Chapter 1
Paisley
“Paisley. Get in here.”
My boss roared through his open door. I’m only next door to his office.
He really didn’t have to shout like that, but for some reason he thinks it helps.
Rolling my eyes, I pushed out my chair as I stood up and grabbed my notebook and pen from the desk.
With a timid rap on his door, Edward Brantley looked up at me with a sigh and coaxed me in with a curl of his finger.
“You wanted to see me, Mr Brantley.”
I took a careful step into his office, he pointed at the chair opposite him as he picked up his coffee mug and placed it at his lips.
He looked at me from over the rim, tipping it up and taking a drink.
My gaze scanned his rather mismatched and dull office.
The blinds were constantly closed, the walls were a wash of dirty off-white and his desk was a constant mess with papers strewn all over.
I didn’t see him throw the newspaper in my direction, but it landed in front of me making a slapping sound on the desk.
At least it dragged me away from my disdain of his surroundings.
I wasn’t sure how anyone could work like this.
I joined my fingers together and lay them gently in my lap, waiting patiently for him to tell me what he wanted me for. His cup hit the desk with a thud, and he leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest, he rested them on his beer belly.
“Take a look.” He lifted his chin in the direction of the paper.
My eyes scanned the front of the paper but came up short.
“I’m not quite sure what I’m looking at, sir.”
He sighed and with a roll of his eyes as he opened the paper and slapped his hand down on top as he peered over at me.
“Turn to page five.”
As I flicked to where I needed to be, I knew exactly what I was looking at.
“Roman Dean. Have you heard of him?”
Now it was my turn to roll my eyes.
Had I heard of him? Had I ever?
“Of course, I have…”
“Good, because you’re going to be working for him.”
“Excuse me?”
My eyes widened at his statement.
Had I heard him correctly?
I’d known Roman when he was plain and simple, when he was just Roman Alexander. That was until his parents divorced and he took on his mum’s maiden name. He was the guy that had everything in school, even back then when we were sixteen.
Not that he’d ever have looked at me. No-one understood that my schoolwork and my grades were the most important thing for me.
I was just the dork that had her head stuck in her books and never really had friends other than one.
I was the one the popular kids used to copy their homework from.
Of course, he wasn’t invisible. He always said he’d be a star, and here he was.
My hands began to shake a little, so I placed them beneath my thighs and sat on them.
I didn’t have the best memories of Roman.
Not that he was a bully per se, his friends were worse, but it was the norm if kids didn’t fit in; you got bullied.
You weren’t pretty enough, wrong hair colour, wore glasses or didn’t wear the right brand of shoes…
then you were bullied. Unfortunately, I fell into all those categories.
Now, I was about to come face to face with him again.
“You can’t be serious?”
“Why not?”
“B… because I’m not the kind of woman to be able to speak to someone like him, or even work for him. You don’t understand…”
I shifted my gaze to the colourless wall, just so I didn't have to tell my boss why I wasn’t a good fit, before letting out a sigh and facing him again.
Just like that, I relented. “Fine. What exactly will I be doing, Mr Brantley?”
“Public relations. It seems he’s backed himself into a bit of a corner. His agent rang us and asked for someone to keep him away from the bad press. He needs reverting back onto the right path, shall we say. You,” Mr Brantley said, pointing my way, “Will keep him on the right path.”
“Well, maybe if he didn’t keep being a dick, he wouldn’t get bad press.” I muttered under my breath.
“I read the papers, Mr Brantley, I know what he’s been up to.”
I glanced down at his picture again, all I could really see was Roman’s overly large hand because he’d tried to stop the photographer from taking a very candid snap of him by shoving it in front of the lens.
I looked at his side profile. The only thing different to Roman Alexander from when I knew him to now, was his name and a much bigger ego.
“Then you’ll know how much he needs us; needs you. This is a big payday for us, Paisley.”
Us?
I lifted an eyebrow as he loosely used the term ‘us’ as himself.
“You as a person, but us as a company. This will put us on the map. I can see it now. Our name in lights.” He made the shape of an arc with his hand above his head describing the spotlight he thought he would be under.
I could see the pound signs flashing up in his eyes as he spoke, along with that smug grin he wore.
Edward Brantley would throw you to the sharks if he thought he could make an extra pound.
“Why me?” I sighed again, feeling the frown pulling across my forehead.
“Why not? I thought you’d jump at the chance to have your name linked to someone as famous as him?”
“It’s not that I don’t, but…”
“But?” Brantley impatiently urged; his eyes wide as he stared.
He obviously wanted all the gory details if he was even going to consider not making me take this assignment. I wouldn’t tell him though. Not if I wanted this job. I’d have to make sure that mine and Roman’s past stayed hidden. I could do this. I swallowed and straightened my back.
“But nothing. When do I start?”
He smiled victoriously.
“Tomorrow. You have an appointment with Mr Dean and his agent, Nicola Wilson. She will meet you in the lobby of the Waldorf Hilton at ten a.m. I want a full report.”
I stood and grabbed my notes, nodding at my boss. Not that I’d written anything down, it was all cut and dry.
“Can I take this?”
I picked up the newspaper he’d thrown to me earlier and waited as he nodded and shooed me from his office.
“Oh, and Paisley, full disclosure. You’ll be working closely with Mr Dean, so you won’t be required in the office.”
“Sir.” I gave him a small smile and pulled on the door, softly closing it behind me.
I dropped my notebook and newspaper on my desk, it made a slapping sound as I took my seat.
My back hit the backrest with an oomph and I sighed.
A niggle began in my head, just above my eyes.
Removing my glasses from my face, I rubbed them, before shifting my fingers to circle my temples.
Seeing it was only three p.m., I frowned.
I could do with going home. I stood up and made the short walk to my boss’ office and knocked again.
“Come.”
Pushing down on the handle, I peered around the gap in the door.
“Mr Brantley, do you need me for the rest of the day? I’d like to be able to prepare properly for the interview tomorrow.”
“No, that’s fine Paisley. You can go.”
“Thank you. I won't let you down.” I assured him.
“I hope not.”
Thanks for the vote of confidence, dickhead. I thought to myself as I tugged the door closed behind me. I made my way back to my desk, picked up my bag from the floor, piled in my notebook, phone and everything else I’d need for this assignment. Including that goddamn newspaper.
Once home, the first thing I did was to drop my bag, pull out my phone and send a message to Lesley:
Do I have some shit to tell you!
I locked my screen and threw it down on my bed.
I’d known Lesley from junior school, and we were inseparable right through school and college.
She was like me, a geek, that’s why we got along.
We joined forces against the popular kids and kept to ourselves.
I never understood why she wasn’t popular though, she had a figure to die for and blonde hair that framed her pretty features, while her blue eyes stood out from her paler skin.
The only difference between that group and Lesley; she didn’t give a shit what they thought about her. The total opposite to me.
I stripped out of my work clothes and jumped in the shower, washing the day away.
Once back in my room, I dressed in some leggings and a t-shirt, brushed through the knots in my hair and twisted it on top of my head in a messy bun, then I grabbed my phone again.
I saw her name on the locked screen and smiled:
WHAT? tell me!! ~ Les
A laugh burst from me at her insistence, but she’d just have to wait.
I’ll tell you when you’re home. I have to prepare for a meeting.
I locked the screen again and threw it down.
I opened the sliding door of my wardrobe and perused all the work outfits I possessed.
I didn’t make tons of money, the company I worked for wasn’t the biggest name in London, so we often got overlooked.
The fact that we'd been selected to represent Roman was a huge deal and Mr Brantley gave the assignment to me — even if it did mean working for one of the biggest dickheads, I could have ever had the displeasure of meeting, when we were younger. I saw his facade on TV and I actually wanted to tell him why I hated him so much. I can’t envy him for what he does, but if he knew that I’d been thinking about him it would just make that pretty head of his even bigger.
Until now though, I’d never thought I’d get that chance.
It's just my luck that I had to be nice to him because of my job.
Karma is a bitch!
I heard my phone vibrate a couple of more times and I knew it was probably Lesley, demanding that I tell her what’s going on, but I ignored her for now.
I dragged my hand across the blouses hanging in front of me…
Now, what to wear? If I was going to feel confident when I saw Roman for the first time in years, then I needed to look the part.
I looked at my reflection in the full-length mirror studying myself.
I was quite plain in comparison to other women, but my brown eyes had a sparkle in them, and my dark hair shone as it framed my oval shaped face.
With the right amount of makeup and the perfect outfit, my confidence would bloom.