Chapter 6: Reputation

Remi’s POV

My hands grip the steering wheel tightly as I follow the black SUV with Gray and Glen inside, weaving through the busy morning Los Angeles traffic trying to keep up. I’m reminded why I don’t like to drive myself to places because I hate how close the cars feel in the lanes beside me or how some people don’t have any consideration for others on the road. This is why I would rather catch a taxi.

After a long thirty-minute drive that should’ve only taken twenty without the traffic, we arrive at the studio where the television interview will be held. Gray will be on one of the most popular talk shows in the state, which is why Lucy made it blatantly clear to me that Gray cannot be late, so I made sure that didn’t happen.

I follow the SUV into a restricted parking area and pull into the first free parking space while the SUV stops in front of the doors to the back of the building. By the time I’m out of the car juggling my handbag and travel mug with coffee inside – for an extra boost on my first day – Gray is sliding out of the car with a travel mug in hand also.

He stands by the back doors, takes a long swig, and then lowers it to lock eyes with me as I approach him. Heels tapping on the cement behind me capture my attention, and I spin on my heels to see Lucy approaching with a large pair of sunglasses covering her eyes.

Lucy lowers them just enough for her eyes to be seen above the rim. “I see you managed to get Gray here on time. Good job, Remi.”

The corner of my lips turns up into a half-smile. “Thank you. It wasn’t easy.”

“It never is,” Lucy says as she walks past me to stand in front of Gray. He doesn’t seem fazed by her presence and continues to drink from the travel mug.

“We’ve spoken about this interview many times, Gray. You need to be on your best behavior, okay? I won’t let you f*ck this up.”

Gray rolls his arms and tilts his head to the side. He too has a pair of sunglasses covering his eyes, so I’m unable to read the expression on his face besides the way his brows furrow together.

“I’m not a child. Lucy. You don’t need to scold me like one. I’ve done hundreds of interviews, so I know what I’m doing.”

“We’ll see about that,” Lucy retorts and turns to walk inside, leaving everyone else to follow her inside.

My head is tilted downward to look at the floor because I’m nervous about what lies ahead of me. I have never been on set for an interview ever, so I have zero clue what I’m doing or how the process works. I’m way out of my element here, but I have no choice but to soldier on if I want to keep this job. The hard part of getting Gray here on time is done, so now I just have to make sure the rest of the day runs smoothly.

When I walk into the green room for Gray, it’s pure chaos. I watch with wide eyes as he is rushed into a chair by an older woman and she immediately begins fiddling with his messy hair, but he appears unfazed as he continues to drink from the mug.

I catch his eye in the mirror when he looks up and I find myself in a trance as I stare back, unable to tear my eyes away. My heart stutters when his eyes move from my face down the length of my body and then back up. It’s when the corner of his lips turns up into a smirk do I manage to tear my eyes away from him and walk to the other side of the room, hoping I’ll be able to catch my breath.

The black leather couch looks inviting, so I sit down and watch as the stylists surround the rack of clothing options for Gray to wear during the interview. They’re deep in conversation and I can’t help but wonder what they’re discussing.

Lucy sits beside me on the couch, blowing out a long breath. “It’s a lot, right?”

I nod in agreement. She must’ve seen the look of amazement and curiosity on my face. “Is it like this for every interview he does?”

“Yep,” she says as she leans her back against the couch, her eyes locked on Gray as he sits quietly in the chair while the stylist fixes the messy strands. “It’s worse when Blood Ink has a concert. You don’t get a chance to breathe for the entire night because there is so much that needs to be done. This is what happens with big stars, Remi.”

My brows furrow at the mention of Blood Ink. I turn to face Lucy, but she doesn’t look at me. “Where are the rest of the members? Are they not interviewing with Gray?”

Lucy shakes her head and finally drags her eyes away from Gray to look at me. “Not today. The talk show only wanted to interview Gray because he is the lead singer of the band, and his life is more, how should I say this… exciting and drama filled compared to the other guys. They want to showcase what the public wants to see and that’s putting Gray’s life on display.”

My teeth capture my bottom lip as I turn to look at Gray. There is something sad about knowing that this man has no say in the matter of what the world can and cannot know about him. His life isn’t just his own anymore because he’s famous and in the public eye, it’s an open book for anyone to criticize him and what he does because he doesn’t have an ounce of privacy. I would hate to be in his position with the eyes of the world watching me.

“That must be a lot for him,” I finally say after a moment. “I’m sure it’s not easy for him.”

“He’s okay,” Lucy brushes me off and sits up straight. “He’s Gray Wilder. Nothing fazes him as long as he gets to perform his music. I’ve worked hard over the years to keep his reputation squeaky clean, but there have been some controversies that have managed to slip past me. But I won’t allow it again, not before Blood Ink announces their world tour coming up.”

A knock at the door echoes throughout the room and a man with a headset pops his head into the room, talking directly to Lucy. “Gray is on in ten.”

Lucy wastes no time pushing herself off the couch and walks toward Gray. She leans down to speak to him, but I can’t hear what they’re saying much to my disappointment. Whatever was said has Gray’s features twisting into what appears to be annoyance as he follows Lucy to the rack of clothes.

My eyes watch Gray as the stylist hands him a pair of black slacks, a dark blue long-sleeved button-up shirt, and a pair of brown loafers to tie the outfit together. Gray rolls his eyes at the shoes and mumbles something before pulling his shirt over his head in front of everyone.

Images from seeing him naked this morning run through my mind and I instantly look away when I catch Gray’s eye. All I can think about is his large package and how embarrassed I felt at that moment. I don’t need a repeat of that today.

Once Gray is dressed, I follow him and his team into the hallway, heading toward the studio where the talk show is being filmed. My eyes widen as I take in the room filled with cameras and producers checking that everything is running smoothly while the hosts are on air. I believe Gray is on after the next ad break because Lucy walks him to the edge of the platform and says something to him.

I notice Gray still has the travel mug in his hand and I frown slightly. Why is he still drinking from that? Surely all of the contents should be gone by now.

Once the hosts are on an ad break, I watch from the side as they greet Gray and Lucy with warm smiles and guide him to the couch across from theirs where he’ll be sitting. He sways slightly on his feet as he steps onto the stage and my heart suddenly sinks to my feet.

Is he drunk?

Panic begins to build in my chest as I search the room for Lucy. I should’ve known there was something odd about the way Gray has been so attached to that travel mug since leaving his mansion. He was in the kitchen for an extra couple of minutes while I waited for him outside, so there is a good chance he filled the mug with something that isn’t coffee.

Before I can even attempt to push through the crowd of producers to reach Lucy, the show returns to the air, and I’m stuck in place to avoid messing with the production. My heart is hammering against my chest praying that I’m wrong about him spiking the travel mug but when the interview begins and Gray starts saying random things instead of answering the questions, I know I’m anything but wrong.

“So, Gray, how is your love life these days?” Kelly, one of the hosts, asks with a smile on her face. “There have been sightings of you on the streets of Los Angeles with some stunning women. So, tell me, are you dating anyone right now?”

Gray scoffs and shakes his head. “Absolutely not. I sleep with whoever I want. I can’t be tied down, Kelly. I’m a free bird who needs to spread his wings and fly away. I don’t need no women keeping me from touching the sky.” His words are slurred as he speaks and he’s unable to make eye contact with the hosts.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Lucy storming toward me. “What the hell is wrong with him?” She hisses as Gray continues to compare himself to a flightless bird when he’s dating someone. “Is he drunk?”

“I-I don’t know,” I stammer, looking between her and Gray frantically. “He must’ve slipped something into his travel mug before we left. I had no idea.”

“This is a f*cking disaster,” she grunts and pinches the bridge of her nose, taking deep calming breaths. “I have worked so hard to keep this man under control, and he’s just going off the rails on live television.”

“I’m sure you know how it is, John,” Gray continues, pointing at the other host. “There is only one woman out there for me and I haven’t found her yet. I may never find her and that’s okay. But until then, I’m going to live my life the way I want to. And I don’t give a f*ck what anyone says or thinks about me.”

“F*cking hell, I’m going to have to do some damage control,” Lucy huffs as we continue to listen to Gray drunkenly rant on live television, unable to do anything about it.