Chapter 6: Sean Hates Meetings

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been nervous about a PR meeting. Granted, he usually did his best to not show up. They weren’t meetings so much as telling him where to go and what to say, which could be covered just as effectively in an email.

This time, though, he was the first one in the conference room, pacing the wall of windows until everyone else showed up.

The last one to arrive was his father.

Sean stopped pacing and stared at him.

Eric Winters had a way of taking up the whole room, and not just because of his size. His broad shoulders and height were intimidating enough, but his scowl and heavy steps made sure every eye was on him.

Without a word, Eric sat at the head of the table. Sean took his customary seat at his right and hid his shaking hands in his lap. His father was probably furious with him for getting into this mess.

“We all know why we’re here on a Sunday,” Hannah, the lead PR manager opened. Her long brown hair, usually in a tight bun, was in a loose pony-tail today. She slid a printed copy of the article to the middle of the table. “How do you want to deal with it?”

“I want it taken down,” Sean said immediately. “Whatever you have to do.”

“That’s one option,” Hannah agreed. She glanced at Eric and then back to him. “The other is we run with it.”

“What?” Sean snapped.

“You continue to take this boy on dates, get your picture taken by the paparazzi. They run constant articles on you and keep you in the forefront of everyone’s minds, and by the time Phoenix Industries debuts the fall collection, the world will already be looking.”

Eric rubbed a hand over his chin.

“No,” Sean said. “I’m not using him for publicity. That’s not fair to him.”

Eric raised a brow. “You wouldn’t have to appear in as many interviews.”

While that was tempting, Sean stood by his decision. “I won’t do it. Take the article down.”

Hannah looked to Eric for the final say.

Sean clenched his fists. He hated that. His father’s employees all treated him like a child, like he couldn’t make a single decision by himself.

It was Eric’s world, and they all bowed to him.

Eric stared at Sean, tapping his finger on the table. “Does this boy mean something to you?”

Sean met his stare. The question sounded like a trap. If he said yes, his father might back down on this ridiculous scheme. Or, he’d flip out and demand Sean never see him again. If Sean said no, he’d absolutely push the scheme and probably question why Sean had gone out with him in the first place, which would lead to the mugging incident he hadn’t told him about.

“Does it matter?” Sean asked instead. “He has nothing to do with any of this.”

Eric stared for another moment.

Sean wished he could read his mind. What was going through his father’s head?

“How about a deal?” Eric suggested.

Sean narrowed his eyes. “What kind of deal?”

“You follow through with Hannah’s plan. Show up in the tabloids every week, we’ll scale back your official appearances. Make it to the fall debut, and I’ll terminate your conservatorship.”

He stopped breathing for a minute.

“What?” Sean couldn’t have heard that right. His father had enacted that when he was seventeen, after a minor drunk driving accident. No one had been hurt, but after what happened to his older brother, it was seen as an acceptable precaution.

It meant he was stuck working for his father for the rest of his life, and Sean had long ago given up on his father ever relinquishing that control.

Why change his mind now?

Or was it simply the only thing his father could think of to bribe him?

“Really, you have the better end of the deal,” Eric went on. “Date a boy you’re already interested in, attend fewer interviews, and, after the fall show, all your accounts are yours to do with as you please.”

In return, his father earned free publicity for the entire summer, which would mean higher sales once the collection debuted.

“You would really honor this?” Sean asked. Eric had controlled every aspect of Sean’s life since he could walk. He didn’t trust he’d give it up so easily.

“I would,” Eric nodded. “As long as you hold up your end of the deal.”

Sean still didn’t believe him. “Why offer this now?”

“You’re not as important as you think you are,” Eric stated. “There are other models we can take on to keep the public interested. Ones less stubborn who will actually show up to photoshoots.”

Ah, his father was sick of his ditching habit. He’d rather cut Sean loose and not deal with him then continue to pay photographers double for rescheduled shoots. But, like the bastard he was, he couldn’t just give Sean his freedom. Sean had to earn it.

This whole thing still wasn’t fair to Isaac. Sean didn’t want to drag him into this mess.

Though, he’d been pretty unbothered about it this morning…

Eric grinned, accepting Sean’s silence as his victory. “We’ll need to know who the boy is, and he’ll have to come by and sign NDAs about any work you discuss or designs you show him.”

Sean nodded.

He was really going to do this. Yes, he’d wanted to date Isaac anyway, but not like this. He was going to use the nicest person he’d ever met to earn his own freedom.

Well. He’d never claimed to be a decent human being.

He’d just have to make it up to Isaac after the fall show.