CHAPTER 35 Fake It Till You Make It Go Away
A SECRET RENDEZVOUS: We spotted Billie Murphy and her bodyguard, Aaron, sharing an intimate moment away from prying eyes in a Vegas nightclub. *Exclusive photos inside!
BILLIE’S FORBIDDEN EMbrACE: William Sj?berg’s girlfriend, Billie Murphy, caught in a cozy hug with her trusted bodyguard—what’s really going on?
ROMANTIC TENSION? The mysterious closeness between Billie Murphy and her bodyguard, Aaron, raises eyebrows at Lily Young’s Vegas bash.
BODYGUARD SCANDAL: Sparks fly between Billie Murphy and her bodyguard, Aaron, as they share a private moment at a Vegas hotspot.
BEYOND PROTECTION: Are sparks flying between William Sj?berg’s sweetheart, Billie Murphy, and her vigilant bodyguard, Aaron? Insider scoop revealed!
A NIGHTCLUB FLING? Shocking photos capture a tender embrace between Billie Murphy and her bodyguard in Vegas—stirring up rumors of an affair.
CLOSE COMFORT: William Sj?berg’s leading lady, Billie Murphy, finds solace in the arms of her bodyguard, Aaron, in a Vegas nightclub—speculation arises!
Naomi’s response to media inquiries was very clear, but they refused to drop the subject. It’s like they were waiting for an excuse to finally lash out on me.
“The embrace was a tender expression of grief marking the anniversary of a dear friend’s passing. Any assumptions beyond that are inaccurate and it’s a shame that it’s been misconstrued. It’s disheartening to see private emotions exploited. Billie’s respect for William and their relationship is unwavering.”
But nothing she could say stopped them. It only fueled the media to further the storyline. More photos of Aaron and me were published. Casual things like him opening the car door for me would be cause enough to report on. Or whenever he stared at me, as if that wasn’t in his job description.
William insisted he didn’t care, that the entire thing was ridiculous and something else would come up and people would eventually forget about it.
But this went on for weeks.
The tabloids were relentless in their obsessive and speculative reporting on Aaron and me. T-shirts were made. #teamwilliam and #teamaaron were trending on Twitter. The fans, both Aaron’s and William’s, were furious. I was the villain toying around with their poor, fragile hearts.
“What if Naomi and Aaron fake a relationship?” Tobias said during one of our dinners. “They’re already living together. It makes sense. It’ll put an end to the gossip once and for all.”
William and I stared at each other. It was a brilliant idea. That would definitely get the media to back off. For a while.
William and I were headed to the second floor, knowing both Aaron and Naomi were home so we could talk them into accepting to partake in the fake relationship ruse.
“It’s open!” Naomi shouted after we rang the doorbell. They were expecting us. I’d texted Aaron to let him know we wanted to talk to them.
We stepped inside, and Naomi was fixing herself a panini. Another one was already waiting on a plate with chips on the side. Probably Aaron’s. He was barefoot and reading a book in the living room, which he put down on the side table after seeing us coming in.
“You guys hungry?” Naomi said. “I can’t cook for shit, but I’m making paninis.”
“We just ate,” William said. “But thank you.”
“Aaron.” Naomi jerked her head to the side and lifted the plate with his panini and chips, signaling Aaron it was time to eat.
It all looked pretty domestic and cordial to me.
“Good evening.” Aaron nodded at us and grabbed his plate and Naomi’s, taking them to the small four-person dining table.
“Water?” Naomi asked Aaron.
“I think there’s half a jug of lemonade in the fridge,” Aaron replied. “If you don’t mind.”
“Sure.” Naomi poured two glasses and brought them to the table. She sat down, and before tossing a chip inside her mouth, she said, “So what’s up?”
Aaron took a bite of his panini but kept his attention on William and me. He seemed curious to know what this impromptu meeting was all about.
“We were thinking if you guys faked a romantic relationship out in public it would make the Aaron cheating allegations go away,” I said, feeling agitated after saying that in a single go without stopping to breathe.
Naomi’s lips parted, and she immediately turned to look at Aaron, who was staring at me with wide eyes. Traitor, his eyes said.
“Not a good idea.” Aaron wiped his mouth with a napkin. “No one is going to believe it. Your publicist in a relationship with your bodyguard? It’s too convenient to sound convincing.”
“Then make it believable,” William said. “I don’t give a fuck about the media, but it’s not me who they’re talking about. And even if Guille keeps pretending she doesn’t mind, I know the scrutiny is taking a toll on her mental well-being.”
“I’m sitting right here,” I reminded him, feeling transparent. William had always been able to see right through me. I didn’t want to worry him unnecessarily, but it was annoying and frustrating having to deal with having random people you don’t even know talking about you all day. I wished I didn’t care. I wished I could let the words slide off me, but I couldn’t. I didn’t know how. I wasn’t used to having my personal life being discussed in more than twenty countries.
It was one thing for them to critique my outfits, hair, and even my attitude at events. But things were getting out of hand, and William was right. I was feeling stressed and increasingly anxious about it. Especially knowing my father was probably seeing how this unfolded before him. Not that I should’ve cared. I hadn’t talked to him since Christmas.
“It’s … a brilliant idea, and one I would’ve normally thought of myself,” Naomi agreed in a dry tone. She didn’t seem excited about it, but I could see the publicist nuts and bolts starting to move inside her head. “We have been living together since January. They have no reason to doubt our relationship is real.”
“But you despise me, Miss Lieberman,” Aaron said mockingly. “You said so yourself last night. Sorry … shouted last night.”
“Oh, honey,” Naomi replied in a condescending tone, grabbing Aaron’s hand and rubbing it with her thumb. He stiffened in his seat. “Don’t expose our dirty laundry with our lovely guests. And don’t be silly. I was mad at you because you couldn’t get the drying machine going after I asked you to, even after I texted you twice about it. But I made you dinner today, didn’t I?”
Aaron gently pulled his hand off Naomi’s grasp. “I’m still terrified of being poisoned every time you cook for me, little witch.” He lifted the bread and pretended to inspect the contents of his panini.
Naomi pushed one of her brown unruly curls off her forehead and laughed a wicked, open laugh. “Well, it’s only my turn to make dinner every other day, and I’m glad you’re terrified. The doubt should be enough to keep your paranoid ass in check.”
Aaron grumbled, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“See?” Naomi waved at Aaron as if he were a brand-new car in the Price is Right. “Was that convincing? We hate each other enough for people to think we’ve been together for longer than it took us to come up with this plan.”
“So, what’s the plan, exactly?” I, more than anyone else in this room, was most interested in implementing it. But I wanted to know what they were thinking. How far they were willing to go to make this believable and put the Aaron gossip behind us.
“You’ll probably have to hold hands and kiss in public to tease the media,” William said, squeezing my knee under the table. I knew he was baiting them. “It’s the only way.”
Naomi took a bite of her sandwich and stared out the window as she processed what William had just said. “We need to make it look natural,” she agreed. “Before releasing any statement of our relationship, it would be wise to be seen together in public.” He nudged Aaron’s arm. “So when are you taking me out on a date, ahuvi?”
Aaron glared at her as he took another bite of his “poisoned” panini.
“What’s ahuvi mean?” I asked, bracing my elbows on the table and looking at them with dreamy eyes. They would make a great couple if they didn’t hate each other’s guts. The height difference was adorable, and Naomi seemed like the type of woman who could keep Aaron on his toes. He was always lonely, and I wished he would find someone special. Not that I knew if that was something he was looking for. But don’t we all want to love and be loved in return?
“Tell her, ahuvi,” Naomi encouraged.
Aaron swallowed and said, “It means something like my love.”
“Awww! I love it!” My response was genuine.
Naomi laughed.
“I remind you this is all fake, Miss Murphy.” Aaron took a chip to his mouth.
“We’re staying in tomorrow night,” William said. “I’m going to cook for Guille, so you’ll be off duty the second half of the day, Aaron. And if you’re free, Naomi, you guys can go out on that first date and get started with the show.”
“This counts as work, so I’m always available for that,” Naomi said proudly.
Aaron frowned.
“So where are you taking me?” she asked in an overly excited tone that surely got on Aaron’s nerves.
“Liam’s new movie is in theaters right now,” I suggested with a grin.
“That sounds lovely.” Naomi looked at Aaron. “What do you think?”
“Sure.”
“I’ll talk to a few of my contacts and have them tip off their photographers anonymously so they can catch us leaving the theater.” Naomi winked at us. “Once these photos are out, I’ll issue a statement confirming our secret love and Aaron’s undying devotion.”
Aaron scoffed.
“I’ll take care of everything.” Naomi waved a carefree hand in front of her. “And with your two movie premieres coming up next month and in May, we’ll focus on getting some very loving photos of you two together on the red carpet, and we can kiss this drama goodbye once and for all.”
“Sounds good.” William knocked on the table and stood. “Have fun tomorrow.”
“Aaron? Can I … talk to you outside?”
“Yes, Miss Murphy.”
We said goodbye to Naomi, and William told me he’d wait for me upstairs at his apartment.
Aaron and I stepped out, and I closed the door behind us to have some privacy.
“For the record, this wasn’t my idea,” I said cowardly. It was the truth. It hadn’t been my idea, but I felt terrible about putting him in this position and involving him in my troubles. That’s why I wanted to apologize. “I’m sorry. Do you hate me?”
He chuckled. “My job is to take care of you, and in my head, this counts as such. I’m sure your father will appreciate the rumors and chatter coming to an end.”
“So you’ll survive this?”
“I know how to handle Miss Lieberman, yes.”
“And you won’t be secretly annoyed at me?”
He tilted his head and folded his arms at his chest. “We’ll see.”