I couldn’t believe he was actually going through with this. He’d probably been coerced into going solo by Diane and whoever else she was working with now. It was so weird not to know. It was her team now, and they certainly didn’t answer to me anymore.
My agent sent me the questions Jagger approved. He could’ve changed everything, and I’d relinquished all control over the situation.
Raven picked her head up off my shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, Ma. He won’t say anything stupid.”
It wasn’t him I was worried about. It was the vulture seated across from him I didn’t trust for a second. Robyn Donnelly. I’d watched her take down more than one celebrity with the precision of a surgeon. And like a true professional, she’d laugh about it afterward over drinks while someone else cleaned up the carnage.
“He looks different.” Kari frowned. “Actually, that’s not true. This how he always looks when he’s not with you. Totally closed off. Look at his body language. Arms crossed, not making eye contact, and he sounds like he wants to be anywhere but there.”
“Can you blame him?” I managed a laugh and picked up the remote so I could rewind the little bit we missed while Kari was talking. If he’d meant to tear my heart out from the very beginning, I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss a second of it.
“Tonight we have Jagger Holiday with us, whose short television career has been a whirlwind of scandal and speculation. Thanks for joining us tonight.”
He shifted in his seat and gave one of those thousand-watt smiles that made him so good at his job. The one on TV, too. “My pleasure.”
“He’s good,” Kari muttered.
“It seems like the renovation show, Second Chances, would’ve also been a second chance for you. The day you made your debut on Great Start Today, we learned that you had also worked as a male escort. What can you tell us about that?”
He leaned forward in his chair. My heart fluttered. “What do you want to know?” he asked.
The interviewer gulped. Once she got a hold of herself, she licked her lips and softened her gaze. Bitch. “As much as you want to tell us. Did you get paid to have sex with the women who hired you?”
Straight for the jugular. The slight shake of Jagger’s head made it clear that she missed. “No. I was hired to provide companionship.”
She twisted her lips in frustration. Jagger wasn’t the easy target she’d pegged him to be. “And what did that companionship include?”
“Whatever the clients wanted. If they needed someone to take them to a function, show them a city they were unfamiliar with, or whatever they requested. There wasn’t a typical client.”
“Did that include having sex with them?”
Jagger pressed his lips together. “No. The agreement did not include sex.”
“Thank God,” Kari said under breath.
“Did you have sex with any of your clients, Jagger?”
Kari squeezed my hand and picked up the remote to pause it. “He better answer this right.”
I snatched the remote back from her. She had a lot at stake, but this wasn’t about her. I managed to keep that to myself.
“Yes,” Jagger said as soon as I pressed play. Kari sucked in a sharp breath. My heart had already been pounding, but the beat changed. “But it wasn’t part of the contract. It was a decision between two consenting adults.”
“Did you have sex with Beth Barnes? She seems to think you were in breach of contract.”
“Don’t you dare say anything.” Kari didn’t unclench her teeth as she coached Jagger from five hundred miles away. This interview was harder on her so far than it was on me, although that would take a drastic turn as soon as I was mentioned, which would be any second. This was probably news to Middle America, but he hadn’t dropped any true bombshells yet.
“I’m not able to talk about the lawsuit, but I will say—I didn’t sleep with her.”
Kari groaned, but I loved it. We didn’t get many opportunities to fire back at our attackers. Between the pending lawsuit and being a decent human being, we often walked away looking weak. Funny how being the better person did that.
“The lawsuit has been dismissed.” The interviewer gave one more not so subtle shove. “Maybe she wasn’t so clear about the contract terms.”
Jagger leaned back in his chair like he’d do anything to get away from her. “Explaining a contract was never part of my job description.”
“Stupid.” Kari buried her head in her hands. “That could come back and kick us in the ass later.”
“You said nothing else would come of the lawsuit.” Honestly, I didn’t care anymore. My ass had been kicked enough already. Plus, I knew what was coming next.
Kari paused the show again. “For you. The agency could still be under fire. It wasn’t a smart thing to say.”
Robyn’s lips curled into that no-good smile I’d seen too many times. If there were rainbows in Hell, that’s what they’d look like. “Speaking of job descriptions, how did you meet Leah Godfrey?”
He shifted in his seat. Raven squeezed my arm so hard I’d have finger-shaped bruises. If he didn’t answer fast, I’d pass out. There was only so long I could hold my breath. “She was a client.”
Robyn’s face lit up. Finally he’d thrown her a bit of meat that she could sink her fangs into. “How long was she one of your clients?”
“I’d rather not say.”
“Did the two of you have a relationship outside of the escort-client relationship?”
“Yeah,” he said softly.
“Is that common? For escorts to date their clients?”
Jagger shook his head. “Not for me.”
“What made you decide to take the leap into something more personal with Ms. Godfrey? Were you hoping to use her connections to get a job on Second Chances?”
He laughed. “No.”
She wrinkled her brow in confusion. “Then what was it?”
“Everything about her.” I missed that light in his eyes so much. He always had it when he talked about his photography, but I never realized the same thing happened when he talked about me. “You’ve seen her on TV. How she loves making things better. The way she doesn’t realize she’s doing it. She sees the beauty in everything and everyone.”
“Sounds like you’re quite smitten with her.”
“I am.” All the tension was gone. He’d totally relaxed, confident in his declaration. The first tear slipped down my cheek and the rest of them raced to follow.
I should’ve gone. I abandoned him, and he still loved me. I was a fool if I let that slip through my fingers.
“Are the two of you still a couple?”
I held my breath, waiting for his answer. “No.”
“Ms. Godfrey had been invited to participate in this interview.”
Jagger nodded.
“Any idea why she didn’t come?”
“She missed her flight.” That tone was back, I knew the Jagger shut down well.
But Robyn was new to all of it. “Is there anything you’d planned to say to her? She might be watching.”
Might be watching. Like I was capable of anything else.
He took a deep breath, raking his hand through his hair. “So many things.” Jagger looked off-camera. “But not here. We’ll both know when the time is right.”
Robyn thanked Jagger, batting her eyelashes at him one more time. Any softness that had emerged when he talked about me faded. A commercial flashed on the screen and I fell back against the couch cushion.
“See?” Raven pushed my arm. “Told you everything would be okay.” Babysitting duty over, she dropped the blanket in my lap and put her headphones in before heading back upstairs.
I eyed Kari. “I don’t know about okay.” The show had moved to the next segment, and I knew Jagger was somewhere inside that building, living my old life, even if it was just for a night. As much as I wanted to see him, feel his muscles move under my touch, and brush my lips against his cheek, leaving a streak of lips
tick behind, I didn’t envy him. After watching the interview, I thought maybe we did have a chance. I’d braced myself for bitterness, contempt, any sign that he’d moved on without me. Instead, I was left with an intensified craving for Jagger. “I think he handled it pretty well.”
“Yeah, there’s a couple things he said that we might have to smooth over, but all in all, not bad for someone who’s not a professional television personality. He’s smooth. Too smooth.” Kari scoffed, picking up her wine glass. “Still amazing the way he opens up for you. Like a flower finding the sun.”
“You keep saying that and it isn’t getting any less weird.” I poured wine into my empty glass. I’d refused to touch any of it until I watched the interview. “I didn’t notice anything different about him tonight. He’s just Jagger.”
I couldn’t wait until I could call him mine again.
Kari finished her wine in one gulp. Oh, shit. “I was never going to tell you this—“
“Tell me.” I knew I’d be hit with a sledgehammer tonight. I had no idea it would come from my best friend.
She repositioned herself so she faced me and smiled. “Let me finish before you freak out. I went out with Jagger once before. He doesn’t seem to remember that night, or me, and I’m more than happy to keep it that way. He was one of the first escorts I ever hired. To say we didn’t hit it off...is an understatement.”
I wanted to say something, I really did. But I was frozen in shock. “When?” I finally managed.
“I was still working as a legal assistant. I got sent down to Miami to gather some evidence, and I needed someone to accompany me to a party that I basically crashed.” Kari grabbed the wine bottle, refilling her glass to the brim. “He was an asshole all night. Almost blew my cover. I got through it, and wished him good riddance.”
“That doesn’t seem like Jagger.”
“Obviously, I called Barry in the morning. Told him I wanted him fired. Barry laughed at me. We actually became friends because of Jagger. He told me Jagger ran hot and cold, he wasn’t cut out for being an escort in the companionship sense, but the clients who hired him for straight-up sex loved him. Barry suggested I give him another try, for that purpose, but I declined. That was before I discovered the joys of hate fucking.” Kari laughed. “That’s why I never wanted you to go out with him in the first place.”
I grabbed her glass and drank from it. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You had your heart set on him the minute you saw him. I tried to warn you, but you were having none of it. That’s why I kept telling you to proceed with caution, but you jumped in, head first.” Kari laughed. “I’m glad you didn’t listen to me.”
“Really?” I cocked an eyebrow. “You lost your job over it.”
Kari leaned back on the cushion, taking the blanket in my lap with her. “I’ll get another job. Private firms pay a lot for people with government experience. The funny thing is, as the lawsuit came out and all the crap went down, it felt like the worst thing that ever happened. I thought to myself, that bitch won. She finally fucking got us. But the joke will be on her. On all of them. They can waste their whole lives trying to ruin ours, and every time we’re going to thrive. Things will be good again soon, Leah. For all of us.”
I leaned in and hugged her. She was right, as long as I could convince Jagger of that.
Chapter Thirty-One
Jagger
“You did great.” Robyn, the interviewer, followed me back into the makeup room. “It’s not easy, going live like that. I didn’t know if you’d be able to pull it off.”
The makeup artist had given me a warm towel to wipe away my makeup. I pulled it away from my face and looked at Robyn’s reflection. She fixed her lipstick and smiled at herself, sliding her gaze over to mine.
“I wanted to get it over with,” I said. And get the hell out of there.
“You’d never know. You’re a natural.” Robyn leaned on the counter, so close to me. “It’s a shame Leah couldn’t make it. I would’ve liked to see her.”
“You and me both.” I sighed, tossing the towel into the bin. I shrugged into my jacket and nodded to Robyn. “Have a good night. Thanks for throwing me some softballs out there.”
“Hey.” She grabbed my arm. “Are you staying in New York tonight? Want to get a drink, maybe a bite to eat?”
“It’s been a long day. I’m gonna head back to the hotel. Thanks anyway.” I gave her the most sincere smile I could manage and slid free of her grasp.
“Do you want company?” she called after me.
I didn’t turn all the way around; instead I met her halfway in the mirror. She bit her lip, and I knew that look. I wasn’t familiar with Robyn, but women had given it to me all my life. She thought she had me.
“No, thank you.”
Her heels clicked behind me and she managed to beat me to the door. “I’ll pay.” Her face fell as she realized that was the wrong thing to say. “If it makes it better for you.”
I probably deserved that. “Good night, Robyn.”
Her demeanor flipped one hundred and eighty degrees like I’d thrown acid in her face. “Are you serious? You’re saying no? I went easy on you because—“
“Because you had nothing. Sorry you didn’t get your big story. I’m not going to pity fuck you because of it, either. No matter how much money you offer me.”
She gasped. “There’s more to this, Jagger. I have sources. There’s no need for me to hold back.”
Bullshit. “You’re blackmailing me?” Too bad I didn’t record this conversation. It would stop whatever she had planned dead in its tracks.
“I think I made you a reasonable offer.” She batted her eyelashes and tried to make herself look like something less than the she-devil she just exposed herself to be.
“Good night, Robyn.”
I needed to get the hell out of there. I scanned the set, looking for a familiar face, and caught Shannon’s eye. She approached as soon as she saw me.
“Hey, Diane wants to talk to you before you leave.” She looked at the notes on her tablet. “Nothing big, she’s already had me call a car for you.”
“Good. I think my work here is done.”
“Tell me about it, I’ve been here since eight this morning.” Shannon shook her head. “Will you please tell Leah I’m thinking of her?”
I nodded. I didn’t have the heart to tell her if I saw Leah I’d tell her the same exact thing. Diane intercepted me before I had a chance to speak.
She motioned for me to have a seat once we got in her office. So much for being quick. “Great job tonight, Jagger.”
“Thanks.” I wasn’t sure why she’d called me in, but it wasn’t purely for a compliment. “And I appreciate that Robyn stuck to the list of questions we’d agreed on.”
“It wasn’t my objective to throw you under the bus. Now Leah, pulling a no-show on us...” Diane shook her head, trying to erase the image of Leah. “A lot of people would’ve cracked under the pressure. But you really are a natural in front of the camera.”
“I wanted to make sure I did everyone justice.” I considered telling her that Robyn just offered to pay me for sex as I put my hands on the arms of the chair. “Is that all?”
“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about your future with the network. Despite the scandal, they love you. People respond to you immediately. You’re trending again now, you even have your own hashtag. It wouldn’t have to be anything big. Even a Great Start segment. We can work together to develop the content so it suits your interests and the needs of the audience. That was one of the reasons we wanted to do this show tonight, to get a better look at you on screen.”
Fuck. The night kept getting worse. “You want me to take Leah’s job.”
There was no fucking way I’d do that. Before I factored out the bullshit with Robyn, taking Leah’s job would be rubbing her nose in everything that happened in the last couple of weeks. Leah was the only reason I was there. Without her, I wanted nothing to do wit
h Great Start Today, the network, or any hashtag bullshit.
“Keep it in the family, right?” Diane’s laughter died out quickly. “Listen, I know you said yes to Leah, and not necessarily to the job. I’m not sure what your circumstances are with her. It’s not my business. We would’ve had Leah back in the rotation eventually, but tonight made things more difficult. Regardless, this could be a huge opportunity for you. Whatever your goals are, this will put them in reach. If this is something you want to do, don’t let Leah hold you back. No matter what, she wants the best for everyone. Especially you.”
**
I ordered room service when I got back to the hotel. The only person I’d wanted to see that night was Leah, and that sure as hell wasn’t happening. I kept hoping her cryptic text message was followed by a place to find her, but instead, radio silence. She was the only reason I came. It didn’t matter that I was contractually obligated to do it. If I didn’t think I’d have a chance to see her, I would’ve never stepped on the plane. I never considered she’d back out to avoid seeing me.
Ms. Godfrey didn’t make her flight. Bullshit. Leah would never miss a work obligation. Even when I begged her to stop working, getting down on my knees beside her desk chair and distracting her until she finally fucking relaxed, she got things done. If it hadn’t been for that text, I would’ve been calling hospitals looking for her.
I’m sorry. I was, too, Leah. For walking away from everything that was good at the first sign of panic and having the audacity to think I could fix it when I was ready. On my terms. That we could pick up where we left off like we paused a TV show. For someone who had as much experience with women as I did, I was foolish and naïve when it came to relationships. I could have a woman, but I had no idea how to keep her.
The call went straight to voicemail. I should’ve left a message, but I should’ve done a lot of things before now and maybe things wouldn’t be so fucked up. As usual, I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know how to stop the bleeding and make things better. Whatever words came out of my mouth wouldn’t be enough to get her back.
Wrapped Around My Finger Page 18
