Read Online Midnight Diamonds by Cynthia Hampton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cynthia Hampton
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added.
“Sounds fun. What’s mine?” Justin said.
“Really?” asked Silver.
“Sure. Why not?”
Silver thought for a moment then she said. “Pugnacious. Easy or quick to argue.”
“I like it. I’m feeling very pugnacious,” he said mischievously.
She laughed. “Good job.”
A sudden banging on the door startled her. Was someone yelling for Justin? No one knew he was here, did they?
She watched as Justin rose and walked through the living room. Setting the dishes in the sink, she motioned for Becky to follow. When Justin opened the front door, Silver stood on tiptoe to look over his shoulder and saw his manager scowling in the doorway.
“What the hell, Sam. How’d you find me?”
Catcalls and hoots testified to what a front lawn full of reporters thought of Justin’s attire as pictures by the dozens were taken. Loud voices shouted questions. Sam shoved Justin back into the house and slammed the door shut.
Silver looked at Becky. “Uh oh.”
“‘Uh oh’ is right!” The frenzied manager surveyed Justin up and down with disbelief. “Whatare you wearing?”
Justin ignored the question. “Where did those reporters come from?”
“I called them,” Sam replied, and when Justin’s eyes narrowed, he exclaimed, “What? You don’t think this is newsworthy? I mean, it’s not like you’ve been nominated for Best New Artist, or picked a fight in a local honky-tonk before spending the night with some knockout blonde. Oh, wait—you have!”
“Knockout?” Silver repeated.
“It wasn’t a fight,” Becky said. “It was a single punch. And it was a barbecue restaurant, not a honky-tonk.”
“And he slept on my couch,” Silver insisted. “This is my uncle’s robe. We’re just washing Justin’s clothes. Nothing happened.” She started for the front door. “Let me go outside and talk to them. I’ll clear all of this up in a—”
“Are you crazy?” Sam grabbed her by the arm. “I’ve got an E! News live satellite feed out there! Entertainment Tonight and Extra! Star magazine and any other tabloid you can think of—all of them parked outside on your lawn!” He dragged his fingers through his hair, leaving it sticking out in all directions. “I can see the headlines now: ‘Small-town teacher has wild night with up and coming country superstar.’” He grinned at Justin. “GramMer is going to love it!”
Silver gulped in realization. “This is a disaster.”
“Disaster?” Sam blinked at her. “Are you kidding? We can’t buy this kind of publicity!”
Justin stepped forward. “You think this is a good thing? What the hell kind of manager are you? I didn’t ask for the press to be called, and I sure as hell don’t want to hurt innocent people.”
Silver felt a chill from the morality clause in her school contract. When GaGa and the school board found out… “How do we get out of this?”
“Come up with a story and stick with it,” suggested Becky.
Justin turned to Becky. “What kind of story?”
“Don’t worry your pretty heads about it.” Sam waved offhandedly to the women.
Becky crossed her arms over her chest. “Hey, this affects us, too.”
Sam snorted. “Right, and you have so much to offer this discussion. I don’t think so.”
“Don’t be so pugnacious.” Justin turned to Silver with raised eyebrows “I like that word. It comes in handy.”
Silver didn’t laugh. “What is happening to my world?”
Slowly Justin moved away from Sam as the doorbell began ringing again. “Don’t answer it, Silver.”
“Maybe this isn’t as bad as it seems,” Silver offered. “What if we don’t say anything?”
Justin peeked out the living room window between the blinds then pointed to her flat screen television. “Where’s the remote?” he asked.
Silver opened a drawer under the coffee table and handed the remote to Justin. He turned on the television and clicked through a few channels to the one he wanted.
“Is that the Gossipy Gail Show?”
“Sounds fun. What’s mine?” Justin said.
“Really?” asked Silver.
“Sure. Why not?”
Silver thought for a moment then she said. “Pugnacious. Easy or quick to argue.”
“I like it. I’m feeling very pugnacious,” he said mischievously.
She laughed. “Good job.”
A sudden banging on the door startled her. Was someone yelling for Justin? No one knew he was here, did they?
She watched as Justin rose and walked through the living room. Setting the dishes in the sink, she motioned for Becky to follow. When Justin opened the front door, Silver stood on tiptoe to look over his shoulder and saw his manager scowling in the doorway.
“What the hell, Sam. How’d you find me?”
Catcalls and hoots testified to what a front lawn full of reporters thought of Justin’s attire as pictures by the dozens were taken. Loud voices shouted questions. Sam shoved Justin back into the house and slammed the door shut.
Silver looked at Becky. “Uh oh.”
“‘Uh oh’ is right!” The frenzied manager surveyed Justin up and down with disbelief. “Whatare you wearing?”
Justin ignored the question. “Where did those reporters come from?”
“I called them,” Sam replied, and when Justin’s eyes narrowed, he exclaimed, “What? You don’t think this is newsworthy? I mean, it’s not like you’ve been nominated for Best New Artist, or picked a fight in a local honky-tonk before spending the night with some knockout blonde. Oh, wait—you have!”
“Knockout?” Silver repeated.
“It wasn’t a fight,” Becky said. “It was a single punch. And it was a barbecue restaurant, not a honky-tonk.”
“And he slept on my couch,” Silver insisted. “This is my uncle’s robe. We’re just washing Justin’s clothes. Nothing happened.” She started for the front door. “Let me go outside and talk to them. I’ll clear all of this up in a—”
“Are you crazy?” Sam grabbed her by the arm. “I’ve got an E! News live satellite feed out there! Entertainment Tonight and Extra! Star magazine and any other tabloid you can think of—all of them parked outside on your lawn!” He dragged his fingers through his hair, leaving it sticking out in all directions. “I can see the headlines now: ‘Small-town teacher has wild night with up and coming country superstar.’” He grinned at Justin. “GramMer is going to love it!”
Silver gulped in realization. “This is a disaster.”
“Disaster?” Sam blinked at her. “Are you kidding? We can’t buy this kind of publicity!”
Justin stepped forward. “You think this is a good thing? What the hell kind of manager are you? I didn’t ask for the press to be called, and I sure as hell don’t want to hurt innocent people.”
Silver felt a chill from the morality clause in her school contract. When GaGa and the school board found out… “How do we get out of this?”
“Come up with a story and stick with it,” suggested Becky.
Justin turned to Becky. “What kind of story?”
“Don’t worry your pretty heads about it.” Sam waved offhandedly to the women.
Becky crossed her arms over her chest. “Hey, this affects us, too.”
Sam snorted. “Right, and you have so much to offer this discussion. I don’t think so.”
“Don’t be so pugnacious.” Justin turned to Silver with raised eyebrows “I like that word. It comes in handy.”
Silver didn’t laugh. “What is happening to my world?”
Slowly Justin moved away from Sam as the doorbell began ringing again. “Don’t answer it, Silver.”
“Maybe this isn’t as bad as it seems,” Silver offered. “What if we don’t say anything?”
Justin peeked out the living room window between the blinds then pointed to her flat screen television. “Where’s the remote?” he asked.
Silver opened a drawer under the coffee table and handed the remote to Justin. He turned on the television and clicked through a few channels to the one he wanted.
“Is that the Gossipy Gail Show?”
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