Baby Daddies - Tara Brown Page 0,7
arms around me. “Don’t cry at work. Just remember, you’re the paintball bitch who slaughtered the Rangers with a team of hillbillies. You don’t cry here. You save it for the shower like a winner.”
It takes a second before I button up my emotions and nod. “Thanks.”
“Okay, just stay calm. Stan won’t fire you. Everything will be fine. But I’ve got to get back to work. I legit can’t afford to get fired if I’m gonna be your sugar momma.” She squeezes my hand and leaves as I go back to pacing, taking deep breaths but it isn’t helping. I’ve been stuck at this same level of anxiety since I left LA.
Coming back from the junket was brutal. Josh arranged a private flight for me, but somehow the paparazzi knew where I lived and were waiting.
I spent Sunday night pacing while eating ice cream and staring at the varying TMZ reports coming in. They were accurate, apart from what they thought had happened between me and Liam.
It worsened the moment Stan sent a message saying he would need to see me Monday morning at eight am, sharp. The meeting of all the senior partners in the boardroom suggested trouble.
And now it’s ten in the morning and they haven’t come out.
Finally, the boardroom door opens and oddly enough Lawrence exits first, his eyes dart to me in the doorway of my office. The pained expression on his face stops my heart. Why’s he here? Oh God. Is he in trouble too?
He clenches his jaw and turns, walking to the elevator. He doesn’t try to speak to me. Stan follows him out with the senior partners and I don’t know what to make of it. He waves at someone leaving with Lawrence then makes his way to my office.
“Jenny, good, you’re here. Sorry that took so long. We weren’t expecting Mr. Eckelston to come in. But I’m glad he did.” He enters my office and I close the door for him. “Before we start, I want you to know, I’m disappointed. I thought you were ready to take on a client solo and now I see I was wrong.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Levisohn. What happened was all my fault and I’m so—”
“I know. I’m aware how far you’ll go for a client. It’s why you’ll still end up being my superstar, one day. Just not today.”
“You’re not firing me?” I gasp.
“No, God no. We know the story now, you’re hardly to blame.”
“Wait? What?” It dawns on me suddenly why Lawrence was here. “What did he say?” I ask, losing my usual ass-kissing tone.
“Mr. Eckelston told us he tried to get you to go out with him and you turned him down. So he followed you to LA, hoping to see you. Mr. Farringdon called him out on it and they fought, with Mr. Farringdon as the one defending your honor. Mr. Eckelston owned up to everything—”
“What!” I can’t believe what I’m hearing and end up laughing mockingly. “But the video shows Liam—”
“Yes, well his words weren’t gentlemanly. He said he was trying to provoke Mr. Eckelston, as he was aware of his feelings for you. Both are mindful of the effect their actions have had and the cleanup we must now do to sweep this under the rug. Mr. Eckelston isn’t planning to charge Mr. Farringdon for starting the fight. They would like to forget it ever happened. I think we can spin it as a bit of drunken misbehavior and add a nice touch of a poor Liam Farringdon who was defending the honor of Josh Snowdon’s sister. I couldn’t have planned this better myself. It’s the sort of news and sympathy Liam needs.”
“What?” I gasp again but all the ridiculous humor is gone. “You mean poor Liam Farringdon who put his hands all over me without my permission, to the point that Lori felt he had to come and smack him around to defend me? That poor Liam Farringdon? And why is my brother being dragged into the spin?” I’m about to throw up.
“That’s the business, Jenny. Defend and deflect. Lie, deny, blame the other guy. You know the rules.” Stan scoffs bitterly. “Your brother’s band adds a nice bit of distraction to it all, a little confusion to spice things up. And Mr. Eckelston is young and popular and a brilliant hockey player. He can afford some public rejection as payment for his misdeeds. Gives him a bad-boy edge hockey players like to have.”
“Misdeeds? He’s innocent.”
“Right, but they’re both our