Page 100 of The Publicity Stunt
Great. So that would be a no. Evidently Tony wasn’t here last night, or else he would’ve remembered him from somewhere other than the three movies he’s starred in. Fuck.
We thank him and head back out. As soon as we get into our car I lean back against the seat and shut my eyes. Parker gets into the driver’s seat and I hear the door shut.
“It was only the first bar,” he starts. “We have a lot more to cover. I’m sure someone must’ve seen him.”
As I open my eyes, Parker puts on his seatbelt and starts the ignition. It’s already ten a.m. The interview is at two-thirty. I’m screwed.
“People see celebrities here every day, Parker. Why would anyone bat an eye toward someone who isn’t even that big of a star yet?”
“Ouch,” Parker says and I shoot him a heated glare. I take out my phone to navigate to the next bar just as I get a call from Kripke.
My heart rate spikes. “Hello? Kripke? Please tell me you have good news.”
He clears his throat on the other end. Oh, no. “We were able to access the security footage.”
I wait for further information. Nothing.
“And? What did you find? Is he okay?”
“Um, Miss Moore.” Another pause. “Mr. Martin is in the hotel.”
My brows scrunch up in a frown. “In the hotel? What? Where? We looked everywhere.”
“He was in another room. With a woman.”
He says the word “woman” like it’s slowly killing him. I run my fingers through the ends of my hair. “Well, okay, at least you found him. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes. Do not lose him.”
“One more thing,” he says.
“What?”
Another pause. “Um, the woman …” Kripke clears his throat. “She, uh, she needs to be paid.”
“Paid?” I frown and look at Parker. He arches his eyebrows, silently asking me for details.
“Yes, paid,” Kripke repeats. “Mr. Martin spent the night with her and she needs to be paid five thousand dollars.”
“What?” I yell into the phone, my voice as crisp as a fucking cucumber. “Five thousand dollars?” And it hits me. Tony hooked up with an escort. I pinch the bridge of my nose and let out a low groan.
“Okay,” I say. “Please pay her every cent she is owed, make her sign an NDA, and I’ll put the expense on Paramore’s tab.”
“All right, Miss Moore.”
“When I get back, I don’t want to see anything other than Tony getting his hair and makeup done. In his room. Use restraints if you have to.”
“Understood,” Kripke says. I cut the call and bury my face in my palms.
Parker’s hand runs up and down my back and I turn my head sideways to look up at him. He’s smiling.
“Stop enjoying my suffering.”
“I’m not.” He definitely is. “I’m just glad Tony’s found.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Also, that was the calmest panic I’ve ever seen. Major turn on,” he says sarcastically—I think. Because that was not calm at all.
“Are you making fun of me?” My voice comes out a squeak.
