Page 5 of You Rock My World
Despite being born and raised in LA, I don’t know that many celebrities—just the one, in fact. Cue dread.
“Me?” I squeak. I clear my throat, trying again. “But I’m in tech PR. My clients are start-ups, not celebrities.”
“I know what division you work in, Josie.” Nadine’s tone is clipped. “But when our biggest client makes a personal request, I’m not in a position to refuse. Keeping him happy is our top priority.”
“Him?” I croak.
She steeples her fingers. “Rian Phoenix.”
I knew it. I flipping knew it.
My heart is about to explode like a shaken bottle of soda filled with Mentos.
“Did he… did Dorian—I mean, Rian—say why me?” I hate how small my voice sounds.
Nadine’s expression is unreadable. “Apparently, you made an impression during your little elevator adventure.”
I swallow, dizzy. Did he know at the party last month that I’d be working for him? He must have. From the way Nadine is talking, Missy’s emergency scare only sped up things. She was going on maternity leave anyway, and having me fill in must’ve already been the plan.
Before I can spiral too far, Nadine continues, “It goes without saying, but having romantic or sexual relations with clients is strictly forbidden. It’s not just frowned upon—it’s grounds for immediate dismissal.”
My face bursts up in flames, and I laugh, the sound high-pitched and unnatural. “Of course. I would never sleep with a married man.” And I wouldn’t. I can be in love with one. But I’d never act on my feelings, regardless of how strong.
“It doesn’t matter whether the client is married, single, or a Martian—it’s still a fireable offense,” she says coldly. “This agency’s reputation is everything. I won’t have it compromised. Have I made myself clear?”
I nod vigorously, fighting the ever-expanding blush that’s now creeping down my neck. “I understand completely. You have nothing to worry about.”
Nadine doesn’t waste time. She hands me a stack of NDAs and instructs me to transfer my current clients to my head of division because I’m starting on the new assignment right away.
“From now on, Rian Phoenix is your only priority,” she says. “Your first meeting is at his place in North Beverly Park at eleven.”
“He doesn’t come here?” I ask sheepishly.
“No, with clients of his caliber, we go to them for routine meetings. The night you met was an exception as he was flying in from New Orleans and it was more convenient to meet here.”
Ah, so celebrities don’t darken our doors unless it’s a crisis. Duly noted.
“Very well.”
I leave the office in a daze. I have two hours to hand off my clients and prepare to face the man who has haunted my dreams, my playlists, and now my career.
4
DORIAN
One Year Ago
“Josie,” I repeat, savoring the way the name rolls off my tongue. It suits her—simple, yet charming.
“Yes,Dorian, nice to meet you,” she says, adding a teasing lilt to my name.
Hearing her say my real name has a tendril of heat coil in my stomach. Most people in my orbit only use Rian. My agent and label had insisted that dropping the “Do” would make me edgier—more marketable. And while it worked commercially, it also chipped away at my identity.
“Nice to meet you, too.”
She sighs, then announces, “Listen, since we’re stuck here, I’m going to treat you like a regular person.”
It’s as if a switch has flipped, and her shyness has turned to sass. Outside the elevator, there’s a power dynamic. In here? We’re just two people equally inconvenienced. Maybe that leveled the playing field for her. Or she comes across as shy at first but opens up quickly once she gets a read on you. Whatever the reason, I’m happy she’s not cowering in her corner anymore.
