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anyone in particular. Apparently, my female fans have some problems separating the fiction from reality, and the studio wants me to play this image in real life a bit. Just until the show gets reapproved for another two years. Afterward, they couldn’t care less who I date.’
    ‘But what does it have to do with us going to this party? If they want you to stay alone, you just do that. Everyone will be happy.’
    ‘ Not exactly.’ He smiled at her briefly, with sad eyes. ‘If I show up alone, I look weak, according to my agent, at least. Unfortunately, this party will be a big affair, with my stepdad being a head of a TV station and all. Not that he really works full time anymore. His son took over two years ago, and his position is mostly honorary. Kind of like the queen being the head of the state, if you like.’ He grinned at her, the sadness slipping ever so slightly. ‘So there will be photographers to document the big day, probably trying to get me into one or two of the pictures. Especially after the scandal a few weeks ago…’
    ‘A scandal?’ she asked weakly, wondering if sticking around had been such a good idea after all. People did change over time, and Jake wasn’t necessarily the same person she’d known before. Too late for second thoughts now. ‘What did you do, Jake?’
    ‘Me? Nothing.’ He shook his head, hurrying to soothe her. ‘ It’s my stepbrother, AJ.’
    ‘All right, what did he do?’ She pictured the young TV magnate snorting cocaine and paying prostitutes for outrageous acts she could only imagine. ‘Is he some kind of daddy’s spoiled little brat?’
    ‘God, no.’ Jake laughed with surprise. ‘He is actually pretty nice. You’d like him. It’s just that he was about to get married, and it was supposed to be a big deal. The wedding had been planned for a whole year. To make a long story short, his bride left him days before the wedding. Not only did she break his heart, but she also embarrassed the whole clan. It was in pretty much every gossip magazine from here to the other side of the ocean.’
    ‘I never read those .’ She shrugged defensively. ‘Not my cup of tea.’
    ‘ And that’s exactly what I have always liked about you.’ Jake smiled, undeterred. ‘You have always been an honest person with not one bad bone in your body. You care about people for what they are, not their money, fame, or other dubious things that can go away in a puff of air.’
    I t wasn’t the most flattering description if she was to hope he was attracted to her as a woman, but it made her very happy. She wasn’t looking for anything romantic from him, was she? He was so damn good-looking and nice that it seemed insane not to. ‘Thanks.’
    ‘So AJ has to show up, of course. He’s been lying low for the last two weeks, staying out of the public eye. My stepdad took it pretty hard as they smeared him in the press, especially since they managed to dig up all the dirt on AJ’s mom. She left him and his dad when he was only ten and ran off with some hunk all the way to Rio. His father almost had a heart attack.’
    He really liked his stepdad; i t was apparent in the way his voice softened each time he mentioned him.
    ‘Since the birthday bash is for two hundred people, the press will be looking for some juicy tidbits. My mom called an emergency meeting for the family just yesterday to talk about that .’ His voice was filled with admiration for his mother. ‘She can be really feisty when needed, you know? She asked me to take away some of the spotlight that would otherwise go to AJ. I mean, I am not famous, but I am known enough to be a good lure. I figured that if I showed up with a beautiful, mysterious girl on my arm, the sharks would be so busy trying to pick us apart, they’d give him a break. Plus, my fans would love the allure of the unknown, if you were to believe my agent.’
    ‘I can’t, Jake.’ She shook her head regretfully, her face apologetic. ‘I wish I could,