𝐈 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐒

1

EMERSON

I sat in the meeting room, flanked by my mother, as my manager, Hillary, scolded me for a mistake I had made weeks ago. "You were caught making out with someone in a public club, Emerson!" she exclaimed.

"I didn't know the girl, and I didn't know the cameras were on us. I'm sorry if I ruined my perfect image, Hillary, but I have a life and I'm going to make out with whoever I want!" I retorted, fed up with her constant scrutiny.

Hillary, who had been personally chosen by Taylor Swift, my adoptive mother. My childhood had been filled with flashing lights and bodyguards, and I had been homeschooled for most of my life. Popularity and fame had become a big part of my identity.

"I hope you realize how serious this is, Em," Taylor whispered to me privately. "I don't care. I'm gay! I don't give a damn about what they think," I replied, rolling my eyes, which Taylor did not appreciate. "Don't roll your eyes at me, Emerson Amelie, or I will take away the life your biological mother gave you," she said through gritted teeth.

I knew she didn't mean that statement, or at least I hoped she didn't.

"That's child abuse," I shot back.

"You're eighteen, act like it," she said sternly. "Well, we invited them to today's meeting. They should be arriving any second now." My eyes widened as I looked at Hillary. "You did what now?!" I exclaimed, causing everyone in the room to flinch at my loud tone.

Suddenly, the door flew open, and a young brunette with freckled pale skin, a gap between her teeth, and sweet brown eyes walked in, accompanied by her publicist. She was speaking, but I couldn't focus on her words. My mind was consumed by memories of her taste, her touch, and her words.

"Em, did you hear anything she said?" I blinked for the first time in the last three minutes and cleared my throat. "Uh... no, because I don't really care," I stuttered. Gracie furrowed her eyebrows. "My publicist was talking about the release of the article." What article? The article about us?

"What article?" I blurted out, my thoughts turning into words. "The article about our relationship. Well, a PR relationship," she replied. I dropped the chocolate chip cookie in my hand.

I looked at Hillary, then at Taylor, and back at Gracie. "Her?!" I exclaimed, pointing my finger at Gracie. "Emerson! It's not polite to point!" Taylor scolded, reaching out to push my hand back onto my lap, which she succeeded in doing.

"Unless you want to be labeled as a slut for the amount of pictures they have of you kissing girls that night, and in previous weeks, this is going to be it. Emerson Swift and Gracie Abrams, New York's It couple. The contract lasts until the end of the year—"

"Nine months?!" I interrupted Shirin, Gracie's publicist slash agent. "If you do the math, yes, Emerson, you will be fake dating Gracie for nine months," she replied. I groaned and rolled my eyes again. "Emerson," Taylor warned. I looked at her hands and noticed the aggressive grip she had on the chair.

"How does this benefit me exactly? She's an asshole," Gracie scoffed. "Fuck you, you loved my assh—"

"Emerson Amelie!" Taylor stood from her chair and grabbed my wrist, dragging me out of the meeting room. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Emerson?" she scolded. "I don't want this, it's stupid."

"She seems like a nice girl, and she'll be good for your image. You have a good thing going for you, Em, and I don't want you to ruin that because of your private life. Fame isn't private, I told you that the day you came up to me and said you wanted to be an actress. So do this and save your ass, or don't and ruin any chance you have with auditions and movies." With that, she walked back into the room without giving me a chance to reply.

I exhaled and leaned my body against the wall next to the door, tapping my fingertips against it as I tried to control my emotions. I tended to get angry over stupid things, and it was frustrating.

As I stood there, contemplating the ultimatum Taylor had given me, a wave of uncertainty washed over me. Maybe there was some truth to what she was saying. Maybe I could use this PR relationship to protect my career and maintain a certain level of success. After all, I had worked so hard to get to where I was, and I didn't want to throw it all away.

I took a deep breath and walked back into the meeting room, my mind made up. "Taylor, I've thought about it, and I'm willing to give the PR relationship a try," I said, surprising everyone in the room, including myself.

Taylor's eyes widened in surprise, but a smile slowly spread across her face. "Emerson, are you sure?" she asked, her voice filled with a mix of relief and excitement.

I nodded, trying to convince myself that I was making the right decision. "Yes, I am. I understand the importance of protecting my image and my career. If this is what it takes, then I'm willing to do it."

Hillary, my manager, grinned and clapped her hands together. "That's the spirit, Emerson! This is going to be great for your career. We'll work closely with Gracie's team to create a believable narrative and generate positive publicity for both of you."

Gracie, who had been silent throughout the entire exchange, looked at me with a mixture of surprise and skepticism. "You're really going through with this?" she asked, her voice tinged with doubt.

I met her gaze and nodded, trying to convey my determination. "Yes, I am. Let's make the best of this situation and turn it into an opportunity for both of us."

Gracie hesitated for a moment, then sighed and nodded. "Alright, let's do it. But let's make sure we're on the same page about the boundaries and expectations. We need to be clear about what's real and what's not."

I smiled, relieved that she was willing to work with me. "Absolutely. Communication will be key in making this work."

As we began discussing the details of our PR relationship, a sense of excitement and nervousness filled the room. It was a risky move, but I was willing to take the chance. I knew that I had the support of Taylor, Hillary, and now Gracie, and that gave me the confidence to step into this new chapter of my career.

Little did I know that this decision would not only shape my career but also challenge my understanding of authenticity and love. It would be a journey of self-discovery, where I would learn to navigate the blurred lines between reality and fiction, and ultimately find out what truly mattered to me.