Bad Liar (The Reed Rivers Trilogy #1) - Lauren Rowe Page 0,46
And that pisses me off, all over again. Without a thought in my head, I raise both middle fingers into the air out the back window before turning around and taking several deep, shaky breaths... before, finally, letting the anger and embarrassment I’ve been holding back seep out of me in the form of big, soggy tears.
Chapter 15
Reed
“Reed!” CeeCee says brightly, picking up my call. “How’s my favorite music mogul?”
“Fantastic, thanks. I just landed in New York, and I’m on my way to meet up with the Goats at their hotel.”
“Oh, how I love the adorable Goats! Tell them I said hello.”
“I will. They’re kicking off Good Morning America’s summer concert series on Monday.”
“How wonderful.”
“What about you, CeeCee? What’s my favorite media mogul-ess up to this week?”
“Well, sadly, I’m not in New York escorting 22 Goats to Good Morning America. You’ve got me beat there. But I’ve got a few exciting things lined up before I’m scheduled to jet off to meet my darling Francois in Bali.”
“Oh, God, I love Bali. Where are you staying?”
She tells me about her trip’s itinerary for a bit and then says, “Thank you again for yesterday. Angela was thrilled with the lineup of the panel—particularly, that she was able to snag a superstar like you as the event headliner.”
“I wasn’t the headliner. You were. I was just another panelist.”
“Ha! Don’t attempt false modesty with me. I didn’t have a line out the door afterwards. Did all those students want to ask you questions about the music industry, or did they just want to flirt with you?”
“Actually, most of them wanted to give me their music demos.”
“Of course, they did. And... ? Did you discover anyone particularly intriguing?”
My stomach clenches. Did CeeCee notice me losing my shit over Georgina? Is she fucking with me by asking me that? “No, not really,” I say, my heart pounding. “I don’t accept unsolicited demos, as you know.”
“Yes, and I think that’s wise. If word got out you did, you’d need bodyguards twenty-four-seven, not just at music festivals. All the more reason I’m grateful you were willing to subject yourself to the onslaught yesterday.”
“It was my pleasure. Anything for you.”
“Aw, thank you. That’s wonderful to hear because, actually, there’s something else I’d like you to do for me: give me an in-depth interview for Dig a Little Deeper.”
I chuckle. “Not this again. Anything but that.”
“Why are you being so stubborn about this?”
“Why are you? Surely, you’ve got A-listers lined up around the block, wanting to get featured in your new magazine. Why do you keep coming after me?”
“Because everyone else has already been profiled a thousand times. You, on the other hand, are a glamorous man of mystery. You’re enigmatic, Reed. Inscrutable. We can all see you’re living an enviable life, or so it seems, but what’s behind the curtain? What does it take to keep all those plates spinning? And how much has your past influenced your current success? The world knows, generally speaking, you’ve had to overcome a lot to get where you are, and yet, you’ve never once been interviewed about any of it.”
And I never will, I think.
“Come on, Reed. You never let anyone peel back the layers of your onion. Let me be the first.”
“I’m quite content being an unpeeled onion. But, thanks.”
“I’m envisioning a cover story, honey. An up-close headshot on the cover with those gorgeous eyes of yours, front and center, staring into the reader’s soul... It’d be an interview bursting with my admiration and love for you. I’d show you as the inspiration you are.”
“I’m not an inspiration.”
“Yes, you are. And yet, nobody knows it because you always seem so polished. Let down your guard a little bit, and I promise it’ll be the best interview of your life.”
“CeeCee, nobody needs to know the nuts and bolts of me. How hard I’ve worked to get here. What I’ve overcome. Let them think I walk on water and bathe in Evian and shit diamonds and fuck supermodels every second of my golden life. That’s my brand—which, by the way, I’ve meticulously cultivated in order to sell a shit-ton of music over the years.”
CeeCee sighs with disappointment. “I think an in-depth interview would be even better for your ‘brand.’ I truly do. It’d be a win-win.”
“I’m sorry,” I say. “It pains me to say no to you about anything, love. In some ways, you’ve been more of a mother to me than my own. But—”