Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 27257 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27257 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
“We tried to let you be an adult by yourself, and this is what happens. You need to come home so you can be protected from this nonsense. I’m going to have my lawyers file an injunction to have it removed.”
“No, you’re not, Dad. I was paid to be a model and do photos. It’s said and done, and there’s no way it’s going to come off the internet so easily. Besides, he’s already trying to have it removed.” It was a lie. We hadn’t discussed it, but I was trying to play devil’s advocate with my father.
“What do you mean he’s trying to have it removed?” he asked.
“The video was not approved by me nor the gentleman in it. The photos were supposed to be reviewed and decided on, and the video was supposed to be edited and decided on by us before it was added. He was quite furious when he noticed it this morning.”
“This morning? It’s only 8:00 a.m. here. Are you two involved?”
“Yes, Daddy. He’s my boyfriend.”
“So that’s the friend that allowed you to be so indecent in public.”
“No, it was his assistant, and that is how I met him. Now, if you’re going to be rude, I’m not going to talk to you, Daddy. I understand that you’re upset and you have an image to maintain, but it is a perfume ad, which is pretty normal, and I’ve seen you and Mother look at them while she is selecting perfumes so don’t pretend that if it was anybody else you wouldn’t have cared, or because I’m your daughter it matters. It was a one-time deal out of a rush and necessity. Now I have my real job to get prepared for, so if you’ll excuse me, I have to get ready for work.” The line went dead and I fought back tears, doing my best to get ready for work. It took all my effort to shower and dress without falling apart.
I made it down my steps only to find a driver waiting for me. “Miss Kelly, I’m Ronald. Mr. Keaton asked me to drive you to work today.”
“Mr. Keaton?” I didn’t want anything to do with Henry. “James or Henry?”
“Oh, forgive me. Mr. James Keaton, ma’am.” I breathed a sigh of relief. I hadn’t wanted anything from Henry and hoped he learned his lesson.
“I will take the ride.” I slid inside the spacious town car and then he closed the door behind me.
“Would you like to stop for coffee before we head to your job, Miss?”
“Oh. I don’t believe we’ll have time?”
“According to the GPS, we’ll have plenty of time.” He set the destination, and we had more than half an hour. Wow.
“I’d like that.”
He drove me to the nearest bagel and coffee spot. “It’s a favorite of mine.” He winked, and then we stepped out and my heart nearly stopped. James and I were featured across the street. The one luxury of living in New York was no one noticed you. You could be dressed as a damn clown walking down Midtown, and not a soul would pay you any mind, so no one had put two and two together.
Everywhere I went, there I was. Images of me were plastered everywhere, and they were spectacular. There was a billboard in Times Square of James pinning me to the bed with his forearm on the mattress and his hand in my hair while he breathed me in, and the bottle of perfume is right at the cutoff of where our hips meet. It’s breathtakingly hot. Although it was provocative and my dad hated it, I loved how great we were together.
James’s driver opened the door and let me out. “Have a good day, Miss Kelly.”
“Thank you, Ronald.”
I walked into my job and got straight to work for about twenty minutes. My father called my cell again, but I sent it straight to voicemail this time. His words had already sent me into an emotional tailspin. A round two was too much for me.
A minute later, I foolishly went to the bathroom and listened to the message. You need to come home. I refuse to allow my daughter to be with some sleazy ad man who screws his innocent models. He’ll only ruin you.
Why was he saying these things about James? Did he really believe that, or was he just assuming James was bad because he’s a dad? I didn’t have time for it. I rinsed my face and then walked out to my desk, only to find my boss waiting for me with his arms crossed. “Well, I see why you have been anxious to get the fuck out of here early lately.” He turned his phone, and there was the video.
“Actually, I was doing a favor for a friend and filled in.”
“Wow, so your friends have you out taking your clothes off. I didn’t know you needed that kind of money. If you needed a raise, you could have asked for real responsibilities.”