When Lightning Strikes Read Online Free PDF Page A

figure out what was going
on. Irritated by the lack of privacy, she waved them away.
    “Easier said than done when we’re all facing the end of our
careers,” Ian grumbled, frowning as their audience reluctantly dispersed.
    “This article is just the latest in a series of bad
developments,” she said. “The real problem started long before now. Simon’s been
rolling downhill for months, drinking too much, fighting, acting belligerent,
walking out on jobs and getting sued for breach of contract. He was already in
trouble.”
    “That’s no excuse for what you’ve done. Chelsea Seagate and I
have been trying to get things turned around, but you’ve just made his situation
exponentially worse.”
    She wondered what Chelsea was going to say about this, how
she’d try to contain the damage, and was actually grateful that she might have
some help. “I agree. I’m saying this isn’t a new problem. It’s more of the old problem. Simon needs a fresh image. We’ve got to
pull him out of circulation until he can decompress and get hold of
himself.”
    Ian shoved a hand through his thick, unruly hair. “How do we
pull him out of circulation? He has a new movie coming out. He’s contractually
obligated to promote it. That puts him on every major talk show in America.”
    He’d probably show up drunk at those appearances because he
couldn’t bear to do them sober anymore. She’d never seen anyone so burned out.
“What if he had a good reason to change things up? What if we gave the movie’s
producer such a great PR angle he’d be thrilled without the usual dog-and-pony show?”
    “I’m not following you,” he said, but he seemed somewhat
mollified and encouraged by her tone.
    “It’s been six months since Simon’s divorce.”
    “And he’s still not over it.”
    She threw him a dirty look. “We’re talking about solutions. He’s available again. That’s the bright
spot.”
    He stood by the window and peered out through the blinds. “What
are you saying?”
    “That what we should do is—” her mind scrambled to focus the
idea that was coming to her “—find a nice girl for him to marry.”
    The blinds snapped as he let go of them and swung around to
face her. “ Marry? After what Bella the Bitch has
done, I don’t think he’ll ever marry again.”
    “But consider what a new relationship would do to distract
from, and counteract, all the bad press. If we could
find the right person.”
    He prowled around, examining the awards she’d won, tossing her
paperweight from hand to hand. “And who would the right person be?”
    “Someone sweet enough to soften his rough edges. Someone whose
character is sterling, above question, so there won’t be any shocking
revelations down the road.”
    He sighed. “Too dangerous. Anyone could end up being
unpredictable.”
    “Not necessarily. This will be a business deal. The woman will
sign a prenup as well as a contract outlining exactly what she can and can’t do.
If she fulfills her obligations, she’ll be generously compensated. But she’ll
get paid only if she abides by the terms. We’ll make sure she says nothing that
isn’t nice about him and acts with proper adoration in public. He’ll have total
control.”
    Ian still seemed skeptical. “There’s no such thing as total
control. How do you know that whoever we get won’t turn out to be a psycho? Or
cause bigger problems? It’s not like you’re going to find someone who doesn’t
know who he is. Any woman would smell money.”
    “You have so much confidence in the female gender,” she said
with a grimace.
    He shrugged at her sarcasm. “I’m just sayin’. What if she gets
tired of putting in the time and sells her story to the tabloids to make a quick
buck instead? Reveals that she’s a plant? Tries to blackmail him or take him to
the cleaners?”
    “That would be breach of contract.”
    “So?” he said, exasperated. “People break contracts all the
time. And once the truth is out