Chapter 24 - Rosalie
ROSALIE
The morning after one of the best nights of my life, I walk into work feeling sore in all the right places, but in desperate need of some coffee before I get started on my workload.
“Morning, Rosalie,” Trish calls as I whiz past the reception desk.
“Coffee.” I point in the general direction of the break room. “Need some. I’ll be back.”
She laughs as I beeline it to our beloved espresso machine.
“My savior!” I walk over to the shiny black and silver monstrosity, grab a mug, and press the vanilla latte button, tapping my foot impatiently. Once I have a cup of liquid gold, I start heading back to my desk, but Avery flags me into her office as I pass by.
“Morning,” I say to Avery as I step into the room.
“Morning,” my boss replies. “We need to talk, Rosalie. Please close the door and have a seat.”
Well, that can’t be a good sign. Nothing good ever comes after, “we need to talk.”
I’m racking my brain as I pull out a chair and take a seat. Is she pissed about the photoshoot? Did Thorne lodge a complaint or something?
Avery picks up the iPad that was sitting on her desk, looking at something on the screen. “Nick got an alert this morning and thought I should take a look at it.”
“Nick Sullivan?” I ask.
She nods. “Yes.”
Nick Sullivan is Avery and Liam’s partner who runs the agency’s Corporation Division in New York.
“An alert about what?”
Avery turns the tablet around, setting it on the desk in front of me. “See for yourself.”
My jaw drops when I glance at the screen. “What the hell?”
Right there in full color, is a series of paparazzi photos from last night.
Logan’s profile is unmistakable as he leans down to kiss me, our bodies close in a way that suggests familiarity and intimacy.
My facial features aren’t obvious, thank god.
The photos were taken from the side, and my hair hides most of my face.
But anyone who knows me, and of my affiliation with Logan, could easily do the math.
Like Avery clearly has.
“Nick thought the woman in the photos looked awfully familiar and wanted my opinion on whether or not his suspicions were correct.”
Like Liam and Avery, Nick isn’t one to sit on the sidelines.
Despite his managerial role, he stays hands-on as the publicist assigned to the BetMasters account, overseeing press releases and media strategy for Logan’s company.
He’s in this office at least once a month for the partners’ meeting, so he’s well-acquainted with everyone in the Entertainment Division.
But Nick knows me a little better than the others because we met outside of work when I was at a bar celebrating my new job offer.
One drink turned into some heavy flirting.
That flirting turned into kissing. And the kissing…
let’s just say if Liam and Avery hadn’t walked in, things probably would’ve gone in a direction we’d both regret since he wound up being one of my new bosses. I dodged a major bullet that night.
It’s ancient history now—just a slightly mortifying anecdote from the past—but it’s not exactly something either of us will forget since we’re still sorta in each other’s lives. No wonder his Spidey senses started tingling the second he saw those photos of me and Logan.
She taps the screen. “That is you, correct?”
I nod.
“What…” My fingers flex around my coffee mug as I process what I’m seeing. My mouth feels like it’s stuffed with cotton, so I take a small sip of my latte before trying again. “How bad is it?”
Avery sighs, swiping up to show me the search results summary. “It’s out there, but it’s manageable.”
I groan as I read through the gossip site headlines.
Mystery Woman Spotted with Logan Edwards in LA’s Arts District: After a lengthy social hiatus, the billionaire CEO was spotted having dinner with an unknown brunette.
Billionaire CEO in Love? Logan Edwards, CEO of BetMasters Inc. and Flingr founder, was spotted in downtown Los Angeles canoodling with a mystery woman.
From FLINGR to RINGR? Is billionaire playboy, Logan Edwards about to put a ring on it?
The Kiss That Has Everyone Talking – Who Is She? If you know, give us the deets!
The Billionaire Bachelor May Be Off the Market and We Are NOT Okay! Flingr founder spotted in downtown LA locked in a steamy embrace.
My pulse pounds, and heat floods my face.
This is bad.
These vultures will figure out who I am in no time, and when they do, it’ll be a feeding frenzy. I knew this was a possibility from the start. I don’t care because Logan is worth the occasional paparazzi ambush.
But what I do care about is my parents or Ryan learning about my relationship with Logan from a gossip site before we have a chance to tell them.
Truthfully, I was already on the verge of coming out with it.
My worries about my parents have mostly faded.
I can’t predict the future, but Logan and I are on the same page.
I can’t imagine going back to being just friends now. I need to trust that.
We both want this to work—wholeheartedly—and really, that’s all anyone can hope for in a relationship.
My brother, on the other hand? That’s a whole different shit show.
He’s going to have a problem with this for multiple reasons, and I can already hear his “Are you fucking kidding me?!” echoing in my head.
He’ll no doubt be pissed that we hid this from him, especially considering Logan’s his best friend and sees him at least five days a week.
Logan’s had plenty of opportunities to come clean, but instead, he kept his mouth shut at my request.
Ideally, I’d like more time to figure out the best way to approach the inevitable meltdown, but time isn’t a luxury Logan and I have anymore.
Avery watches me silently, likely running through a game plan in her head like the seasoned PR professional she is.
“Rosalie, you don’t owe me any details about your personal life.
I want to make that clear. But in this business, you have to know your name will be out there in no time.
One of the first things they’ll uncover is where you work, and that Logan is one of our clients.
Which means your problem has now become my problem.
“They’re going to assume you met Logan through your job at Maxwell.
And when the man in question is wealthy, attractive, and considered one of the city’s most eligible bachelors?
Instant tabloid fodder. Sadly, misogyny is alive and well, which means there’s a high risk of unwarranted accusations coming your way.
I’m sure you can imagine the colorful narrative they’ll spin.
As a woman, I hate to even acknowledge that bullshit, especially when it’s being thrown at someone I’m fond of.
But as your boss, I need to be clear. I cannot let this reflect poorly on the company.
Do you understand what I’m getting at here, Rosalie? ”
Oh, fuck.
The blood drains from my face as the realization slams into me like a freight train.
Logan’s connection to my job never even crossed my mind.
I don’t manage his company’s socials, so I didn’t consider it a conflict of interest. But that doesn’t matter now because perception trumps reality.
Tabloids thrive on sensationalism, and if they can twist the truth into something spicier, they will.
The moment my name gets out, so does Maxwell & Company’s.
I’ve basically handed those bastards the scandal they were looking for on a shiny, silver platter.
Dammit. I’m so freaking screwed.
I feel like I’m going to puke. Or maybe pass out. Or maybe puke and then pass out.
The paparazzi camping outside our office isn’t unheard of. If one of our clients is in deep shit, it comes with the territory. But when you have a PR firm that represents A-list celebrities suddenly caught up in a tabloid scandal of its own? The optics couldn’t possibly be worse.
I take a deep breath, my stomach twisting with guilt as I meet Avery’s gaze. “I’m so, so sorry, Avery. I didn’t think about how this would reflect on the firm because I’m not assigned to Logan’s account. If I had, I would’ve given you a heads-up.”
“What’s done is done.” She swivels in her chair, steepling her perfectly manicured fingers.
“What’s important now is what we do moving forward.
Nick will be working out of this office for the rest of the week—he’s taking a redeye tonight—because Logan lives here, and it’s much easier to collaborate in person.
I’d like to represent you, if you’re okay with that. ”
“Wha—” My stomach rolls. “You think I need representation?” I nearly drop my coffee but manage to set it on Avery’s desk before spilling it everywhere.
“Couldn’t Nick just issue a statement on Logan’s behalf while I keep my head down until this blows over?
” My hands start shaking, so I drop them to my lap, tightly clasping them together.
Calm the fuck down and focus, Rosalie!
She shakes her head. “I don’t think duck and cover is the right approach here.
We need to be proactive, and to be frank, I’d like to control your narrative.
” She takes a sip of coffee. “That’s what I’m damn good at, and this will go much more smoothly if we get ahead of it.
Nick will handle things on Logan’s end, and we’ll work together on any joint statements, but you need somebody running interference when the media starts calling for quotes or interviews. ”
“I can’t ask you to do that, Avery. Your workload is already insane.”
She waves me off. “It won’t take much if this blows over as quickly as I expect it to.”
“Thank you,” I say, meaning it from the bottom of my heart. “I truly appreciate this, Ave.” I take a deep breath, trying to ease the tension from my shoulders. “Just tell me what you need. Whatever it takes to fix this, I’ll do it.”
“The usual.” She takes her iPad back and grabs the digital pencil out of the clip. “Information about your current relationship and history with Logan, on anyone who might come out of the woodwork causing problems, etcetera. You’ve known Logan since childhood, correct?”
“Yes. Since I was eleven and he was twelve. He and my brother have been best friends since then, but Logan’s been an extended part of my entire family as well.”
Avery jots a few notes on her tablet. “Good. That’s the angle we’ll lean into, longtime friends to lovers.
People eat up fairytale romances, and that’s exactly how we’re going to spin it.
” She glances up. “We’ll need proof. Can you get your hands on some old photos or anything that reinforces the history between you and Logan?
The more, the better. I’ll sort through them and pick the strongest ones for publication. ”
Oh, thank God.
At least something is going my way. My parents have tons of pictures of us growing up together—this part will be easy.
I nod. “There should be quite a bit. I’ll call my mom and see what she can dig up.”
Avery’s red lips curve into a soft smile. “Great. I told Trish I needed your help with a campaign, so she cleared your morning.” She takes another sip of coffee before continuing. “You good if we tackle this right now?”
“Of course.” I nod.
I can’t believe I didn’t think about the potential consequences involving work.
I wouldn’t blame Avery if she fired my ass, but instead, she’s going above and beyond to help.
I know part of that is to protect her company, but I know my boss well enough to know she’s concerned about me on a personal level as well.
I’m aware of how lucky I am, and I’m sure as hell not going to do anything to make this more difficult for her.
“All right,” she says, turning to her computer. “Let’s get started.”