by Elena Aitken
“He’s angry with me,” Megan continued. “And I think he’s the one who called your family.”
Gage's dislike of the man grew and his fist itched to see him again so he could show him exactly what he thought of him. But no. As soon as the thought popped into his head, he pushed it out. He wasn't a fighter, and it wouldn't serve any purpose. "I don't understand," he said. "How would he know about my family? No one knows." As he said the words, the realization hit. He looked at Megan. "You knew. You heard me on the phone." He shook his head. "But you said you didn't tell him anything. Megan, you promised me."
"All I said was that you'd talked to her. He was pushing me about you." She grabbed his face and forced him to look at her. "He didn't believe I could keep you out of trouble. All I said was that you'd talked to your sister. I had no idea he'd bring them here and I had no idea what the history was with you. There was no way I could know.”
His first instinct was to be angry, but he was done being angry with Megan. She was the only one who knew about Lana and didn’t judge him. Not that a lot of people knew about Lana. Except…
“Dammit,” Gage said. “Do you think he heard us talking?” He looked from side to side, hoping to see…what, he didn’t know. “Of course he heard, and now he knows about Lana.” He scrubbed his hand over his face. “But he won’t say anything, right? I mean, that’s exactly the type of scandal that would cost me Tumbleweed.”
Megan looked down, not meeting his eyes.
“He won’t say anything, right, Megan?” Gage tilted her face up to face him, and the only answer he needed was in her eyes. “Dammit.”
“I’m sorry,” Megan said. “I don’t know for sure that he’ll say anything, but he’s angry. I should probably go and talk to him before he can—“
“Gage?”
They both turned to see Lisa standing in the door. Gage tried not to sigh. The day just kept getting better and better with people popping in unexpectedly. “Lisa,” he said. “This isn’t really a good time right now.”
Megan ignored Lisa, focusing instead on gathering up her things, throwing her barely touched lunch into the trash. Gage knew Lisa was a bit of a sore spot with Megan, and the faster he got rid of her, the better.
“That’s what I told the reporter,” Lisa said.
Megan froze, and Gage’s stomach clenched.
“What are you talking about?” he said. “What reporter?”
“There wasn’t any press invited to the party,” Megan said.
“Well, they’re here.” Lisa flipped back her hair and put her hand on her hip. She glared in Megan’s direction.
“What did you say?” Megan demanded.
“I told her I didn’t make it a point to kiss and tell,” Lisa said. She directed her response at Gage, but he didn’t miss the way Megan stiffened and crossed her arms.
“What. Did. You. Say?” Megan asked again through clenched teeth.
Gage cursed himself for his stupidity, and total lack of discretion. “Megan, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about—“
“I told the reporter about our trip to the hot springs,” Lisa said.
Gage froze. “You what?”
“What trip?”
He looked at Megan, but before he could answer her, Lisa said, “Of course, I wasn’t going to tell her about our skinny-dipping, but it just kind of slipped out.”
Megan’s face fell. Her mask of irritation, slipped long enough for a flash of hurt to cross her face.
“Megan, I…” She turned away, so Gage focused on the other woman. “Lisa, why would you say that? What were you thinking?”
“What? It’s the truth.”
Gage heard Megan gasp behind him, and the sound physically hurt him. “It’s not the…” He looked at Lisa, and then turned to Megan. He wanted to, but he couldn’t lie. “It’s not the whole truth,” he said. Megan’s chin quivered, but she bit her bottom lip. “Megan, it’s not.”
“It is the truth, Gage,” Lisa said. She stamped her foot and crossed her arms like a little girl about to have a tantrum. “I am not a liar and you know it.”
He opened his mouth to object, but closed it again when he connected with Megan’s eyes.
“Tell me the truth, Gage,” she said. Her voice was soft, but he could detect the slight shake in it. “Please.”
He nodded. “It’s true.”
Lisa smirked, but Gage wasn’t focusing on her. Instead, his eyes were on Megan, the hurt taking over her beautiful features. “Megan, I–“
“No.” He reached for her, but she shook her head and pushed past him out of the room.
Gage moved to go after her, but Lisa stepped in front of him. “I hear there’s a party tomorrow,” she said. “And you’re going to need a date.”
He looked over her shoulder, trying to see where Megan went. “It’s not going to happen, Lisa. You and I both know nothing happened up there." He glared at her and tried to keep his anger in check. "You had no right to say anything at all to that reporter."
She opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water. Finally settling on her words, she said, "I only told the truth, Gage Mitchell. And if you can't handle it, maybe you need your little babysitter more than you think."
She spun on her heel and stomped out, making her the second woman to leave him in a huff. But only one of them meant anything to him. And Lisa was right about one thing. He did need his babysitter. He needed her in his life and he wasn't going to let anything or anyone ruin it.
Never in his life had he felt the way he felt with Megan, not even with Lana, and he wasn't going to let anything ruin that. He stormed down the main hallway, dodging the massive number of people who'd managed to arrive for the party the next day.
"So much for keeping it small," he muttered to himself.
The second Gage stepped into the main lobby, he realized his mistake. Reporters and media descended upon him before he even had a chance to realize what was happening.
"Gage. Gage," one man called as a recorder was thrust in his face. "Can you tell us about the upcoming premiere? Are you excited? What can we expect from you?”
Gage shook his head, trying to remember some of the media training Lucas had tried to thrust upon him. He forced a smile and nodded, but he couldn't focus on the reporter. He was too busy scanning the crowd. Had Megan come into this chaos, or had she retreated to her room? Damn, he thought. He had no idea where she was staying since she'd moved out of his suite.
"Gage," another reporter called out. He vaguely recognized this one. She worked for one of the trashy tabloid magazines and she always twisted whatever he said. "Who will you be taking to the party tomorrow? There's rumors that you've been spending an awful lot of time with a blond who works here. Can you confirm or deny those rumors?" Another recorder was pushed in front of his face.
There was no way he was answering that question. Not even with a “no comment” and a smile the way he would have in the past. He didn't want to answer any of their questions, he just wanted to find Megan.
"Excuse me," Gage said. He tried to gently push through the crowd, but there was no give. "I really have something important I need to get to. I'll answer all your questions later." Maybe if he agreed to play their game, they'd cooperate with him.
Gage managed to squeeze past two of the reporters, but it was another voice that stopped him. "Gage," the man said. "Can you confirm the rumors that you are directly responsible for the death of Lana Brown?"
He froze in mid-step, and for a moment everything stopped. His blood felt like ice in his veins and the room with all the people crowded in it swirled around him.
"Gage, is it true that you were still dating Lana Brown when you were filming Extinction and associated with model..."
The reporter’s voice turned to a buzzing in Gage's brain. He didn't need to hear anymore. He didn't need to hear the model's name, or the actress after that, or the dozens of women he'd been associated with.
They knew. The room spun. He looked around,
desperately searching for an escape.
"Gage.” The reporter was relentless. "How do you think the producers of Tumbleweed will respond to this latest scandal? Do you think it will tarnish your reputation when your fans find out you killed your girlfriend?"
Rage flooded through him at the reporters last words. He spun around and grabbed the recorder out of the man's hand. For the second time that day, he wanted to punch a man.
"I did not—"
"They'll be no more questions for Mr. Mitchell at this time."
Gage looked to his left and saw his manager, Lucas, pushing his way through the crowd. He reached Gage, put his arm around him and, with his free hand, plowed a path through the throng of media to the outside, where Gage gulped at the fresh air.
"Come on," Lucas said. "We can't hang out here. They won't leave you alone for long." Gage followed after his manager and friend until they were headed down the path to his suite. "I'll see what I can do about getting them off the property," Lucas said. "They weren't supposed to be here. When I find out who invited them here, I'll—"
"They know," Gage said. "They know about Lana." He stopped walking and stared into the trees.
"About that," Lucas said. "You have some explaining to do. Now come on."
CHAPTER TEN
For the last twenty-four hours, Megan had managed to avoid both Ryan and Gage. She’d fully intended to hunt down Ryan and demand what he was up to, but after listening to Lisa’s confession and seeing the look in Gage’s eyes, she didn’t have the energy to fight a battle that she couldn’t win.
She pulled her dress out of the garment bag. It was simple but elegant with a deep neck line—enough to be sexy, but not too much. The party was in less than two hours, and while she’d done her best to do her job to the best of her abilities, she’d seen the news and read the reports. Scandal had broken. Working with Lucas, Megan had advised Gage to release an official statement about Lana Brown, and he’d done beautifully.
Her heart ached for him, while she watched from a distance. She couldn’t bring herself to stand next to him; her own wound was too raw and she didn’t want to distract the reporters from Gage’s message. He spoke from the heart and told the truth. Despite being angry with him, Megan was proud of him and how he handled the situation, but she didn’t stick around to say so. As soon as he was done speaking, she’d fled back to her room. Whatever there’d been between them, she was certain she’d imagined it and it would be best for everyone if she forgot all about it.
Megan slid the dress on, wiggling just enough to get the zipper up and turned to survey herself in the mirror. When she’d ordered the dress, she’d thought maybe she’d be attending the party with Gage. The ache in her chest surprised her with its intensity. She’d been so naive. A few kisses and a few tender moments, and she thought there was something more between them. It didn’t matter if she’d felt a connection. Obviously, he hadn’t.
She resisted the urge to laugh at herself and her foolishness. Not only had she let a man get to her, she’d also pretty much secured the fact that by the end of the night, she’d be looking for a new job. No one had heard anything from the Tumbleweed producers yet, but Megan could guess how they’d react.
With one more quick look in the mirror, Megan practiced a fake smile and slicked on a coat of lip gloss before picking up her evening bag. She took a deep breath and headed downstairs where anything could be waiting for her.
What was waiting for her was a much calmer lobby than the day before. With the reporters banned to the outside, and most of the guests still prepping themselves in their rooms, things were pretty quiet. Megan liked to be early for parties, especially ones she was in charge of. And even if she was going to get fired, she was still going to go out in style, making sure the party was as fabulous as possible.
“Well, well,” a voice behind her said.
She didn’t need to see him to know the voice belonged to the man she once loved. She took a deep breath and faced him. “Ryan,” she said.
He stood with his arms crossed, a smug look on his face. “I didn’t think you’d show up,” he said.
“I was kind of put in charge of organizing the party, remember?” She tried not to engage him in the fight she knew he was looking for. “Of course I was going to come.”
“Well, it doesn’t look like you’ve done your job very well, does it? I’m assuming you’ve seen the reports.”
She nodded.
“It seems your new boyfriend has quite a past,” he continued. “Frankly, I think you can do better.”
Megan sighed. “Ryan, he’s not my boyfriend.” Ryan raised his eyebrows. “He’s not,” she said. “Look, whatever happened between us, I’m sorry. But can we please leave business out of it? We’re on the same side here.”
Anger transformed his face. “We are not on the same side,” he said, through clenched teeth. “I was on the side of you and me, Megan. You ruined that. You threw it all away.”
“Ryan.” She reached for his arm, but he shook it off. “Please. This isn’t about us.”
“Oh yes it is.” He glared at her with so much hate in his eyes, Megan couldn’t imagine how he’d ever looked at her with love. “You destroyed everything we had, Megan, and now I’m going to make sure you hurt just as much as I did.”
“You set all this up,” she said. “I know you got Lois to send me here, and I know you thought I’d fail, but…” She trailed off as the realization hit. “You knew,” she said. “You knew all about Gage’s past and Lana Brown, didn’t you?”
Ryan didn’t say anything, but his expression changed just enough.
“This whole time,” Megan said. “You knew you were going to bring him down, and why—just to hurt me?”
“I told you, I was going to make you hurt, too.”
Her stomach churned with anger and she clenched her fists in an effort to keep herself under control. In the corner of her eye, she saw Lois walking towards them. She didn’t have much time before she’d be fired. “I understand hurting me,” she said, even though she didn’t really. “But I don’t understand why you would bring his family all this way to witness such a thing. If he loses Tumbleweed, he’ll be humiliated, and for what?”
The face Megan once thought of as kind and handsome flared with anger and jealousy. “His family is here for insurance,” he said, coldly. “I knew Mommy and Sis wouldn’t be able to lie if reporters started asking questions. I needed to make sure it went down the way it was planned.”
“It’s not right, Ryan. He’s a person with feelings and what happened to him was—“
“Seriously, Megan. Listen to yourself,” he spat. “You’re defending Gage Mitchell. He’s a womanizing party animal who just happened to get lucky enough to be a star. That’s it. And now you think you’re in love with him?”
Heat flared through her but she stood her ground.
“What a joke,” Ryan continued. He took a step closer to her, focused only on Megan and his revenge. “Didn’t some blond bimbo just come forward about hooking up with him? Shocking, right? Gage Mitchell is over, Megan. I made sure of that.”
“What about the Grace Agency, Ryan?” Megan asked, taking a chance. Lois was close enough to overhear and if she was going to lose her job, she wasn’t going to go down without a fight. “Once it comes out that you set up your own client, the agency is going to suffer.”
“It’s never going to come out,” he said. “It worked out even better than I thought when Gage confessed everything to you. So sorry, sweetheart, but you’re going to be the one taking the fall on this one.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.”
Megan kept her face neutral as Ryan spun around to face his mother. “What…I…Mother—“
“I’m extremely disappointed in you, Ryan.” Lois crossed her arms and looked every bit the formidable woman Megan knew her to be. “When you asked me to send Megan on this assignment, I understood it was because you needed distance after your breakup. Against m
y better judgment I agreed.” She looked to Megan. “You have to understand, I am a mother, too.”
Megan nodded.
“And it was an important assignment,” Lois continued. “Gage Mitchell is a very important client, and I knew if anyone could do the job, it would be Megan. There was a lot riding on this.” She turned to her son. “But to hear that you masterminded all of this,” she waved her arms, “chaos, and have put our company’s reputation in jeopardy, well, there simply aren’t any words for how disappointed I am in you.”
“Mother, I—“
“You’ve said enough.” She held up her finger, silencing him before turning her attention back to Megan. “I heard Gage Mitchell give his statement,” she said.
Megan nodded. “He did a good job,” she said. “It came from the heart.”
Lois clucked her tongue. “Well, as his PR rep, you did a good job advising him on the best course of action. I hope that continues.”
Continues? Megan swallowed hard. “Thank you,” she said. “But I assumed I’d be—“
“Fired?” Lois shot another look in her son’s direction. “Your job was never in question, Megan. Whatever happens in your personal life is just that. Personal.”
It took Megan a second to process what had just happened, and she stood, stupefied for a few moments, while Lois turned and marched off, her son trailing her like a scolded puppy. She’d been so certain she would be losing her job, but she should never have underestimated Lois Grace. If there was one thing she’d learned from the woman, it was how to be successful in business. Megan could almost laugh at how ridiculous she’d been, trusting Ryan at his word.
A weight had been lifted from her shoulders, certainly, but Megan still wasn’t in a mood to celebrate. Her heart heavy, she almost didn’t hear the weak voice that called out to her.
“Excuse me,” the voice said.
Megan stopped and looked around. There, almost dwarfed by the oversized easy chair, was Gage’s mother. She was alone, an oxygen tank on the floor next to her.
“Are you okay, Mrs. Mitchell?” Megan went to her.