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I know I shouldn’t be thinking this, but I wonder if she was by any chance attracted to me. And how old she is. She looks old enough to have been an OG, one of the original 5 Leo Hearts fans, and she seems to have knowledge of the era when boy bands exploded. She might be around my age.
I try to rein in my thoughts. It’s a good thing if Cailin knows the history of boy bands, especially 5 Leo Hearts. Then, she can help position me to the media in the way I’m hoping to come across. On the other hand, if she is familiar with my reputation, I’m sure she will be totally turned off to me personally. She might even think I’m a scumbag.
That shouldn’t matter though, because, I remind myself yet again, I’m her client. It’s her job to make me look good. It doesn’t matter how I feel about her. She’s off limits. The worst thing I could possibly do for myself would be to put the moves on Cailin.
Yet, that’s all I can think about now. What if she is the girl-next-door that I’ve been waiting for? She works in the industry, but she’s out of the spotlight. That gives her an understanding and appreciation for my line of work. She wouldn’t get jealous or anything that someone outside of the industry might feel. She could just support me.
There I go, getting ahead of myself again. I gotta keep it in my pants with this one. Positive publicity and refining my reputation are even more important than the clothes I wear, so I need to put Cailin on the list of women I can’t date.
Then, a foreign concept comes to mind. Just because I can’t date Cailin doesn’t mean I can’t get to know her better. We can be friends. We’re going to be working closely together on tour, after all. At that moment, it hits me. Cailin is coming on tour with me. This is going to bring a whole new set of challenges.
The crew slated to come on tour with me are mostly people who have toured with 5 Leo Hearts. All are guys except for Hayley, the merch girl. But she’s dating one of the musicians, Jayce, and has helped out at some of our one-off charity shows. Therefore, she counts as one of the guys. Cailin will be the first single girl on tour. That is, if she’s not dating anyone. I can’t just assume she is single because I want her to be available. Actually, it’s better for me if she is in a relationship. Then she really would be unavailable. The world may think I’m a womanizer, but I would never set out to steal someone’s girlfriend.
I need to get my mind off Cailin. But first, I need to learn everything I can about her. I ping Harry and ask him to send me her website. He sends it right over to me, totally unaware of my real motives. I text him back.
Jax: Thanks. Is this all they sent us over about her?
Harry: That’s all I got. Sorry I didn’t think to send it to you before the call. Got it last minute.
Jax: No worries. Just wanted to see what you all were talking about and get her background.
Harry: I think she’ll be great. And she seems to know a lot about the band.
Jax: Agree. Thanks again.
I quickly end the chat with Harry because I’m eager to check out Cailin’s website. As soon as the site loads, I see her headshot on the homepage. Her hair is different, with loose waves. They look soft and bouncy, like my fingers can get lost in them. I can picture those curls flowing in front of her eyes as she laughs, and me gently moving them behind her ear before I steal a kiss. She’s wearing a navy-blue shirt. Somehow, it brings out her light brown eyes. I’m envious of the photographer who took this photo because they were close enough to her to see the light reflect off them.
This is not good. Looking at this photo of Cailin brings a spark of life back to me, but I can’t ignite it. That’s way too risky. I move my attention away from her photo to read her bio. Her career history is impressive. She’s led large corporations and been recognized for her work. She’s a powerhouse, and I totally underestimated her by automatically assuming she was a man when I heard her credentials. Gotta work on that automatic bias.
By the time I’m done reading the information on Cailin’s website, I feel like I have a good grasp on some parts of her life. She’s clearly career-driven and goal-oriented. But I still want to know more about her. No, that’s not true. I need to know.
Trash the Dress Online Chat
Cailin:Posting to make sure I’m not dreaming. The most amazing thing just happened.
Tori:Did you get it in?
Harper:Well, don’t leave us in suspense!
12
CAILIN MAKES THE PHONE CALL THAT MIGHT JUST CHANGE HER DESTINY
CAILIN
In order towrite the press release, I need to completely immerse myself in Jax Slater—as if I haven’t spent years and countless daydreams listening to his voice and imagining his lips travel up and down my body, sending shivers through my spine with each gentle brush against my skin. But I was a teenager, and now I’m an adult who is getting paid for my years of boy band knowledge, particularly my 5 Leo Hearts expertise. If someone could hold a Master’s degree in pop music with a specialty in boy bands, it would be me. And now I need to use that knowledge as power. Determine what makes 5 Leo Hearts the best, why Jax is a standout star, what he’s trying to convey with his new solo music, why people should give a damn and buy this album, and go see him on tour.
I click open the email of tracks from Harry and begin to play the songs. They are not what I expected. At all. I was expecting Jax to break solo with a harder pop rock sound, something to further establish himself as the bad boy. Maybe throw in some EDM to cater to the pop music fans who have grown up and now go clubbing. But this music is raw, mostly acoustic based, and his voice is the focus. I wonder if he’s the one playing the guitar and make a note to confirm with Harry. If Jax is playing his own instruments and writing his own songs now, he is gaining leaps of credibility in the music world that will set him apart from other pop stars who work with backing bands and professional songwriting teams.
After listening to the songs, I feel like I was given a glimpse of Jax naked. Stripped down, covered in nothing but tattoos, revealing all that’s there for me to absorb and learn the meaning behind. It’s obvious he’s hurting. Those songs are clearly inspired by his headline-making breakup with a particular female pop star named Maxine that he dated for years. She is the definition of a sex kitten, with bright red hair, a tiny waist, and voluptuous boobs, and has the voice of an angel. They once released a duet together and the video was filled with steam. Their natural chemistry was intoxicating to watch from afar and the tabloids loved them. But according to reports, they broke up when she began to see success as an actress.
Some songs, though, shed light on other areas of his journey. Jax clearly has experienced love and loss, but I can also hear that there is so much more about him that he wants the world to know. And I use that insight to draft a few questions I want to ask him. Which means I need to text Jax Slater.
My palms are shaking as I open a blank text draft.
Me: Hi Jax. This is Cailin from the PR firm. I’m working on your press materials and was wondering if now is a good time to maybe ask you a few questions before I draft the release. Sorry for bothering you if now isn’t a good time!
I cringe at my text. “Sorry for bothering you?” Why am I apologizing? This is my job. So much for channeling any of my past leadership roles and coming across as confident. Before I can obsess over my text any further, a message comes across my screen.
