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Meryl’s mouth curved upward, astute ambiguity evident. “You say curt, I say frank.” Tucking her phone in her pocket, her assistant persona dissolved long enough to witness the real woman underneath. “Jake, look…clearly, I don’t know her. She seems nice. Most people do. I just don’t want either of you getting hurt.”
I sighed heavily. “I know, I know. But you make the big bucks because you’re the best at what you do. J.J. Watt doesn’t stand a chance against your defenses.” The jest was enough to cut some of the tension.
Meryl took a seat muttering something about needing a raise.
There was a soft knock on the door. Lucy looked casual and comfortable in a pair of linen shorts and a half-tucked tee.
“Hey,” she greeted, her glossy lips curving into a smile.
Immediately I pulled her in for a hug. She was all petite, soft curves and her signature scent of summer was enough to remind me of the importance of why I asked her here.
“Are you alright?” I whispered against her hair.
“I’m fine. Why? What happened?” When she pulled back, a slight blush crept up her face. “Oh,” she squeaked. “I didn’t realize you had company…”
Spinning on my heel, I kept her hand in mine. “Lucy, this is Meryl, my assistant. Meryl, Lucy. I don’t think either of you have been properly introduced.”
Meryl stood to shake her hand. “It’s nice to meet you officially.” Her tone was neutral but held a tightness to it that I’m sure only I caught.
Lucy smiled then grew concerned she was interrupting something. “I can come back later if that’s better?”
“Actually,” I broached, “I asked Meryl here.” I motioned to the sitting area and we all took a seat.
Meryl removed her phone from her back pocket before she sat once more, placing it face down on the coffee table. Lucy and I sat opposite her and a thickness in the air was becoming apparent.
Meryl spoke first. “Are you aware of what’s transpired in the last few hours, Lucy?”
My eyes sliced to Meryl in warning. Lucy wasn’t on trial and her no-nonsense tone (that worked well on others) was not necessary here.
Lucy’s eyes bounced between Meryl and myself. “Uh, my hunger factor going up exponentially?” she joked.
Meryl almost cracked a smile. “You two are officially together according to social media. And the words of the Twitter gods hold more power than the Bible…”
“Oh.” Lucy’s brows scrunched together, her lips pursing in a flat line. “But I thought we weren’t ‘secret’ about it, so what’s the big deal?” She used air quotes for emphasis.
“We weren’t, but there’s a picture floating around now.” I explained. “One that was taken this afternoon…”
It only took a few seconds to figure out how it happened. “The bicep girls!” Lucy was a quick study. “But you’re not supposed to take pictures in the photo ops area,” she pointed out. It was endearing how she was concerned about the rules. But it was also a testament (no fault of her own) to how naïve she was. And the last thing I wanted to have happen was her being blindsided or taken advantage of. Or worse.
“We suspect it was them, yes,” Meryl confirmed. “But it doesn’t matter who took it; it’s out and your identity has been revealed.”
“How’d they get my name? I’m a nobody…”
Meryl waved her hand in the air. “Anybody can be bought for the right price. All it takes is a little digging and asking around and boom, you’re in a gossip column.”
“It won’t take long for them to find out how boring I am. There’s not much to know,” Lucy reasoned. She caught her bottom lip between her teeth.
“Unfortunately, that’s where you’re wrong.” Meryl slid to the edge of the seat, resting her elbows on her knees. “As long as you and Jake are romantically involved, you’ll be a sensation. They’ll stop at nothing to know what types of vitamins you take, what your favorite flavor of ice cream is, and most of all, if there are any skeletons in your closet. They are professionals at twisting words to fit their needs.”
My hand went to Lucy’s knee, giving it a gentle squeeze for reassurance. “Meryl isn’t here to scare you,” I soothed. “She’s here to help and give you a crash course in all things paparazzi related and how to handle the press.” My cheeks warmed. “I thought it might be best coming from her; it’s what she’s paid to do and she’s damn good at her job.”
This time Lucy scrunched her nose in disbelief. “The press? It’s not like they’ll be banging down my door. Wait—will they? Can they? Would the hotel let them do that?” She grabbed a throw pillow and tucked it on her lap like it would protect her from the bad things lurking in the real world.
A surge of protectiveness came over me at the thought of her being cornered or ran down. “No, I won’t let anyone do that to you, Luce.”
“Which is all fine and good,” Meryl cut in, “but we need to discuss the immediate future. Jake won’t always be with you, Lucy. And when he’s not, you need to be ready and armed with an arsenal of deflecting tactics and self-protection if necessary.”
I was beginning to wonder if Meryl had birthed Marcus.
