Page 10 of Rise

Her fingers touched his as she took the phone from him. No big deal—just a tingle in Megan’s fingertips, just a feeling that made her want to snatch her hand back and smooth out her hair. Just a buzz like the one he’d given her when he’d joked about her paying to take him to dinner.

She risked a glance at him. He was looking at the phone and seemed completely unaffected. So she pulled herself together. “You’re nowhere on this page,” she said. “And neither is Jaelyn.”

“I am sure we are somewhere in there.”

Now that the phone was safely in her hand, Megan’s professional world kicked in. “Alessandro,” she said. “You’rethepull at this event. You and Jaelyn, but let’s be honest, it’s you. TV still doesn’t have the cachet film does. They should have you guys on the banner, on a pinned post, and on their profile pic.” She leaned over his phone, scrolling. “Daily posts, possibly twice a day. And definitely on Insta. Tagging you, tagging Jaelyn. You should get whatever other celebs you know to repost. This thing should be sold out in a day. Is Jaelyn in town? You should take promo shots together.”

The ideas filled her mind and she didn’t realize she’d stopped talking until she glanced up from the screen to see Alessandro smiling warmly at her. “You know what you are talking about,” he said.

“Well, yeah. But this isn’t rocket science. They should—”

But there was no “should.” Megan knew a dozen people who could use basic social media skills to improve the Studio’s profile. But that didn’t mean the people who ran the Studio did. “Sorry,” she went on. “Marketing your business kind of runs in my family.”

“This is not a business,” he said. “It’s a nonprofit.”

“I get that.” She tapped the screen. “But social media won’t know the difference. You don’t have to pay for ads to get more clicks.” Then she laughed and gave him back his phone—keeping her fingers well away from his this time. “You’re worth four ads and a repost all by yourself.”

Alessandro’s eyes flicked up to hers, then dropped to his phone. “So you will help us?” he asked.

Who was ever going to say no to him? “Sure,” she said. “I’d be happy to.”

“That is great. Thank you, Megan.”

“My pleasure.” And it was. Not just because she enjoyed hearing her name on his lips, but because she remembered the jolt of excitement she’d gottenbeforehis fingers had touched hers. It was the same feeling she got when Leo trusted her to write Kane’s speeches. When a friend had a black-tie event and asked for her advice on what to wear. When she’d organized the baby shower for Kane and Ellen’s last daughter.

Thrilled. She wasthrilledto do this.

“May I ask you a question?” he said.

“Of course!”

“I… Before I asked you, I looked online for you. For you in your business world, I mean.”

“I’d be surprised if you didn’t,” she said.

“But you weren’t there.” He swept his hand to the side, as if erasing a presence. “You do not take part in the events your brother is the star of.”

“I do. Just not in front of the cameras.”

“Forgive me, Megan,” he said, and she did. Immediately. Whatever he said next. “But why does your brother not use you as well as other employees? You”—he waved an expressive hand at her coat, which was gratifying—“you dress like people I knew when—when I lived in Italy. And you are good with people. So I wondered if you prefer not to be involved with the public.”

She picked up her coffee cup and another cascade of papers fell, like quarters in an arcade game. “Dang it. I really have to help Roman with this office.” She took a sip of coffee so she had time to measure her words.

“My family doesn’t do publicity unless we have to,” she said. “Being in front of the cameras nearly got my brother killed.”

His eyes widened. “That is terrible. I did not know.”

“It was before I started coming to the coffee shop. This guy was setting fires in Fielding paper mills, and because Kane had let the cameras into his life before, they went crazy, saying he was too busy having fun while people lost their jobs. It was right around when he met Ellen—his wife—and she got pulled into the madness too. Now he only does events for the company. He doesn’t want the rest of us anywhere near the press.”

“Us?”

“My sisters and me.”

“He has other sisters? No brothers?”

“No. Just four sisters. Enough to drive any man crazy.”

“Four sisters?” Alessandro’s lips tightened, and he looked away. “And you all… you sound close.”

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