Page 42 of To Love Jason Thorn

She shrugged. “He’s right; dating someonewon’t help you deal with all this crap. With the timing of this, they’ll seeright through it. However, if we find someone—”

A knock on the door interrupted hersentence, and a second later Alvin’s head popped in. “We’re going to miss ourflight, boss. We need to leave right now.”

I waved my hand. “I’ll be out in fiveminutes.”

When he closed the door, I gave all myattention back to Megan. “You were saying?”

“You’re not going to like it.”

“So far you haven’t said anything I liked,why change it now?”

“If we’re going to lie about arelationship, we have to go bigger than that. You have to do something thatwill pretty much swallow this whole thing up along with your previoustransgressions.”

“Out with it,” I said impatiently.

Tapping her long fingernails on her desk,she let out a long breath. “We’ll have to find you someone to marry.”

I stared at her blankly. Then, looking at Tom’sinterested gaze, I laughed. “I think you’ve both lost it. I’m not paying you tocome up with a stupid solution like that. They won’t believe that I went aheadand got myself a girlfriend, but they’ll believe that I married someone forlove? Do you even hear yourself?”

“You’re not paying the guy off.” Sheshrugged. “So I’m telling you that having your pictures taken with a fake girlfriendwon’t make all this go away. You have to do something big and stop all of thisat once. And what does it matter to you? I’m not telling you to fall in lovewith her. A fake girlfriend, a fake wife—it’ll practically be the same thingfor you. The only difference is you’ll have to live in the same house for a fewyears.”

“Live in the same house? A few years?” Ilaughed harder. “You’re crazy. Tom, you can’t possibly agree with her.”

“Do you have a better idea?” he shot back.“The public’s perception of you has to change; if this is the way to do that…”

Glaring at them both, I got up from my seatand walked to the door. I was tempted to fire them both on the spot, but theywere the best, and apparently I wasn’t in a place where I could do whatever thehell I wanted any more.

I stopped by the door. “I’m not payinganyone. Let him release it to whoever he wants.” Opening the door, I saw animpatient Alvin lifting his brows and tapping at his watch.

“Jason.” Tom’s resigned voice stopped mefrom moving farther.

“If this…after this gets out, you’llstill get offers, but trust me they won’t be the same offers you’re gettingright now. You’ve been playing with fire, and frankly, you’re about to go up inflames.”

My grip on the door tightening, I turned toface the duo. Over the past few years, we had built a good relationship among us.They knew who I was and where I wanted to go in this industry, and I alwaysappreciated their guidance. They had never cornered me like this. They always offeredme options.

“I want Olive’s movie,” I said to Tom. “Dowhatever you have to do to tie me to it. Leak the news today before this goesout if you have to. I don’t care what you do, just do something so they can’tback away.”

It was reluctant, but he nodded. “I’ll domy best.”

To Megan, I said, “I don’t like yoursolution, Megan. I get where you’re coming from, but…anyway, it doesn’t matter.I have to think about it. I assume you don’t have any blushing brides ready forme to choose from?”

Calmly, she shrugged. “I might have a fewnames.”

“Of course you do,” I muttered. Ignoringher, I continued. “When I get back from Canada, you can show me your list andI’ll think about it more. That’s about all I can do right now.”

I turned around to leave.

“Jason, in Canada you have to—”

“Don’t worry, Tom,” I interrupted him. “I’mnot planning on letting anyone come near my dick. Not any time soon anyway.”

Chapter Twelve

Olive

“What are you doing in there, Olive?” Charasked.

I drew my head out of the freezer andlooked at her over my shoulder. “Have you seen my ice cream? I hid it behindthe peas, but it’s not there.”

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