Page 9 of The Billionaire Player

“What is the saying? All publicity is good publicity?” I asked.

“Not all of it,” he said and looked away from me.

“People are going to say whatever they want about you. With me, and this article, it gives you a chance to tell them your side of the story. I will let people know what you want them to know. If you want people to think you’ve turned over a new leaf, that you’re a new man, one who’s putting his past behind him and is trying to move forward, a pillar in the community, then we can show them that.”

I didn’t add, that is only if that was what I saw. He was impressing me with what I had seen so far, I wasn’t completely convinced that he was actually doing any of those things. Jack Daniel Bennett had made a life out of being one way, I couldn’t see him going to Italy for a few years and suddenly changing his ways. It didn’t work that easy for anyone, no matter how much money they had.

“Thank you for your offer. I’m sure you only have my best interest at heart,” he said, clearly not thinking that way at all. “But I have my own plan for my public relations and it does not include working with the likes of you.”

“What are those plans?” I asked.

“None of your concern. Now if you would excuse me,” he said and stood up.

“I’m not done here,” I said and made no move to leave.

“Feel free to stay as long as you would like. Good day,” he said and walked out of his office.

If he thought I would be deterred that easily, he was sorely mistaken. I quickly got up and followed him. He was calling for someone named Rosie and ignoring the few people who were waiting to be interviewed by him.

I smiled at the people as I walked by and gave them a slight shrug. They looked at me as if they were trying to figure out how I knew him or if I could help them talk to JD. I didn’t give them time to ask me any questions as I quickly followed JD out of the restaurant and to the woman standing at the front door and the one I had talked to earlier. I quickly realized she was Rosie.

“Why did you let her in?” he asked.

“Her?” Rosie asked, pointing at me.

“Yes,” JD said, clearly annoyed and not afraid to show his sarcasm to his employee.

“I was told to,” she said.

“Not by me,” he countered.

Rosie gave him a look that said she didn’t care.

“She’s a reporter. She’s here to do a story on me,” JD said as if Rosie didn’t know.

“Correct. That’s usually what reporters do,” she said.

JD looked at Rosie and I couldn’t tell if he would yell at her or fire her. Either way, I didn’t want the woman to lose her job over me, even if I was seeing that working with JD might not be the best thing for anyone’s health.

“It was my fault. I told her to let me in,” I said quickly.

JD slowly turned to look at me at the same time Rose said, “No. I knew who she was and was happy to send her to you.”

He turned back around and glared at Rosie for a moment before turning and looking back at me. He didn’t say anything else but looked around him, sighed, and then walked back into the restaurant.

I stood where I was for a few moments, not sure what to do. Should I follow him in? Was he trying to get rid of me and evade me? Was he hoping I would just go away? I turned to Rosie to see what she thought and she gave me a soft smile.

“Thanks for trying to help me out there, especially because he didn’t like it. I'd follow him. As you can see, he’s not a big fan of reporters but I think he should talk to you,” she said.

I wanted to ask her why. Was there something she felt he needed to get off his chest or was there some scandal that would come out and it should be told by him before anyone else? Whatever it was, her encouragement was all I needed to go back into the restaurant. As I did, the door flew open and the two people inside came scurrying out. JD was right behind him.

“The interviews are over. We have hired everyone we need. Thank you for your time,” he said to the crowd.

I heard the collective cry of outrage from the remaining people outside and Rosie rushing to try to calm them down. I didn’t wait to see how she did but went back into the restaurant. Inside, JD was standing at the bar with his back to me. His hands were on the counter and his shoulders were tense and hunched over.

Even from behind, he looked like a man who had the weight of the world on his shoulders. A man who was trying to do right but had no idea how to. My heart ached a little for him, which was unusual for me. I wasn’t one who gave into my emotions and certainly didn’t let them get in the way of a story.

There was something about him that spoke to me, in a way that I didn’t think he would. I wanted to think he was this way with all women. He just had that personality, that he had done that when he was younger and he was doing the same thing to me now. Yet, it felt like something more. I told myself the reporter in me wanted to know what it was, but the woman in me did too. If I wasn’t careful, I would get too involved with him and the story.

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