Media Darling

by Fiona Riley

  Rachel looked a little sad, but she nodded. “I will.”

  And for once, Emerson believed Rachel’s words matched her intentions.

  * * *

  “You’re going. Stop overthinking it,” Alison called out from behind a clothing rack in the fashion department at the Sun.

  “I can’t. What will I say to her? What if she isn’t happy to see me? This is a big night for her. I should just have Sharon go. Or anyone else. They can get the story and interview or whatever and I can stay on my couch and cry into my ice cream sundae.” Hayley was beyond nervous.

  Alison reemerged holding three very expensive- and extravagant-looking dresses. “Stop that. You love her, right?”

  Hayley nodded. She’d known for a while now, but watching Emerson walk out the other night had made it impossible to ignore.

  “Then go. Just look gorgeous and go.” Alison pointed to the dresses. “I’m thinking dark green. It’ll pull out the color in your eyes.”

  Hayley wasn’t so sure about this. The Sun had gotten tickets to the Willow Path screening and she’d plan to attend as media, but that was long before everything that had transpired between her and Emerson. And Rachel. Alison had nearly had to kidnap her kicking and screaming to agree to come here and get dressed in the best couture they had on site. “Alison, what if something happens to the dress?”

  “It won’t. Plus, it’s insured.” Alison gave her an encouraging nod. “It’s a loaner. I’m loaning it to you for the night. You’ll look incredible, and the dress will get to go out for a night on the town. No one will be any the wiser.”

  “Unless there’s pictures,” Hayley pointed out. She’d come to find out there were always pictures. Always.

  “Meh, let me worry about that.” She checked the time on her phone. “We need to hustle. Your car will be here shortly.”

  Hayley accepted the dress Alison selected and stepped behind the screen to change. “Okay, let’s go over it once more.”

  “Right. Tina and Cari will be here in five to do your hair and makeup. You owe them big-time, but I think two nights of happy hour at Lilly’s will cover it. Then the car will take you to the venue, and you’ll enter through the media entrance in the back and meet up with Scotty. You’ll watch the movie and stay for the actor Q and A, and then you’ll see Emerson and blow her away with your Hollywood transformation, she’ll realize she can’t live without you, and you’ll ride off into the sunset together. And have really, really attractive babies.”

  Hayley had gone over and over the events of the other night and she felt a mix of anger, confusion, and frustration, but her overwhelming sensation was sadness. A part of her felt responsible for the photo leak, like she’d unleashed a heap of trouble for all of them by contacting and meeting with Rachel, but something Emerson said wouldn’t leave her. She said that she ruined Hayley’s life and that she was a black cloud. That was as far from Hayley’s perception as possible. Sure, they’d run into some…drama, but didn’t the positive outweigh the negative? Her heart told her it did. Her brain told her she should be terrified about being jobless and consequently homeless if those pictures ever got out, but her heart didn’t care. Her heart was with Emerson, and she wanted to be there, supporting her tonight, because even if this didn’t work out between them, she felt like she owed her that. She owed herself that.

  “You make it sound so easy.” She took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the screen, pointing to her back. “A little zipper help?”

  Alison nodded and complied. “It is that easy.”

  “Nothing is easy, Alison.” Hayley stepped back and looked at herself in the gown. “Whoa.”

  “Whoa is right. You look amazing. I’m so good at my job.” Alison fist pumped. She put her hands on Hayley’s shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “You’ve got this. I’m rooting for you.”

  She reached up and covered Alison’s hand with hers. “I really appreciate this, Ali. I know you’ve got your own stuff going on, and this can’t be easy.”

  Alison shrugged. “It’s a nice distraction. You deserve to be happy. So do I. I realize I wasn’t happy with Rob. And I think I knew it all along. It sucks—don’t get me wrong—but I’ll survive.”

  Hayley turned and gave her a hug as Tina and Cari arrived with a wave. “You know, I know a strapping ginger with a great sense of humor who has an amazing eye for lighting and flattering camera angles.”

  Alison considered this. “Scotty?”

  “One and the same.” Hayley added, “I’ll put in a good word tonight. Maybe you two can talk shop and nerd out over camera stuff.”

  “You do that, and I’ll buy the first round of drinks at Lilly’s.” Alison extended her hand for a shake.

  “Deal.”

  “Great. Now go get gorgeous and get your girl back.”

  Hayley exhaled and sat in the makeup chair. She had nothing to lose and everything to gain, right?

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  “Tell me you have some good news for me.” Emerson looked at Tremont and held her breath.

  “Yes and no.”

  “I don’t like the no part.” Emerson looked out the window of the limo. They were third in line to unload on the red carpet. Try as she might to get excited about tonight’s movie premiere, she couldn’t seem to garner the enthusiasm. She hated the way things had ended with Hayley and she wanted more than anything to see her tonight and share this with her. She hoped Hayley might show up, but she could understand why she would stay away, especially if they hadn’t figured out who was threatening to leak those photos. She was still at risk and that made Emerson queasy.

  “Your private investigator’s been busy. We found out who snapped the pictures.” Tremont’s brow was furrowed in concentration while he scanned his phone screen.

  “Who is it?” She had to resist the urge to snatch the phone from him to see for herself.

  “Some pap named Gerard Foreman who contracts for a few celebrity tabloid sites. He picked it up as a side gig, cash payout.”

  “Who hired him?”

  “We’re working on that. I’m told we’ll have an answer shortly.” He typed something, then put his phone on his lap, screen side up.

  “How much is that going to cost me?”

  Tremont gave her a look. “How much is it worth to you?”

  They both knew she didn’t care. She wanted to know who was hunting her more than she cared about how much the information cost her.

  “And Hayley?” Okay, so maybe she’d asked Tremont to see if she would be there tonight, you know, in a professional capacity.

  Tremont frowned, his expression sympathetic. “Nothing yet.”

  “Dammit.” She felt like crying, but they’d already redone her makeup twice. She bit the inside of her cheek to quell the urge. The car moved forward. It was time to go.

  Tremont leaned forward and took her hands. “You’re going to do fine. The advance buzz has been amazing. Tonight is all pomp and circumstance for the studio. Just smile for the cameras. Then go in, and we can go over some of the possible Q and A topics while the audience watches the film.” He paused. “I assume you don’t want to watch it again.”

  “No.” Emerson had had her fill of seeing herself as Willow Path on the screen. This movie had brought more struggles and pain than she had ever imagined possible. She had anxiously anticipated this day, but now that it was here, she was dreading it.

  Tremont picked up his phone and answered a call. He held the phone to his ear and spoke to Emerson. “I’m being told by Chandra that you’re going to walk with Kate and Paige. They’re ready for you.”

  Emerson nodded. She’d asked Tremont to arrange for her to walk the carpet with someone else to take the scrutiny off her. She wasn’t feeling as sharp or focused as usual, and she wanted a wingperson to help distract as much as possible. Kate and Paige were the perfect people. They could talk about the movie and she could stand in the background, fulfilling her requirements but not carrying the conversa
tion. This was the best option possible.

  A knock on the glass told them it was go time.

  Emerson went to slide toward the door, but Tremont stopped her.

  “You worked hard for this, Em. This is for all the beans. Try to enjoy it as best you can. I’ll keep working on my end, and I’ll update you with everything as it comes. We’ll figure this all out, and at the end of the day we’ll look back at this fondly and reminisce about all the alcohol we had to consume to get through it.”

  Emerson laughed. “I couldn’t do this without you, you know that?”

  “I love you, too.” Tremont gave her hand a squeeze. He pointed to the overpriced watch that she’d gifted him. “And as much as I love this guy, he needs a friend. Just remember that when it’s bonus time.”

  “I’ll take it under consideration.”

  The door opened, and Chandra’s head popped in. “We good?”

  “All good.” Emerson stepped out and smiled toward the shouts of her name.

  * * *

  “The early reviews have been great, Paige. Congrats.” Emerson slid her arm around Paige’s waist and posed for another picture.

  “There’d be no Willow Path without you.” Paige gave her a broad smile and her spiky blond hair bounced with her nod. “Or Kate, for that matter. You done good, Kate.”

  Kate Stanton laughed. “Everyone always thanks the writer last. As if either of you would have a job without me.”

  They chuckled and posed together before waiting on their mark until it was time to move to the next section of carpet.

  “Hey, I read that write-up about you. It was well done.” Paige turned to her and spoke privately. “I had no idea you had to make such a difficult choice in your youth. Kudos to you, Emerson, you endured something that could have wrecked you and managed to succeed in spite of it. I hope everything has worked out in that department for you.”

  “I couldn’t have said that better myself.” Kate nodded. “Hayley did a great job navigating the difficult Rachel situation. She really kept the focus on you and the complexities of the business without making it sound too whiny or overly flattering. It was a good balance.”

  “Yeah,” Emerson agreed, “and thank you.”

  “Is Hayley here tonight?” Paige looked out at the media behind the gates in front of them. “I’d like to thank her for that last day of shooting.”

  “Thank her for what?” Emerson asked.

  Paige turned her back to the media and brought their conversation circle in closer. “She was the one who alerted me that there was someone secretly filming our last shots. Security caught the guy. Someone from Celebrity Dish Network or something. Turns out he was hired by—”

  “James Drake.” Tremont appeared behind Emerson, out of breath and panting. He held up his phone to show her an image of two men exchanging something. “Drake hired the photographer. He’s trying to set you up.”

  Paige nodded. “Yeah. That guy. I didn’t think to mention it before.”

  “I hate that guy.” Kate scowled. “He’s such a—”

  “Parasite. Waste of air. Festering, septic wound,” Tremont supplied.

  “I was going to say opportunist. But those work,” Kate said.

  Emerson looked up the carpet to see if Drake was anywhere in sight. She didn’t see him. That was probably better for everyone.

  Chandra approached and told them it was time to move to the next mark.

  “Well, damn.” Tremont let out a low whistle.

  Emerson looked back at him. “What are we whistling about?”

  “Did someone say whistle?” A piercing shriek came from a few feet away.

  “Hayley.” Emerson searched for the familiar sound and her jaw dropped. “Oh.”

  “Yeah. That’s what I was talking about.” Tremont patted her on the butt and pushed her forward. “I’ll take Kate and Paige to the mark. Meet us when you’re ready.”

  Emerson stepped forward and Hayley gave her a shy smile. “Hayley.”

  “Hi.”

  Emerson felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She hadn’t expected the first feeling the next time she’d see Hayley to be one of relief, but it was. And Hayley, well, Hayley looked incredible. “You look great. Like, really great.”

  “Thanks.” More shy smiling. It was adorable.

  “I read your piece. I meant to call you but—”

  Hayley raised her hand and motioned around them. “Maybe we can talk about it later. In private?”

  Emerson nodded. “Right. Yeah.” Something occurred to her. “You need a sound bite, right?”

  Hayley shrugged. “Not really why I’m here.”

  “And why’s that?” Emerson didn’t care who was around. She wanted to talk to Hayley. She needed to.

  “I’m here for you. To support you. To show you that none of this was about a story or a job. It was for you. All of it.” Hayley’s eyes sparkled, and Emerson swooned.

  “Watch the movie with me.”

  “What?” Hayley looked confused.

  “Be my guest. Get your sound bite or whatever and sit with me for the showing. Then we can talk, more privately.” Emerson needed Hayley to make her feel grounded and in control. She wanted to warn her about Drake, and she selfishly just wanted her for, well, her. She needed just a few minutes to feel whole again. “Please.”

  “I’d love to.” Hayley seemed a little emotional. Emerson felt the same way.

  She called over her shoulder to Kate and Paige, then asked Hayley, “Have you met Kate yet?”

  “No, I haven’t had the opportunity.” Hayley stood a little taller and introduced herself.

  “Ah, you wrote the article on Em here. It was well done. I was talking about it earlier to them.” Kate motioned to Paige and Emerson.

  “Oh? Thank you.”

  Emerson leaned in. “Kate, did you know Hayley’s a screenwriter? She’s moonlighting as a reporter for the moment, but she’s been working on something that sounds really exciting.”

  Hayley’s eyes bulged.

  “Oh, really? I’d like to hear about it sometime.” Kate smiled to someone calling her name and waved. “Are you going to be inside for the premiere?”

  Hayley looked at Emerson and smiled. “I am.”

  “Great. Let’s chat over drinks before the show. I might know a director who could use some decent material to work with.”

  “You don’t say?” Paige chimed in, and Emerson thought she might be flirting with Kate a little. They would be a cute couple, she decided. “Drinks on Kate. But count me in to the convo, too.”

  Hayley looked floored. “I’ll nervously work on my pitch when you walk away. No worries there.”

  Kate laughed and nodded toward the man with the camera standing behind Hayley. “Quick shot before we move on?”

  “Absolutely.” Hayley waved for him to shoot. “Ladies, the critics have been fawning over your work together. Was there any one thing that made you feel like this trio worked so well?”

  Emerson answered, “Hard work. And sticking together. There were lots of challenges that came up during the filming and editing process, but Kate and Paige were consummate professionals and made every attempt to make us as actors feel welcomed and appreciated. This was an—at times—difficult process, in part because the story requires so much emotional vulnerability to be believable. That can take its toll on a person. But in the end, being vulnerable is worth the reward that awaits you. That’s something I learned during filming. I’m grateful for them both. I don’t think Willow Path would have come out the way it did without them. They’re a real dream team to work with.”

  “Well, there’s no way I’m topping that.” Kate laughed.

  Paige dabbed away invisible tears. “I just love you ladies so much.”

  The crowd around them laughed, and they had a brief break before the next mark. Paige and Kate stepped forward to answer some more questions, but Emerson trailed behind to talk to Hayley some more.

  “
How much longer do you need to stick around out here?” she asked Hayley.

  Hayley looked up at camera guy behind her. Man, he was tall. “What do you think, Scotty?”

  “All good here. I can get some background shots without you.” He acknowledged Emerson’s presence. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”

  “Emerson is fine.” She gave him a warm smile.

  Hayley raised her eyebrow. “You know, I was just telling Scotty how great my friend Alison is.”

  “She’s a hot ticket, that one. A real catch,” Emerson said to Scotty.

  “Oh, okay, good to know.” He blushed and fiddled with the camera settings.

  She turned back to Hayley. “I’ll send Tremont to bring you inside. See you soon?”

  “Definitely.”

  Chapter Thirty

  “You look fantastic. Did I tell you that already?” Emerson looked at Hayley with those eyes she thought about all the time, and she felt truly beautiful in that moment.

  “You mentioned it once or twice, but feel free to continue.” Hayley felt like she was in a dream again. She’d had the chance to socialize with Kate and Paige before the movie, and God, the movie. The movie was incredible. The previews didn’t do it justice. Emerson was unbelievable as Willow Path. She laughed, she cried, she squirmed at the sex scenes, and she wasn’t sure she’d ever be the same again. But what really made it special was that Emerson sat beside her the whole time, holding her hand in the dark. She shared this moment with her. It was something she thought she’d never get over or forget. Emerson had changed her life in so many ways. She wasn’t sure how to thank her.

  Emerson reached out and touched her hand, but the touch was far too brief for Hayley’s liking. “I’ll tell you all day long if it makes you glow like that. It’s true, after all.”

  “You’re sweet-talking me and I’m supposed to be here sweet-talking you.” Hayley had come here to win Emerson back, but she was too busy being swept off her feet.