Serial Novel: Falling in Public, Ch. 11
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Ch.1|Ch. 2|Ch. 3|Ch. 4|Ch. 5|Ch. 6|Ch. 7|Ch. 8|Ch. 9|Ch. 10
Falling in Public
Chapter 11
Eddie disconnected the call, shrugging at Vincent. "She's not answering. Maybe she's taking a nap or something. We were up awfully late."
His manager shook his head, holding one defensive hand out. "Don't remind me," he said, leaning against the stone counter close to where Holly had been leaning the night before. Eddie grinned, thinking of how cute she'd looked worrying about water stains on the stone.
"You think this is funny?" Vincent straightened, his whole body tense and for a moment Eddie thought the man would take a shot at him before he continued. "Your little fling is a romance author who's about to go on TV for a live interview in..." he checked his watch, "...four hours. If she confirms this story on national TV, there's no putting it back in the box. No controlling the information. Your reputation could skyrocket or plummet based on what that woman says about you, and it might be a long time before that dies down. Do you really want to take that risk?"
"I really think you're making too much of this," Eddie said, gladly handing his coffee over to the housekeeper for a refill. "Holly isn't like that. She won't say anything bad. We had a good time. I'd like to see her again, to be honest."
Vincent shook his head again, hard enough to make Eddie worry about the man's brain. "No. Absolutely not. You can't see her again, no matter how awesome you think she is, or how great a time you had. She's a writer, you're a rock star. If you ever made her made, she could skewer you in print so many different ways I don't even want to think about it. Stay away from her, Eddie."
Eddie frowned thoughtfully. "I thought you wanted me to call her and work out the interview thing. That will be hard to do if I'm supposed to stay away from her. I'll have to talk to her, at least."
Vincent sighed, running a hand down the side of his face. "You're right. Don't worry about that either - I'll take care of it." He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, and started tapping the screen. "I think I still have her agent's number here, I'll just give her a call on my way out to the studio." Looking up briefly, he gave Eddie a stern look. "Stay away. Trust me on this."
Eddie put his coffee cup on the counter and lifted his hands in surrender, careful not to say a word. After Vincent was gone, Eddie picked up his coffee and his phone, dialing the number Vincent had given him again.
"You're not going to listen to that buffoon, right?" Esther wiped down the counter with efficient strokes, glancing at him over her glasses as she worked. Never afraid to speak her mind, he could always count on Esther to share her honest opinion.
He shrugged, holding the phone to his ear. "Of course not," he said quietly, listening to Holly's phone ring back at him several times before going to voicemail. He disconected the call, then choose a cinnamon roll off the plate she'd set in front of him. "Well, not until I apologize for this morning, anyways. Then it's up to her, but I did pretty much throw her out. I told her I'd call her later too, and what kind of a man would I be if I didn't do that?"
Esther snorted. "A normal one."
Eddie raised his eyebrows. "Well we already know I'm not normal, so I'll take that as a compliment." He stood, trying Holly's number one more time. "Still no answer. Guess it's time for Plan B."
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Ch.1|Ch. 2|Ch. 3|Ch. 4|Ch. 5|Ch. 6|Ch. 7|Ch. 8|Ch. 9|Ch. 10
Falling in Public
Chapter 11
Eddie disconnected the call, shrugging at Vincent. "She's not answering. Maybe she's taking a nap or something. We were up awfully late."
His manager shook his head, holding one defensive hand out. "Don't remind me," he said, leaning against the stone counter close to where Holly had been leaning the night before. Eddie grinned, thinking of how cute she'd looked worrying about water stains on the stone.
"You think this is funny?" Vincent straightened, his whole body tense and for a moment Eddie thought the man would take a shot at him before he continued. "Your little fling is a romance author who's about to go on TV for a live interview in..." he checked his watch, "...four hours. If she confirms this story on national TV, there's no putting it back in the box. No controlling the information. Your reputation could skyrocket or plummet based on what that woman says about you, and it might be a long time before that dies down. Do you really want to take that risk?"
"I really think you're making too much of this," Eddie said, gladly handing his coffee over to the housekeeper for a refill. "Holly isn't like that. She won't say anything bad. We had a good time. I'd like to see her again, to be honest."
Vincent shook his head again, hard enough to make Eddie worry about the man's brain. "No. Absolutely not. You can't see her again, no matter how awesome you think she is, or how great a time you had. She's a writer, you're a rock star. If you ever made her made, she could skewer you in print so many different ways I don't even want to think about it. Stay away from her, Eddie."
Eddie frowned thoughtfully. "I thought you wanted me to call her and work out the interview thing. That will be hard to do if I'm supposed to stay away from her. I'll have to talk to her, at least."
Vincent sighed, running a hand down the side of his face. "You're right. Don't worry about that either - I'll take care of it." He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, and started tapping the screen. "I think I still have her agent's number here, I'll just give her a call on my way out to the studio." Looking up briefly, he gave Eddie a stern look. "Stay away. Trust me on this."
Eddie put his coffee cup on the counter and lifted his hands in surrender, careful not to say a word. After Vincent was gone, Eddie picked up his coffee and his phone, dialing the number Vincent had given him again.
"You're not going to listen to that buffoon, right?" Esther wiped down the counter with efficient strokes, glancing at him over her glasses as she worked. Never afraid to speak her mind, he could always count on Esther to share her honest opinion.
He shrugged, holding the phone to his ear. "Of course not," he said quietly, listening to Holly's phone ring back at him several times before going to voicemail. He disconected the call, then choose a cinnamon roll off the plate she'd set in front of him. "Well, not until I apologize for this morning, anyways. Then it's up to her, but I did pretty much throw her out. I told her I'd call her later too, and what kind of a man would I be if I didn't do that?"
Esther snorted. "A normal one."
Eddie raised his eyebrows. "Well we already know I'm not normal, so I'll take that as a compliment." He stood, trying Holly's number one more time. "Still no answer. Guess it's time for Plan B."
Enjoy this installment? Try The Biker's Wench, available now at:
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | All Romance eBooks
**Please
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