Rogue Ever After (The Rogue Series Book 7)

by Tamsen Parker

  “Huh?” Jay stopped in his tracks. "The what?"

  “The Ex-Students For Student Loan Reformation Alliance.”

  Jay held a beige wool jacket close to him. His puzzled expression plunged Isla into equal confusion.

  “You said you were focused on other parts of my SuddenPic profile.” Isla fanned herself. “Didn’t you mean my activism?”

  “Are those the people you’re with in most of your pictures?” Jay asked. “With the signs?”

  Pictures. Did he only look at her pictures?

  “Yes.” Isla clenched her fists and folded her arms across her chest. “I would never get to browse such fancy clothes with my pitiful socioeconomic background as it is. My student loan debt has kept me jailed for years from affluent adventures.”

  Jay leaned against the rack. “You need your loans paid off? I could take care of that if it’ll help you.”

  Isla sucked in her breath and willed herself not to say anything she would regret. He almost sounded sincere. There was no way he could be that nice.

  “It’s not just me with debt, sir, Jay.”

  Jay picked some lint off the coat. “Jay, okay? I’m not a knight.”

  “Sorry.” Isla took the coat from Jay. “Should I add this to the rack?”

  “No, it looks terrible now that I see you with it.” Jay grabbed it from her. “What’s the issue with the student loans?”

  Where to begin? “I’m working hard with other people to ensure the country makes education more accessible and helps people who are struggling financially because of their student loans.”

  “Is it really that big of an issue?”

  A chuckle forced its way out of Isla, an effort to keep the subject light and her heart protected. “If anyone ever feels lonely, they should try missing a student loan payment.”

  Jay didn’t laugh at her joke.

  In fact, Jay gazed at her in such a way that made Isla want to lower her guard. Perhaps he was so rich, he truly had no idea what Americans were suffering. Hell, he didn’t know a butterscotch cappuccino with two shots of espresso was six dollars.

  Would it be bad to trust him with a part of her heart?

  “It’s bad.” Isla’s voice grew hard, serious. “The fact I have a job working for you is such a blessing. I’m grateful you have given me a chance to get out of debt. I hope the rallies and stuff I attend don’t bother you. I can’t give up on it, not while so many are hurting.”

  As soon as her last sentence escaped her, Isla feared she had crossed a line with her new boss.

  That fear was quickly erased by the gentleness in Jay’s voice. “You don’t have to give up anything for me. As long as you’re not promoting hate toward a marginalized group or selling pictures of my sisters to the tabloids, like my old assistant.”

  “They did what?!” Isla gasped. “Oh, Jay, I’m so sorry. I would never.”

  Jay’s gloomy expression nearly broke her heart. “I hope so.”

  She’d prove her reliability to Jay. Prove he had been right in picking a new assistant.

  * * *

  The conference in Milan was terrifically boring for Jay.

  He couldn’t add meaningful discussion to the upcoming fashion show or flip through applications for models. He was there to shadow his mother as she led everything. Hold sensitive documents for her and ensure she finished eating meals instead of getting lost in work. Look good in paparazzi photos of the Hancock-Strauss family. Wonder when he would become something more than a professional son.

  At least it was a nice break from all the partying with Stephen he had done over the last two weeks. Poor Isla had to drive Jay home at 3 AM a few times.

  What else was Jay supposed to do as a professional son, though, when his mom didn’t need some family arm candy?

  Would he ever get to hold a real position in the company? Would he ever get to have a family dinner where he was celebrated for his successes?

  The subject of a new fashion line for college students came up during a meeting, pulling Jay from his cloud of self-doubts.

  “Are they going to be able to afford our clothes?” Jay whispered to his mother while the proposer continued his PowerPoint show.

  Dee stared at him over the rim of her violet sunglasses. Even in a dark room, she never took them off.

  “I think most college students are broke.” Jay pulled up Isla’s SuddenPic on his phone. “Isla does some kind of activism about student loans.”

  “Student loans don’t keep people from buying clothes.” Dee glanced at the phone. “I suggest you do your own research. Now let’s pay attention to the proposal.”

  Jay watched the PowerPoint presentation for another few minutes. His mother’s comment never quite left him, though, so he took his phone back out.

  Perhaps he could just pay off everyone’s student loan debts. What good was wealth if he didn’t spend it? How much debt could Americans possibly be in from education?

  Search results told him $1.5 trillion.

  All right. That idea was tabled.

  Following his mother’s advice—while ignoring her occasional glares—Jay continued reading more into the student loan crisis.

  Tuition Continues to Skyrocket, Leaves Students Without Options

  Interest Rates for Borrower to Increase

  U.S. Economy in Trouble, Thanks to Student Loans

  With each article Jay read, the more astonished he became at how utterly fucked up the system was.

  It shouldn’t have surprised him, considering how much the government loved to siphon life out of anyone. Still, he understood why Isla had resolved to make things better for people—why she had glowed with determination when she told him she wouldn’t give her activism up.

  Admiration for Isla bloomed in Jay’s chest.

  If he could be a little more like her, he could be something besides a professional son.

  All the articles, numbers, and stories about student loans clouded Jay’s thoughts, long after the meeting ended.

  Reporters waited outside of the hotel as Jay journeyed with his mother for lunch. Noreen and Isla escorted them.

  Dee began answering questions in Italian. She often gave the reporters exactly four minutes of her time before pointing them to Noreen.

  Jay spoke Italian, too, but reporters rarely bothered him when his mother was around. She attracted people like the Trevi Fountain; he was the place nearby that served gelato. One can get gelato anywhere. There was only one Dee Hancock-Strauss.

  Jay glanced at Isla. Her eyes were as wide as dinner plates as she took in the circus of flashing lights and microphones. She looked amazing in a loose-knit sweater, plaid skirt, and black leggings. He rarely got the chance to dress people, and it pleased him to see one of his outfits on someone besides himself.

  Her pale cheeks left him worried, though.

  “Are you okay?” he asked Isla. “Too many people?”

  “Huh?” Isla gripped the violet lanyard around her neck. “I’m fine! Is there something I can get for you?”

  Jay shook his head.

  “Jayden-James!” A reporter waved to him. “Can I get a moment?”

  Huh. An English-speaking person. Not unusual, but they still preferred to talk to his mother.

  “Hello,” Jay said, for lack of any better way to start an impromptu interview. Isla distanced herself almost immediately.

  The reporter held the mic out to Jay. “We understand a university line has been proposed. What does it mean to dress the part for academic success?”

  Jay supposed he should have said something about how college students shouldn’t wear pajamas to class, but the articles he had read weighed heavily on his mind. “Do you know about the student loan debt crisis?”

  The reporter blinked.

  In Jay’s peripheral vision, Isla mirrored the same surprise.

  “It’s good if college students are well-dressed, I suppose.” Jay brought a thumb to his lapel, focusing on the crystal brooch accentuating his pu
rple blazer. “But is fashion accessible to them when they have to take out massive loans to pay for education?”

  The reporter continued holding their mic to Jay. More photographers turned to him.

  Jay’s gaze swiveled to Isla. “Sorry if that’s a weird response, but we can’t design a fashion line aimed at college students while ignoring their problems. We are doing extensive research.”

  A gorgeous smile slowly unraveled across Isla’s face.

  Research.

  Was that all he could do, or could he do more?

  * * *

  Isla refrained from reading the comments to online articles, but she found herself constantly refreshing the article a popular gossip site had posted about Jay’s earlier remarks. Even while she got ready in her hotel room for dinner, she couldn’t keep her eyes off the tablet.

  Some people remarked on his outfit or talked about how handsome he was (one particularly inspired poster referred to Jay as “Dapper Daddy” and invited him to “raw” them). Others complained about the high cost of Hancock-Strauss clothes. Most discussed student loans.

  People shouldn’t take out student loans if they can’t repay them.

  My $80,000 debt is finally paid off after fifteen years! I don’t want anyone else to go through that.

  The job market doesn’t favor marginalized people, especially people of color. How are we supposed to pay off our loans?

  It’s not fair to make debt repayment easier or erase debts if other people worked hard to pay their loans off!

  In the years Isla had spent with the EFSLRA, she understood there was no perfect solution to the problem that would please everyone. She also knew nothing would get done if people didn’t rally for change.

  Having a celebrity like Jay mention the crisis helped. He probably wouldn’t talk about it again, but he had done more than most rich people had.

  Isla studied the pictures included with the article.

  Not a single photo showed off Jay’s stunning eyes. For someone who made a lot of eye contact in person, the kind that makes one dizzy with anticipation, he never met a camera head on.

  Isla’s phone buzzed, pulling her away from the tablet.

  Come get me when you’re ready, Jay said.

  It was preposterous to have dinner in Milan with her celebrity boss, but Jay had insisted on it. Something to celebrate Isla’s first time in Europe.

  Isla smoothed the fabric of the teal dress along her middle.

  This was the only time she’d let Jay treat her to such an extravagant meal. In the future, after she caught up on some past-due bills, she would buy him an equally nice dinner. Something to thank him for showing her college hadn’t been a waste.

  Isla ambled down the hall. The family owned this floor of the hotel since they flew in to Milan often. Rather than numbers, each door had its resident’s name on it.

  She knocked on Jay’s door. He answered it almost immediately and nearly caused Isla to faint from his splendidness.

  Jayden-James Hancock epitomized the very definition of divine. The gold tones of his floral tuxedo jacket made his smooth, brown skin glow. Teal butterflies were embroidered among the flowers, the same teal as her dress. His eyeliner was thicker than usual with a few blue sparkles along the edges. No glasses.

  The most glittery thing about Jay tonight, though, was his smile.

  She hadn’t seen his lips curve upward before. His smile could easily turn a billion dollars into worthless scraps of paper.

  A wisp of heat crept into her cheeks. Isla suddenly understood that online commenter begging Jay to raw them.

  Jay’s smile only lasted for a moment. When he went back to his usual, uncomfortable self, disappointment washed through Isla.

  Isla adjusted the shoulder strap of her bag. “You look fantastic.”

  Despite all the new stuff she had, she hadn’t managed to let go of this vital accessory. Every button on her bag told a story—her favorite anime, every indie rock band she had seen live, her college extracurriculars, words she found comforting (sunshine, cats, tomorrow). The bag let the world know more about Isla Dyer at a glance than her SuddenPic profile ever could.

  She expected Jay to comment on the bag. Remark that it didn’t vibe with the opulence associated with her job.

  Instead, sincerity shined in his voice as he said, “I was thinking the same of you.”

  God, what a shame he was her boss and not...something else...

  Isla forced out a chuckle. “The cab is ready downstairs.”

  “Great.”

  They walked to the elevator together, at a pace slow enough Isla wouldn’t trip over her heels.

  Isla pressed the button. “Thanks for bringing up the student loan debt crisis earlier. You didn’t have to.”

  “It was relevant to the conversation.” Jay gestured for Isla to enter the open elevator first. “My SuddenPic mentions are a disaster now though.”

  “What do you think of their comments?” Isla selected the first floor. “Or what you read, anyway. I assume you didn’t read much.”

  Jay leaned against the wall next to Isla. “No, I read everything they said. It’s a serious, worldwide problem. Some of my followers were telling me about their issues. Even in countries with free tuition, students have to borrow for expenses.”

  Isla gaped at him.

  Was it bad that she was more attracted to him now?

  She silently chastised herself. She shouldn’t be interested in men just because they showed a basic level of decency toward other humans.

  “Can I boost the EFSLRA on my SuddenPic?” Jay glanced at her. “Does it need donations? I don’t really understand how it works.”

  This man was making it really, really hard to be disinterested in him.

  Her thoughts drifted to her first day of work. The stunning, powerful Noreen inside her messy, cramped apartment.

  Isla took a deep breath. “That’s so sweet of you. You don’t have to involve yourself. I know it’s not an issue that concerns you—”

  Jay met her eyes. “It concerns me.”

  They reached the first floor of the hotel, but Jay didn’t make an effort to leave the elevator. Isla remained in the box with him, captivated by his serious gaze.

  “I’ve never done a day’s hard work in my life,” Jay said as the doors closed. Vulnerability shined in his voice. “You work hard all the time. Most people do. The difference between us is money.”

  Was he truly baring his heart to her?

  Jay adjusted his cuff. “I can’t pay off everyone’s debts, but surely I can do something with my money and fame.”

  “You can.” Isla pressed the open button and tried to ignore the giddiness brewing in her chest. “You must be hungry. We should hurry.”

  She started to leave, but Jay grabbed her hand.

  They hadn’t made any kind of physical contact before. It frustrated Isla how much she enjoyed having his warm grip around her fingers while his eyes blazed with that confident determination he only bore around a room full of clothes.

  “Can we take a raincheck?” Jay asked. “I want to start helping right away.”

  Isla made no effort to break away from him. “Are you sure? Aren’t you hungry? You always dine around seven, and it’s almost ten.”

  “We can order room service.” Jay squeezed her hand. “Please let me finally be useful.”

  Her heart flipped.

  Isla didn’t care at all for five course dinners. She cared about ensuring people could get an education and still be able to eat something besides instant noodles.

  She also understood how frustrating it was to feel useless. Unqualified.

  If her boss shared the same values, she wanted to work alongside him.

  * * *

  Once the conference in Milan ended, Jay and his mother were the only members of their family to fly back home immediately. The long flight to New York was nothing new to Jay, but the snoozing Isla next to him a pleasant addition.

  She had b
een so excited going to Milan—admiring the sleeper beds, large screens, and every other luxury that came with first class—that she didn’t dare blink in fear of missing a moment. It had been precious to watch her then, but Jay found himself more enamored by Isla’s present condition. She had worked so hard all week in Milan with helping Jay build his awareness campaign on top of her regular assistant duties. To finally see her replace her tablet with a worn paperback Alyssa Cole novel and catch some z’s...

  Jay swallowed hard.

  His smartwatch lit up with a message from his mother. Come see me.

  Leave it to Signora Strauss to text her son a few seats away instead of getting up herself. Jay supposed they would go over a magazine layout or a new sketch. Nothing that actually required his opinion; it was just how Dee bonded with her children.

  As Jay got up, he pulled his blanket out of the sleeper’s drawer. He set Isla’s book aside and covered her with the blanket. Before he walked away, he tucked a few locks of Isla’s silky curls behind her ear.

  It was nice to take care of his assistant for once. For the past two weeks, Isla greeted him with coffee and a smile every morning, and she made sure he was ten minutes early to every appointment. Hiring her had been a fabulous decision.

  His gaze meandered to her soft-looking lips. It would have been nice if he had been gutsy enough to ask her on a date like he initially wanted, but he just wasn’t meant to be with her in that way. Even his attempt at a romantic-but-still-professional dinner had gone up in smoke because his insecure self wanted to do some good.

  Jay sighed. Some drafted social media posts would go live in a few hours. His campaign would begin soon, one he had no idea how his fans would react. Did an heir to a multi-billion dollar company have a place championing for more transparency in the loan process and better loan rates?

  Another message came through on his watch. He didn’t need to read it to know it was his mother.

  He reluctantly left Isla’s side and joined his mother in her suite. She practically had a room to herself on flights. Her corner sleeper was guarded with a privacy curtain, stocked with endless bottles of sparkling water, and had a couch for her to run meetings.