Chapter 38
LUKE
As usual, Bob Reardon turned what should’ve been a crisis management session into a stand-up routine at my expense.
“Explain this to me like I’m five,” my manager began, “You’re supposed to be out of sight, prepping for your role, and instead, you’re… what? Helping out the Crescent City’s favorite girl-next-door?”
I sighed, pacing the length of the library. “I’m dating her, Bob.”
There was a beat of silence, then a slow, drawn-out “Ohhhh.” He let the word hang in the air like a bomb about to go off. “So, we’re just fully leaning into this rom-com life now? That’s the vibe we’re going for? Because I gotta tell you, Luke, the studio’s gonna love this.”
“It’s not like I planned it,” I shot back, stopping to lean against the bookshelf. “It just… happened.”
“Uh-huh.” Bob’s tone was flat. “And what exactly ‘happened’? Did you trip and fall into her arms? Was there a jazz band playing in the background? Please tell me there was a jazz band. It’ll round out this love story for the press.”
“Can you not?” I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose. “She’s not just some girl. She’s… she’s incredible, okay? And yes, I’m in love. Happy now?”
I mean, I hadn’t told Anna that I loved her yet, but I knew it was how I felt.
There was a pause. “Wait. The way you just said that... Have you told her this?”
“Not... exactly.”
“Not exactly?”
“I mean, not in those specific words, no.”
Bob let out a bark of laughter. “Oh my. Fisher, are you telling me I’m the first person hearing this? Your manager gets the ‘I love you’ before your girlfriend does?”
“It’s not—that’s not how—"
“This is amazing. This is peak Luke Fisher. I’m putting this in my memoirs.” He was full-on cackling now. “Chapter Seven: The Time Luke Fisher Told Me He Was In Love Before Telling The Actual Woman.”
“Are you done?”
He was not.
“Do you want me to call her? Break the news? ‘Hi Anna, Luke’s manager here. Just wanted to let you know he’s in love with you. He told me first, obviously, as one does.’”
“I hate you.”
“You love me too? Fisher, you’re really spreading it around today. Does Anna know she has competition?”
“Did you want to do some actual planning for how we’re going to talk to the press about this?”
“I just want to get this straight: instead of focusing on nailing the role of a lifetime, you’re living out a Hallmark movie subplot in the heart of New Orleans?”
“It’s not a Hallmark movie,” I muttered, though even I had to admit it sounded like one.
“Right, because in a Hallmark movie, you’d be a small-town baker trying to save the family business, not a movie star hiding from the paparazzi. My bad.”
“Bob, I don’t need this right now,” I replied.
“Fine, fine,” Bob relented. “But you’d better get ahead of this, Luke. The world already knows you’re dating someone outside the Hollywood bubble, and the headlines aren’t slowing down. You, my friend, are a walking tabloid headline. With a plot twist.”
I sighed, glancing at my phone as notifications lit up the screen like a fireworks show. “I know, Bob. Trust me, I know.”
“Good. Because if you’re going to do this, you’d better be sure she’s worth it.”
I paused, thinking of Anna. “She is.”
Bob groaned. “Let’s get Mabel on the line. That publicist of yours has already texted me eighteen times, and one of them was just a picture of a fire emoji.”
Seconds later, Mabel’s shrill voice cut through the call. “Luke Fisher. Tell me this is all some elaborate prank, and I’m not currently spinning a strategy for you and a Mardi Gras jester.”
“Mabel—”
“No, no, let me paint the picture for you. Hollywood’s golden god, Luke Fisher, spotted at a gala in New Orleans with someone not wearing couture, not from a famous family, and not part of a PR-approved power couple. How am I supposed to spin this? You’ve officially broken the algorithm.”
“Mabel.” I tried to suppress a laugh. “It’s not that big of a deal.”
“Not that big of a deal?” she repeated, her voice climbing an octave. “Luke, you’re dating someone who was dressed as a jester. Do you know what the internet can do with that? Meme factories are already running at full capacity. We are trending on platforms I didn’t even know existed.”
I shook my head. “Okay, so how do we handle this?”
“How do we handle this?” Mabel scoffed. “Step one: We lean into the romance angle. Mysterious New Orleans date? The public eats that up. Step two: We hope to high heavens that the jester costume doesn’t overshadow your charm.
Step three—Bob, are you listening?—We need to get ahead of this before some blogger does. ”
Bob chimed in with a chuckle. “Mabel, you’re scaring the poor guy.”
“Oh, please,” she shot back. “Luke, I don’t scare you, do I?”
“Not at all.” I smiled faintly. “I find this level of panic oddly endearing.”
“Good. Because if you’re serious about her, we’re going to need a whole new playbook. And if you’re not serious...” She trailed off ominously, leaving the threat unspoken.
“Oh, he’s serious," Bob said, and I could hear the grin in his voice. “He loves her.”
There was a beat of silence, then Mabel’s tone completely shifted. “Wait. What? Luke Fisher is in love? That’s... that's actually really sweet.”
“Can we not make this a thing?” I said.
“No, no, this is absolutely a thing,” Mabel said. “Bob, are you tearing up right now? Because I’m tearing up.”
“Little bit,” Bob admitted.
“Our boy’s in love,” Mabel said, and I could practically hear her pressing her hand to her heart. “I need a moment. This is like watching your kid graduate.”
“Are you two done?”
“Never,” Bob said. “I’m putting this in the group chat.”
“Don’t you dare—"
“Too late. Sent.”
Mabel laughed, then I heard her take a breath, switching gears.
“Okay, okay. Back to business.” Her voice shifted into crisp publicist mode.
“This is actually perfect from a narrative standpoint. A love story between a movie star and a regular woman. The public will eat that up. But we need to control the rollout.”
“Agreed,” Bob said, all business again. “The ‘cater-waiter’ angle is condescending and needs to be corrected immediately.”
“She’s an author,” I said, unable to keep the pride out of my voice. “An award-winning author. She’s brilliant and talented, and she comes from this hilarious and huge New Orleans family that’s been here for generations. And… she’s just amazing.”
There was a pause.
“Oh, he’s got it bad,” Mabel said softly. “And for the record? I like her already. Anyone who’s got you this smitten is clearly something special.”
Bob cleared his throat. “We’re going to make this the feel-good story of the year. Luke’s in love with this woman, and we’re going to make sure everyone falls in love with her too.”
Mabel broke in. “Luke? If you see a camera, smile like you just won an Oscar.”
“Got it,” I replied.
“Good luck, Romeo.” Bob’s voice was brimming with amusement.
I hung up, and from the other room, I could hear Anna humming to herself. My phone buzzed again, and I glanced down at the screen. A text from Topher lit up: You’re trending, bro.
I stifled a groan, slipping the phone into my pocket.
I walked back to the couch where Anna was sitting, her face half-lit by the soft glow from the window.
I stepped closer, brushing a hand lightly against her arm. “How about tomorrow we take a break from all this? Just you and me. No phones, no headlines. Let’s make a day of it.”
She tilted her head, her brow furrowing slightly. “Are you sure? Don’t you have to… I don’t know, do some crisis management?”
“Mabel and Bob have it handled,” I said, squeezing her hand. “Right now, all I want to do is to be with you.”
Her lips curved into a small smile, and she leaned into me, resting her head against my shoulder. “Okay. That sounds really nice, actually.”
I pressed a kiss to the top of her head, breathing in the familiar scent of her shampoo. Outside, the world was probably buzzing with speculation and gossip and hot takes about us. Reporters were probably already staking out Muses. The tabloids were sharpening their knives.
But sitting here with Anna tucked against my side, her hand in mine, her quiet humming resuming as she relaxed, none of that noise mattered.
Yeah, once the reporters figured out where we were staying, it might get complicated. But as I looked down at her, seeing the trust in her eyes when she looked back up at me, I knew one thing for sure.
She was worth it.
All of it.