Page 26 of Unromance

CHAPTER TEN

HOLIDAY HALLMARK MOVIE– Equal parts twinkling lights and patterned scarves, three dashes of hot-as-cocoa lingering looks, sprinkle in a tree-lighting ceremony, and serve up, at an ice skating rink in the town square.

All publicity is good publicity, Mason.”

Mason bit his tongue. Sometimes he wished he could vent to his mom and not have it become a TED talk on Moira West’s Five Steps to Making It as a Working Actor. He knew she thought she was helping. She made her career working on soaps, had faked relationships and frenemy feuds for publicity because viewers ate it up. But his relationship with Kara had been real—not media fodder. And this “good publicity” was having real repercussions on his career trajectory. Not that she knew that, because he still hadn’t told her he was leavingDiagnostics, because that would require him to tell her about Guiding Light and the impending LA move.

Mason groaned. Fuck. If he announced leaving the show now, it would look like he also left because of the breakup.

“Honey, you sound like a very sad cow. What’s wrong? I thought you and Kara were a PR stunt. I didn’t think it was serious. At least not serious enough that you bothered introducing us.”

That had been intentional. His mother’s meddling in his professional life had nearly destroyed their relationship ten years ago, and while she was better-ishabout it now, he wasn’t eager to find out how those plotting powers could be diverted to his personal life, if given the chance.

Family was everything to Moira West. She fed the media machine what they wanted to see and then retreated to her perfectly crafted private life. When she’d been his manager, she’d done the same for him, too. It was fine when he thought they were in it together. Then, when he was sixteen, he found out the real reason his crush had changed her tune about not dating costars. His mother had advised her to give him a shot, that it would be good buzz for the film. Everyone knew it was a PR relationship—except him. It wasn’t until she dumped him at the premiere after-party that he learned the truth. He and his mother didn’t speak for a long time after that.

“Mom,” he sighed placatingly. “I’m not like you. I never wanted to play the game the way you did.”

Moira sniffed fussily. “Well, that’s all well and good, Mason, but we’refamily. I really wish I didn’t have to find out about these things from the tabloids, honey.”

He’d told his mom about the breakup weeks ago, and she hadn’t been nearly as passionate about it then, so why was she so upset now? He snatched his phone off the dresser, hastily typing in Kara’s name.

He stumbled backward until his feet hit the bed frame, sinking onto the edge of the mattress.

People. E!Elle. TMZ. All had posted the same picture. She was wearing a beanie and sunglasses, but there was no mistaking that it was Kara snuggled into her new costar’s side. In her parents’ small-town Starbucks. The week before Christmas. With a ring on her left hand.

Kara Zhao and Peter Levine’s Whirlwind Romance

Peter and Kara Take the Heat Off-Screen

Everything You Need to Know About Peter and Kara, Our New Favorite It Couple

Mason didn’t “need to know” anything—in fact, he wished he knew less. But maybe this was a good thing. Maybe they’d finally leave him out of it. Oh,greaaat. TMZ had been kind enough to include that damn photo of bearded, disgruntled Mason, dredging back up the narrative that he wasn’t handling the breakup very well.

His mother seemed to be looking at the same article, tutting. “I really wish they’d used a better picture,” his mother’s voice trilled from his speaker.

“That’s kinda the point, Mom.”

She sighed in exasperation. “Well, I don’t like it. If you’d just let me leak something to course correct their coverage. Something tasteful about our holiday plans as a family—perhaps how excited I am to host your new lady friend for Christmas—”

“I’m not seeing anyone.”

“So? I could set you up, Brenda’s daughter is trying to break into modeling and—”

“Mom.No.”

Moira heaved a beleaguered sigh. “Fine. Well—I’m just sorry you still have to work with her. Speaking of,” she transitioned none too subtly. He should have started a timer to see how long it took her to pivot to prying into his work life, the only thing that trumped her love of prying into his romantic life. He’d worked hard to establish boundaries between work and family, but Moira West worked harder, drilling holes in the careful walls he’d built. They probably resembled Swiss cheese at this point. “Have you signed your renewal contract yet? You should use this buzz to get more money.”

He tuned her out as she told him a story about the time she’d taken the network for all they were worth to pay her as much as her male costar, a story he’d heard a hundred times.

His phone buzzed, and he opened the new text automatically, desperate for a reprieve.

running late! gimme five!! sorry!!!!! <3

Mason could’ve kissed Sawyer for her perfectly timed interruption. “Hey, Mom, I’ve gotta go.”

She cut off mid-story. “Meeting someone?” she asked hopefully. “A date? Youshouldbe seen out with someone new, dear.”

His derisive laugh was muffled as he tugged a soft Henley over his head. “The exact opposite of a date, actually.”

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