Untouchable

by Sienna Grant

  “Hmm, okay.” She lifted an eyebrow and rolled her eyes.

  “Plus, I’d hate for her to have a panic attack as we take off. You saw her on the way here. Of course, if you want to hold her hand to get her through the flight then carry on.”

  “Jesus, Roman, okay. If you want to hold her hand like a teenager, then fine, I’d hate to take that away from you.” She sniggered and turned around placing her hand luggage in the overhead storage. I nudged Roman, looking perplexed. He shrugged, I shook my head and caught Rhys’ eye. He smirked and turned his head to look out of the window.

  The pilot ran through his speech overhead and we were soon taxiing down the runway again. We took off, yet again, Roman took my hand, curling his fingers around mine easing my worries about getting in the air and crashing as I closed my eyes.

  I was so exhausted. The brief break in L.A. was jam packed with surprises, add in the fact that Roman had been messaging me in the middle of the night to ask me to go up to his suite, didn’t help at all. I never did, Nikki would definitely have found out about us then. I felt bad, I wanted to tell her. I hated keeping her in the dark. We’d become really good friends as well as colleagues. That was good for me, I was never the type of girl who made friends easily, so to make friends with Nikki was an achievement.

  I couldn’t tell Nikki about Roman until I’d let Les in on my little secret. She’d have my head if everyone knew before her, but I’d made the decision that I’d tell her when I was back.

  “So…” Roman distracted me from my thought process and I opened my eyes to find him regarding me. “How are we gonna handle this when we get home?”

  I leaned in a little closer and lowered my voice.

  “That depends on what you’re talking about. Are you talking about your superstar status now you’re the new face of Boss…?” I lowered my voice even more until it was a whisper, “…or us?”

  “Well, I was actually thinking about both. What am I going to do? It’s going to be a lot of late nights.”

  “I don't think so, Mister. Have you not got the memo yet? Paisley and no sleep do not bode well.”

  “I hadn’t noticed…”

  I gave him the side eye and found his amused gaze and he smirked back.

  “So, let’s discuss… the first thing on the agenda, I want you in the hospital doing the visitation. You can leave some gifts, maybe a donation... We can discuss that when we’ve got confirmation on a date. Then it will be a press release to get you some more coverage. Then we’ll do some interviews. Exclusive, of course.” I told him, smiling wide.

  “Well, hopefully all this will help. That way you can give your boss something to praise you for. If he’s still not happy, I’ll teach him a lesson.”

  My hand spayed out over my heart.

  “You remembered what I said?”

  “Of course I remember what you said. I listened to everything you said on the bus that day.”

  My breath hitched at his words. Those words meant more to me than he could ever possibly know. My heart was more than full, it was overflowing.

  Once we got into Heathrow, arrivals were quiet. I wasn’t sure if the news hadn’t travelled across the water yet, or it was the calm before the storm. News usually travelled like a bout of diarrhoea . Once one paper had got the scoop, they all had it. We looked at each other as we strode through customs and luckily there was no-one around to stop us. I was sceptical. It shouldn’t be this quiet…

  I saw Kevin standing with his arms folded. He stood the other side of the rope in arrivals and he lifted his hand at us. As we reached him, I watched him whisper to Rhys, and he nodded.

  “What’s going on?” Nikki asked, sternly.

  “There's media blocking the front exit.”

  “Oomph, there it is.” I sung. “Sorry, I couldn’t help it.”

  Rhys and Kevin flanked Roman as we walked out, Nikki and I followed behind them until we reached the doors.

  “Okay guys, there’re loads of them. Roman, you stick with Rhys and Kevin.” Said Nikki.

  Nodding at us, Nikki and I went through the door first and like the rabid dogs I knew they were, they jumped on me and Nikki. Only to be disappointed when they realised, we weren’t Roman.

  Roman kept close behind us, with Rhys’ arm around his shoulder as he ushered him along. As I looked back over my shoulder, I saw one guy pounce on Roman,

  “Roman, can you tell us about your stay in L.A.?” A journalist thrust a microphone in his face, but he dodged it.

  “Mr Dean, is it true there’s a new love in your life?”

  I stopped dead in my tracks, Nikki nearly falling over me as she fell against my back.

  “Roman, do you have anything to say?” One journalist asked.

  My heart pounded against my chest.

  “Roman, can you comment?” Came another.

  Over the mass of heads, his worried gaze found mine, before closing his eyes briefly. Someone shoved a camera into Rhys’ face, and he pushed it away, he continued to briskly walk with Roman, trying to catch up with us. Kevin quickly bundled Nikki and I into the car and Roman soon followed suit, with Rhys slamming the door behind us. Not a second later, Rhys was inside, and Kevin was speeding away from the airport.

  I didn’t look at Roman.

  I didn’t look at Nikki.

  My eyes stayed on my fidgeting hands in my lap.

  “What the fuck was all that about? Fucking journalists are nothing but vipers.” Nikki cursed angrily.

  “Most journalists, yes.” I mumbled. I daredn’t say anything else.

  “Sorry, Pais.”

  I smiled at Nikki’s response, but I didn’t give it the justification she deserved, I was way too tired for that. I just wanted to get home and into my bed.

  Chapter Thirty

  They’re just fishing. Well, that’s what I told myself.

  Fucking journalists put things out there and try to make you trip up over yourself and boom, they’ve got a story. Something for them to dig their claws into and make you answer. Before you know it, it’s splashed over every newspaper within hours, and they don’t give a shit who they hurt.

  “Kevin, can you drop me at my place, please?” Paisley asked quietly, her voice low.

  “Course.”

  I wanted Paisley to look at me, but she hadn’t, not since she got in the car.

  “Did you guys come up with anything on the plane?” Nikki asked.

  “Just that we’ll do a press conference about Hugo Boss and I advised Roman he should do some exclusive interviews. The more information that’s out there, the better. If it comes from Roman himself, it can’t get distorted. We all know the press like to twist shit.”

  Nikki nodded her agreement before going on, “What did they mean Roman, about a new love in your life?”

  “Fuck knows. I think they’re just fishing. It’s just something to put in their stupid newspapers.”

  I couldn’t drop Paisley in it, not until I knew she was ready. That wasn’t fair to her.

  It seemed like we arrived at Paisley’s flat quicker than ever, but it was late and there wasn’t too much traffic on the road.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow, guys. Thank you for an amazing time.”

  Her sweet voice did things to me. I wanted to follow her from the car and kiss her goodbye, but I fucking couldn’t. Rhys got out of the car and followed her, grabbing her luggage from the boot. I watched through the window as he said something to her, and she nodded in response. Pressing the button for the window, I waited until it was low enough, so I could speak.

  “Do you want some help with your luggage?”

  “Thank you, but Rhys is gonna help me.”

  As she turned away from me, I put the window back up, sat back and waited.

  “What’s up? You look like someone has just run over your cat.” Nikki asked.

  “I don’t like cats.” I mumbled. Nikki laughed but it wasn’t really a joke. My answer wasn’t meant to be funny.

 
; “Are you okay? Are you sure there’s nothing you want to tell me?”

  I shook my head as I pulled out my phone.

  “Nope.”

  Rhys jumped back in the car and took us back to the hotel. I left the guys to get the luggage as I headed upstairs and threw myself down on my bed.

  And that’s where I stayed.

  When I finally woke the next day, I was naked apart from my boxers. I didn’t remember waking to get undressed. I didn’t even remember falling asleep. It took me a good twenty minutes to come around but when I finally did, I had to rush to the toilet to piss. Blinking a time or two, I waited for my eyes to focus, then finished what I was doing before I flushed the toilet. I splashed cold water on my face, in an attempt to wake myself up a little. My eyes felt like they were filled with grit. I was that tired. When I looked in the mirror, I noticed bags the size of sandbags beneath my eyes.

  “Jet lag sucks dick.”

  The next thing I heard was Gav’s voice.

  Tugging on some joggers from my drawer, I grabbed my phone from the bedside table and before I opened the door, I saw a message from Paisley:

  Morning. I’ve been called to the office. I’ll see you later. X.

  I needed coffee.

  Running my hand through my hair, I left the sanctuary of my bedroom and moved into the suite, closing the door behind me.

  “Oh, here he is. The new face of Hugo Boss. Why the fuck didn’t you tell me? If this has anything to do with that stuck up bitch…?”

  I didn’t say anything to Gav. Instead, I grabbed myself a coffee, making it as strong as I could stomach, then turned around to sit on the couch, before taking a sip.

  “Well?”

  “Fuck off, Gav. You’re not my mother. I don’t have to tell you shit. I chose not to tell you. I wanted to go to L.A. and seal this deal. Yes, you’re my friend but I couldn’t have you and Paisley in the same place for six fucking days, you’d have killed each other…”

  “So, this is about her?”

  “Oh, grow up, man.”

  Sighing at his dramatics, I tried to block him out and drink my coffee. I didn’t need his shit. I wanted to see Paisley. Fuck knows what time she would turn up now she had been summoned to the office.

  Just then the door opened again and something inside of me hoped it was her.

  “Have you been fucking her?”

  “What?” I looked between him and the open door, not really listening to him.

  “I asked, are you fucking her?”

  Just then Nikki popped her head around the door, looking as tired as I did.

  My heart sank when it wasn’t Paisley, so turned my attention back to Gav.

  “No. I’m not.”

  “Yeah, you may be able to fool everyone else Roman, but you can’t fool me.”

  “Gav, I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about and I’m too tired to keep up. Let me drink my coffee, grab some food and go back to sleep, then I might be able to work out this bullshit you’re spouting.”

  “Nik, can you order some room service, please.”

  I grabbed my cup, my phone and went back to my room.

  I woke a while later to banging on the door. Once I’d rolled from the bed, I felt a bit livelier and opened the bedroom door. My heart leapt when I saw Paisley, but the look on her face told me she wasn’t so happy to see me.

  She threw a newspaper at me. This felt like déjà vu. I remembered her doing this a few weeks back.

  “Pais? What’s going on?”

  She folded her arm across her chest, I’d noticed she did this a lot when she was pissed off, but her eyes were rimmed with redness and I knew she’d been crying. A protectiveness took over and suddenly I wanted to know who the fuck had made her cry. Stepping forward, I attempted to wipe her tears away, but she dodged my advances, her hands fell to her hip and she tapped her toe on the carpet. So, I bent over to pick up the paper. That was when I saw the reason why she was so angry:

  ROMAN DEAN UNVEILS A SECRET NEW LOVE!

  “What the fuck is this?”

  “You tell me, because I have no fucking idea? My boss has just given me that.”

  “Your boss?”

  “Yes Roman, my boss… What the fuck have you done, Roman? How could you?” She screeched so loud it nearly burst my eardrums.

  “What? I haven’t done anything.”

  “Really? So how do you explain that?!” Her breathing was hard as her chest rose and fell with every exhale. “I should have known better… I should’ve trusted my own judgement.” She paced the room, while I couldn’t take my eyes from the offending headline.

  “What the hell is going on, guys? You need to start talking, right fucking now.” Nikki growled at us both.

  “Paisley. Stop.” I urged. I needed to look into her eyes.

  She brushed past me and I followed her into the suite. I grabbed her arm and spun her to face me, I took her by the shoulders and made her look at me.

  “I didn’t do this.”

  “Then who did? No-one knew.”

  “I knew there was something going on with you two!” Nikki added fuel to the fire, and we both turned to look at her. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”

  “I was going to, but it was never the right time. I never thought something would get leaked to the papers.”

  “Okay….”

  “Nik, this is my fault. I pursued Paisley. It was my idea, but Paisley wanted to keep it a secret.”

  “Hang on, I do have a voice, you know.” Paisley added but it fell on deaf ears.

  “Oh guys. I wish you’d just told me.”

  Nikki took Paisley by the shoulders and hugged her.

  “I have another problem.”

  Nikki and I both waited for the next bombshell.

  “I can’t be your publicist anymore.”

  “What the fuck? Why not?”

  She turned back to me, her jaw a little softer and not quite so tensed.

  “Who did you tell, Roman. Please be honest with me?”

  “No-one. I told no-one. Other than Rhys knowing, no fucker knew, but you knew about Rhys.”

  “Well, someone knew. This isn’t just fishing or making educated guesses and hoping they have it right. Skip to page twenty, Roman, they have everything on me. They’ve done their research. I’ll give them that. Brantley tore strips off me. He said I was unprofessional, and I made him look bad. He said in all his years, he’d never had an employee cross the lines of professionalism. Coming from him, that really stung. He wouldn’t know fucking professional if it smacked him in his lazy arse. I’m fucking ruined.”

  I watched helplessly as her chin trembled and water filled her eyes.

  I wasn’t taking the blame for this. Yes, we’d slept together, no we hadn’t just slept together, we’d built a relationship, but she was far from being unprofessional. As for us, I couldn’t let her walk away because I was pretty sure I was in love with her, but I couldn’t fucking tell her that now. She would just think I was making it up. So, instead, I flicked to page twenty and there it was, every embarrassing childhood photo of her at school, from when she left school to one of her now. I quickly scanned the article that said she was a nerd and practically listed her insecurities. I could see why she thought this was me, but I would never betray her like that. The Paisley Kennedy, that was as beautiful outside as she was inside.

  I threw the newspaper down. I couldn’t look at it anymore. If they had any idea of the person beneath all that, they’d love her and see she was damn fucking good at her job.

  Clamping my teeth together, they ground with anger. I wanted to smack something, or someone and I swear when I found out who it was, they were going to wish they hadn’t crossed that line.

  I gripped her shoulders again, dipping my head so I could look into her eyes. I needed her to see I wasn’t lying.

  “You have to know it’s not me. I’ve been with you for the last six days, how the fuck is this me?”

  My hands thr
ust into my hair and I tugged on it, while spinning away from her.

  I turned back sharply, registering what she’d said a few minutes ago.

  “What do you mean, you’re ruined?”

  “I’ve lost my job. I’m no longer your publicist, which means I’m no longer employed by Brantley. All because someone thought they could fuck with my life.”

  A stray tear fell from her eye and I watched it roll down her cheek. I lifted my hand and reached out for her, but she stepped away and sniffed back her emotions as she squared her shoulders.

  “I have to go.”

  ‘Paisley, please don’t…”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Paisley spun away and my hands dropped to my side. She gave Nikki a teary smile, as she looked back over her shoulder and moved towards the door. Kevin stopped her before opening it up for her. Rhys wasn’t here yet; he was probably sleeping off his jet lag — lucky bastard.

  “Paisley, if it means anything, I think you're an amazing person.”

  “Thanks, Kevin.”

  She pushed onto her tiptoes, kissing his cheek and gave him a sad smile. She was really not that tall and it was only then that I noticed she was in jeans and converse. As she disappeared through the door, my ears pricked up when I heard a commotion outside.

  “Roman.” Kev called me over. I sprung up from the couch to see what was going on.

  On hearing Gav’s voice, I moved a little quicker.

  “Don’t leave on my account.” He laughed.

  “Fuck you, Gavin.” Paisley answered, and I knew it was about to kick off.

  I broke through the gap between Kev and the door, just as she started to walk away, but then she turned back.

  “You know you don’t deserve a friend like Roman. We all know that you only use him. He’s a celebrity, a star, and he’s about to be known worldwide. Where does that leave you, huh?”

  “Paisley.” I tried to talk her down, but she was way too angry.

  Poking her finger in Gav’s chest, she went on…

  “I mean anyone that knew you at school knows that you weren’t and never will be as important as Roman. No-one gave a shit about little Gavin. Unless he was following his best friend around, at his beck and call.”