Page 35 of Nathan
London
Serena
With every interview I did, my body became more restless. My mind was absent, and it was hard to talk about my role as Molly Mango when I couldn’t stop thinking about the photos of Nathan and me.
Being stuck in a room with journalists coming in and out made it impossible for me to stay updated, but when I finally had a bathroom break, I brought my phone.
I was horrified to see the explosive speed the story was spreading at. Denise had left several messages reminding me to call her and asking that I allow her to do some damage control.
When Marie called out to me that we had to get back to the interviews, I walked back into the room with my head downturned, still reading messages.
The voice of the journalist in the chair made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Colby Steward was a slimy unpleasant douche known to have a major inferiority complex when it came to strong women.
Putting my phone away, I got back in my director’s chair in front of the posters fromThe Blue Doorknobwith the lights and camera aimed at me.
“Congratulations on your new movie,” Colby started innocently.
“Thank you,” I said and felt tense in my body.
Colby reminded me of Mr. Collins, the vicar in the TV version ofPride and Prejudicefrom the nineties. It was the way his greasy hair was pulled forward to hide his balding head and his expression of permanent self-satisfaction. To avoid looking at his smug smile showing off his yellow teeth, I looked down, only to find that his pants and socks left enough space between them to show off his dark hairs on pale skin.
“I can imagine today is stressful for you. I know you’re here for exposure, and you certainly got plenty of it, but for the wrong reasons.” The way he tilted his head with an exaggerated sigh of compassion was a provocation, and it made me look to Marie.
She had been vigilant about not letting any of the previous journalists ask me private questions, but right now, something on the electronic pad she was holding had caught her full attention. She was unaware that Colby had already moved off the topic ofThe Blue Doorknob.
His stench of cigarette smoke hit me across the room and made me long for fresh air. “Do you have a question about the movie?”
“Yes, I do.” Colby tapped his pen on his pad of paper and gave me another one of those exaggerated cartoon smiles. “What did you think about the scene where Molly invites Marvin to her house even though she just promised to be best friends with Calvin, the cat?”
I arched a brow. “I think it was a great scene.”
“What do you think that scene was trying to teach children?”
My fingers drummed the armrest. How I wished I could wipe away the smirk on Colby’s face.
“What do I think that scene was trying to teach… hmm… I don’t know, maybe that it’s good to have many friends.”
“Is that how you live your own life?” Colby’s tone had me seething on the inside because I knew exactly where he was going with his questions.
“Mhmm. I have a whole group of girlfriends, for instance. Many of them I’ve known since I was a teenager. It’s good to have many friends.”
“Do you think Marvin has a right to feel sad that Molly Mango invites Calvin the cat to her house? I mean, the two of them had a commitment to each other.”
With my hackles raised, I sent another glance in the direction of Marie, hoping for her to throw this heckler out. It was clear that Colby was fishing for dirt and had zero interest in the movie I was promoting. Marie was typing on the pad now and still not paying attention, so I attempted a neutral answer. “I’m sure Marvin was happy for Molly that she’d made a new friend.”
“Hmm…” Colby tilted his head to the side and spoke in a soft voice. “Are you hoping Storm will feel the same way about the new friend you made last night?”
Marie’s head whipped up at the sound of Storm’s name and met my eyes, which were bulging in a silent plea for help.
“Please keep to questions related to the movie,” Marie reminded Colby, but he couldn’t help himself.
“Do you think Storm and your new friend Nathan Robertson will agree that it’s great to have many friends at the same time?”
My lips were glued together while Marie finally took over and closed down the interview.
It shook me that Colby had known Nathan’s name. Did that mean he’d been identified as the man in the photo?
While Colby made a scene in the doorway, I picked up my phone and checked the news again. This time an article came up with a big fat headline that said,Why Serena Swapped from Dream Guy to Violent Inmate,which made me click on it and read to myself.
