My voice ratchets to a distinctly emotional level. I take a few breaths to stay calm.
“I agree, I do, but the best course of action is damage control. My advice is to lie low and let me and your lawyers handle this.Get out of the spotlight, out of LA, and don’t give the media any reason to film you when you’re out of the house.”
My shoulders grow stiff. The sun, so welcoming minutes before when I stepped out onto my balcony and greeted the morning, prickles my bare back with the warning that comes before a nasty burn. “Fine. I’ll work from home or the office. There’s plenty I can still get done.”
“No, Stone. I am asking you to go. Leave.”
“And where would that be?” I search through my favorite haunts from the past, but a yacht or a private flight out of the country seems so cowardly. “I’m not running from this.”
“I couldn’t give a shit about Bradley. You shouldn’t be in a place where the press can find you. I think you should go home.”
Silence.
“Stone? You frozen?”
I say tightly, “I’m not going home.”
“I wouldn’t ask it if it wasn’t necessary. It’s the one place I can trust you to lie low and stay out of the public eye.”
At my silence that normally intimidates the greatest of men, he adds, “And hey, I’ll visit you, okay? Give me a few weeks, and I’ll?—”
“A fewweeks?” My voice grows quiet with warning.
“Well, I was thinking you should stay there for a few months. Until Christmas.”
“No.”
“I’m serious, Stone. You’re fucked. Fucked in the ass. Fucked over. I don’t know how many fucks I have to say before you believe it, but we’re in serious client-saving mode here. You pissed off a lot of jealous higher-ups who finally see their green light and swear they’re putting their efforts into making you C-list. You’ve made a lot of enemies while in power, Stone. Let me do my job, which means you need to take my advice.”
I run a hand through my hair. “Jesus, Aar.”
“I know. But it’s temporary, right? And look, aren’t small towns meant to be quaint, sweet, and filled with old ladies making cookies? That’s exactly what you need and where I want you to be if you’re ever located.”
I side-eye my city-born agent. “Whatever small town you’re referring to, that’s not mine. I was … different when I lived there.”
“Well, you’re not going to fucking Mallorca and renting a yacht to throw your riches in the public’s face, that’s for damn sure. Everyone loves a public figure to hate.”
“You’re serious,” I say.
He gives a solemn nod.
After a beat of breaths, I allow, “I’ll go to Falcon Haven. Temporarily. For the few days it’ll take for this to die down.”
Aaron actually fist-pumps the air. “I’m hanging up before you change your mind. We’ll be in touch.”
“Doubtful.”
Aaron clicks off, leaving me alone with my marble flooring, gorgeous oceanfront views, a dream career, and the temper I thought was under control.
CHAPTER TWO
Noa
“I’ll take an Americano to go, please.”
I tap my fingers on the refurbished counter as Maisy rings up my order.
“You look asleep on your feet, doll,” she says without looking up from her tablet. Her furry gray brows scrunch together while her pink acrylic nails fly against the screen.
