Secret Relations: Women in Hollywood, Book 1 (4 page)

Chapter Nine

Charlotte felt relieved after working out and having a mid-day break with her friends. But her relaxed mode was soon broken the moment she got Priscilla’s phone call. She’d logged on to the internet the minute she got in her office.

Social media exploded with speculation about Sean and Dana’s love affair. Some people were theorizing why he could have killed Dana. Charlotte knew how hateful people could be but the things they were saying about Sean were uncalled for. Some of the articles she read were from reputable websites. It was obvious they hadn’t checked their sources. Just because Sean wasn’t talking to them, didn’t mean he was guilty.

Despite her worry for Sean, she’d dispatched Jason to his location because she didn’t trust herself around him. She cared about Sean and the mere fact that people were attacking his character upset her. She needed to calm down so she could effectively handle the situation without making it worse.

Felicia knocked on the door and entered her office. She used her notepad to fan herself. “Someone’s here to see you.”

“I don’t have anyone on my calendar. Did you forget to sync our schedules again?”

“No. I will never make that mistake again,” Felicia said.

“Who is it?”

“He wanted it to be a surprise but I’ll give you a hint. He’s fine and did I say hot?” She touched the top of her chest. “And I mean sizzling hot.”

Charlotte shrugged her shoulders. “That could be any one of our clients. We do represent some of the best in the entertainment business.”

“I’ll just send him in. Fix your hair,” Felicia ordered, before leaving.

Charlotte didn’t think anything was wrong with her hair but glanced in the mirror anyway just in case. She pulled the flyaway over her ear.

Charlotte looked up and her eyes locked with Sean’s.

He walked into the room, his earthy cologne filling the space immediately.

“What...what are you doing here?” Charlotte stuttered.

“Since you wouldn’t come to me, I had no choice but to come to you.”

The closer Sean walked towards Charlotte, the louder her heart beat.

To her surprise, he stopped and sat in the chair in front of her desk.

“But what happened with Jason? He was supposed to call me if you guys had problems. My phone hasn’t rung.”

“That’s because I haven’t met Jason yet. He’s probably just getting to my place. I left as soon as you and I hung up the phone.”

Charlotte tapped her fingers on the desk. “You can’t pop up at my office like this.”

Sean eased to the edge of his seat. “Am I making you nervous?”

“No...it’s just that—”

Sean laughed, a beautiful sound that seemed to fill the room. “I wish I had time to tease you, but I don’t. I need you.”

“If it’s about last night, this is neither the time nor the place to discuss it,” Charlotte interrupted.

“If this was about last night, I wouldn’t be on this side of the desk. And you would be sitting, but it wouldn’t be in that chair but on my—”

“Come on, Sean. Please,” Charlotte interrupted him again. She wished she had a glass of ice to cool her off. The thought of riding him like she did last night made her panties moist.

Sean pulled out his iPhone and handed it to Charlotte. “All of those reporters and cameramen are parked outside of my house.”

Charlotte scrolled down the page of the website. “I thought this thing with Dana was squashed. Who is this source at the police station leaking stuff?”

“According to TMZ, it’s a reliable source and nothing they’ve said thus far hasn’t been true. But people are taking every little bit of information and blowing it all out of proportion,” Sean responded.

Charlotte handed Sean back his phone. She picked up her phone and dialed Jason’s number. “I know. He’s here with me. Head back to the office. Don’t talk to any of the reporters.”

Charlotte disconnected the call with Jason and put her attention back on Sean. She didn’t like the distressed look on his face.

“Some blogger accused me of being a womanizer. That, I’m not,” Sean proclaimed.

“I’ve read the same thing,” Charlotte admitted.

“You of all people should know not to believe everything you see or read from the media.”

Sean continued to look over things on his phone.

“I don’t. Just sharing with you what I read.”

Sean looked into her eyes. She stared back.

Neither said anything. The knock on the door broke their silence.

Felicia walked in the room giddily. “Sean, you’re the talk of the town. Just got a few calls about you.”

Charlotte went straight into PR mode. “Felicia, I want you to type a press release stating Sean will be holding a press conference tomorrow around noon. Since the majority of them have been camping outside of his house, it will be held there.”

Sean interrupted her, “I didn’t agree to a press conference.”

“Do you want my help or not?” Charlotte asked.

“Yes, but...”

“Sean, please let me do my job.”

“You do believe me when I said I didn’t have relations with Dana, don’t you?”

“What I believe doesn’t matter. It’s my job to make the public believe you’re innocent of that act.”

“Charlotte, I’m trusting you to help me out of this situation.”

“Good. We’re on the same page. Jason and I will be over first thing in the morning to prep you.”

“I’m a slow learner, so you might want to practice with me tonight.” Sean’s eyes twinkled.

Even under distress, Sean exuded sex appeal though she could see a bit of sadness in his eyes. Charlotte bit her bottom lip remembering how he made her body feel. She had to snap out of it. She needed to rescue Sean from this media nightmare.

“Sean, I wish I had time to go back and forth with you, but I don’t. You need to focus on what’s important and right now, it’s making sure we deal with what happened to Dana. You’ll hear from me later tonight.”

Sean stood. “I’m depending on you to get me out of this jam.”

“I’m glad you have faith in me.” Charlotte felt good knowing in spite of her rejection, he still had faith in her work.

Sean walked towards the door. He stopped and turned around. “For now, we can keep it strictly business. But there will be a time where you’ll have to deal with these unresolved emotions.”

Sean left without saying another word, leaving Charlotte alone to ponder over what he’d said.

Chapter Ten

Sean felt a little better after meeting with Charlotte. Knowing she was on his side eased some of the tension. Although Charlotte hadn’t come out and confessed her feelings for him, Sean knew within his heart Charlotte cared. The number of reporters camped outside near the curb seemed to have increased since he’d left. He eased his Escalade through the gate barely missing running over a few gung ho reporters who wouldn’t move out of his way.

“It’s a mad house out there and in here,” Priscilla said, as soon as he made it inside of the house.

“I see that. I just came from meeting Charlotte and she’s called a press conference for tomorrow.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. You haven’t seen the other things they are saying about you on the internet. Some people are accusing you of knowing Dana was bi-polar and purposely pushing her over the edge.”

“Let them talk. I had no idea of Dana’s mental state until she started stalking me. Even then, I didn’t know she was bi-polar. I’m not responsible for her death and I refuse to let anyone make me feel guilty about something that had nothing to do with me.”

Priscilla stared at Sean. “Please don’t repeat that to anyone else because that makes you sound so cold.”

Sean took a few deep breaths and walked away from Priscilla. He felt himself getting upset. He walked to the kitchen and poured himself a huge glass of orange juice. He hadn’t eaten anything all day so he decided to make himself a sandwich. He sat on the bar stool at the kitchen counter and ate. He turned on the television and started flipping through the channels. He turned it off when he kept coming across coverage about Dana. She wasn’t famous prior to her death but now she was on the lips of every news source.

Priscilla walked in with her iPad in one hand and her cell phone up to her ear talking. “Let me find out.” Priscilla stopped near him and asked, “When and where is this news conference?”

“Noon and outside near the gate,” Sean responded.

Priscilla repeated the information. She placed the phone to her side and asked Sean, “Do you need me to stay the night? I can, if you want me to.”

Sean shook his head. “No, not necessary. I have top of the line security. While driving home, I called Trevon with GT Securities and he’s going to come by to make sure everything’s working right.”

The doorbell rang. “That’s probably him now.”

“I’ll check,” Priscilla stated.

Priscilla verified who was on the other side of the door as Sean stood nearby.

Priscilla opened the door. A man a few inches shorter than Sean appeared in the doorway. He was dressed in a black suit minus the jacket.

“Come on in,” Sean said.

Trevon walked inside. Priscilla cleared her throat. Sean made a quick introduction. “Trevon, this is my assistant, Priscilla. Priscilla, Trevon.”

They shook hands. Priscilla smiled and batted her eyes.

“She was just leaving,” Sean informed him.

“I could stay.” Priscilla looked Trevon up and down.

“I got this. I’ll call you if I need you.” Sean gave her shoulder a quick reassuring squeeze.

“Bye, Trevon. Hope this won’t be the last time I see you,” Priscilla said, right before walking out the door.

“You have to excuse her,” Sean said. “She can be a little forthright.”

“She’s not bad on the eyes, but I’m not looking to settle down.”

“Priscilla likes to be the one in control so you might want to stay clear of her anyway.”

“Hmm. On second thought, I might need to catch up with her. I like to be dominated,” Trevon joked.

“T-M-I, my brother.”

An hour later, Sean was walking Trevon to the door. Trevon commented, “Everything looks good. Just make sure you start watching the monitors so you can see who is on the outside.”

Trevon and Sean said their good-byes. A few minutes later, the doorbell rang. Sean looked at the monitor and saw Charlotte and a man he didn’t know standing outside the front door.

Sean opened the door. “Come on in,” he said. Sean moved out of their way. He locked the door once they were inside.

“Sean, this is one of my associates, Jason Lewis.”

Jason and Sean shook hands. Sean didn’t like the fact Jason looked like he could have walked off of the covers of a fashion magazine. He was Sean’s height and underneath the tailor-made suit, Sean could tell Jason was fit. Sean tried to keep his jealousy at bay.

“Why don’t you two follow me to the den?”

“I would prefer if we held this meeting in your office.”

“Sure. You know the way.”

Sean allowed Charlotte to lead the way. Jason followed behind her. He noticed Jason checking out his place as they walked. “Nice place,” Jason commented.

“Thanks. This is what two point five million will get you,” Sean said.

“Nice,” Jason repeated himself.

“Would either of you like something to drink?” Sean asked, as Charlotte sat down in one of the plush leather chairs.

Jason sat next to Charlotte while still looking around.

“Nothing for me,” Charlotte responded.

“I’m fine for now,” Jason answered.

Charlotte removed printed sheets from the portfolio she’d been carrying. She turned the papers around to face Sean.

Sean read over the papers.

“Any questions?” Charlotte asked.

“No questions, just concerns,” Sean responded.

“Like what?” Jason asked.

“What if people still want to believe the worse?” Sean asked.

“We can’t control that. But you can control how you react and what you say. That’s why we’re here. To prepare you for that part,” Jason responded.

With Charlotte and Jason rallying behind him, Sean felt more at ease for the first time that day.

Chapter Eleven

Charlotte purposely sat across from Sean so their bodies wouldn’t be near one another. The smell of his cologne was affecting her libido. Several times she caught him staring at her with an intensity that made her bite her bottom lip. Thankfully Jason was there to keep them both on track.

“Let’s do a mock run,” Jason suggested.

Neither Charlotte nor Sean said anything.

Jason tapped Charlotte on the arm.

“Yes, we’re going to do a mock run,” Charlotte repeated what Jason had just said.

“We’ll pretend to be reporters. You relax and answer the questions as best as you can,” Jason added.

“What if someone asks me a question, I don’t want to answer.”

Jason and Charlotte looked at one another. Charlotte spoke out first. “Easy. Say, ‘no comment’.”

“What if someone asks me a difficult question?”

“We’ve got you covered. We’re going to equip you with an earpiece,” Jason said.

“I will be by your side the whole time. Jason will speak into your earpiece if he feels you need assistance answering a question,” Charlotte added.

“I’m normally not nervous about these things, but after reading some of the hateful things being said about me, I’m at a loss for words.” Sean looked down. The air of confidence he normally showed seemed to have disappeared.

“We’re Team Sean and we’ve got you. There’s nothing to worry about. Right, Charlotte?” Jason asked.

“He’s right. Now let’s practice.”

“Were you and Dana Reliford sexually involved?” Charlotte asked.

“No.”

“According to her friends, you two were an item,” Jason said.

“I’m not sure of what lie Dana told them, but Dana and I were never more than friends. She was my manager and nothing else.”

“Soften your tone a bit. You’re coming across as angry,” Charlotte pointed out.

“But this is upsetting that I have to defend myself against these false allegations.” Sean threw his hand in the air.

Jason said, “It’s frustrating, but you have to remain calm throughout. I will let you know when you need to show emotion but it’s a sad emotion, not coming from a place of anger.”

Charlotte and Jason spent the next hour doing a mock press conference, coaching Sean on how to respond to some of the most difficult questions. Jason raised his hand.

“Jason, put your hand down. This is not school.” Charlotte laughed.

“Sean, where’s your bathroom? I’ve held it as long as I can. I’m about to burst.”

“We can’t have that,” Sean responded. He pointed in the direction of the bathroom. “Go down the hall and it’s the third door to your right.”

“I’ll be right back.” Jason rushed down the hallway to the bathroom leaving Charlotte and Sean alone.

Charlotte pretended to be reading over the information on the piece of paper in front of her, but she could feel Sean’s eyes on her. An electric current ripped through her body the moment his hand touched hers. She jumped in her seat as he squeezed her hand.

“Thank you for helping me out,” Sean said.

She avoided eye contact but responded, “I’m just doing my job.”

“Do you make house calls for all of your clients?” he asked.

“Yes, sometimes I do.” Charlotte wasn’t lying. Either she or one of her associates would meet with their clients on movie sets, at home and even sometimes abroad if the situation required it.

Jason reappeared. Sean removed his hand and Charlotte exhaled.

Jason smiled. Charlotte noticed him looking back and forth at her and Sean.

Sean said, “It’s late. There’s a Chinese restaurant I like to order from. Let me find a menu and call and get something delivered.”

Jason yawned. “Nothing for me. I think I’m going to head home.”

Charlotte gathered the sheets of paper and began placing them back in the portfolio. “I guess I’ll head out too.”

Jason shook his head. “No, you stay. I’ll pick up something on the way home and I’ll see you both in the morning.”

“Jason, we came together. How am I supposed to get home? My car’s still at the office.”

“I have several vehicles or I can call you a cab. Besides, it’s a little late. I’m sure your car will be all right. I’ll have a cab take you home,” Sean offered.

“But...”Charlotte tried to protest, but neither one of the men would let her so she threw her hand up in the air.” You both win. I’ll stay and have dinner. I want shrimp fried rice and three wings.”

“Yes, ma’am. Let me walk Jason to the door then I’ll call in our order. Be right back.”

Charlotte stood, walked over to the window and peeked through the curtains. She watched Jason get in his car and pull off. The reporters must have called it a night because she didn’t see anyone near the gates.

Before she could turn around, she felt an arm around her waist. She closed her eyes and inhaled.

“Sean, I don’t think this is a good idea. After I eat, I want you to call me a cab and then I’m going home. In fact, save the food for me for tomorrow. You should probably call me a cab now.”

Sean’s arms dropped from around her waist. He gently turned her around. They were now face to face. “Please, don’t go. If it wasn’t for you, I don’t know how I would get through all of this. You have no idea of how alone I feel sometimes,” he confessed.

Charlotte felt her heart tug. “You have family and friends.”

Sean’s eyes darted away. “The only family I have left, that I can depend on is my sister, Marie, and we’ve already spoken.” He shared with Charlotte what happened to his parents.

“Oh no. I lost my parents to a tragedy too. But they weren’t shot, they were killed in a car accident,” Charlotte responded. Tears filled her eyes.

Sean took one of his hands and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

Charlotte sniffled. “I’m okay.”

“So will you stay?”

“Only if you behave.”

“I promise to be on my best behavior.” Sean held up two fingers. “Scout’s honor.”

“Were you a Boy Scout?” Charlotte asked.

“No.”

They both laughed.

Charlotte asked, “Sean, are you telling me everything? Is there something more about Dana I should know?”

Sean held Charlotte’s hand and looked down into her eyes. “I’ve told you everything. Dana was my manager and my friend. We were never intimate. I didn’t want her in that capacity. It was strictly business between us.”

“I hear you,” Charlotte responded.

“Please trust me. Can you do it for me?” Sean asked.

Charlotte nodded. “Don’t make me regret it.”

He kissed the back of her hand. “I’m trying to abide by your wishes but I can’t stop thinking about last night. I want you.”

Charlotte wanted Sean as much as he wanted her. Her heart pounded. He was so close, she was sure he could hear the sound of her rapid heartbeat.

“I want you too,” Charlotte confessed.

Sean bent down and kissed her lips. He eased his tongue inside of her mouth. She didn’t resist. Instead, she gasped, as her feet became light. As if sensing she was about to lose her balance, Sean scooped her into his arms and carried her to his desk, sitting her atop of it. He eased Charlotte’s skirt up around her waist. He rubbed the outside of her soaked panties before removing them. He threw them to the side of the desk. Charlotte could no longer deny the attraction so she gave in to her feelings. Sean’s head dove in between her legs. His soft lips made contact with her lips and he twirled his tongue in and out of her core.

Charlotte leaned her head back, wrapped her legs around his neck, and allowed Sean to pleasure her. The more she moaned, the more tricks he did with his tongue. She tried to control the sensation ripping through her body, but she couldn’t. Her legs shivered and she cried out in joy.