Read Online Rumor Has It: A Bad Boy Romantic Comedy by Lila Moore - Free Book Online Page B

good news,” Shonda said, “is that Louis’s team was able to pivot so well when news of the kidnapping broke. They planted that story about how he came to your rescue. They’re not happy about being kept in the dark, but they managed to spin a story that’s given them a lot of good press. When I talked to them this morning they wanted to set up a photo shoot with you Jamie, something intimate and romantic.” Shonda rolled her eyes. “At least that was the plan until these photos were leaked.”
    “I’m not going to pose in front of the paparazzi with Louis. I’m done with them forever.”
    “Stop. Do I really need to explain how show business works, like you’re some dumb girl fresh off the bus in Hollywood looking to get famous? You know how important your image is to your brand. Without the paparazzi you have no image, no brand.”
    “But Shonda-”
    “But nothing. It doesn’t matter anyway. Louis’s team doesn’t want paparazzi shots. They want something more professional. They want you to sit down together to do a photo shoot and an interview. We’ll release the photos somewhere like People magazine. They love puff pieces like this. They’re always soft on celebrities. We’ll have to find a way to coordinate with his team on how to spin these nude pictures. It won’t be easy, but I’ll make it work.”
    “I’m going to need to speak with Louis’s security team. I need to know his movements and schedule,” Theo said.
    “Why?”
    “If he’s going to be with Jamie, then I need to know everything. I can’t put her life in danger.”
    “In danger again, you mean?” Shonda smiled smugly at Theo. She was not going to let him forget that my near-kidnapping happened on his watch.
    “Please, stop fighting,” I said, not for the first time today. “Your bickering is exhausting.”
    I rubbed my face hard and ran my fingers through my wild, curly hair.
    “Stop that,” Shonda said. “If you keep rubbing your face like that you’ll give yourself wrinkles.”
    “What difference does it make? My career is over.”
    “No, it’s not. I haven’t even begun to fight these assholes. They don’t know who they’re fucking with. I’m going to take care of Gossip Guru and Louis’s people. You just do what I say, when I say.”
    “That story they leaked to the paper was one hundred percent bullshit,” I said. “What if the truth gets out?”
    “It won’t. It’s my job to see that it doesn’t. I made you famous and I’m going to make sure you stay that way.”
    I looked to Shonda, then Theo, then back to Shonda. If we were going to war with the tabloids, I had two good soldiers by my side. Shonda would give them hell on the PR front and Theo would shut down my stalker on the security side of things. Or so I hoped.
    Shonda’s phone beeped. She looked at the screen and smiled.
    “What?” I said. “Please tell me you have good news.”
    “It’s a text from the studio. We’re back on.”
    The studio had threatened to fire me from their latest superhero franchise; it would have cost me a ton of money. With all the drama unfolding, I’d forgotten all about it.
    “Do they know about the nude photos?” I asked.
    “Yeah. They love it. They think you’re the new bad girl of Hollywood.”
    “What? Just yesterday they were ready to fire me for ruining my squeaky clean image.”
    “Have you seen the comments people are leaving online?”
    “I had the displeasure of reading a couple of them. People are gross.”
    “Everyone thinks you’re hot,” Shonda said. “No offense, but you were never hot in the eyes of the public- until now.”
    “People think I’m ugly?”
    “No, they think you’re America’s Sweetheart. America’s Sweetheart isn’t hot- she’s cute and relatable. Now you’re sexy, a bad girl. You know, now that I think about it, I’ve been going about this all wrong. This is the perfect opportunity for a reinvention.”
    Shonda started to pace the room. When she got