Hooker (L.A. Liaisons Book 2) (15 page)

A grunt came out of Mr. Herschman, but he didn’t comment.
 

“Let’s worry about damage control first, and then we’ll figure out who’s behind this and sue the pants off them.” Martina flipped open a laptop, and began going over the statement they’d prepared to release to the media, and asked me questions about who I could bring in as Ace’s “girlfriend.”

To that, I had…no answer. I didn’t have celebrity contacts, and I’d need more time to go through client files to find someone trustworthy. But time wasn’t something we had in abundance. All the while, Ace sat on the barstool staring at his hands and not moving, not talking. I didn’t even think he was listening to what was going on around him.
 

It struck me as strange that all through our interactions, it’d been like Ace wasn’t even in the room. Were his manager and publicist the people who handled the big decisions
for
him? And why?
What’s he thinking?
One way to find out.

I cleared my throat. “I was wondering…if maybe I could talk to Ace alone. Please?”

“There’s nothing you could say to him that can’t be said in front of all of—” Roger started, but Martina grabbed his arm.

“Let’s just give them a minute. Smoke break?”

“Ah hell. I need one.”
 

As they made their way out, I took a seat on a stool adjacent to Ace. There was nothing but silence at first, but before I could speak, Ace said, “I know it wasn’t you.”

Then his eyes met mine, those sad, dark eyes. I didn’t want to ask how he knew or why he trusted me. It was just a comfort that he did.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

Then his gaze drifted back down to the table.

Without his minders nearby, the house was deathly quiet. No phone ringing incessantly, no television blaring with the news, no swarms of people inside raising chaos anymore. He’d done exactly what I would’ve in his shoes—turned the outside noise off and unplugged everything.

“What,” he said in a low voice, “do I do now?”

It was then that I realized he wanted someone to tell him what to do. How to fix the mess. This huge hulk of a man was like a little boy lost, and my instinct to protect this person I barely knew rose up inside me.
 

“Well,” I said slowly, considering the obvious choices. “It seems like you’ve got two options. You can deny everything, or…you could come clean.”

“I can’t…do…that,” he said through clenched teeth, his voice rising. He rubbed his face with his hands. “My terms. This was supposed to be on
my
terms.”

I wanted to soothe him in some way, but I wasn’t sure what to do here. Not being involved in the entertainment industry in any capacity, I was way out of my depth.
 

“What have Roger and Martina suggested?”

Ace scoffed. “They care about money. They couldn’t give two fucks about me.”

I bit my lip and looked out the screened glass door to where they were both smoking a few yards away from the house.

“Okay. Um… I guess first, what do you want?”

“I want this to go away.”

“Time travel isn’t in my special skills set, so I’m going to need you to work with me a bit here.”

He sighed and lifted his head.

“What do you want, Ace?” I asked again softly.
 

“I can’t come out, not officially. It would ruin me.”

It was outrageous to think that his sexual preference would have anything to do with his career, but of course it would. Women wanted the fantasy when they watched his movies, and there was a strong possibility many men would think less of him. Discrimination in any other line of work wouldn’t be stood for, but somehow the court of public opinion weighed heavily in his.

“Then you deny.”

“Right, but that’s not going to carry a whole lot of weight on its own.”

“Is that why you need the…beard?”

He blew out a breath, his palms over his eyes, as if to keep them squeezed shut to block out the world. “Yeah, that could help. But at this point if some random new girl appeared on my arm, it would look mighty suspicious.”

“Do you have any ex-girlfriends you could reach out to?”

He snorted. “I wouldn’t put it past any of them to have leaked it, accidental or otherwise. Models aren’t known for their discretion, so I’ve learned.”

A thought crossed my mind. “What if it was a date?” I said out loud before realizing what I meant.
 

“If
what
was a date?” he asked, his brow furrowed.
 

“Uh.”
Ah hell.
I decided to keep running with that train of thought. “What if your ties to HLS and Val and me were actually just ties to…me? As in, what if our meeting had actually been a date and not the alleged meeting to unveil your coming out? And um…well, maybe the meeting you had at that restaurant with Val was actually just a dinner because she’s like a mother figure to me and I wanted you guys to…ahh…meet? Or something like that. And I’m sure the paparazzi saw me as I came into your neighborhood, but if I was your girlfriend, it would make sense that I’d be here for you this morning. Right? I think that’s… I mean, that’s plausible, yeah?” When I stopped and took a breath, Ace was frowning at me.
 

“You’re offering to cover for me?”

Oh hell. Was that what I was doing? “Well, yeah, I guess so.”
 

Ace stroked his chin as he mulled that over. “Huh.”

Was that a good “huh” or a bad “huh”? And did I just offer to be his
girlfriend
? Where the bloody hell did that even come from? What did I know about that sort of thing…yet again. This was what rambling did. Got you in trouble and signed up for much more than you bargained for.

“You would really do that?”

Uh…I think so? Maybe? If I need to save my job?
“Yes, of course.”
 

He dropped his hand. “I don’t get it. Why would you do this for me?” There was sorrow in his voice, but it was the hope on his face that almost broke my heart.
Ah hell.

“Because I think you’re a good guy. Because it’s wrong what happened, and if I inadvertently played any part in this whole mess, then I’d like a chance to make up for it. I don’t know how any of this stuff works, but…whatever it is you need me to do to help, I’ll do it.”
 

The fact that maybe it would also help me keep my job for a little longer belatedly entered my brain, but that wasn’t the reason I was doing this. Not at all.

“Are you going for sainthood, Shayne? This shit…it can be a lot. I’d hate for you to get involved.”

“Pretty sure I’m already involved. So now we have to make the best of a bad situation, right?”

He shook his head but said, “Right. It’s not fair, though—”

“Do you have any other suggestions?”

He smiled ruefully. “I guess not.”

“So…we’re dating. Publicly.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t try to sleep with you.”

“See, ordinarily that would bother me if my boyfriend said that to me, but in this case, I think it’s for the best.”
 

Ace ran a hand over his close-cropped hair and sighed, like an enormous weight had been lifted from his shoulders. “Thank you, Shayne. This might…
will
help. A lot.”

“Of course it will. And we’ll just figure it out as we go.” I laid my hand on his forearm, and he smiled, a small but genuine one. Then he looked over his shoulder.

“Better call in the cavalry before they run out of cigarettes.”

* * *

MARTINA AND ROGER hashed out the details of our plan, which, they admitted, wasn’t bad at all, and then they had me sign an NDA that basically threatened my life if I so much as peeped one detail to anyone—friends and family included.
 

I’d pretend to be Ace’s girlfriend until the press died down enough and I was able to find someone to take a more long-term position, as it were. The whole thing left me mixed with emotions—high with adrenaline, relieved at having come up with a solution, sad for the reality of Ace’s situation, but most of all, utterly drained.
 

I’d been there for hours, and when I left, the paparazzi were still camped out outside the gate. A couple of flashes went off this time, but they soon lost interest
.

What would happen once the statement went out and Ace and I made a public appearance? Would I be followed? God, I hoped not. At least I’d kept my phone off all day, which helped me live in ignorant bliss for just a little while longer. I wasn’t ready to face whatever was on there.

It wasn’t until I drove away that Nate’s face finally found its way back into my thoughts. He hadn’t even been a consideration in the decision I’d made today. Not that he was my boyfriend, but… Well, he wasn’t. And it looked like any possibility of that changing in the future would just have to wait.

And damn if that didn’t send a stab right through my chest.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Hair Full of Secrets

“SO? WHAT DO you think? Five-Minute Quickie or Lube It Up?” Ryleigh’s foot tapped from behind the counter of Licked as she not so patiently waited for me to give her an answer.

“Can’t I choose both?” I asked, and she gave a firm shake of her head.
 

I’d stopped by Licked after work the next day since I was resigned to driving for the duration of my “partnership” with Ace instead of taking the train in case I needed an escape. Girl talk and dessert always made me feel a million times better, and her naughty-named ice cream and boozy shakes were the best anywhere in the state of California.
 

And before you think that’s just my humble opinion, consider the fact that Licked and Licked After Dark, her companion bar, had franchises popping open all over the country, thanks to a contest and appearance on
Wake Up America
.
 

While we’d all thought she’d botched her chances of winning after running out of the interview to stop Hunter from getting on a plane, it turned out audiences thought her romantic gesture was endearing and her business impressive. In just a few short months she had offers in eight states with no signs of slowing down. To say we were all proud of her was an understatement.

“Decisions, decisions.” I took another bite of each sundae sample. And then another. And then anoth—

“Shayne,” Ryleigh said, laughing and moving the bowls out of my reach. I reached for them again, and she swatted my hand. “Pick one. Now. Or God help me, I will never ask you to help me test new flavors again.”

Eeny, meeny, miny mo.
 

“Um. This one.” I pointed to the creamy concoction full of chocolate, pecan, and caramel turtle clusters.
 

She nodded and then wrote the name on a whiteboard hanging near the register. “Five-Minute Quickie it is. Thank you.”
 

“Welcome. Now how about you top that bad boy off? I wouldn’t be opposed to a vodka splash either.”

“Rough day?”

“Rough day. Rough week. Rough life.”

“Hmm.” Ryleigh’s eyes narrowed as she popped the cap back on her marker. “How about I get you an Overdramatic Valley Girl shake instead?”

“I’m not familiar with that one, but I’d be willing to test it out for you.”

She rolled her eyes. “So what’s going on? Is Val giving you shit? She called me earlier to book the After Dark for a masked Valentine’s Day event, and I priced it a grand above what I normally would.”

“And she took it? She’s normally such a cheapskate. Or maybe that’s just with her employees,” I grumbled.
 

“Hey.” Ryleigh leaned over and put her hand on mine. “I know you’re super proud and independent, and I’d never suggest you give up a career you love, but if you ever need a side job here, you know it’s yours. And I’d pay you a helluva lot better than that dingbat.”

“I know. And I appreciate that, I do. It’s not really the money, though, that’s always tight. Life is just…complicated at the moment.”

“Gee, that explanation’s not vague at all, thanks.”

Scooping another spoonful, I said, “This stuff is a miracle worker, so keep ’em coming.”

The jingle of the front door opening and a loud “Aha!” rang out across the room. I whirled around to see Paige stalking toward us, a pile of magazines in her arms.
 

“I knew I’d find you here, you secretive little wench.” She slapped down a
Celebrity Weekly
magazine in front of me, which was turned to page fifteen and had a grainy photo of me leaving Ace’s neighborhood in Old Ouiser, albeit in sunglasses and a ball cap. “What the hell is this?”
 

I frowned. “Damn. They didn’t get my good side.”

“Please explain why one of my best friends was photographed leaving Ace Locke’s freakin’ neighborhood. Yesterday it was ‘He’s gay,’ and today it’s ‘Oops, he’s not gay, he’s dating the matchmaker.’ I mean,
what is this shit
?”

“Wait, you’re dating who?” Ryleigh snatched the magazine, and as she skimmed over the article, her eyes grew wide. Then she looked up at me. “I don’t understand.”

Busted. And it wasn’t as though I wasn’t dying to give them every dirty detail, but out of respect for Ace, as well as that little thing called an NDA, I had to keep my mouth shut. Which wouldn’t be an easy feat at all around the girls.

I shrugged. “We, you know. Hit it off. In Vegas.”
 

“No,” Paige said, shaking her head, her blond hair spraying out around her shoulders. “You did not.”
 

“We did so. You weren’t sitting with us to know. Now gimme that.” I reached for the magazine, but Ryleigh walked off with it and began reading out loud.
 

“‘It has been confirmed by Ace’s manager, Mr. Roger Herschman, that the couple has been quietly dating. The pair were reportedly introduced by Val Barberie, the head of Hook, Line & Sinker Matchmaking Company.’”

“And the rest of these corroborate that story.” Paige dropped the rest of the magazines in her hands onto the counter with a loud smack.

“Well.” I gave them a sheepish look. “Surprise?”

Paige’s hands went to her hips. “That’s it? That’s all you have to say?”