Page 84 of The Bad Girl
I should be having an emotional moment with my friend, and I guess I’m definitely feeling some emotions, but not the ones I ought to be. With Jenna around, I’m left drained and full of anger.
I force a smile. “Well, I haven’t seen Tom in some years, but he has asked me to be his date, and I don’t see the harm in going as old friends.”
“So it’s a yes?” Allison asks with a quizzical look in her eyes.
“No. It’s a hell yes!”
?
Nadine
Just as Jenna warned, at 2:37 in the afternoon, my name was released to the internet. It wasn’t released by an official source, but it was taken as fact, and people immediately began scrutinizing my online presence.
InStryde’s PR team came to my apartment shortly after Allison left, around eleven, and we had a two hour meeting regarding my internet presence. Thankfully, at this point in time, our negotiations are on hold, but this was considered essential and had to be done.
In truth, I never had anything to worry about, not with my squeaky-clean reputation, but InStryde chose to be cautious and do a preliminary background check on me, to make sure nothing unexpected came up. So now, when my name is Googled, all that pops up is information about my work, education, how I played lacrosse in high school, my social medias, and my volunteer work. My new Chatterbox was initially deemed risky, but after a too-long conversation with senior PR, and Stacey making a strong case to keep it, it was determined necessary in order to create a well-rounded persona.
Because of my association with Maxwell, my name has appeared in the tabloids before, but seeing myself as the focus of a headline is surreal.
Nadine Winters, Assistant to Maxwell Stryder, Confirmed as Boat Hostage
“I know this is easier said than done,” Jenna says, “but it really is best not to read articles about yourself. Even if they have nothing on you, they’ll make things up to serve as clickbait. Leave it to InStryde’s professionals to determine what’s important and worth worrying about.”
Sure enough, within three minutes of my name being released, people are speculating that I’m some kind of psychic opportunist that somehow inserted myself into the situation to become famous. It sounds crazy, but there are more than a few people subscribing to that theory, and that has me scared.
Jenna scans the headlines, taking notes on a legal pad. “The police are scheduled to take another statement from you next week, and after that, we can see about scheduling your big interview. It won’t take place right away as we want momentum to build, but if we wait too long, people will move on to other things. There’s this sweet spot where we can maximize profits and interest.”
I cast Jenna an annoyed glance. “Is that all you ever think about? I was held hostage aboard a boat, and you think all I care about is getting on television and making money? News Flash: Not everyone’s like you.”
Jenna sets down her phone, her jaw tightening. We stare at each other for a good minute, and although I loathe our every interaction, I find myself regretting my words.
“You’re right, not everyone is like me, which is why not everyone goes into public relations. If I seem like an opportunist, it’s because I want to do well and be recognized. Getting in with InStryde was a dream, but I’m still at the bottom, and the waters are swarming with sharks. Right now, you are my job. Making sure you look good and that you’re prepared to handle the media onslaught is my job. If I do well, I get promoted. So forgive me if I seem ambitious. It’s my job.”
“I can respect that,” I say, offering a smile to diffuse the tension. “I guess we have more in common than I had originally thought.”
“Of course we do. We’re two young women working for InStryde straight out of college. It’s a hard job to get, and a hard job to keep.”
“You can say that again. I failed at that miserably.”
Jenna chuckles, going back to her phone. “From now on, we work as a team.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Her face scrunches. “Hmmm…”
“What is it?”
“Do you know a tasty little snack named Grady?”
Grady?It takes me less than a minute to remember my ill-fated date.
“What about Grady?”
“He’s on the Round Table’s comment boards telling people you’re crazy. Did you get kicked out of a bar? Did you send him a picture of your boobs?”
“Oh my God…”
A wry grin spreads across Jenna’s face. “You know, why don’t you enjoy a glass of wine and let the expert handle this,” she says with a wink.
“This is going to take more than a glass.”
