Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 70551 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70551 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
“You’re sassy today.”
I shrug one shoulder, and he accepts the call, then puts it on speaker.
“Hey, Nina. What’s up?”
“What the fuck did you do, Christian?”
Chapter Eleven
~Christian~
I SCOWL, STARING AT Jenna, who is frowning back at me.
“What are you talking about?”
“Get your computer out,” Nina replies.
“I’m not near my computer.”
“I’ll get mine,” Jenna says and jumps up to fetch her laptop.
“Is that her?” Nina asks.
“To which her are you referring, exactly?”
Nina sighs loudly, and she’s on my very last nerve.
“Here.” Jenna sets the computer on the table in front of me and leans over me to type in her password and bring up her browser.
“Go to TMZ, that’ll be fastest,” Nina says, and my stomach drops, dread filling me. I type in the site, and right there, front and center is not just a photo.
No, that would be too easy to dismiss.
They have video.
“Press play,” Nina says simply.
“Oh, my God,” Jenna says from next to me.
“Is that her, Christian?” Nina asks.
“Shut up, Nina.” I press play on the video, and sure enough. There we are, Jenna and I at the stroll last night. It’s when I kiss her under the mistletoe. The video keeps going as I end the kiss and we walk down the street away from the camera. “Okay, I’ve seen it.”
“I can’t even believe you did this,” Nina begins, and I sit back, rub my fingers over my eyes, and then reach for Jenna’s hand. She’s cold. Her face is pale, and her eyes are full of regret.
And that’s the last fucking thing I ever want to see from her.
“I mean, seriously. You are never this careless. You’re seriously letting a snow bunny fuck everything up for you?”
“Whoa,” I reply, leaning in so she can hear me crystal-clear. “One, I’m not stupid, and I’m not careless, certainly not enough to screw anything up over someone I don’t give a shit about. Two, Jenna isn’t a snow bunny.
“And three, you may be my sister, but you best remember that you’re my employee. You work for me. So watch your fucking tone with me, Nina.”
“I’m going to go get some laundry done,” Jenna says quietly, then kisses my cheek and walks out of the room.
I’ve never been angrier with Nina in my life, and I want nothing more than to follow Jenna, pull her to me, hold her, and reassure us both.
But this little hiccup needs to be dealt with first.
“I’m getting bombarded with messages and calls,” Nina says. “So is the whole social media team. Grant will be calling in a few, I’m sure.”
Grant Hollis is my agent, and I have no doubts that he’ll be buzzing through any second.
“I need to know if we’re going to release a formal statement.”
“And say what?” I stand to pace the kitchen and living room. “That I can’t stand Serena, have never dated her even once, and I’m falling for a landlord in Montana?”
“You’re falling for her?” Nina’s voice is full of shock and dismay. “Jesus, Chris, you were supposed to go learn how to ski, bang a few girls, and come home refreshed. Not get attached. This can’t work.”
“This is none of your damn business,” I reply.
“Wrong. It is my business because I’m the one in L.A. cleaning up your mess. What were you thinking? You’re never careless. Unless you count the DUI, but I’m choosing not to.”
“I was thinking that there was mistletoe, and the girl I’m crazy about was conveniently under it.” I shove my hand through my hair. “I’m allowed to be a man, Nina.”
“Not in this business.” She sounds distracted as if she’s reading something. “People magazine just reached out for a comment. And this will be all over Entertainment Tonight this afternoon.”
“I don’t care.”
“You’d better care, big brother. Because you’re about to start promoting a movie, and part of that is promoting it with Serena.”
“Awesome.” I walk back to the bathroom and reach for my T-shirt, tugging it over my head as I march back to the computer and start to Google it. “I hate that they call her the other woman.”
“As far as anyone knows, she is,” Nina reminds me. “I know it sucks. I don’t like Serena either. She’s a bitch.”
“What if we ignore it?”
She’s quiet for a moment, and I expect her to explode. But I’m surprised.
“It’s not like you can deny that it’s you,” she says quietly. “Give me a minute, I’m thinking.”
“Let’s be real here. We could spin it as it being a secret project that I’m filming. There are a million things to say.”
But none of those protect and show respect to Jenna, who has quickly come to be the most important part of my damn life.
Everything about this makes me feel like a creepy asshole.
“True,” Nina says. “I kind of like that.”
“Actually, scratch that. I’m done lying, and Jenna is worth way more than lies.”