A Time for Hope (Lexi, #3)(22)
“Who?” I swallowed, though I suspected it was more than likely to be Dan. Who else? If one band member was stretching the cliché of the rock and roll lifestyle, it was Dan.
“Alex,” Matt sighed. “Lexi I’m sure there is an explanation for the photos but it’s definitely him. My first instinct was to bury them but I knew you’d have my balls if I didn’t come to you on this. I feel like a complete A-hole but we’re his PR so we have to contain this shit. I’m sorry. What do you want me to do?”
“Alex?” I must have heard wrong. There was no way it could be him. NO way! It must be someone who looked like him. It couldn’t be Alex. “Matt, when were these photos taken? Can you inbox them to me?” I still wasn’t convinced that they were authentic.
“Yeah, I guess. Damn it Lexi, I’m torn here. I know my job dictates I look at this objectively ensuring our client is looked after and I get that but it’s Alex and my gut tells me that he wouldn’t hurt you. Ah Heck, just make sure you ask him about it before you fly off the handle and if shit has gone down… just talk to him and then call me back.”
Matt ended the call before I got a chance to say a proper goodbye; I knew it must have been awkward for him. As easy as it sounds to separate work and personal life ours had become so intermeshed it was natural that his feelings were frayed. If this was any other client we would simply contain the photos. Plain and simple. It wasn’t our job to judge and it certainly wasn’t our job to get an explanation. Every once in a while there was a leak of “questionable” material for personal gain, (shocking I know!) but it wasn’t just celebrities with pending reality shows who were doing this. Businesses, corporations and governments did it too and while those revelations might completely rock a layperson to the core, it didn’t shock a seasoned public relations manager. We expected it. However, regardless of the origin, the publicist’s role is to remain neutral and make sure their client’s reputation is preserved. Enter Lexi Reed, who is also Lexi Stone, married to one client and friends with the rest of them. Nothing like THAT little complication to skew objectivity.
I was careful not to wake Alex as I grabbed my iPad from the floor beside me. Of course part of me wanted to wake up him the hell up and demand an explanation for photos I hadn’t yet received and/or knew the content of. Probably throwing in a good dose of “Fuck You” and “Asshole” because nothing brings gravity to a situation like an expletive. That would be Lexi Stone, wife. But Lexi Reed, PR Exec needed to find out the facts and ascertain if there was in fact a case to be answered. See where the fun comes in? Can someone say “complete head f*ck?”
My inbox pinged as the incoming message from Matt arrived. My finger hovered over the screen as I hit download for the attachment. Slowly the photo came into view.
“Fuck!” One word. That’s all that was needed to sum up the shitfulness of the situation. I know shitfullness is not an actual word but it should be and if I didn’t have bigger issues I’d be campaigning the offices of Merriam Webster. The photo was of Alex. There he was, the sexy badass, with his flawless face and sexy smile in the clutches of a groupie whore. Not any ordinary groupie whore but the very one who stupidly made out with her rock star husband in a public place and didn’t stop to think that maybe some * with a camera phone might upload that shit onto the internet. So there it was. Now, how do you deal with it so Alex doesn’t look like a cheating bastard or that I might require a straight jacket? Of course the massive upside (look at me with my glass is half full attitude!) is that while the photos are authentic they aren’t at all scandalous, nor do I have to remove my husbands testicles from where the lovingly hang now.
I grabbed my phone and scrolled through to Matt’s number, mentally kicking my own ass for being so stupid.
“Lexi?” Matt answered on the second ring, obviously awaiting my call.
“It’s Alex. But the girl in the photo isn’t some random. It’s me.”
“You?” Matt guffawed “Holy shit, it doesn’t even look like you! What the hell are you wearing? Clearly the press didn’t know it was you.”
“Clearly they didn’t. And you can stop laughing now too, we still have a situation to deal with.” So much for my ingenious disguise, at least I got one night out of it, and what a night it had been.
“You coming in today?” Matt continued to chuckle. My stupidity was sure to amuse him, at least in the short term.
“Yeah, I’ll be there around nine. Don’t make any statements until then.” I felt lips press up against my back as Alex circled his arms around my waist. “I’ll see you when I get in.”
“Yep, I’ll word up Anna. Bye Lex.” I could hear the smile in his voice.
“You know,” Alex pulled me closer, his body leaving no doubt that he was very much awake and very much aroused, “waking up with you naked in our bed, hearing you all pissed on the phone, it’s kinda like old times.” He gently nibbled at my ear. “And I don’t know if I’ve told you but I have a thing for the Classics.”
I turned my head and found his mouth as my body shifted to face him. “Mmmmm,” Alex hummed against my lips. “You want to talk about it?”
“No.” I gently bit the corner of his mouth as I continued to kiss him. My hands travelled down his chiseled torso and rested at the base of his abs.