Page 30 of Heartbreaker

“Give me a minute,” she mutters.

I wait ten seconds, counting slowly.

…one thousand and nine, one thousand and ten…

“Time’s up,” I say, a little louder this time.

She glances up with an arched brow. “What’s wrong?”

“Why didn’t you or your team know that Royal was spotted leaving my hotel room?”

She looks confused for a second but then shrugs. “I’m sure someone did, but it’s not a huge deal.”

“It is to me.”

“Why?” She shrugs. “He’s hot. Every woman in America wishes he could be seen leaving their room.”

“That’s a fantasy,” I grit out. “This is my real life.”

“It’s not a big deal, Jade. Seriously, don’t get your panties in a bunch.” She goes back to her phone.

“Farrah!” I raise my voice this time, and she puts her phone down with a put-upon sigh.

“What would you like me to do?” she asks. “It’s already over.”

“You needed to step in when Liza brought that up. You said the questions they sent were basic. And they weren’t. She brought up Royal at every opportunity, and I had to deflect. It’s supposed to be your job to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“You handled her great!” she says, with a placating smile. “The interview is going to be amazing and?—”

“You’re missing the point.”

“Look, I know this level of fame is new to you, but you’re good at this stuff. And mentioning Royal isn’t a bad thing. Any chance we get to capitalize on your friendship with him is a huge bonus.”

I want to snap that we’re not friends, but that’s more information than she needs.

Especially since I’ve just made a decision about what I’m going to do.

“I don’t need to capitalize on any of myfriendships,” I say quietly. “My music speaks for itself. As my publicist, you should know that.”

“Well, yeah, but your connection to Royal is different. He’s an enigma and never more so than since his accident. The music rumor mill is still buzzing about the way his wife divorced him afterward and how he and his band aren’t speaking. It’s enthralling.”

“It’s terrible,” I snap, irritated. “He lost his ability to play guitar, which was his career. On top of that, his wife and band all abandoned him…What part of that is enthralling? Anyone with a soul should feel awful. And as a human being, the story is heartbreaking.”

She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, I’m sure he’s breaking hearts all the way to the bank. Every time a story goes viral, they sell a ton of records, and no matter what happens going forward, he makes money from that. We should all be so lucky to be in his situation.”

Is she serious right now?

I never liked her, but now…I truly hate her.

Will I go to jail if I reach out and slap both sides of her face a few times?

Probably.

Not worth it.

But I feel better knowing what I’m about to do.

“I don’t think this is working,” I say quietly.

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