Page 33 of PR Stunt

Then there’s a boxer ad. I pause, widening my eyes.

He’s leaning against a wall, all defined lines, wearing nothing but black boxer briefs. The photo was made to break the internet. And clearly it did, because the comment section is chaos.

The caption: Comfort is key.

I zoom in without thinking and then stop, heat creeping up my neck.

This is a mistake.

Next. The last photo is…a house? A blurry, film-like shot of a mid-century modern home with desert plants. Could be Palm Springs or Arizona. Hard to tell. There’s no caption.

Locking my phone, I toss it onto the couch. Eight posts. Zero people followed. Millions of people watching. I sigh and let my head fall back against the cushions. This whole thing is going to be a lot.

My phone lights up beside me. A Google Calendar notification. I grab it and squint at the screen. Oh great. Incoming the schedule from hell.

Shared Event: Weekly PR Schedule –

Grayson & Charlie “caught” driving together—paparazzi photos

Very original.

Romantic dinner date

Why do they have to add romantic?

Leaked airport photos—departing for Mexico

“Leaked.” As if publicists don’t have pap contacts on speed dial.

The City of Angels Gala

I scan the details. Custom designer looks. Coordinated arrival. Inside photo ops. With the note: look in love.

And then, as if the list wasn’t already overwhelming enough…

Blackout premiere. Red carpet. Press. Interviews. Arrive together. Stay close.

I exhale, but my eyes keep scrolling. I shake my head. How is this my new normal? I toss my phone somewhere on the couch again. Juno had a pr relationship when she was first starting out, and it’s not like this kind of thing is unheard of. Rumors about fake couples float around the industry all the time.

Because it does look real. It looks easy. Natural. Like something that happened instead of something that was arranged. And for a brief, stupid second, I catch myself wondering what it would feel like if it were.

I shut my eyes.

No.

This is exactly what was supposed to happen. The walk, the photos, the narrative taking on a life of its own. This is the job. The contract doing what it was designed to do. We showed up, we played the part, and the cameras did the rest.

It isn’t real.

It’s effective.

I let that thought settle, the knot in my stomach loosening as the logic of it all slides back into place.

Chapter 13

“Tell me why you guys opted for a hike instead of takeout burritos on your patio, Charlie?” Juno huffs beside me as we climb Runyon Canyon, dodging golden retrievers, joggers, and the occasional influencer tripod setup.

Laughing, Eloise chimes in from between us, her Southern accent thick. “Actually, this was on my l.a. bucket list.”