Chapter 2
By the time I get home, Emma has already posted.
Of course she has.
Two photos.
One of her at the party in my dress.
One of me looking at her like I wanted her dead.
Caption:
Some things are more flattering the first time.
I stare at it.
Oliver walks in behind me and drops his keys on the counter.
“Don’t.”
I look up. “Don’t what?”
“Make this bigger.”
I turn my phone toward him.
“She posted this ten minutes ago.”
He barely looks.
“Emma posts everything.”
“She’s telling people I copied her.”
“She didn’t say your name.”
“She didn’t have to.”
Oliver sighs.
“Rachel, seriously.”
I laugh.
“No, seriously. She steals a dress out of my archive, wears my brooch, posts about me, and somehow I’m still the problem?”
He goes quiet for a second.
“The dress thing, we’ll figure out.”
“We?”
“You know what I mean.”
I toss my phone on the counter.
“No. I really don’t.”
His phone starts buzzing.
He checks it and swears under his breath.
“What?”
“Publicity.”
That gets my attention.
Oliver looks at me.
“It’s about Stillwater.”
My movie.
I’ve been putting it together for almost four years. I found the script, brought in the director, closed half the financing, and spent eight months getting Oliver to agree to the lead.
Emma joined three weeks ago.
Supporting role.
Her first job since The Hollow Room.
Oliver rubs the back of his neck.
“They want to change tomorrow’s press lineup.”
I already know I’m not going to like this.
“How?”
“They want Emma doing the morning show with me.”
“She’s already doing it.”
“And the industry panel.”
I stare at him.
“That’s mine.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
“Rachel, come on.”
“No. You come on. I produced the movie.”
“The press team thinks putting you up there tomorrow is gonna turn the whole thing into this.”
He points at my phone.
I laugh.
“So Emma starts something online, and I get pulled from my own panel?”
“It’s one panel.”
“And who takes my seat?”
He doesn’t answer.
I nod.
“Right.”
Oliver walks closer.
“It makes sense. She’s in the movie.”
“She has fourteen minutes of screen time.”
“She’s getting a lot of attention right now.”
“Yeah. I noticed.”
His jaw tightens.
“You’re doing it again.”
“Doing what?”
“Making everything about her.”
I just look at him.
An hour later, my assistant sends me the updated schedule.
OLIVER JONES & EMMA DAVIS — THE STORY BEHIND STILLWATER
I read that twice.
Then I call her.
“Who approved this?”
“Oliver’s team pushed it through with the studio.”
“Okay.”
“You want me to fight it?”
I look at Emma’s post again.
“No.”
There’s a pause.
“Rachel?”
“Let her do it.”
The next morning, Emma shows up at my office.
She’s wearing cream, barely any makeup, hair pulled back.
Very innocent.
Very sorry.
“Mrs. Jones.”
I lean back in my chair.
“What do you want?”
She puts the new press schedule on my desk.
“I just wanted you to know I didn’t ask for this.”
“Sure.”
“I mean it.”
“Okay.”
She looks at me for a second.
Then she smiles.
“You know, Oliver said the audience connects with us because of The Hollow Room.”
I say nothing.
Her voice gets softer.
“I guess some things just follow you.”
“Are you done?”
Emma’s smile disappears.
Then she steps closer.
“You’ve been doing this a long time, Mrs. Jones.”
She taps the schedule.
“Maybe let somebody else have a turn.”
Before I can answer, she slaps herself across the face.
Hard.
The door opens behind her.
Oliver freezes.
Emma looks at me with tears already coming.
“Mrs. Jones… why would you do that?”