More Than Manager

chapter eight

chapter 8// Miles Carter

~

It's later, now. Much, much later than when I talked to Roger. I'm tipsy, but not definitely not as drunk I was a couple nights ago. Still enough alcohol in me to stir the pot, though. I better watch my mouth, just in case there's paparazzi.

...Which there is.

But I've only just noticed them. Have they heard what Roger said in the kitchen earlier? I surely hope not.

One of the reporters comes up to me and Freddie, their cameras flashing in our faces.

"No pictures, please. We're only here for a good time darling." Freddie on the other hand, is very, very drunk. He spills his drink a little trying to shoo away the cameras.

"Freddie," I say, putting my arm on his shoulder to stop him. He looks at me and sighs.

I tell John to watch him as I go look for Roger. I should warn him of the paparazzi.

It doesn't take me long to find him. He's sitting next to Brian and another boy in the hot tub. I would join them to leave all the chaos from inside, but I'm not about to strip. I lock eyes with Brian from afar and point to Roger. He get's Roger's attention and points to me. I wave for Roger to come here.

Roger gets out of the hot tub and wraps a towel around his waist. He walks over to me and stands close. I can feel the heat from his body which just makes me want to hug him but instead, he bends down as I put my lips close to his ear and say, "did you know that paparazzi is here?" I whisper in a slight panic.

He jerks away from me and his eyes open wide. He just realized that they could of heard us in the kitchen.

"I know," I whisper.

"You're just now telling me this?" He asks.

"Well I just found it. Cameras in Freddie's face," I say.

He now looks panicked, too. What do we do?

"Shit," he mumbles under his breath, "I've got an idea."

"What?" I say impatiently.

"You see that man over there?" He points to the man I saw earlier in the hot tub with them.

He nods and smiles at me.

"Yeah?" I say with hesitation.

"You need to sleep with him," Roger blurts out.

I give a little chuckle, but Roger stays serious.

"You're kidding, right?" I say.

"Does it look like I'm kidding?"

"How will that fix anything at all, Roger," I say, sighing. We really don't have time for this.

"Samantha, if the press thinks you're with someone else, they won't bother us with their questions."

He's right. But it seems a bit extreme. "But do we really have to have sex? I mean, can't we just hold hands or something?"

"You and I could hold hands right now, that doesn't mean we're a thing, right?" Roger says. And it kind of makes me feel bad. Is he implying that sex actually does mean something to him? Wow, that's a surprise.

I frown and he gives me a sympathetic look before laughing, which makes me blush. "Samantha, you don't actually have to sleep with him. Just make sure they see you guys go to the bedroom together."

"Are you sure about this, Roger?"

He holds my hand, "Trust me."

Roger lets go of my hand but keeps his eyes locked with mine. I watch him as he walks over to the man and talks to him. I see Brian start to argue, but Roger says something that calms him down a bit. Brian looks at me and I give him a weak thumbs up.