Page 34 of Good Girl's Guide to Love
And then all I saw was red.
I was going to hit him. I wasn’t even trying to talk myself out of it. I was going to lose my career over a woman I barely knew. And I still don’t know if I would’ve been sorry. The fucking asshole deserved it.
Then Ainsley saved me. Literally. When she jumped in my arms and distracted me just enough to bring me back to the present, I felt calmer. More collected. It was like I could feel my blood cooling with every second our lips touched.
I know she said that I saved her last night, but I don’t know how much she realizes that she saved me too.
“Well? Do you and apparentlyherhave anything to say?”
“I think the pictures tell the story pretty well,” I say. “Oh, Ainsley, this is my publicist Katie. Katie, this is Ainsley.”
“Nice to meet?—”
Ainsley stands up to shake her hand, but Katie’s crossed arms and quick glare make Ainsley sit right back down.
“What the hell, Katie?” I ask, wondering why she’s so bent out of shape about this—andtreating Ainsley like some gold-digging homewrecker. Granted, she doesn’t know her. But Katie’s usually pretty level headed. Nice to literally everyone. She wasn’t even this mad after the first fake fight picture, which in my opinion was much worse if you put them side by side. “Listen, it’s a few pictures and a few headlines.”
“Headlines that talk about you fighting in bars over random women.”
“Hey! She’s not random,” I say, suddenly feeling protective of the closest thing I’ve had to a girlfriend since, well, ever. “And I didn’t fight. No punches were thrown. Just a lot of looks andsome threatening words. And for that, I don’t think you’re giving me enough credit.”
“Quit trying to be cute, Linc,” Katie said flatly, finally uncrossing her arms but only so they can hold her up as she stands at the island. “I’m sorry I came in hot. I just wasn’t ready for this. I thought after our incident a few weeks ago, we had an understanding that you were going to stay out of trouble.”
She turns her gaze to Ainsley, who sinks back into the couch like she’s praying it swallows her.
“Hey, this isn’t her fault,” I say, because I refuse to have Ainsley catching strays for a situation I escalated. “I recognized her from the hospital visit earlier in the week. Her ex, who I didn’t know was her ex at the time, was bothering her. I stepped in. And I’d do it again, so fucking drop it.”
I glance over to Ainsley, who’s looking up at me with wide eyes. Like she’s somehow shocked that I’m defending last night.
But I mean it. Every word. And I’d do it all again without question.
“So she’s not your girlfriend?”
“No,” I respond. Also, why is that the question she asked and not asking me why I almost got in fight? “I just made it up to try to get her ex away from her. But he wasn’t leaving, so we kept up the act.”
“And I need to apologize,” Ainsley jumps in. “I got carried away at some parts.”
Katie shakes her head, looking more resolved now. “So all of this was just a bar stunt?”
“Yes,” Ainsley and I say together. We lock eyes after we do so, both of us looking a little sad. But why? We both knew last night was an act. Albeit, a fun one. But that’s all it was. So why do I feel like I’m getting punched in the gut right now?
Plus, it’s not like I could actually date her. Sure, when I first met her at the hospital, I had an idea of getting her number.Maybe seeing what she was about. But now that I know her better, I know that in no way, shape, or form can I date this woman. For one, I’m about to start the football season, which is the absolute worst time to get into a relationship. And second, I’ve known this girl for a total of maybe fifteen hours and I already know that she’s too damn good, and too fucking pure, for me to taint.
And I would. That’s who I am. No sense in denying that fact.
“Yes. Just a stunt,” I say. “We don’t know what to do next, so we’re hoping you can use your PR magic?”
Katie doesn’t answer for a second, instead grabbing her phone when an obnoxious nuclear fallout siren sound starts blaring from it. I glare at her, realizing she has likely tied my name in the media to that notification sound on her phone.
“Katie? What’s?—?”
“Shh!” She scolds, not looking up at us but instead very invested on whatever is on her phone. When she looks back up at us, gone is the angry look from a few minutes ago. Instead it’s replaced by a smile that’s a little…unsettling.
“Katie? Why are you smiling like you're a villain that just came into her origin story?”
She laughs off my comment. “Because, Linc. Apparently you never needed to hire me to repair your image. Apparently, all you needed was a girlfriend.”
I reach out and grab Katie’s phone, holding it so Ainsley and I can both see whatever is on her screen. I didn’t know what I was going to see, but what I wasn’t expecting was to be trending on social media.
