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Not another one.
She forced a smile, tight though it was, took the magazine, and resisted the urge to fling it into the ditch. She opened the door and slid into the front seat of the patrol car.
“Ooooh,” she grunted in frustration.
“What? Did he offer you a part in
a porn flick like the last guy we pulled over?” Dan grinned at her from his seat, enjoying this way too much.
“No. This one just wants my autograph.” She rolled her eyes and handed Dan the guy’s information. “Here, you finish this. I think I’m going to be sick.”
He took the papers, but didn’t start filling out the ticket. Instead, his expression grew serious. “You really should have taken Chief’s offer of a desk job until all this blows over.”
Jill shot him an eat-crap-and-die look. “Not you, too.”
“Hey, I’m on your side, but, honestly, knowing we’re being constantly followed by the press is getting a bit old. Did you read this week’s issue of the The Tattler? It has a spread on you and I claiming our love affair was why you didn’t chose that doctor dude.” Dan rolled his eyes. “My phone is ringing off the wall, and my girlfriend is threatening to dump me if something doesn’t give. She would have if you two weren’t getting along so well since you’ve come back. I think she actually feels sorry for you.”
Dan’s girlfriend felt sorry for her. What a great testament to the state of her life. Jill sighed. Yeah, her life had been topsy-turvy during the almost two weeks she’d been back in California.
Poor Dan. He didn’t deserve any of this three-ring circus act being forced upon him. Neither did she, for that matter. But try explaining that to the nuts purposely breaking the law to flash a camera in her face, attempting to get an interview with her, or to offer her the lead role in Jane Does Porn.
She’d never expected her every move to continue to be scrutinized following her trip from the castle. The castle. She and Jessie had left a couple of hours following her conversation with JP.
She’d fulfilled her duties by filming her comments on her role as Jane. She’d done so, although she couldn’t recite a word of what she’d said. The show had given Jeff the cash in addition to the week with Princess Jane--or Izzy as he’d known the woman when she’d volunteered incognito at his medical missionary. Seems Izzy had been responsible for Jeff’s personal invitation to appear on the show.
Jeff had seemed happy when she’d said her goodbyes and exchanged addresses with him. She hoped things worked out for him. He really was a great guy.
For Jill’s time, the show had presented a matching check. She’d tried to refuse, but JP hadn’t budged. She’d earned the check. She’d tried not to flinch at his words. Rob might have had a different perspective on what she’d earned and how she’d done so.
Rob. Her heart squeezed. She missed him so much. Although JP had begged her to reconsider, she hadn’t seen Rob since she’d left him in the stairwell.
Well, that wasn’t completely true.
Foolish as it was, she’d watched the episodes Jessie had taped of JANE MILLIONAIRE over and over, just so she could see him. Last week along with the rest of America, she’d watched the grand finale where she’d made her choice. She’d cried when the camera had flashed to Rob prior to her making her choice and immediately after. He’d been tense, then relieved. Why had that footage been included? Even at the end of the episode when Jeff had opted to take the trip with the real princess, she was still puzzling over why Rob’s reaction had been shown.
Not that it mattered. He’d proven how little he cared. He’d been willing to let her go with Jeff. Would he have encouraged her to sleep with him to improve ratings as well?
And he’d had the gall to accuse her of sleeping with him to help her career. He was the one who put his precious Hollywood career above everything else, because in her heart she knew he had cared for her, despite what he’d said. In the long run, it hadn’t mattered. His career meant more to him than she ever could.
“You want me to do this?” Dan asked when he’d finished filling in the speeding ticket. Jill blinked. She’d totally phased out. Again.
She shook her head, hating that she couldn’t seem to keep her mind on her job and off Rob.
“I’ll do it.” She grabbed the clipboard and the man’s belongings, scribbled her name on the magazine, and climbed out of the car.
Surely with time, this craze would pass?
# # #
“Ratings were over the rooftops,” JP bragged as he leaned back in his plane seat.
Rob shifted his gaze from his laptop where he worked on polishing GAMBLER for his meeting next week with a WOLF executive to JP’s smug expression.
“Yeah, I saw the email with the numbers this morning. Looks like we’ll both be working for WOLF next season.”
“It’ll be a nice change of pace after JANE.”
Jane.
