"Let's just try to forget this ever happened," I said, feeling sad and tired. "It'll go away on its own eventually."
"Unfortunately, I don't think that's going to happen." Jackson took a deep breath. "Marcie, my publicist, told me that Candace is planning on playing the jilted girlfriend. Her people contacted Marcie, trying to get me to play along, thinking that I'd welcome any publicity since our movie just came out, but Marcie knew to refuse. Candace is trying to cross over into the music industry and she's debuting her single in a matter of days. They're going to milk this publicity for all its worth. But I swear Emma, we were never together."
It took a moment for Jackson's words to sink in, horror growing at the realization that this was far from over. "But I thought she was your friend! How could she do that to you? Hasn't she admitted before to the press that you two aren't dating?"
Jackson laughed humorlessly. "The word friend can be a loose term in Hollywood. I'm only her friend when it's convenient for her. She's going to claim we kept our relationship a secret so that we didn't have to deal with the paparazzi. A cheating boyfriend garners much more sympathy, which they're hoping translates into record sales."
"What am I going to do?" I said, panic making my voice sharp. "Everyone is going to think I'm some slut that stole you away from Candace."
"Marcie has an idea to diffuse the situation," Jackson said slowly. "It might sound a little crazy but just hear me out. Candace and her people are banking on me denying that we ever dated and that she's making the whole story up. They think it'll make Candace look even more sympathetic when I won't acknowledge our relationship. But Marcie thinks we can turn this story around. I told her about us, that we had been in a relationship a long time ago. She thinks we should play that up, that we should pretend we're reconnecting. She thinks people will eat up the story that I've fallen in love again with the girl I lost before I got famous and will excuse any indiscretions that may have happened along the way."
"That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," I spat out, almost choking on my words. "It'll just make it into a bigger story. The last thing I want is my personal life splashed on the pages of some trashy tabloid."
"I wish the story would just go away for your sake, but you don't know how ruthless people in this industry can be. They'll do anything to promote themselves, even if it means dragging innocent people into the mess. I don't think you understand how out of control this can get. At least if we're proactive, we can try and keep it confined."
"I don't know, Jackson," I whispered. "I just don't know. I'd rather just ignore it all."
"Just think about it," Jackson said, his voice low and soothing. "We would just have to pretend for a little bit, until Candace realizes I'm not going to give in."
"I'll think about it. I have to go now. This is starting to interfere with my work."
I tried to concentrate on marketing reports after I hung up with Jackson, but my mind was in a state of chaos. I called myself a coward when I saw Drew's number pop up on my cell phone and ignored it. I managed to get some work done but finally surrendered at seven o'clock, knowing that I was just torturing myself by staring blankly at ad campaign results.
I had been camped out in my office all day, ordering in lunch and thanking God that I didn't have any meetings today. There were still plenty of people working when I stepped out of my office and I was painfully aware of all the heads swiveling towards me.
"Marie, I'm leaving for the day. I'll see you tomorrow."
Marie nodded sympathetically, already having given me a stack of messages earlier, most of which had nothing to do with work. The most nerve-wracking ones were the messages from reporters, clamoring for an interview. It seemed that the details of my life had been ripped open, including where I worked.
I escaped without having to make pleasantries with any co-workers, relieved when I was able to catch a cab as soon as I exited the building. The relief disappeared when the cab arrived in front of my apartment building and I saw a cluster of paparazzi waiting by the door. They immediately caught sight of me and ran towards the cab, wielding their cameras in front of them like weapons.
"Emma, how long have you been dating Jackson Reynard?"
"Do you know Candace Stile? How do you feel about stealing Jackson from her?"
"Is it true Jackson was planning on proposing to Candace and you put a stop to it?"
"Emma, how do you feel about being called a home wrecker?"
"Are you dating Jackson for his money?"
Their shouts were clearly audible through the window of the cab. The driver rolled down his window, yelling expletives and telling them what they could do with their cameras. He turned around to look at me after he had rolled his window back up.
"Do you want me to drop you off somewhere else?" I was grateful that at least my cab driver didn't seem interested in the personal details of my life.
"No, I have to go home eventually. But thanks."
After I paid the cab driver, I opened the car door, trying to use it to push the photographers back. I felt a hand grab my arm and I looked up, seeing Harry's grim face. He used himself as a shield, taking his jacket off and wrapping it around my head, pushing the paparazzi away with his body until we got into the building.
"Don't even think about trespassing in here or I'll call the cops!" he yelled out, ushering me deeper into the lobby. They heeded his warning but continued snapping pictures as they pressed against the glass wall of the building like rabid animals.
Harry pressed the button for the elevator, standing between me and the front of the lobby, shielding me from the cameras.
"Are you okay, Emma?"
I was still in a state of shock at how persistent they had been. They didn't seem to care about anything except getting their shot, pushing into me painfully and shoving their cameras into my face. I couldn't believe that people could behave in such a disgusting manner.
"I am now. Thanks so much for getting me through that, Harry." My voice was strained as I tried to come to terms with being a hunted commodity.
Harry gently guided me into the elevator when the doors opened. "Don't worry, I won't let anybody get through. Give me a call if you need anything."
I thanked Harry again, grateful when the elevators doors closed, whisking me away from prying eyes. Now that it was public knowledge where I lived, I didn't know where I could go to escape.
I felt numb as I went through the motions of changing out of my work clothes and heating up a frozen dinner. I tried to eat my chicken parmigiana that tasted like cardboard until I couldn't take it anymore, pushing it aside and grabbing my laptop. I scrolled through stories about Jackson and Candace, about me and Jackson, about how I had seduced Jackson as a calculated move, wanting to break into the acting industry. Some of the stories were outright crazy, claiming that I had pretended to be a maid in a hotel that Jackson was staying at so I could sneak into his room and offer my naked body to him.