At fifteen, JT Pierce was the star of a hit TV show and had the world in his hands. Every teeny-bopper magazine had his face on it; every teenage girl had his poster on her wall. But then the show went on hiatus, and JT wouldn’t lower himself to bit parts or commercials. Slowly, his star faded from view.<br><br>Seven years later, JT is Johnny Thomas, who hopes to jumpstart his career by hiring his former manager, Lou Merrin. He wants to do serious movies, a huge blockbuster or two, and claim one of those coveted Oscars for himself. But Lou cautions Johnny about the paparazzi, who can make or break a star these days, and he’s heard rumors of Johnny’s sexuality that might prevent him from landing those coveted leading roles.<br><br>Still, Johnny’s nothing if not persistent, and he swears he’ll play it straight. Until he meets Brett, a photographer who turns his life -- and his heart -- upside down. Suddenly the celebrity gossip website Z-23 seems to have exclusive pictures of Johnny, and someone close to him leaks information about an audition that was supposed to be kept quiet. When photographs surface that Johnny thought were taken in confidence, he realizes he must choose between the career path Lou offers him and the love he wants to share with Brett.

Beautiful Liar

Johnny’s not sure what to say. He can’t really deny the pictures—it’s obviously him, and though he’d pushed Brett away before the photog could steal a kiss in public, the images still look pretty incriminating. He clears his throat, mind working in overtime; he never was any good at improv…. 


Lou’s voice is surprisingly gentle. “Who is he?” 


Lou laughs. “Don’t play coy with me. I’m your manager, Johnny. I need all the facts up front here. I’m the one they’re going to call about this. You’re just lucky the site’s updated so damn often, and no one’s really looking for shit on you yet. But the minute you’re back on top, and they start Googling you? Don’t you think someone’s going to find these?” 


“We’re just playing around.” Even to his own ears, Johnny knows that sounds lame. 


“Are you serious?” Lou asks. Johnny glances up, confused, but Lou nods at the photos in his hands and asks, “With him? Is it something I should know about?” 


Chapter 7