by Sienna Grant
“Ignore him, he’s a man child. If he gets bored, this is what he does.” Nikki piped up, sounding bored.
“Does he not have to work?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me. Only, in the few days I’d been here, he hadn’t left this suite.
“If you must know, I have to go to the studio soon.” Roman spoke up from the couch.
“Good, it’s about time.” Nikki fired back.
I gathered my notebook and showed Nikki what I had planned, starting with press releases and photo’s. Nikki smiled and with our heads together we made some concrete decisions.
The time passed and lunch was calling. Roman flicked through the TV channels, sighing. It was rather distracting. My tummy growled, and I couldn’t concentrate with Roman huffing and puffing from the other side of the room.
“Right guys, if I’m not needed, I have to run to the office and grab some things I need. Then I’m going to get some stuff written up from home. I’ll have my phone on if you need me for anything.”
As I packed up my laptop and zipped up the bag, I dropped my phone into my shoulder bag and stood up. My head swung around at the thud Roman made and he sat up straight.
“Maybe we need a night out? You know, get some drinks, get to know each other little better?”
“I don’t think so.” I looked at Nikki but she just shrugged.
“Roman.” I sighed, dragging my bag from the table and made my way over to him. “I have a job to do and I’m trying to make your image look a little cleaner first. You are the up-and-coming superstar, and you have a lot of fans that are still kids themselves. They’re young and impressionable, sixteen to twenty-one-year-olds… they don’t need to keep seeing you in the papers, drunk and partying, with women hanging from you. How about you make a good impression for once?”
With my lips pressed together in a thin line, Roman scowled at my answer, I turned back and made my way back to the door but it swung open before I reached it.
My heart sank. The last time I saw Gavin Wright was the day we left school, seven years ago. It was probably the best day of my life, but I should’ve known better. Where there was one, there was always the other close by. He stopped momentarily, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets when he looked at me.
“Well, fuck me.” He ran his gaze up and down my body and I felt my lip curl. “Paisley fucking Kennedy. I haven’t seen you since you were not so hot.” Gavin looked over at Roman, a smug grin played on his lips.
I ignored Gavin and glanced back over my shoulder to Roman.
“As I said Roman, I’ll have my phone on me all day — I’ll be working from home, if you need me for anything, then give me a call or send me a message.”
As I turned back, Gavin stood in the gap of the door, blocking my way out. Huffing my impatience, I moved around him and charged through the one door as Rhys opened the main door to the suite for me. “Fuck me. She’s a little spitfire.” I heard Gavin joke. I shook my head and rolled my eyes as I said goodbye to Rhys and made my way out. I heard Nikki shout me from inside, but I had no intention of stopping.
Chapter Seven
I stabbed the button for the lift over and over. I was angry, there was no hiding that. The way he flaunted the fact that he can do what he wants annoyed me. And Gavin… Gavin fucking jerk-off Wright. God, I hated that guy. I hated him more than Roman. Gavin was the main instigator in their group, Roman was just indifferent, but I’m not sure what hurt the most.
“Hey Paisley, hang on.” I turned at the sound of Nikki’s gentle voice as she puffed out a breath, and her hands fell to her hips as she caught up with me.
Pushing all my aggravation away, I forced out a smile, just for her. Nikki was sweet with a fiery side. I’m not sure how she’d put up with those guys all the time, but she must have her reasons.
“Hey, you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good.” I hoped she believed me because, inside my head, I was silently seething.
Why don’t we grab a coffee?” Nikki asked me in a sympathetic tone, “We can chat, get to know each other better… what d’ya say?”
“Hey Nik, wait.” I spun around to see Gavin, I huffed out loudly just to make my feelings known. Yes, I know I probably sounded like a child, but I really didn’t care. I went to get inside the lift that had just arrived, but it closed again, heading back down to the lobby, great.
“So, are you coming with us tonight?” Gav asked Nikki.
Nikki looked at me and I shrugged noncommittedly. I stabbed the call button again, tapping my toe on the ground as I waited for it to come back up.
Nikki chatted away with Gavin, I ignored them the best I could and stabbed the call button continuously until the doors slid open. I quickly stepped inside and hit the button for the lobby. I heard my name being called but it was too late, the doors closed again. I’d wait downstairs for her instead. I couldn’t stand to look at him anymore.
Stepping out of the lift, I head over to the leather couches and pulled out my phone. I opened my Facebook app and began scrolling through the timeline, scanning my bored gaze over so-called friends airing their dirty washing.
With an eye roll I shut it down and dropped my phone back into my bag just as the lift doors opened and Nikki stepped out.
“Ahh, Paisley I’m so sorry. I thought you’d left?”
“No,” I sighed, “I just didn’t want to be around Gav any longer than I had to be. I thought down here would be safer… so, where did you want to grab that coffee, here?”
“No, I was thinking more of a coffee shop.”
In agreement, I stood from the couch, shouldering my bag and smiled, a genuine one this time. “Let’s go.”
We made our way down the street to the Costa on the corner and found a table.
“What are you having? I’ll get them.” Nikki offered.
“Oooh, I’ll grab an Americano please. I need it after today.”
I smiled and sat down as she pulled her purse out of her bag and went to the counter. Usually, I’d pull my phone out and scroll through Facebook, or check my emails, but not today. There was still a friend request waiting for me to accept, and I was still too worked up for that. Instead, I waited patiently, it wasn’t long before Nikki returned with our coffees and joined me. I stirred some sugar into my drink before picking it up and sipping at it.
“So, you knew each other at school, huh?” Nikki enquired. Roman must have said something because I certainly hadn’t. It must’ve been what they were talking about between themselves.
“Something like that… I take it Roman told you?”
“Yeah. I asked him this morning when he made that comment when you walked in. Were you friends?”
“Not exactly.” I answered and Nikki eyed me as she put her cup to her lips.
“Okay. Roman was in that group, ‘I’m popular and if you aren’t then I’m not talking to you.’ He was indifferent. Gavin on the other hand was the guy that wound everyone up, pushed them into their way of thinking. I stayed as far away as I could until they were placed for mentoring, ready for exams. Guess who had that job?”
“You.”
“Bingo.” I answered, drinking my coffee. “I was a nerd through and through. I wasn’t one of the popular kids and I never wanted to be — but I suppose I’d always hoped in the back of my mind that I’d get accepted. Unfortunately, if you weren't into sports, or smoking behind the sports hall, or you know, terrorising classrooms to fit in with the popular kids, then no-one wanted to know you. Most of the five years it was me and my best friend, Lesley. We stayed in our own bubble. Roman only saw looks and a figure. I didn’t have either, I wasn’t pretty, but he was never like Gavin.”
I rolled my eyes and sipped at my coffee.
“Look Paisley, as much as Roman can be the biggest dickhead of them all at times, I’d hate for this to ruin the working relationship we could have. So, if you think it’s going to get in the way, then say now and as much as I’d hate to do it, I could find him anothe
r publicist.”
“No. I promise, I can keep it professional. I need this job.”
“Okay.” Nikki nodded; a smile broke out on her face just as we heard her phone ding with a message.
She leaned down and grabbed her phone from her bag and put it on the table.
“What’s your story, Nikki? How do you know Roman? He seems to listen to you.”
“I’ve known him since he was around eighteen. I worked at the agency he’s signed to and within weeks I was made his PA, hand-picked. I’ve been here ever since. The last two years he’s got out of hand and the agency said he needed someone to reel him in, which was why we rang your office.” She looked me in the eye and smiled. “He’s not a bad guy, really. He’s just easily led, and he hit fame at the wrong time.”
She glanced down at her phone and sighed.
“What’s wrong?”
“Ugh, nothing, carry on.”
She took a sip of her coffee and kept her gaze fixed on me, before pulling her cup away.
“So, apart from assface in there, why d’ya get so worked up.”
Blowing air out through my nose, my lips pouted a little and my heart sank as the memory of my childhood appeared in the forefront of my mind.
“I saw it happen, Nik. I watched kids that hadn’t got anything, work so hard for what they wanted; I worked hard for what I wanted. My family weren’t rich, in fact, we weren’t just poor either. There were times we were destitute. Mum barely had the money to feed and clothe us. We had to make things last. I loved reading because I actually had nothing else in lower school, that was why I always had my head in a book. I used to write stories out of books until I turned about eight, when I started making stories myself. I knew then I wanted to be a writer. I used to write stage plays where I was this hot shot journalist, and I was rich and always on the telly…”
Nikki slid a hand across the table and softly rubbed my forearm as it lay on the table-top.
“Paisley, that’s so sad. I’m sorry.”
“Hey,” I shrugged, “We have to work for what we want, right? I’ve worked damn hard to get here and I didn’t have a bad life, my mum made it good, we just didn’t have much money.”
“What about your dad?”
“He left. When I was about six. We stayed in contact ‘til I was around ten, and then he moved out of the country. I’ve seen him maybe five times since then. Not bad in thirteen years, huh?” I smiled. “So, there you have it.”
“Well, I’m glad it’s you we got to be his publicist. He needs his feet on the ground.”
“He doesn’t like me, Nikki. I’m not sure he’ll listen to me.”
“I’ll make sure he does.”
A comfortable silence fell between us, and we drank the rest of our coffee.
“So, what are you thinking for Roman?”
“I don’t know, I need a list of his upcoming events and public appearances. Then I need to know what he’s working on right now and I’ll see if I can arrange a press conference. Also, I was thinking of a visit to a teenager’s ward, you know terminal illnesses, give the kids something to smile about…”
“Wow. That’s amazing. Yes. Let’s do it. I’ll speak with Roman, when I get back, well, once I’ve gotten rid of assface; there’s no talking to him when he’s around.”
“Okay, great.” I gulped down the rest of my coffee and moved to stand. “I’ll make some calls and get the wheels in motion.”
Nikki tugged me against her and hugged me.
“I’m so glad you’re here. We’re going to be great friends.”
I smiled back because I actually believed we could be.
“I’ll give you a call later and let you know what I’ve managed to achieve.”
“Brilliant.” Nikki answered with a happy expression. “Look, I know you hate Gavin, but he mentioned us going out to some new club with them. That’s what the text was…” I sighed out loud, “Please, I’d really like you to come with us. I know what you said to Roman, but maybe we could go, and we could celebrate our coming together. I meant what I said Paisley, I really want us to be friends and I’m pretty sure we could lose Gav in a club.”
Her pleading puppy dog eyes did nothing for my resistance, “Pleeeease?”
“Argh, how am I supposed to say no to that?”
“You’re not.”
Her lips pulled into a grin, stretching across her face, the size of the Cheshire cat’s from Alice in Wonderland.
“Fine, if I must. Let me get this work done first. Message me where you are, and I’ll meet you there in a couple of hours.”
“Yay! I’m so happy.” She clapped her hands together softly and I threw my phone inside of my bag.
We grabbed our bags at the same time, pulled them onto our shoulders and walked out of the coffee shop, like women on a mission.
Once home, I got out of my work clothes and into some comfier ones. Before I sat on the settee, with snacks by my one side and Pepsi Max on the other, I started writing up some press releases and rang my boss.
He answered on the second ring.
“Paisley?”
“Hi. So, I want to arrange some events for Roman. I just want to make sure I can use all the resources to do it, I want to use the paper photographer and I’ll also need to arrange a press conference.”
“You have free reign, Paisley, I don’t care what you have to do, just do it. I want us coming out of this smelling of roses. As long as they’re happy with it.”
“Okay. Thank you, Mr….” the phone cut off while I was mid-sentence. “Thanks, arsehole.”
I didn’t wait for Nikki’s input on visiting the hospital to visit the kids. If Roman knew what was good for him and his career, he’d let me do this anyway. I wasn’t about to let him throw everything down the toilet, just because he didn’t like me. I spoke with the hospital director of Great Ormond Street Hospital and asked if we could have Roman make an afternoon visit. Or whenever it was good for them to meet with the kids and give some gifts out. He couldn’t conceal his excitement when he told me he’d speak with the hospital administrators and doctors and get working on it right away. He promised he’d call me when he had news for me.
Feeling triumphant with my afternoon so far, I dipped my hand into the bag of Haribo’s placed at my side and popped one of the jelly teddies into my mouth. Knowing I wasn’t going anywhere else, I poured myself a glass of wine.
As I took a gulp, I suddenly remembered that I promised to meet Nikki. And being a woman of my word, I dragged my arse up from the couch and took my glass with me to the bedroom. I plucked my black leather trousers from the wardrobe, and a satin, open shoulder top that dropped to my waistline, with shoestring straps and paired my outfit with some red stilettos and a black clutch. I added some simple, silver jewellery and put some soft curls into my hair, leaving them to frame my face and tumble down my back. I’m not much of a dress girl, I’d wear one if I must and the occasion needed it, but if I could wear jeans, I would do.
With one last look in the mirror at myself and a few squirts of Paco Rabanne, Olympéa around my neck and chest, I smiled, happy with the outfit I’d picked and left the flat.
Chapter Eight
Nodding at the bouncer as he stood aside to let me in, I looked for Nikki. I’d texted her when I got out of my car. I had no intention of drinking tonight, someone had to be the sober one. I couldn’t afford to let my guard down around Roman, or Gavin for that matter, he was like a jungle cat; let your guard down and he’d pounce. I was feeling good about myself and I didn’t need him chipping into my past insecurities, which is what he’d always done.
Looking out over the crowd, her red hair popped up as she looked for me. “You’re here? You actually came?”
“Yep. I couldn’t let you down, could I?”
Squealing, she linked our arms and pulled me towards the bar. The guys are in a VIP booth in the corner, we’ll grab a drink first.”
Finding a gap at the bar, she placed her elbow on the
surface, nudging the girl next to her aside so she fitted in. Ignoring the girls tut and sigh at her, Nikki kept her eyes on me. “So, what are you having?”
“Just soda water will be fine.”
Nikki looked at me like I’d grown two heads. “Would you like some whiskey with your soda water?” She giggled.
“No. I've got the car.” With a frown on her face, she turned up her top lip. “Someone has to be the sober one and I have lots to get done tomorrow…”
“But…?”
“But…” I repeated and raised an eyebrow for her to challenge me. “But nothing. I’m here, aren’t I?”
“Fine.” Backing down she ordered my drink with some ice and got herself a Bacardi and coke. Once she’d paid, she handed me my glass and we moved away from the bar.
She led us over to the booth where Roman and Gavin were. The first thing that caught my eye was how fit Roman looked. He’d definitely got the whole model persona going on. There were girls hanging around them like flies around shit, but Roman focused on me and smiled. “Paisley? I didn’t expect you to come tonight. Take a seat.”
“I’ll stand, thanks anyway.” He made his way along the seat and gets up to stand next to me.
“What brought you here?”
“Nikki.” One word, one name that’s all that was needed. Roman smirked and placed his glass at his lips, tipping it up to take a drink. My gaze fell to his throat and although I shouldn’t, I couldn’t help but stare at his Adam’s apple as it bobbed up and down as he swallowed. Dragging my eyes from him I looked around us. “It’s busy here.”
“Yeah, it’s good. You should come more often.”
“This is a one off.”
“Oh, come on. What would be better than having my publicist out with us. At least I can’t get into trouble.”
“Roman, really? You could get into trouble anywhere. You’d try the patience of a saint.”