Page 40 of To Love Jason Thorn

“Explain.”

“Last week, did you have sex with JenniferWidner…in that alley, before the paps swarmed you?”

There was no use denying it. If I did, theycouldn’t do the job I paid them to do. So, I didn’t. “Yes. They couldn’t havegotten any shots though. It was a close call, I’ll give you that.” I checked mywatch. “Anyway, you both saw the pictures from that night. It was implied thatwe were having sex, but they didn’t get the shots. You already gave me alecture on it, Megan.” I stood up. “If this was just to remind me to behave inCanada, there’s no need.”

“Sit down, Jason,” Megan ordered in a curttone.

Tom was rubbing his forehead; somethingserious must have happened for him to show his discomfort so openly. Not muchstressed him any more after working for me from the very start of my career.

“What’s going on here?”

She handed me a piece of paper. It was acopy of a single email sent to Megan’s email account.

I read the contents of it. Then I read itagain.

“Is this a joke?” I asked, raising myeyebrows.

“Unfortunately, it isn’t,” Megan replied.“You’re being blackmailed.”

I looked down at the paper in my handsagain. “For two million dollars?” I balled up the paper and tossed it away.Leaning forward, I looked straight into Tom’s eyes. “If you’re playing me, ifthis is something you two concocted together so I’ll get scared and clean up myact, you tell me right now, Tom. If I find out later, you won’t be happy.Neither one of you will.”

Tom’s jaw hardened and I saw his hands forminto tight fists. “You think I would do this to you? On top of everything else,are you out of your mind too?”

“I’m not stupid, Tom. That alley was empty.If someone was filming me having sex with Gemma, or whatever the hell her nameis—”

“You don’t even remember her fucking name?”

“I would’ve seen it,” I continued over hisrising tone. “Those paps came out of fucking nowhere after we were done.By the time they got to us, it only looked like we were making out orsomething.”

“Obviously someone was there, Jason,” Megancountered and drew my attention from Tom’s angry face. “What good would it dous to make it look like someone is blackmailing you? Stop acting like you knownothing about this industry. Whether it was a pap or some stranger just walkingby, they have you on tape.”

“I’m not paying anyone anything,” I spitout. “We don’t even know if they have what they say they have.”

“I replied to his email, asking for proof,”Megan countered. “I’m hoping we’ll hear back today. As you’ve already readyourself, if you decide not to pay, he’ll sell it to whoever pays the big bucks.I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to take it off his hands. We will sendcease and desist letters, but once it’s online, you know that whatever you doit will always be out there, and that will screw your career in a matter ofseconds. At this point, we’re beyond damage control.”

“Is this a new kink?” Tom piped up. “Youhave to fuck them out in the open, where anyone can get a free show?”

“Watch it,” I warned him wearily, all thefight seeping out of me.

Clearly not done with me, he got up fromhis seat and started to pace in the expansive room.

“This is the fifth incident this year,” hesaid, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Only this year, Jason. The first few, wemanaged to squash, but if there is a video and you refuse to buy it before itgoes to a tabloid or a news outlet, there is nothing, absolutely nothingwe can do to sweep it under the rug this time. Do you understand what I’mtelling you?”

Stopping next to me, he continued on histirade. “Do you even grasp the fact that you’ve lost two projects? Two veryimportant projects with some big names, and you lost them because of the constantnegativity in the press. They aren’t talking about the movies you’re making.And now this? You’re not a useless reality star, Jason. Stop acting like it. Ifyou were forty, I’d say you were going through a midlife crisis, but you haveno excuse for your recent behavior. None.” He waited for an answer, but Iwasn’t giving one. “What do you think will happen? None of the studioexecutives are happy with you. The press junkets you were supposed to do? Thewhole European tour for The Witness? You are kicked out. They don’t wantyou to be the center of attention when you are supposed to be there to promotetheir fucking movie. You’ll only go to the opening in London. You’re fucking upyour entire career.”

I said nothing. Up to a point, he wasright. Of course I knew that. I was literally fucking my career away fornothing and I had no compelling explanation. I wasn’t damaged because my momhad committed suicide, or because my dad had died from a heart attack while hewas in bed with a highly priced call girl. They didn’t have that kind of a holdon me. They had been my biological parents and that was the end of it.

“I get it, and you are right, which is whyI gave you my word that I would cool it down.”

“Cool it down?” He laughed. “You’re notgetting it, my friend. Your little Olive’s movie? The one you are surprisinglyexcited to be a part of? Forget about it. The second the public sees this video,the studio will cut you out. I told you they had restrictions. They don’t even wantyou to have a relationship while you’re filming and promoting their movie. Doyou think they’ll be okay with having your video out there while they aregetting ready to announce your involvement with the adaptation?”

I sat up straighter. “You told me yourselfthey don’t want anyone else. They want me to play Isaac.”

“Yes, Jason.” He nodded and let out asarcastic laugh. “That’s exactly what I told you. I’m surprised you wereactually listening to me.”

He lost his smile and gave me a hard look,waiting for something.

The meaning of what he was trying to tellme finally sinking in, I sprung up. “She signed the contract, damn it! Theycan’t give up on it just because I screwed up. This has nothing to do withOlive’s book.”

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