Happily Ever After: (A Cinder & Ella Novel) Read online

  I leaned against the counter, eating my toast, frowning at Scott while he held a no-nonsense stare and waited for me to break. It didn’t take long. “Fine.” He was very good at that I-mean-business stare. “Schedule a meeting.”

  “They’d like you to come in today, if possible.”

  I snorted. “Of course they would.”

  Ignoring my sarcasm, Scott opened up both of our calendars on his laptop and scanned our days. “How about right after lunch? One o’clock work for you? I’ll be back from picking up my relatives by then and can get away for a while.”

  “Fine, whatever. The sooner we get it over with, the sooner we both get to enjoy our holiday.”

  Scott glanced up from his laptop, all hints of annoyance replaced with a sarcastic grin. “Very astute observation, boss.”

  I tried to mimic his I’m-serious-and-you-will-do-what-I-say stare but lost my composure and cracked a smile. I’d never admit this to Scott, but his sass is one of the reasons he got the job. I can only handle so much ass-kissing. I’m well aware I can be difficult at times. What makes Scott so good is that he always seems to know when to give me what I want, when to push back, and when it’s okay to give me shit.

  With the tension broken, I rolled my eyes and threw the crust of my toast at him. “Shut up.”

  He dodged the flying food, chuckling, which made me laugh. “Fine. One o’clock.”

  “Great. And you’ll bring Ella with you, or should I send a car for her?”

  I froze, with my second piece of toast halfway to my mouth. Why had this caught me off guard? It shouldn’t have. My team was hounding me about Ella, after all. Of course they’d want me to bring her in so they could talk to her.

  Abandoning my toast and coffee, I sat down across the table from Scott and folded my arms. Now it was easy to hold a serious stare. Scott sat up straight, matching my attitude. “Brian, you know this would be easier if you would just bring her with you.”

  “No.”

  “Why not? This is about her as much as you.”

  “Because they’re a bunch of pushy bastards. They will railroad her into agreeing to things she doesn’t want to do. All they’ll have to do is tell her it’s best for me, and she’ll sign on no matter what it will mean for her.”

  Scott closed his laptop, which was a sign that he was really serious now. “Like it or not, Brian, she is in this. Up to her eyeballs in it, in fact. She won’t be able to avoid it forever, and when it catches up to her, she’s going to have some real choices to make. If you don’t bring her in with you, then your management team—along with everyone else in town—will bypass you and go straight to her. Do you really want her to meet with people and make decisions without you?”

  My jaw clenched. Hollywood people could be nice enough, but they were all sharks in sheep’s clothing. Ella was a strong, smart woman, but she wasn’t used to playing their game. No way did I want her having to navigate this business on her own.

  “You’re absolutely right that your team will try to use her as much as possible,” Scott said. “That’s why you should be there when they do. At least if you’re together, you can tell her when they’re trying to work her over.”

  Damn him again. Why did he always have to be right? Letting out a breath of defeat, I scrubbed my hands over my face and then raked them through my hair. “All right, all right, fine. Let’s schedule a meeting with Ella. But not yet. After the holidays. After New Year’s.”

  Scott’s posture eased up a little, and he gave me an apologetic smile. “I don’t think they want to wait that long. You guys are in the headlines now. You’re the biggest story of the year. With the movie releasing in two days, they want to take advantage of all this free publicity.”

  I huffed in exasperation. “The Druid Prince is the biggest release of the holiday. The studio has put millions of dollars into advertising. How much more publicity does it need?”

  “Not the film, Brian; you.”

  “I don’t care about the publicity. I don’t want the attention.”

  I shot to my feet with a groan and headed for my coffee again. It wasn’t as hot now, so I chugged it as if it held the answers to all my problems.

  “You do want it this time,” Scott insisted. “And so does Ella.”

  I was still frowning, but I leaned against the counter again and gave him my full attention. He jumped on the window of opportunity but spoke cautiously, as if he was afraid I might explode if I didn’t like what he said. “How you and Ella deal with this attention will affect your future, and you know it. The world loves you guys right now. You’re a real-life fairy tale. People are dying to see the two of you live out the happily-ever-after you promised them.”

  “Forget the world. I want that. But if the freaking media doesn’t leave us alone, no one will get that happily-ever-after, because Ella will dump my famous ass.”

  Scott’s snort of disbelief was only mildly reassuring.

  “She’s not like everyone else, Scott. She doesn’t care about the money, and my fame is a problem in her eyes, not a fun perk. She’s fragile. If this gets too crazy, she’ll throw in the towel. She’ll have to. And I’ll have to let her.”

  “If you would just make a couple of appearances together, do an interview or two and a photo shoot, that would satiate the public, and things would die down.”

  “Tell that to Kim and Kanye.”

  Again, Scott spoke right over my cynical mutterings. “It would help you both in other ways, too. Ella is exactly what you need for your career. This relationship will completely erase your last year or so of debauchery.”

  I cocked an eyebrow at Scott, trying my hardest not to smile. It wasn’t easy. “Debauchery?”

  His cheeks turned a little pink, but he stood his ground. “Do you have a better word for all the partying and womanizing?”

  I held his gaze a moment longer but then cracked. “Fine. Debauchery.”

  “Right. And after a few appearances with Ella, as in love as you guys are, not even Kyle Hamilton will remember your previous reputation as an arrogant, immature playboy.”

  My eyebrow went up again, and this time it was Scott who relented. “Okay, Kyle might. But no one else will; I guarantee it. You’ll be the mature down-to-earth A-list actor who chose to be with a physically-disabled woman when he could have anyone. You’ll be admired by all of Hollywood. And a man like that might just win himself an Oscar, whether he earned it on-screen or not—that’s simple Academy politics. Not that you haven’t earned it, but no one in the Academy would hesitate to vote for you. And no director will hesitate to consider you for a role in the future. Play your cards correctly right now, and you’ll be earning thirty million a picture for the Cinder Chronicles sequels and turning down roles you’d beg for right now.”

  A year ago, that would have been a persuasive argument. “It’s not me I’m worried about. I’ll earn my A-list status eventually; I don’t need to use Ella to get there.”

  “She might want to use this opportunity, though. You should at least explain to her what is going on and what it means for her. From what you’ve told me, she’s an extremely independent woman and isn’t going to want to live off of her father’s money forever, or yours. This could be a very lucrative time for her. It could help her with her future and even give her something to focus on. It could give her positive reasons for living with the fame and maybe help her make sense of how much her life has just changed.”

  I shot Scott a glare, hating that last accusation, and got his Super-Assistant-Stare-Down again. “Like it or not, Brian, the moment you gave that Cinderella interview on The Kenneth Long Show, you changed her life. There’s no going back for her, so help her move forward. Help her make the best of a hard situation. Ease this transition for her by being straight with her. You know no one else will.”

  I rubbed my head. All this thinking about the future first thing in the morning was giving me a headache.

  “Sorry, boss, I know it’s not what you want t
o do, but it is what you need to do. I’d let you keep ignoring them and turn off my phone over the holiday if it wasn’t.”

  My hands dropped to my sides as all the fight left me, and I met Scott’s gaze again, frowning. “Do you ever get tired of being right?”

  The corners of Scott’s mouth twitched. “Not really, no.” I snorted. “So, will you bring her with you this afternoon?”

  I relaxed a little. I still had some time. “Can’t. She’s taking her GED today.”

  “Oh.” He blinked a couple times and stopped to think. Mr. Always Had An Argument Ready had no defense for that one. “Good for her. Okay…then…how about…” He looked at his laptop again.

  “Not until next week.”

  “Brian—”

  “No. I’ve waited three years to be with this woman; the press can wait another week. Ella and I have only had a week to get to know each other in person, and it’s still a little strange. I want to keep her to myself a few more days before I have to share her with the whole damn world. It’s a holiday. I intend to enjoy it. I’ll talk to Ella about everything after Christmas, and we can schedule a meeting then. That should be enough of a promise to get the team off our backs for a few days, and if not, stop answering your phone.”

  Scott appraised me through narrow eyes and eventually nodded, accepting the compromise. “Fair enough.” He leaned back in his chair, and after stretching, looked at his watch. “I’ve got about forty minutes still. Do you want to go over everything you need to discuss with Ella? It might help her feel less overwhelmed if you’ve got a plan to take care of it all when you drop it on her.”

  That was a good idea. I couldn’t imagine how it was going to feel to Ella when she realized she was now a bona fide celebrity. “Yeah. Let’s.”

  “Okay. And while we’re at it, there’s something I wanted to run by you, too, an idea I had for Ella.”

  I frowned. His words didn’t match his sudden tension. “Why did you make that sound ominous? Is this going to require more than a piece of toast?”

  Scott sighed. “Because you’re not going to love it, but it’s a good idea that I think Ella will be excited about.”

  I gave him my best frown, but he stared back with determination. Curse the man and whatever brilliant-yet-inconvenient idea was running through his head. “Right. Omelets it is. You want one?”

  Scott shook his head and began pulling up e-mails or files or whatever he does on that laptop of his. “I had breakfast a couple hours ago, boss. Thanks, though. You knock yourself out. I can type up a list while you eat.”

  “Deal.”

  Half an hour into our planning session, I was full. I’d had a second cup of coffee, and I was feeling a lot more confident about having to explain to Ella she was Hollywood’s new It Girl. I’d even forgiven Scott for his brilliant plan that I both loved and hated. Life wasn’t so bad.

  Then, with one ring, my phone destroyed all the progress I’d made with my good mood. Okay, it wasn’t the phone so much as it was the person calling me. I thought about sending him to voice mail, but my father was a lot like Scott in that if I ignored him too much, he’d show up and lecture me in person.

  With a sigh that Scott found curious, I picked up the phone. “Hey, Dad.”

  “Well, what do you know, Christmas is the time for miracles. The prodigal son answered his phone.”

  “Like you said, it’s Christmas. I was feeling generous.”

  Dad laughed, despite my dry tone. Probably because he couldn’t see my eye roll.

  “What’s up, Dad?”

  “I’ve just been informed that you and Ella haven’t RSVP’d for my party yet. I’ve got a lot of people asking if the reclusive Cinder and Ella will be there.”

  I smirked. Ella said she wouldn’t mind going, but I was more than happy to cancel on him. I did not want to have to attend Dad’s annual Christmas Eve party, where he would use Ella’s and my current hype to boost his own popularity. He’d find a way to take credit for us somehow and would probably spend the evening insulting me and sexually harassing my girlfriend.

  “Sorry. We agreed to dinner at home with her family for Christmas Eve.”

  “What? Seriously? I throw my party every Christmas Eve. You know that.”

  “And you know that we decided to cancel any and all crazy plans this year. That includes huge parties where there will be lots of people wanting to get in our faces and ask us a ton of questions. I told you that. Ella even canceled on her extended family that was planning to come down for Christmas to meet her. And I canceled my trip out to Mom’s. We just need some time to lie low and adjust to all the changes.”

  “Come on. Canceling your trip to Wisconsin I get, but my party? It’s just one night. You’re seriously going to leave me hanging?”

  “Yes.”

  While I waited out my father’s dramatic sigh, Scott glanced at his watch and signaled that it was time for him to go. I nodded, and he began to pack up his laptop.

  “Fine,” Dad said. “Christmas Day, then. Come see the movie with me in the afternoon.”

  “The point is to keep things low-key this year, Dad. Ella’s been through a lot recently, and she’s overwhelmed with the fame thing.”

  “Really?” He sounded genuinely surprised. “I’d never guess.”

  “You haven’t seen her away from the cameras.”

  “Exactly my point, Brian. I met her for a few minutes at the premiere, and that’s it. Come to the movie Christmas Day. It’ll be low-key; I promise. I’ve rented out a whole theater, and I’m keeping the guest list small.”

  My father’s definition of small and Ella’s would be much different. “Dad, we already promised Ella’s family we’d go see it with them Christmas Day. Ella wants to see it with her stepsister.”

  “So bring her. Bring the whole family.” His voice cheered up at the thought of having more people to impress. “I’m sure watching it with all of us in a private viewing will earn Ella some cool points with them, right?”

  You’d think so. But considering how much her father was against her dating a celebrity, I wasn’t sure that would be the case. There was something terrifying about having to introduce my dad to Ella’s family, but I knew her family was planning to see the film Christmas Day anyway, and having our own private viewing would be nice. “All right, I’ll ask them. But no promises. I’m not sure they’ll go for it.”

  “Oh, please. Of course they’ll say yes. I’ll put you guys down for it. Don’t bail on me. And after the movie, you and Ella should sneak away and do Christmas dinner with me. Just the three of us. I’ll have it catered.”

  I sighed. “Dad, I think her family—”

  “You’re already giving them Christmas Eve. They can spare the two of you for a couple of hours Christmas evening.”

  “But—”

  “Come on, Brian. It’s Christmas. Our first movie together is releasing, and it’s going to be a huge hit. I want to celebrate with you, and I want to spend some time with this woman who is apparently more important to you than your own parents. Yes, your mother called and chewed me out when you canceled your trip to Wisconsin. As if that was my fault. Like I conspired with you to ruin her Christmas or something.”

  I winced. Mom was the other person whose calls I’d been avoiding the last few days. I’d planned to spend Christmas with her this year, but after Ella showed up at the premiere, I canceled my trip because I couldn’t leave Ella home to have to deal with all the media attention on her own. Mom had begged me to bring Ella to Wisconsin, but I just couldn’t do it. I’d only just finally got her the way I wanted her. I couldn’t bring myself to share her yet. Mom said she understood, but I’d heard her disappointment. If she’d called my father, then she must have been really upset.

  “Son, can’t you at least pretend you’d like to spend some time with your old man, for once?”

  And here came the guilt trip. Typical of him. But it worked, because he had a legitimate complaint. I was his only child, and I rea
lly didn’t spend much time with him. That was because he was a bit of an asshole, but still, he loved me. Or…I was his favorite trophy, anyway, and he liked showing me off. But I think that amounted to love in his eyes. “All right, look, I will commit to the movie in the afternoon, and I will talk to Ella about Christmas dinner. Fair enough?”

  Dad sighed. “I suppose if that’s all I’m going to get, it’ll have to be.”

  I ignored the jab and forced cheer into my voice. “Great. Text me the details about the movie, and we’ll see you Christmas Day.”

  As soon as I hung up, I leaned forward and banged my head against the kitchen table with a long, tortured groan. Scott—all packed up and on his feet—chuckled. “I feel your pain, boss. I’m the youngest, and the only boy in my family. I have six older sisters, who are all in town for the week. All of them are happily married, with housefuls of children, and I haven’t had a steady girlfriend in two years. As if that’s not bad enough, I’m about to go pick up my grandfather, who believes I’ve let the family down because I’m twenty-six and have yet to produce an heir to carry on the family name, and a grandmother, who will doubtlessly have a dossier of suitable marriage candidates in her hand when she gets off the plane. It’s going to be a long week.”

  Six older sisters? That explained so much about Scott. His story also made me feel better about my own problems. Laughing, I climbed to my feet and walked him to the door. “Good luck with that, man. Anytime you need a break, shoot me a text. I’ll be happy to play the role of the spoiled, demanding, celebrity employer. It just so happens I might need someone to bring me a six-pack and watch the football games with me.”

  Scott opened the front door, flashing me his signature Boy Scout grin. “Oh, I’m counting on it, boss. Have a Merry Christmas.”

  “You too. Enjoy your gift.”

  “What gift? You already gave me a Christmas bonus.”

  Glancing over his shoulder at the crappy beat-up Toyota parked in my driveway that was at least a decade old, I grinned. “You’ll see.”