Series: Fever Falls Series by Riley Hart
Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 96922 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96922 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
“Jerrick, I promise you, there’s no campaign behind these photos. I’m not even sure who took the pictures, but I have an idea of who leaked them.”
“So wait. You and Jace are a real thing?”
“We’re not…a thing.”
“We’re kind of a thing,” I interjected.
“Well, are you guys a thing or aren’t you? You’d better tell me you are because this is the best goddamn publicity we could have hoped for.”
Dax’s brows tugged together. “Best publicity?”
“Of course. Haven’t you seen all the reblogs and reposts on this? You know how excited everyone is that he’s gay?”
“Bi,” Dax clarified.
“Bi, gay, whatever he is, they’re loving it. And that he’s with Lil’ Donnie Gibson, which by the way, I can’t believe never came up in our initial meetings. There’s a card you need to always pull out at cocktail parties.”
“Not a name I’ve used in a very long time...and typically shy away from even when people recognize me.”
“Damn, I used to love that show,” Hacksmore went on. “And what was that catchphrase you’d say?”
“‘What’s eatin’ your Tootsie Pops?’” I said without even meaning to. It was just so embedded in my brain from watching that show, that it slipped out, and I knew it was a mistake to utter it the moment Dax turned a glare on me.
“Sorry,” I mouthed, raising my hands like he was holding me up at gunpoint.
“Yes, that’s the catchphrase from the show,” Dax practically spit out through his teeth.
“God, that was a cute series,” Hacksmore said. “I can’t believe you look so different now. Oh, you were an adorable little fella.”
He said that in about as condescending a tone as possible, the sort that made me vividly aware of why Dax had spent so much time distancing himself from his child-star image.
Dax buried his face in his hands. “Yeah, fortunately I don’t look enough like that kid version of myself to get recognized much outside of my circle of friends or those who happen to be in the know.”
This conversation was definitely not making him feel any better, but from the way Hacksmore was talking, it didn’t sound like the deal was off, which I figured would at least offer Dax some relief.
Hacksmore went on, “So you guys were out in some secluded area in the woods, taking a dip and…some other stuff by the looks of it, and someone snapped these pictures?”
“That’s what happened,” Dax admitted.
“Damn, this campaign is skyrocketing our brand straight to the top. He already has his own paps chasing him around, and we haven’t even launched a single part of our campaign. With this new angle, the publicity we’re getting from this secret is already blowing him up to another level. We’re going to have the biggest launch anyone’s ever seen. But, Dax, obviously you have to be part of the deal too.”
“Huh?”
“Come on. Look at those pictures. The chemistry. The sparks. There’s fire in there. You know how people work. Lil’ Donnie Gibson meets Hottie Firefighter. Come on. This is what they want more of. This sells. This is hot. We gotta work this, and you know it. Don’t play hard to get.”
“Jerrick,” I said, realizing that Dax wasn’t doing much to help himself by that point. “We need to talk it all over with Elliott. Do you mind if we get back to you about it?”
“Of course, of course. Ferah just told me that Jenna Marbles and Connor Franta are talking about it on YouTube. And they’re having a discussion about it on CNN. Did you hear that? CNN!” He laughed. “God, this is juicy. You guys let me know how much to throw Dax into the mix, and we’ll keep this ball rolling and take over the whole goddamn world together.”
“Alright, thank you for discussing this with me, Jerrick.”
Dax hit the End Call button and leaned back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. “Good fucking God.”
“Good fucking God? You should be relieved. You made it sound like he was going to sack us, but he’s ecstatic!”
“I’m sorry. I’m just having a hard time thinking through all this. The pictures, being out in public, Hacksmore being excited about it…and did you say we were a thing?”
I moved over onto the couch, beside him. Mac’s gaze shifted between us.
“We are a thing,” I told him.
“No, we’re not.”
“Wait. What do you think a thing means?”
“Maybe you should tell me what you think a thing is first?” Dax asked, eyeing me suspiciously.
“Why are you saying it like that?”
“You’re not thinking that we’re, like, all having feelings for each other or wanting to do anything more than what we’ve done?”
“What? No. But I figured we are at least friendly…with clear benefits, which would be a thing.”
“Okay, if that is a thing, then we are that thing, but only that thing.”
“I’m glad we had this important discussion,” I mocked, really just trying to get him to lighten up once again.