Page 92 of The Encounter
“You don’t have to worry about that. They know the media rarely has the facts straight, especially involving celebrities.Ifthey’ve even read it, and that’s a big if, they won’t bat an eye. They know Samantha spins the truth.”
“I just hate that people are going to think I’m a gold digger,” she whispered.
Anger immediately ignited inside him once again. He needed to figure out how to handle the situation, but there wasn’t anything he could do tonight. For now, he needed to keep his anger at bay and focus on Maddie.
“I don’t think very many people read it, and if they do, I’d hope they’re smart enough not to believe everything they read. People who read trash like that thrive on the dirt.”
Maddie giggled. “Kayla reads trash like that.”
Jace laughed. “Point made. She likes the drama.”
“That’s true,” she said softly before smiling at him.
“The last thing you need to worry about is my parents. They won’t believe anything they read, and if they have questions, they’ll ask me.Andthey will believe me when I tell them it’s all lies.”
“Okay.”
He pressed her fingers to his lips again and peppered them with kisses. “Are you ready to see my family?”
She nodded.
He kept a hand on hers as he pulled the car out onto the street.
“How’s work going?” she asked.
“Oh, you know. It’s busy. We’re still a body down. I lost a bartender a while back, so I’m still going to be filling in a lot until I find someone to hire.”
Jace had been filling in since that night Maddie and Kayla had been drugged. It wasn’t ideal since a lot of women would flock around the bar just to get a glimpse of him and chat, but not to order drinks. It made for a congested area, which upset other customers.
“You need to hire a bartender?” Maddie asked.
He glanced at her. “Yes. I’m just having trouble finding someone.”
“Well.” She hesitated. “Kayla is struggling with work right now. It’s not my place to say, but she has decided to go back to school and has had to cut her hours at the store where she works. That means she isn’t making much and struggling to pay bills.”
“Does she have any bartending experience?”
“I think she used to bartend. Honestly, she’s held so many jobs, I can’t keep them all straight. I know that doesn’t make her sound like an ideal employee…” she drifted off.
“Tell you what. How about I chat with her tomorrow about it? I can’t make any promises, but I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate that.”
He squeezed her hand. “Anything for you.”
They pulled up in front of a large blue house with enormous bay windows. The lights were on, making the house look alive and picturesque. Jace parked his car in the driveway in front of the garage door.
“Ready?” he asked.
Maddie nodded. Jace came around to her door and took her hand, helping her out of the car. Her eyes were wide, and she clenched his hand a little harder than normal. He squeezed it lightly.
“You don’t need to be nervous.”
“I can’t help it. We are at your parents’ place. This is a nerve-racking event.”
“You’ve met them before.”
“Yeah, but there was a large event going on that was a distraction.”
