Unleash Me, Vol. 2 (Unleash Me, Annihilate Me Series) (14 page)

“
Hello?
”

“
Who is this?
”

Confused by the question, I blinked into the morning light.
 
“
You
called
me
.
 
Who is
this
?
”

“
Who do you think
it is?
 
It
’
s Barbara, for God
’
s sake.
 
At
least my voice is recognizable.
 
You
sound as if you
’
ve
been slapped around and drugged.
 
What
’
s wrong
with you?
”

“
Let
’
s just call it lack of
sleep.
”

“
Oh,
”
she said.
 
“
Oh,
I see.
 
And I think I know why.
 
I
’
m glad he
’
s
back, dear.
 
But now you need to
snap out of it
—
you
’
ve got an important day
ahead of you.
”

“
What does
that mean?
 
I
’
ve got nothing on my calendar but working on my book
with Iris.
”

“
Things
change.
 
Your contracts are in for
the film option.
 
Your lawyer
approved them last night, and you need to read and sign them this morning.
 
If there
’
s anything you want to discuss with him, I
’
d recommend calling him
when we hang up.
 
After the contract
is signed, you
’
ll
spend a few hours with Wenn
’
s
publicity team so they can coach you on how to give a solid interview.
 
They
’
ll offer you the tools you
’
ll need later this afternoon when the AP interviews
you.
”

I sat up in bed and felt Tank place a hand against my bare back.
 
“
I
’
m being interviewed today?
”

“
Of course
—
I told you this
would happen quickly.
 
By attaching
your wagon to Julian West
’
s
train, this is now a story.
 
And it
’
s a big one for the
entertainment industry.
 
They know
that there are all sorts of little Julian West junkies out there crying for news
about what film he
’
ll
direct next.
 
Since that movie is
based on your book, you
’
re
a natural part of that story, so it
’
s
a win for you and a win for Wenn.
 
The AP is doing the interview, so expect it to go everywhere by week
’
s end.
”

“
Are they
going to photograph me today?
”

“
Do you
honestly think I wouldn
’
t
have complete control over that?
 
That I
’
d give
you over to the wolves so easily?
 
Wenn will supply the publicity shots, which will be taken tomorrow
afternoon.
 
Aura has agreed to shoot
you again.
 
Bernie and I will style
you.
 
Then we
’
ll supply the AP with the shots they need.
 
You just need to show up and be prepared
to bring it for Aura, whom we already know will do well by you.
”

Tank got out of bed, found his boxer shorts, put them on, and then shot
me a look while he mouthed the words,
“
I
’
ll make coffee.
”

I blew him a kiss.
 
“
What else do I need to be
prepared for?
”

“
For your life
to completely change by the end of the week.
”

“
No pressure
there.
”

“
As if you
haven
’
t heard it
before.
 
I
’
ve been kind and have prepared you for the
pressure.
 
I
’
ve been honest with you about everything that
’
s ahead of you.
 
Now, it
’
s happening.
 
I
’
ve already
spoken with Iris.
 
She told me that
you are ahead of schedule, and that your book will be finished this week.
 
She had nothing but praise for you.
 
She said that you
’
ve been nothing but professional.
”

“
So has she
—
unlike Marco.
”

“
Agreed.
 
Now, there
’
s something else you need to be prepared for.
”

“
What
’
s that?
”

“
Every winter,
Wenn Publishing has this big, showy party where it debuts its spring books and
authors.
 
They hold it at the Garden
Court at the Frick, and I have to say that it
’
s sublime.
 
Since your book will be released in a few months, you
’
ll be among the authors
Wenn will recognize.
 
You
’
ll be going to that party.
”

“
You can
’
t be serious.
 
Why didn
’
t you tell me about this sooner?
”

“
Because I
needed you to focus on your book, which you
’
ve done.
 
There was no need to apply more pressure onto you.
 
Not that this is much pressure.
 
It
’
s just a party, Lisa
—
not the guillotine.
 
All you need to do is show up with Tank
on your arm, mix with the crowds, be prepared to be photographed a few hundred
times, and answer several dozen questions.
”

“
From whom?
”

“
Key members
of the press will be there who will want to talk with you.
 
But this event is more than that.
 
Patrons of the arts are coming.
 
Members of society also have been
invited, mostly because this is Wenn.
 
And Wenn means Alex, whom they adore.
 
Where Alex goes, a fair deal of the book
goes.
”

“
I can
’
t believe you
’
re throwing all of this at
me today.
 
Are you coming?
”

“
Of course I
am.
 
Not that you
’
ll need me.
 
Well, maybe you
’
ll need me a little.
 
Doesn
’
t matter.
 
Soon, you
’
ll
be a pro at all of this.
 
And I can
guarantee that you
’
ll
have a fine time at the party.
 
Because of the billboard and the ad in
the
Times
, people have already been asking if you
’
ll be there.
 
When the AP story hits, even more will ask if you
’
ll be present.
 
So, you know, you
’
re
going.
”

“
Will Iris be
there?
”

“
Naturally.
 
She
’
s your editor.
”

There was no use fighting her about this, so I resigned myself to it.

“
When is this
party?
”

“
Two weeks
—
give or take.
”

“
I assume you
’
ll send me an email and
let me know the exact date?
”

“
Let me jot
that down.
”

“
You
’
re so helpful.
 
Promise me this,
”
I said.

“
I never make
promises.
”

“
What does
that even mean?
”

“
I don
’
t make promises because I
’
m old enough to know that
sometimes they can
’
t
be kept.
”

“
Fine.
 
Then at least consider this.
”

“
Why do I
suddenly feel cornered?
 
Why do I
feel as if you
’
re
setting me up?
”

“
You mean like
you just set me up?
”

She sighed.
 
“
What do you want me to
consider?
”

“
That when
this week is over, all of us
—
you,
Iris, Jennifer, Alex, Tank and I
—
will
go out to dinner.
”

“
You expect me
to eat?
”

“
Seriously?
”

“
You better
have a good reason for that.
”

“
I do have
one.
 
I
’
d like to celebrate the completion of my book with my
friends.
 
I
’
d like Iris to be there so I can thank her publicly for
all of her hard work.
 
I think she
needs to be recognized for what she
’
s
pulled off under a fair amount of pressure.
 
And I
’
d like to be with everyone again, just like most of us
were over the holidays.
 
I miss
being with Jennifer and Alex.
 
Are
those reasons good enough for you?
”

She hesitated.
 
“
All right
—
you deserve a little
soiree before the bigger soiree.
 
You
’
ve worked
hard, you
’
ve been
through hell, you
’
ve
handled a ridiculous situation better than I ever imagined, and what you
’
re about to face today won
’
t be easy either.
 
While dinner never would be my first
choice, I will admit that those reasons at least give your dinner a point.
”

I shook my head.
 
“
Great.
 
So, I
’
ll take care of it.
”

“
The hell you
will.
 
Given your love of zombies,
you
’
d probably take
us to someplace like Brushstroke in Tribeca, with its plates filled with raw or
—
worse!
—
live food squirming
on a plate, frightened for its life as knives and forks hover over it.
 
You
’
re so cruel, Lisa
—
you really are.
”

“
Oh, I am not.
”

“
Just let me
take care of the details.
 
I
’
ll gather the herd.
 
I
’
ll find someplace suitable and we
’
ll shoot for this Saturday
night.
 
By then, your book will be
finished, your photo shoot will be in the can, and the AP story on West and you
will have been out a day or two.
 
Then, we can shop for the Wenn Publishing party.
 
By the time you attend that, you
’
ll be the rising star that
division needs.
 
Everyone will
recognize you.
”

“
I could care
less about that.
 
But if you
’
re going to handle dinner,
don
’
t you dare take
us to some salad bar,
”
I
said.

“
Cut me some
slack, Ward.
 
When it comes to
choosing pretty much anything, I never fail.
 
In fact
—
if nothing else
—
I nail.
”

*
 
*
 
*

And after one hellish week, which culminated on a Friday with a story
that hit thousands of newspapers and blogs due to the AP
’
s massive reach, my life did change.
 
Blackwell called me the new
‘
It
’
girl.
 
I
told her not to get ahead of herself.

“
My book could
still flop,
”
I said
to her on the phone when she called.

“
Not a chance,
”
she shot back.
 
“
Not
with this kind of publicity.
 
Have
you read the story?
”

“
I read it.
”