Celebrity

Is It Jealousy?

Ava's POV

It's morning, and I'm at the record label offices to discuss my album, coming out in two months, and subsequently, a tour that will follow its release. We agree on having the tour a month after the release, and that's really exciting because it's only my second tour, and I feel it will be the biggest. Well, obviously, it will be big since it's a nationwide tour.

After the meeting has finished, I remain in the conference room, which held the meeting. I just wanted to process everything now that my media drama with Thomas is over. Who I haven't checked up on since we did the Mason Rutherford Show. Not like I'm required to; it's just you need to check up on your friends, right? If that's what you can call us.

I receive a bunch of notifications on my phone as my phone is buzzing constantly, so I reach out for it from my handbag. I open it to see a bunch of news articles about me, but also about Thomas and a girl named Emilia. One article says, "Ava's been replaced?" Like didn't I already clarify I'm with Christopher? And it's so infuriating to see Thomas and this Emilia girl holding hands. I thought Emilia was a made-up person that Thomas conjured up from his head, but I guess I was wrong.

And there's only one person who can make them get this much publicity: Bruce. I quickly exit the conference room and head for Bruce's office. I yank the door open without a knock to see he's not there. I walk to the secretary at the entrance door to the office to ask where he is. Before she can speak, I see him outside with a cup of coffee. I quickly go outside to confront him.

"What did you do?" I ask rashly. He smirks at me. "I don't quite understand what you mean by that." He says it with so much composure, like he doesn't actually know what I mean by that. "With Thomas?" He walks up to the entrance to the building and opens the door. "Can we discuss this in my office? This isn't the appropriate place for this." He gestures his hand through the door. "Ladies first."

I walk to the door, but before I go through it, I give him an eye, but he returns it with a smile. The walk back to his office is quiet; it makes me pay attention to things I didn't before, like the air in the hallways—it's tainted with a smell of coffee. I look around, and everyone has a cup in their hand.

I finally walk into his office, with him entering just after me and shutting the door. He walks around his table to take a seat on his chair and places his cup of coffee on his desk. He leans back on his seat. "You were saying?" he asks.

"Why is Thomas getting all this publicity?" I ask eagerly, waiting for his response. "Well, I struck a deal with him," he replies. "What deal?" I continue. "What could you offer him that he would gladly accept?" He looks at me, and I look back at him, my eyes filled with anger. "I just simply made him an offer he could not refuse."

I simply gave up on trying to get information out of him. "You have an award to accept this Friday; try and focus on that instead, hon," he reminds me. It's something I completely forgot about—that I've been so focused on Thomas and his spotlight, I forgot about my own. This Friday, which is two days from now, is the Music Academy Awards, where they award the best young talent in every genre of music. It happens every July month-end; this year, I'm receiving the award for Best Breakout Popstar of the Year, which is an award I was nominated for last year but didn't get, but this year, I have gotten it, which is a major honor.

"If that's all, you can leave now." I look at him and take my leave.

***

The following day, I begin preparations for my award ceremony tomorrow night. I get my designers to design me a new dress and get my assistants—the real ones—to give me a schedule planning of my day leading up to tomorrow. It starts with going to the salon to get my hair done and ends with dress fittings.