“Hey, Fred, I was about to call you.”
“She loved the video, didn’t she?” Before Jackson could respond, Fred said, “I knew she would. That’s why I took the liberty of releasing it before people got too distracted with Christmas.”
“You did what?” Surely Jackson hadn’t heard him correctly. He wouldn’t go public with the video after Jackson told him how important Serena’s privacy was to her.
“Don’t worry. It’s trending. It’s going to hit a million views anytime now—”
“Fred, I told you not to do this!” He was shouting now and he didn’t care.
“Relax. I’ve got your back.”
“You’re kidding, right? I told you how important this video was to me.”
“Of course it’s important. That’s why I had the best people in the business polish it up before I released it. And let me tell you, after it aired on your network, the video went viral. People are talking about it on every media platform. You’re a hero. You found Serena Winston.”
“And what about her? Do you know what you’ve done to her?”
His agent’s voice took on an angry tone. “I didn’t do anything to her. She should thank me for her name being on everyone’s tongue.”
“And did you ever stop to think that if she worked that hard to disappear she might value her privacy?” Serena was going to be so hurt and he’d already done so much damage. He had to do something to fix this.
“Give me some credit. I didn’t tell anyone where she is.” Fred’s voice drew him from his thoughts. “What is up with you? I thought you wanted to do whatever it took to land that evening anchor position? Where is the thank-you?”
“There isn’t going to be one. I told you the interview was to be kept under wraps—”
“Wait. You’re upset about her, aren’t you?”
“No.”
“You are. You don’t care about the tape being leaked—you care that Serena Winston is upset. What has gotten into you? Where are your priorities?”
“You want to know my priorities? My priority is keeping my word—without it I’m nothing. And I gave Serena my word that I would keep that interview confidential until she decided if or when to go public with her screenplay. And now, thanks to you, everyone and their grandmother knows about Serena’s project—a project that she wasn’t ready to take public.”
“But this will help both of you—believe me, this is all going to work out. And I didn’t tell you the best part. The network executives tuned in. They loved the interview and they want you.” When Jackson didn’t respond, Fred asked, “Did you hear me?”
“I did. And I don’t care. This isn’t about me. It’s about Serena.”
“And she’s going to thank you—”
“No. She isn’t.” Jackson’s hands clenched the steering wheel until his knuckle
s turned white.
“Wow! I’ve never heard you go off the handle like this.”
“If you thought I’d be happy using someone I care about to further my career, you don’t know me at all.”
“I thought I did. You used to always be so calm and take everything in stride. What has happened to you? It’s Serena. She’s gotten to you.”
“No, she hasn’t.” Besides, he’d messed things up with her. If he’d had any hope of ever making things right with Serena—this was the final straw.
“Oh, I get it. You’re in love with her, aren’t you? That’s why you’re so upset.”
He may not be able to do anything about Serena’s anger toward him, but he could make sure his agent never leaked a video again.
“Fred, you’re fired.”
Jackson disconnected the call. He pulled off the quiet mountain road. He got out of his vehicle and just started pacing. He had so much pent-up energy and he just needed to wear it off.