practiced skill. “It happens every time,” she said. “They think they own the place.” She shook her head again.
“Yeah. I’m sorry you have to go through this. They’ll be gone soon.”
He turned to leave and ran smack into Penelope’s chest. Damn it . Last night she hadn’t taken his refusal to come into her room very well. She’d been downright pissed, and she hadn’t tried to hide the fact, calling him a coward and accusing him of being less than a man.
He steeled himself for her wrath. “Sorry, Penelope. I didn’t realize you were there.”
The clicking of cameras sounded from the doorway.
“For Christ’s sake.” He masked his anger and plastered a fake smile on his lips as he made his way out the door. He wasn’t on their list of celebrities to photograph or interview, and as they followed him, snapping picture after picture, he grew angrier by the second.
“Mr. Remington,” someone called after him. “Care to give us a statement?”
Sage stopped and turned back around. “Yes, actually. I’d love to, but only if you will then keep me off your radar. I’m not here for the press, and I’d like to make it through the day without having to dodge cameras.” He knew they’d take the bait. Everyone wanted what they couldn’t have, and because Sage kept his press contact to a minimum, he was their van Gogh.
“You’ve got it.” A short, red-haired man held a microphone at the ready. Two other men and a woman had pen and paper in hand.
Sage pulled his shoulders back and looked into one of the cameras with a serious stare. “The people of Punta Palacia have been gracious enough to invite and accept us into their community. We’re fortunate to have the honor of being here, under the generous tutelage of people like Kate Paletto and Caleb Forman, who have given years of their lives to help the community without the promise of anything more than a place to rest their bodies at night. Those are the people who deserve to be recognized for their efforts.” He turned on his heel and stalked away.
Luce caught up to him at the edge of the road—not that he had any idea where he was going, but he had to get away from the story-hungry leeches behind him.
“You know you’re going to have a shit storm to deal with one way or another, right?”
“Why? For telling the truth?” He walked at a quick pace.
“You never give impromptu interviews. You’re a million miles from home without your PR rep guiding you on what to say, and you just gave them what you thought was a simple, honest statement.” Luce shook her head. “They’ll either clip it and post it with a picture of you scowling and make it appear that you don’t appreciate being here, or they’ll slap a photo of you and Penelope on the front page with the headline Sage and Penny, the New Humanitarian Couple! ”
Sage shot her an angry look. When they reached the town, he kept going. “Don’t you have to handle your people or something?”
Luce laughed. “They have enough handlers today. Besides, I gave them my spiel earlier this morning and advised the makeup and clothing teams of what was appropriate. Penelope can fuck this up all on her own, and I’m not Clayton or Cassidy’s rep, so whatever they do, they can deal with. I’ll deal with Penelope’s mess once I see what hits the fan.” She hurried to keep up with him. “Where are you heading, anyway?”
“I’m sorry, Luce. I don’t mean to come across gruff. I’m not really sure where I’m going. Away from there; that’s all I know.”
“You really don’t like that attention, do you?”
“You could say that.” Everything about the press rubbed Sage the wrong way. It wasn’t that he was against public relations in general. He was against public relations when it wasn’t deserved. Sage followed the road through town, passing the Internet café and the little bar where they’d gone for drinks, and wound down the path Kate had told him about that led into the
“Yeah. I’m sorry you have to go through this. They’ll be gone soon.”
He turned to leave and ran smack into Penelope’s chest. Damn it . Last night she hadn’t taken his refusal to come into her room very well. She’d been downright pissed, and she hadn’t tried to hide the fact, calling him a coward and accusing him of being less than a man.
He steeled himself for her wrath. “Sorry, Penelope. I didn’t realize you were there.”
The clicking of cameras sounded from the doorway.
“For Christ’s sake.” He masked his anger and plastered a fake smile on his lips as he made his way out the door. He wasn’t on their list of celebrities to photograph or interview, and as they followed him, snapping picture after picture, he grew angrier by the second.
“Mr. Remington,” someone called after him. “Care to give us a statement?”
Sage stopped and turned back around. “Yes, actually. I’d love to, but only if you will then keep me off your radar. I’m not here for the press, and I’d like to make it through the day without having to dodge cameras.” He knew they’d take the bait. Everyone wanted what they couldn’t have, and because Sage kept his press contact to a minimum, he was their van Gogh.
“You’ve got it.” A short, red-haired man held a microphone at the ready. Two other men and a woman had pen and paper in hand.
Sage pulled his shoulders back and looked into one of the cameras with a serious stare. “The people of Punta Palacia have been gracious enough to invite and accept us into their community. We’re fortunate to have the honor of being here, under the generous tutelage of people like Kate Paletto and Caleb Forman, who have given years of their lives to help the community without the promise of anything more than a place to rest their bodies at night. Those are the people who deserve to be recognized for their efforts.” He turned on his heel and stalked away.
Luce caught up to him at the edge of the road—not that he had any idea where he was going, but he had to get away from the story-hungry leeches behind him.
“You know you’re going to have a shit storm to deal with one way or another, right?”
“Why? For telling the truth?” He walked at a quick pace.
“You never give impromptu interviews. You’re a million miles from home without your PR rep guiding you on what to say, and you just gave them what you thought was a simple, honest statement.” Luce shook her head. “They’ll either clip it and post it with a picture of you scowling and make it appear that you don’t appreciate being here, or they’ll slap a photo of you and Penelope on the front page with the headline Sage and Penny, the New Humanitarian Couple! ”
Sage shot her an angry look. When they reached the town, he kept going. “Don’t you have to handle your people or something?”
Luce laughed. “They have enough handlers today. Besides, I gave them my spiel earlier this morning and advised the makeup and clothing teams of what was appropriate. Penelope can fuck this up all on her own, and I’m not Clayton or Cassidy’s rep, so whatever they do, they can deal with. I’ll deal with Penelope’s mess once I see what hits the fan.” She hurried to keep up with him. “Where are you heading, anyway?”
“I’m sorry, Luce. I don’t mean to come across gruff. I’m not really sure where I’m going. Away from there; that’s all I know.”
“You really don’t like that attention, do you?”
“You could say that.” Everything about the press rubbed Sage the wrong way. It wasn’t that he was against public relations in general. He was against public relations when it wasn’t deserved. Sage followed the road through town, passing the Internet café and the little bar where they’d gone for drinks, and wound down the path Kate had told him about that led into the
Similar Books
