.” Anna Mae blinked and gave Hayley a once-over. “So you’re the one rattling the cage over there. I was wondering what had Sharon all wound up.”
“Someone gunning for her job, obviously.” Drake rolled his eyes and adjusted his glasses.
“I’m not gunning for anyone’s job,” Hayley replied coolly. Drake was nothing more than a bully. And she didn’t deal kindly with bullies.
Anna Mae placed a hand on her shoulder. “Ignore him. He’s as irritable as they come.”
“Right. Listen to the Southern Belle and you are bound to get bowled over.” Drake added with a smirk, “She’s only sweet until you steal an interview from her, then the claws come out.”
“You’re one to talk. I don’t think I would count getting slapped with a restraining order stealing an interview, Drake,” Anna Mae quipped, her red nails glittering with her air quotes.
A gentle tap on Hayley’s shoulder distracted her from Drake’s reply.
“I see you met Sharon’s usual sparring partners.” Scotty McDoyle’s tall, fiery haired frame paired with the enormous video camera on his shoulder nearly blocked the bright California sun. He was so much taller than her that his Hollywood Sun press pass was at her eye level. She made note of the broad grin on his photo ID. It was just so Scotty of him.
“Hey, Scotty.” She’d expected to only be doing some audio work behind the scenes and maybe snag an interview with someone at the event, but when she’d arrived today, she’d been informed that she would be on the red carpet and possibly on camera. She was trying not to think about that.
Scotty leaned close and nodded toward the other reporters. “Anna Mae’s pretty cool, but she’s got an edge to her. And Drake, well, you’ve heard the rumors about Drake, I’m sure. Just FYI—they’re all true. He’s ruthless. He and Anna Mae get into it at every event and red carpet. Sharon butters them both up to keep the peace.”
“I’m not particularly interested in getting in the middle, if that’s what you mean.” Hayley looked over at the bickering reporters in front of her and stepped back a bit more. “Please tell me this will be painless.”
“No can do. This is going to be long and boring and frustrating as hell.”
Hayley pouted. “I figured.”
“Cheer up, buttercup. My friend is here tonight with the Entertainment TV crew. I’ll tell him you’re a little green to this and see if he can get us a quick interview for your fluff piece.”
Hayley could tell Scotty was trying to be helpful, but she hated everything about this assignment. She had interviewed at the Hollywood Sun as a favor to a friend who’d taken a position as a temp agency job placement coordinator. She needed to set up a certain number of job interviews per week to meet her quota, and she’d called Hayley in desperation. What had started out as a favor had somehow ended up as a job at the Sun that she didn’t particularly want to be doing in the research and receiving department.
That was five years ago. On the plus side, it was a paying position that left her lots of time to work on her personal writing projects and gave her endless resources for research and experience. But this was far from what she’d imagined herself doing when she was a naïve undergrad. This was not the glamorous screenwriting dream gig she’d hoped for when she moved to LA so many years ago.
Nonetheless, she was grateful for Scotty. He’d started at the paper a short time before her, and they had become fast friends. They both had dreams of doing something more, but money was money, and at the end of the day, it paid the bills. She didn’t get to work with him much since he was on the entertainment department staff, so she was happy to be in his company today.
As the rest of the media zone around them began to fill in, there was a sudden surge of excitement. It was palpable. Hayley checked her watch. The first round of celebrities would be arriving soon. Her attention was drawn back toward Anna Mae and Drake when their exchange increased in volume.
“Just watch yourself, Blondie. I’m getting that sound bite from Emerson Sterling tonight. You can bet your fake tan on that.” Drake adjusted his shoulder bag and blew Anna Mae a taunting kiss.
“Ha.” She cocked her head to the side. “You think she’ll walk the carpet tonight?” She let out a low whistle. “That’s a bold call.”
“She’s presenting. She’d be foolish to miss the opportunity for the positive press after this morning’s bombshell,” Drake said.
Hayley had been half listening to them up to that point, but something about Drake’s tone caught her attention. “What bombshell?”
They both looked at her like she had three heads.
“Oh, honey. You’re gonna need to prepare a little better if you ever hope to take over Sharon’s spot.” Anna Mae fluttered her eyelashes but the friendliness from before was missing. So this was what Scotty had been talking about.
“I’m not interested in taking anyone’s job—”
“That’s your second mistake.” Drake turned his back to her and cracked his neck.
Anna Mae shook her head and sighed. “Look. You seem nice and all, but I don’t think this is your calling. It was nice meeting you, though.”
And with that, she was dismissed. Not that she had been welcomed in the first place, but still. She was too flustered by the exchange to be angry. What had even just happened?
The hum around her from the arriving camera and sound crews for the other media outlets increased in volume as the number of bodies doubled and nearly tripled. People were moving around like a swarm of angry ants. Everywhere she looked, people were frantically running cords and doing sound checks. This was the biggest event she had ever been assigned to, and the hustle and bustle around her was making her head spin. She felt nauseous. “I can’t do this.”