The offices of Storm Marketing and Public Relations were a couple of blocks in from the sea front in Downtown Miami. I didn’t miss the view of the ocean that everyone else complained about since we’d moved to the new building a bit more inland. I was too busy actually living my life to stare out a window and dream.

“Lacey, come in,” Chuck said when I knocked on his door.

He smiled at me from the other side of his desk and motioned to a chair. I sat down.

Chuck’s office was small and to the point, with nothing that suggested he had a life outside of work. He didn’t have framed photos on his desk or pictures on the wall that his kids might have drawn. The books on his shelf were all business related, and the plant was fake, suggesting he couldn’t take time out of his busy life to care for a real plant. Much like myself.

“I have a new contract for you,” he said. “Bit of a difficult character. Hanson Bell’s the name. One of our own, here with the Florida Sharks.”

He handed me a file, and I opened it.

“What’s the problem?” I asked.

I’d heard of Hanson Bell. He was a football player, and his name was in the news all the time. I could never keep track of what those football players were in trouble for, though.

“He’s been suspended for a DUI that happened earlier this year. He’s coming back onto the field, soon, but his coach is worried that his image will affect the fans.”

I nodded. The problem with being rich and famous was that the whole word was watching. Being human and making mistakes like the rest of us wasn’t an option. It was a cruel life, but if they didn’t have their problems, I wouldn’t have a job.

“What else has he done?” I asked.

Chuck shook his head. “It’s not my job to inform you. You know that. Do your homework on the guy, and let me know if you’re up to the task. I’ll understand if you turn it down.”

That got my back up. I didn’t turn down anything, especially not if people expected me to. I knew what I was doing, and I did my job well. I wasn’t going to say no when someone assumed I would fail.

Chuck leaned back in his chair. He was a man in his early fifties whose age had caught up with him quicker than it should have. He was almost completely gray, and his belly strained against his shirt in a manner that threatened to pop the buttons. Despite his tough and less than desirable exterior, on the inside Chuck was a softie and a good boss. He took care of us, and he made sure we knew what we were doing.

“I’ll get back to you as soon as I can,” I said. “You know I’ll probably take it, though.”

Chuck nodded. “I know you’re not one to run from a fight, but just let me know. For formality’s sake.”

I agreed and got up, tucking the file under my arm.

“Thanks for the opportunity,” I said.

Chuck waved his hand at me in dismissal.

Back in my own office, I sat down and put the file on the desk in front of me. I thought about what Chuck had said. This was a difficult client. I had to let him know if I was going to take it. He knew I wouldn’t back down from a challenge. It was why he’d given the file to me in the first place.

I opened the file again and looked at the included photos of Hanson Bell. There were action shots of him on the field, playing his game. There were team shots, followed by single shots, and finally, the shots that really mattered. The shots of him out on the town.

I had to admit, he was hot as hell. Built like the football player he had become, he had muscle for days, brown hair that always looked like a mess, and hazel eyes that I had a feeling could really mess with a woman’s emotions. He looked like a player of sports and a player of women.

I read through the rest of the file. There was nothing I didn’t know about this type of man already. I’d had more than enough clients whose public image had been tarnished. People who had preferred to live the life they wanted, rather than do what was needed for their positions in the public eye.

In the end, everyone made a mistake in public, shattering their reputations. It was my job to pick up the pieces and put them back together. 

This was nothing I couldn’t handle. Hanson Bell was just like any other famous guy out there, who had more money than he knew what to do with and too much time on his hands to look for trouble.

They were all the same.

Before I left my office for the day, I checked in with Chuck again.

“I’ve considered it, like you asked,” I said. “I’ll do it.”

Chuck glanced up at me. “You’re sure?”

I nodded. “Positive. You know I can do this. You wouldn’t have given it to me if you didn’t think I could handle it.”

Chuck nodded. “You’re the best at this game. You know just how to get them to eat out of your hand.”

I smiled. That was exactly what I was planning on doing. Hanson Bell was just another guy out there who needed to put his best foot forward.

Everyone had secrets. Everyone led a double life. They had a side they needed to show the public and a side they needed to keep secret. Hanson Bell had just gotten the two confused. I was going to help him figure it out, though.

Once he realized how he had to look at it, he would be able to show the right side of himself to the press, and everything else would fall into place. This was what I did for a living. I was good at it, and Bell wouldn’t know what hit him until it was too late to fall back into bad habits. I would make sure of it. Because that was my job, after all.