Page 34 of For Wrath and Redemption
“You know, some people would consider your inability to keep your clothes on sexual harassment.”
I freeze, suddenly grateful she can’t see me. I’d wanted to make her uncomfortable, but the idea of her feeling harassed doesn’t sit well with me. It makes me feel guilty, and I don’t need another fucking reason to feel guilty.
“Doyouconsider it sexual harassment?” I ask, trying my best to keep my tone disinterested. She huffs.
“No, I don’t. I think you’re an obnoxious, immature child who’s trying to run me off in any way possible.”
My muscles relax, and I blow out a slow, relieved exhale.
“I’m not intimidated by you, and you’re not going to get rid of me by taking your dick out every other hour, so you might as well give up.”
I smile to myself and do the button on my jeans, then pull the shirt over my head. I glance at her. Her eyes are still shut, and her hands are propped on her hips, but despite the frown on her pretty face, I don’t miss the blush coloring her cheeks and neck.
I cross the floor on light feet until I’m standing inches from her. When I lean down and put my lips to her ear, she sucks in a sharp gasp that I feel in my groin.
“I’ve put my dick away, Trouble.”
She exhales, her breath heating my neck. When she takes a step away from me, I almost want to pull her back.
“Thank God. Next order of business: curating your social media presence.”
“My what?”
“Your social media presence. It’s the first step in reversing the current public opinion of you, and we’re starting with your fans. We’ll use social media to show them a different side of you. A more positive one.”
“I don’t do social media.”
“I know, and I don’t blame you, but it’s one of the best ways to take back your image. Fortunately for me, starting from scratch will be easier than trying to revamp something that already exists. In this case, we very much want to reinvent the wheel rather than try to patch up a busted one.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“I’m being honest. And it’s a good thing, anyway. We’re going to use social media to humanize you in the eyes of your fans. Show them whatwe want them to see instead of letting the tabloids decorate you in scandal.”
“But they’realreadyfans.”
“Sure, they like you, but they’re not particularly loyal. They eat up the drama and feed into it. We’re going to remedy that.”
I purse my lips. She makes a good point, and it’s not lost on me that she keeps sayingwe. Not just me but her too. A team effort.
I study the setup she’s constructed in the bedroom—dim lighting, silk sheets, camera tripod—and arch a brow. “But thisisn’ta sex tape?”
She gives me a fake smile. “You wish.”
When I don’t deny it, she shakes her head and forges forward.
“I’ve created an account for you on a popular social media site. We’re leaning into the broody mystery that surrounds you, but we’re going to provide fans little glimpses of ‘the real’ Jonah Hendrix. Of course I’ll pick and choose what those glimpses will entail, but they’ll all be delivered in a way that feels personal, almost intimate, while still maintaining your privacy.”
“That sounds like you’re setting us up for parasocial relationships.”
“You’re a celebrity, so we can’t completely avoid that, but we’ve set boundaries. Your comments are off. Your direct messages are off. You won’t be engaging with them, and you’ll only follow your bandmates and close friends. You’re not putting your whole personal life on display for strangers. You’ll just be…giving them a peek behind the black, angry veil you’ve shrouded yourself in for ten years.”
She taps something out on her phone, then hands it to me. I snort when I see the social media handle. “HeartlessHendrix? Really?”
She gives me an arrogant, one-shouldered shrug. No apology. No explanation. A smile forms on my lips before I can fight it off, so I look back at the phone.
“How do I already have this many followers? I haven’t posted anything yet. I don’t even have a bio or a profile picture.”
“I followed Sav, Mabel, and Torren, and they’ve followed you back. They haven’t shared anything, but fans have noticed. Everyone is hoping it’s you.”
