“You had your chance to capitalize on the scandal, and you didn’t,” Katia said. “No talk-show interviews. No book deals.”
Nina grabbed a packet of sugar and squeezed it between her palms. “You didn’t have to fly across the country to tell me that. I’m sure there’s a Hallmark card that fits the bill.”
“I didn’t fly across the country to apologize. Thought it would be a nice way to break the ice, that’s all.”
Nina had ice in her veins. There wasn’t much Katia could say to warm her disposition. Plus, she wasn’t the finest of diplomats; it was time this woman got to the point. “Did Julian send you?”
“No!” Katia was emphatic. “He doesn’t know I’m here.”
Nina prayed disappointment wasn’t oozing from her pores. Julian hadn’t sent her because Julian had moved on. If she could only accept that maybe she could move on as well.
“As the head of publicity for Knight Films, I’m here to set up press for the New York premiere in April.”
Nina couldn’t suppress a jolt of excitement. “A premiere? Already?”
“Yup! It’s an exciting time for us. Midnight Sun is getting good buzz. We’ve decided on a limited release—New York and LA.”
Nina had flinched at Katia’s use of the collective us and we, and now she was desperate to end this meeting. “What do you want from me, exactly?”
Katia took a long sip of her soy latte, a reminder that Nina’s macchiato was cooling fast. “I’m here to coax you out of hiding.”
“Coax me out of what?”
“Hiding,” Katia said. “Here’s how I see it. You’re a woman, and you’re sexual. You wrote about a meaningful encounter with a man. There’s no shame in that.”
“You make it sound like I’m cowering in shame. I’m not.”
Nina was very strategically staying above the fray. She wasn’t making public appearances, but she wasn’t sequestered in her apartment, either. She’d resumed her routines, picking up freelance editorial work and tinkering with creative projects of her own. The problem was the “routine” part. Life with Julian had been anything but mundane. Bright and fun, every day had been an indulgence.
“You are—kind of—and I can tell you it’s not a good look. You should speak up.”
“Why?” Just a second ago Katia was praising her for not speaking up. What was she missing here?
“To help the movie. Okay?” Katia spoke with caustic impatience, as if she couldn’t believe she had to explain this to a seasoned professional. “Right now, this movie release is covered under your big shadow. You’re the elephant in the room. You—”
“Okay. Stop.” Nina couldn’t hear one more cliché. “I’ve done my part. I’ve stayed away from press and—”
“And it’s only made things more awkward. You need to speak up.”
“You mean throw myself to the wolves.”
“No one is asking for a blood sacrifice,” Katia said. “Don’t forget, this is your film, too. It’s in your best interest to promote it.”
How could she? She had a scarlet letter pinned to her lapel. “It’s not a good idea.”
“I get your concerns,” Katia said. “But listen. The one thing I know is PR. How do you think I got this job? Up until now I was Julian’s capable assistant. I had to rebrand myself, and so do you.”
This conversation couldn’t get more LA if they tried. “I think with time all of this will go away.”
“No! You have to be proactive. Unless you want to be known as #sexgoddess for the rest of your life.”
“Hashtag what?” Nina came close to knocking over her coffee. She moved her cup out of the way with a shaky hand.
“Don’t you google yourself?”
“No,” Nina said. “I’m not insane.”
“Well, #sexgoddess is what you’re known as these days. Way better than #famewhore, in my opinion.”
Nina drummed the tabletop with her fingertips. “Awesome…just awesome.”
“I know. It sucks. It all sucks.”
It sucked that Katia was right. Nina had been hiding. She wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole, or her apartment, and die. She’d had a hand in the making of this scandal and was deeply embarrassed about it. How could she have been so careless as to leaving her diary in a public garden? Once again, her published words had caused a loved one pain.
“Come out and support the film,” Katia said. “The Miami Film Festival in March is a good place to start. You won’t have to talk to the press. If you show up to the director’s Q&A event, I’ll make sure your photo gets to the press.”
“Will Julian be there?”
“Of course. He’s the director.”
Nina reached for her coat hanging on the back of her chair. She was suddenly feeling cold in this hot and cramped coffee shop.
“I’m sorry things didn’t work out between you two, but he’s worked so hard on this. You more than anyone should know that. If you ever cared for him—”
“I love him!”
Katia grabbed the table as if a quake had hit. The words had exploded from Nina. She didn’t care for him. She loved him. Nina loved Julian Knight, and she couldn’t carry that truth around like a concealed weapon anymore. Was Julian worthy of her love? That was a separate issue.
“Sorry, Katia,” she said. It wasn’t fair to unload on her. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Katia raised her hands to her head and massaged her temples. “Ugh! I promised I wouldn’t meddle.”
“That’s surprising. All you’ve done is meddle.”
“Clearly, I’m good at it.” She laughed, nervous. “I can’t speak for my boss’s feelings, obviously. I can say that he hasn’t been the same since Miami. I’ve seen him low before, but this is different.”
Nina didn’t like the idea of Julian feeling low. A part of her was comforted by the idea that he was out in the world, making it a better place through sheer charisma and joy.
“I want to talk to him,” Nina said. “Ask him to call me.”
“I can’t do that. He doesn’t know I’m here.”
Nina grabbed her keys off the table. “Fine.”
“Wait!” Katia cried. “Let me see what I can do.”
Katia
