Media Darling

by Fiona Riley

  “Hi.” Hayley kissed her again and her hands found their way into Hayley’s hair. Hayley scratched at her back and Emerson pulled at the lapels of her shirt, unbuttoning the top two buttons to free the skin beneath. She wanted to kiss across Hayley’s chest and smell her perfume.

  Hayley moaned when her lips connected with her collarbone. “I missed you.” She caressed Emerson’s cheek and her hand bumped into Emerson’s wig.

  Emerson reached up and pulled it off, tossing it to the side. “These things are hot.”

  “I thought that was just you.” Hayley took her hand and led her into the apartment.

  “I accept that compliment.” Emerson looked around. “This place is cute. Very Hayley.”

  “Thank you.” Hayley led them to the living room and closed the blinds before plunking down next to Emerson on the soft brown couch. She hadn’t noticed it at first, probably because she was so happy to see her, but upon closer inspection, Emerson could see the stress on Hayley’s face. And the exhaustion. She wondered how she was sleeping, if at all.

  Emerson took her hand, a wave of guilt washing over her. “How long have they been staked out like that?”

  “Oh, my new fan club? Since Boston. But it’s tripled since yesterday.” Hayley looked annoyed. “I figured it was because of Rachel’s most recent play for attention.”

  Two nights ago, Rachel did a filmed interview with James Drake. She was supposed to be promoting a new project, but it was a blatant bash session against Emerson and the studio. She’d brought up Hayley and said they were colluding to paint a bad picture of her. Drake asked her about the leaked pictures of Rachel and Emerson kissing, and she started that sob story again about how Emerson had duped her into thinking they were in a committed relationship only to leverage that relationship to get Rachel booted from the film, as if Rachel needed any help from her in that department. That woman was a ticking time bomb.

  Up to this point, Emerson hadn’t replied to any of the attacks. Nor did she intend to. Her response would come in the form of Hayley’s article. She was sure that Rachel was behind the photos, which was one of the reasons she’d taken the risk to come here today. That interview had gone viral, and Rachel had managed to overshadow the movie’s hype just as it was about to be screened for critics. The studio was pissed. Emerson’s stomach was in knots. Hayley’s story was supposed to come out tomorrow and all eyes were on her now. That made Emerson even more nervous, because she hadn’t mentioned the photos that showed up at Tremont’s to Hayley yet.

  She’d hired a private detective to try to identify the sender, but so far, he’d been unsuccessful. She’d come here today with the intention of warning Hayley in person. Which right now felt like an impossible task considering how stressed Hayley looked. She had no desire to makes things worse. She frowned. “I think this is going to get worse before it gets better.”

  Hayley looked defeated. “Yeah. About that. I need to tell you something.”

  “Is this about the pictures?” Emerson had hoped she could suffer the burden of this alone, but it had occurred to her that maybe Hayley had gotten the same threat.

  “What pictures? The old ones of you and Rachel kissing in the dark?”

  Well, that answered that question. “No.” Emerson’s heart was heavy as she reached for her purse. “These pictures.”

  Hayley took the envelope from her and pulled out the contents. Her mouth dropped open and she sat there without saying anything for a long time. Her voice was soft, almost inaudible, when she said, “Where did you get these?”

  Emerson ran her hand through her hair and sighed. “They showed up at Tremont’s apartment with a note that told me to keep my distance from you, otherwise they would be leaked. Which would be—”

  “Very, very bad.” Hayley looked up at her. “For a multitude of reasons.”

  “Right. Because your article is coming out tomorrow and the movie is being screened for critics and you could—”

  “Get fired.” Hayley was staring off into the distance, her eyes not seemingly focused on anything.

  “Well, yeah, there’s that, I guess.” This was what Emerson had agonized over. It was one thing for Hayley to lose her privacy. It was another thing for Hayley to lose her career entirely. “I’m trying to find out where they came from, but it’s more complicated than I thought. But we’re working on it.”

  “I think I know who sent them.” Hayley looked pale.

  Emerson felt sick. “Who?”

  “I did something maybe a little stupid.” Hayley was wringing her hands.

  Emerson reached out to stop them. “Go on.”

  “I met with Rachel.”

  Emerson pulled her hands back like they’d been burned. “You did what?”

  Hayley stood up and began to pace. “She messaged me and told me she wanted to meet. Said she wanted to tell me her side of the story.”

  Emerson was in shock. “And what side is that?”

  Hayley rubbed the back of her neck. “She just said more of what she’d said before. That you seduced her and turned the studio against her. She blames you for her firing.”

  “Okay?” The panic that Emerson had barely been keeping at bay was bubbling over. Rachel was a master manipulator. She hadn’t thought to tell Hayley to be careful of her. She never thought they’d cross paths. How stupid and naïve that had been.

  Hayley sighed. “She didn’t say much actually. Except to threaten me and basically tell me she’d make sure I never worked in this town again. Which seemed a little dramatic, if you ask me, but I’ll admit she’s a bit scary when she loses her temper…I see what you meant before about her being volatile.”

  “She threatened you?” Emerson saw red. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

  “Sort of. In a roundabout way. She wanted me to drop your article and write her story instead. I refused, obviously. She didn’t like that.” Hayley frowned. “She also said to tell you that she was going to make you headline news and to tell you it was my fault. But I didn’t take her too seriously, until the other night. When she made you headline news. And I think it was my fault.”

  Emerson felt like the walls were closing in around her. She could see their best-laid plans unraveling in front of her eyes. If Hayley had in any way antagonized Rachel, she could beat them to the reveal or leak those pictures if she was behind it. Then all their work, all the work she did with Rory and Deidre to try to minimize the damage, would be for naught. And Hayley would look biased. “When did you meet with her?”

  Hayley looked ashamed. “A few days ago.”

  Emerson’s head was spinning. She started running dates in her mind. Rachel didn’t expose the truth about Rory to Drake on TV the other night, why? “What did you tell her? Did you say anything about Rory?”

  “What? No.” Hayley looked offended. “I wouldn’t…I didn’t say anything. It was mostly just her monologuing in my direction while her beefy bodyguard looked on.”

  “Bernard?” Emerson already knew the answer, but she was biding her time, trying to scale back the bile that was building up in her throat. She was most definitely going to vomit. Or have a breakdown. Or both.

  “Yeah, actually. Not as chatty as your guy, Francis.” Hayley gave her a small smile, but Emerson couldn’t return it.

  Hayley sighed again. “We didn’t talk about Rory, but as she was leaving, around the time she threatened to make you front page news, she asked me if I’d met your family yet. I told her I hadn’t. She sort of smirked and told me she was giving the story to Drake and that I was going to go down like the Titanic or something nautical like that.”

  That was about all she could take. Rachel had basically confirmed to Hayley that she was going to ruin Emerson’s life by way of exposing Rory. And she was promising to make sure Hayley’s career and life spiraled out with Emerson’s. This had been her greatest fear this whole time, that she was her own worst enemy, that she couldn’t risk having any sort of intimate relationship with anyone. Ever
. Her celebrity had already hurt Deidre and Rory, and now Hayley’s privacy and career were on the line as well. For what? For Emerson to have an iota of happiness? If it meant so much pain for the people she loved? She couldn’t do this to anyone else. Hayley deserved better than to be dragged through the mud. “Hayley, I—”

  A knock at Hayley’s door caused them both to jump. Neither one of them moved. A second knock, this one louder and more determined.

  “Hayley? Are you home?” A female voice sounded from the other side of the door.

  “Alison?” Hayley looked as flustered as Emerson felt. She mumbled, “Your timing could not be worse, Ali.”

  Hayley strode to the door and opened it. Alison fell through the doorway and staggered into the foyer, clutching two bottles of wine and a bag of something.

  “Hayley, did you know there are like a million people with cameras outside your apartment building? There were a bunch looking for you at the office too, and by Lilly’s—that place is so good. One of them offered to buy me a drink the other day for intel on you. I told him to go screw. You’re so fucking famous now, I can’t take it,” she slurred. “Anyway the guys outside asked me if I knew you. I told them I did, because, duh, you’re like a celebrity now, and then they wanted to know if you and Emerson were dating because of that picture of you two from last week, and the one where she was touching that director lady. Is she really handsy? Anyway, I told them no way. But maybe you wanted to be. Do you want to be?” Alison put her hand over her mouth. “I don’t think I said that out loud. Maybe I did. Do you want to be dating her? I would. She’s gorgeous. Is she single?”

  “Alison, are you drunk?” Hayley lunged forward to save a bowl from crashing to the floor as Alison stumbled into it. Emerson would have been impressed by her catlike reflexes if she wasn’t convinced they were in the twilight zone.

  “A little bit.” Alison hiccupped. “Okay, a lot bit. Long story short, Rob’s been cheating on me and I threw him out and I’m going to be alone forever, and you owe me a dumpling date, so I brought the dumplings and the bar to you.” She held up the wine and the greasy food bag as she swayed in place.

  “Rob cheated on you? I’m so sorry, Ali.” Hayley walked over to her friend and took the bottles from her before she gave her a hug.

  “I know, right?” Alison dramatically flailed her arms and Emerson was glad Hayley had removed the potentially injurious wine from her. “His loss. I’m a total catch.”

  She started sobbing and Hayley patted her back before giving an apologetic look to Emerson. Alison wiped her eyes and finally noticed Emerson’s presence. “Oh. You have company.”

  A look of realization crossed her face and she took a shaky step forward. “OMG. You’re Emerson fucking Sterling.”

  “Hi.” Emerson gave her a weak wave because what was she supposed to do?

  “Hayley is totally in love with you. Like, totally. She’s all head over heels about how smart and funny you are. She kept going on and on about how your trip to Boston was life changing and she learned so much about you and…” Alison did this weird laugh-cry combination thing and muttered, “Emerson fucking Sterling…unbelievable.”

  “Right. Sorry. Ali, this is Emerson.” Hayley took Alison’s hand and tried to lead her to the couch, but Alison stopped and pulled her hand back.

  “Wait.” She hiccupped and seemed to sober for a moment. Her eyes got big and she pointed between them. “You’re fucking Emerson Sterling.”

  “Emerson is fine.” Emerson gave Alison her warmest smile. Alison was someone Hayley had talked about a lot. She’d been looking forward to meeting her—under different circumstances, but still.

  “Yeah, no. That’s not what I meant.” Alison squinted and pointed to Hayley’s shirt. The top two buttons were still undone from their brief make out session at the door. She turned to Hayley. “You’re fucking Emerson fucking Sterling. That’s what I meant.”

  Hayley’s mouth dropped open and she looked to Emerson for some guidance.

  Emerson merely shrugged. What else could she do?

  Alison slapped her forehead and stumbled back a bit. “I totally lied to those camera guys, then. Oops. You are dating. Good for you.” She looked at Emerson. “Did I tell you you’re really pretty? Because you are. And taller than I expected. You look shorter on the movie screen, which seems silly because you’re much larger on the screen since it’s so big. I’m rambling. Hi.”

  Emerson accepted her extended hand and gave it a shake. “Hi. I’m sorry about Rob. Hayley tells me he’s a total ass.”

  Alison nodded. “He is. I hate him.”

  Emerson nodded. “Me, too. Fuck that guy.”

  Alison cheered. “Fuck him!” She turned to Hayley. “I like her. Can she stay for dumpling night?”

  Hayley looked caught off guard. “We, uh, we were sort of in the middle of something.”

  “Sex.” Alison nodded and frowned. “I miss sex.”

  “No.” Hayley put her hands up. “Not sex. Just talking.”

  “With your shirt undone?” Alison sounded skeptical. She was struggling to stand still with her hand on her hip. Emerson would feel a lot more comfortable if she sat down.

  “Two buttons, Ali. It was hot in here.”

  “Yeah, because you were hooking up with her.” Alison raised her hand for a high five. “Don’t leave me hanging, Hay.”

  Hayley begrudgingly gave her a high five and Alison finally sat. Emerson was relieved.

  Alison yawned and stretched out on the couch. “Don’t mind me. Finish your love sonnets to each other or whatever. I’m just going to take a little napsy until you’re ready for dumplings.”

  “Ali—” Hayley’s objection was halted by the soft snores of her friend. “Okay. Good talk.”

  Emerson grabbed her bag and picked up the wig from the floor. “I’m going to head out.”

  “Emerson, we have more to talk about.” Hayley met her at the door, a frustrated look on her face.

  “Hayley, you’re being stalked. At your home, at your office, at your favorite watering hole. Your best friend is getting propositioned for information about you and me and this insanity.” She gestured to the space around them. “You’re a prisoner here. Your shades are drawn, and you look like you haven’t slept in days. This is madness.”

  Hayley blinked. “What are you trying to say, Emerson?”

  She felt her eyes well with tears. “I’m saying that the people who mean the most to me, the people I love, are the ones hurt the most by my relationship with them. I brought a dark cloud into your life that night, backstage at that awards show, you just didn’t realize it. But I did. Because it’s what I do. I ruin people who get too close to me. Rachel and Drake are going to make sure you pay for helping me. And there’s nothing I can do about it. Because I let it go too far. I got too deep into my feelings for you, and I forgot who I was for a few blissful, perfect days.”

  “Wait.” Hayley reached for her as she pulled open the door. “Don’t do this. Don’t go. Don’t just walk away from this.”

  She felt that familiar tightness in her chest and throat. If she stayed any longer she’d lose it. “I know your article drops tomorrow. I look forward to reading it. I know it’s incredible and full of heart and humor and amazingness. Because you are all those things, Hayley. And I never deserved you sharing them with me. I’m so sorry, Hay…” Hayley was crying now, and Emerson hated that this was the last expression she’d see on that beautiful face.

  “Emerson, wait—”

  Emerson stepped into the hall and jogged to the stairwell, so Hayley couldn’t stop her. She made it down to the first floor before the stream of tears made it too blurry for her to see. She crumpled in a heap on the bottom step and dropped her head into her hands. How did everything go so wrong so fast?

  She looked down at the wig in her purse and her heart broke a little more. She was walking out into the lion’s den with no plan, no direction, and no Hayley to seek comfort in. This day go could strai
ght to hell.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Pictures of her and Rachel outside the café flashed across the screen and Hayley wanted to throw the remote at the TV.

  “Turn it up.” Alison croaked from the couch beside her. She’d stayed over last night because she was a mess and because Hayley was a mess and they could be a sad, crying mess together.

  “I don’t want to.” Hayley went to click it off when Alison stole the remote from her. “Hey.”

  “Shh.” Alison turned up the volume and the talking head host of the entertainment mag addressed the camera.

  “Things are heating up in the gossip department for the cast of The Willow Path Convergence. With the movie about to drop and today’s publication of the Hollywood Sun’s exclusive one-on-one interview with starlet Emerson Sterling, things could not be messier on the Boulevard.” Video clips of Emerson and Rachel on the red carpet were juxtaposed and the now infamous grainy kiss photos from the set filled the screen.

  The talking head continued, as photos flashed. “Rumors were circulating that Sterling and Blanche had a torrid love affair both on and off screen during the filming, and those rumors were confirmed by Blanche herself after she separated from the project and her role was recast with up-and-coming actress Piper Sanderson. Blanche hasn’t shied away from opening up about some of the hottest questions of the hour.”

  A clip of her interview with Drake was cued up and Rachel wiped tears from her eyes as she described feeling discarded and manipulated by Emerson. Hayley groaned.

  “Shh.” Alison elbowed her in the ribs.

  “Sterling’s camp has been quiet about her alleged involvement with Blanche, but she’s been generating some buzz of her own—she was seen in intimate proximity to the Sun’s Hayley Carpenter.” Pictures of Hayley with Emerson at the ADR studio and holding hands on the plane popped up. “An insider confirms Sterling is very fond of Carpenter, and if this picture is any indication, the feeling appears to be mutual.” The picture from inside Emerson’s trailer filled the screen and Hayley felt violated. They were only talking, but they were very close, and she knew what had taken place moments after this picture was taken.