forms for you to sign in support of that. Standard stuff.”
She casually handed him her tablet, which was already cued up to the appropriate form. Ashley stuck his spoon into his frozen yogurt, took it, and looked it over. At the top of the PDF in bold print were the words Confidentiality Agreement. Ashley shook his head.
“This isn’t standard stuff, and I don’t sign anything without my manager or lawyers present. Not even for a beautiful girl like you.”
“Joey, don’t!” She reached for Baby Joe in the highchair next to her. He was poking his fingers into the frozen yogurt. When she wiped off his hand with a baby wipe, the toddler grabbed a candy piece and shoved it into his mouth. He blew bubbles as he chewed, which left his face a spitty, sticky mess. She gave up trying to fight the toddler wars.
Finally looking up at Ashley, she confessed, “No, it’s not standard stuff. He’s into you, Ashley. He’s just nervous that public knowledge of that interest could hurt his career, and I don’t blame him. He’s right about you being much more open about your personal life. I’ve seen your vlogs. But promising in writing that you won’t blast him could get you the shot with Phoenix that you want. He just needs to know you won’t put anything about him on the Internet. Understand?”
“I do understand. Phoenix Briton,” he bit the name off sharply, “wants me to be his dirty little secret. I’m surprised you and he would go so far as to try to trap me into a contract restricting my free speech about my personal life. I thought we were better than that. I thought we could be friends.”
She frowned at the darkening of Ashley’s grey eyes and the way his eyebrows came together over the bridge of his nose. Her heart beat faster. Had she screwed up again? She had thought she was ready to be a professional. “Hey, this wasn’t Phoenix’s idea. I’m sorry. I didn’t think bringing it up would make you so upset.” Her eyes pleaded with him. “The hardest part of PR is people,” Uncle Bryan had told her, “and there’s no crash course in that.” She hadn’t understood—people liked her; she was respectful.... Ashley’s lips smiled wryly, but the smile didn’t reach any further. Cee-Cee impulsively reached across the table and touched his hand, but she forgot what she had just been touching. She left a sticky residue on his skin. She frowned and swiped it with a baby wipe, only to leave behind fluffs of lint, which made Ashley laugh and lightened the situation.
He grabbed another wipe from the pack in Baby Joe’s diaper bag and cleaned his hand. “I’m not upset, per se. But let’s get one thing straight, Cee-Cee. I’m not anyone’s down-low option. I never will be. You can tell Phoenix either he accepts me as I am, or he doesn’t have to worry about me coming around. I think he’s cute, but I’m not changing to fit his circus act.”
She looked at him for a minute. He wasn’t holding the forms against her, but he wouldn’t sign them either. She sighed. “Of course I’ll tell him, and I understand, but I really am excited about the idea of having you at the fundraiser. Your music is great. I’m not sure I’ll be successful playing middle man between you two.” Cee-Cee pulled her tablet back to her side of the table with a look of disappointment. She didn’t know where to go from there. Phoenix would probably cancel having Ashley at the fundraiser now.
Ashley shifted the conversation to talk about his week of shows. It sounded fascinating, but Cee-Cee was more concerned with this one show in particular. She had all but assured the PR-ISM team Ashley would be at the fundraiser, but without his guarantee that he wouldn’t openly flirt with the mayor, Phoenix wouldn’t agree to that.
She took a chance and murmured, “Like I said, this was me trying to find a middle ground for you two. You don’t have to be a secret, but can you at least promise that if you mention anything
She casually handed him her tablet, which was already cued up to the appropriate form. Ashley stuck his spoon into his frozen yogurt, took it, and looked it over. At the top of the PDF in bold print were the words Confidentiality Agreement. Ashley shook his head.
“This isn’t standard stuff, and I don’t sign anything without my manager or lawyers present. Not even for a beautiful girl like you.”
“Joey, don’t!” She reached for Baby Joe in the highchair next to her. He was poking his fingers into the frozen yogurt. When she wiped off his hand with a baby wipe, the toddler grabbed a candy piece and shoved it into his mouth. He blew bubbles as he chewed, which left his face a spitty, sticky mess. She gave up trying to fight the toddler wars.
Finally looking up at Ashley, she confessed, “No, it’s not standard stuff. He’s into you, Ashley. He’s just nervous that public knowledge of that interest could hurt his career, and I don’t blame him. He’s right about you being much more open about your personal life. I’ve seen your vlogs. But promising in writing that you won’t blast him could get you the shot with Phoenix that you want. He just needs to know you won’t put anything about him on the Internet. Understand?”
“I do understand. Phoenix Briton,” he bit the name off sharply, “wants me to be his dirty little secret. I’m surprised you and he would go so far as to try to trap me into a contract restricting my free speech about my personal life. I thought we were better than that. I thought we could be friends.”
She frowned at the darkening of Ashley’s grey eyes and the way his eyebrows came together over the bridge of his nose. Her heart beat faster. Had she screwed up again? She had thought she was ready to be a professional. “Hey, this wasn’t Phoenix’s idea. I’m sorry. I didn’t think bringing it up would make you so upset.” Her eyes pleaded with him. “The hardest part of PR is people,” Uncle Bryan had told her, “and there’s no crash course in that.” She hadn’t understood—people liked her; she was respectful.... Ashley’s lips smiled wryly, but the smile didn’t reach any further. Cee-Cee impulsively reached across the table and touched his hand, but she forgot what she had just been touching. She left a sticky residue on his skin. She frowned and swiped it with a baby wipe, only to leave behind fluffs of lint, which made Ashley laugh and lightened the situation.
He grabbed another wipe from the pack in Baby Joe’s diaper bag and cleaned his hand. “I’m not upset, per se. But let’s get one thing straight, Cee-Cee. I’m not anyone’s down-low option. I never will be. You can tell Phoenix either he accepts me as I am, or he doesn’t have to worry about me coming around. I think he’s cute, but I’m not changing to fit his circus act.”
She looked at him for a minute. He wasn’t holding the forms against her, but he wouldn’t sign them either. She sighed. “Of course I’ll tell him, and I understand, but I really am excited about the idea of having you at the fundraiser. Your music is great. I’m not sure I’ll be successful playing middle man between you two.” Cee-Cee pulled her tablet back to her side of the table with a look of disappointment. She didn’t know where to go from there. Phoenix would probably cancel having Ashley at the fundraiser now.
Ashley shifted the conversation to talk about his week of shows. It sounded fascinating, but Cee-Cee was more concerned with this one show in particular. She had all but assured the PR-ISM team Ashley would be at the fundraiser, but without his guarantee that he wouldn’t openly flirt with the mayor, Phoenix wouldn’t agree to that.
She took a chance and murmured, “Like I said, this was me trying to find a middle ground for you two. You don’t have to be a secret, but can you at least promise that if you mention anything
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