Paparazzi Princess

Chapter | 5 | Liar Liar Pants On Fire

I’ve decided to make peace with Tucker Banks. Well, for now. The asshole has decided to blackmail me with a photo of myself in the skanky bra and underwear I poorly decided to wear on the “date”. Granted, I drank too much, and on top of that, I slept with him – or in his bed.

Ugh!

How will I function properly at work today? On top of all the Tucker Banks drama, my boss – which I might add – is scary as hell, wants a private meeting with me today. I’m either getting promoted (highly unlikely), or demoted (more than likely). Worst yet, potentially getting fired for no reason at all. That’s how she is. The Queen Bee of Hot Shot can sting hard when she wants to. No one messes up in her hive.

I arrive to work late. Being punctual has never been a quality of mine, sadly. Heck, I was damn near late for my own interview at Hot Shot! Maybe this lack of punctuality has been a bad omen all along. I’m going to be fired.

Here I go. Counting to ten, I take a deep breath.

Exhale. I purse my lips and breathe out as the door to my boss’s office swings open.

Simone, the stocky redhead from the 2nd floor stares at me with wide, bloodshot green eyes. I yelp, covering my mouth to conceal my outburst. Blotchy freckled cheeks stained with tears and an excruciating amount of snot dribbling from her nose wasn’t the only sight for sore eyes. Directly behind her, bossy lady leans against her mahogany desk with a smirk that could kill.

“Simone?” I say cautiously.

She wipes the snot from her nose. “I – I’m going to go now. Please excuse me.” She hiccups and covers her mouth, moving around me to make a beeline toward the elevator.

I’m done. This is it. My career at Hot Shot is over.

“Miss Frost.”

I stand straight, unable to proceed forward. “Right – yes, that’s me!”

Gloria Rivers, the charmer, the beauty, and the bitch.

She rolls her eyes. “Are you paralyzed? Come in, take a seat. After all, this will be rather quick.”

“Quick?” I say. “Sure, that’s perfectly fine. I’m busy, you’re probably super busy. I mean, way more busy than I.”

“Are you done rambling? Sit!” Gloria says, taking her seat on the throne.

I take a seat and fumble with my hands. Looking at Gloria in the eyes is almost an impossible feat.  She flicks her pen in a fast rhythm on the surface of her desk. When she clears her throat, I finally have the nerve to look her straight in the eye.

I begin to talk fast, “I’m sorry if I did something wrong, or maybe it’s lack of work and ability to produce amazing photos for the magazine that has ultimately landed me here, but let me just say first that soon I will have the best pictures you’ve received all year.”

Gloria’s jaw is slack. She throws her pen down. “Who do you think you are, Miss Frost?”

“Amber,” I respond, feeling a bit perky, maybe it’s anxiety.

She glares at me. I swear there is smoke fuming from both her ears. “Are you done being a smartass?”

I nod.

“Now back to business. Miss Frost, I’ve noticed your decline in contributing to this magazine. It’s rather concerning. Besides that, we’re also making huge budget cuts, and well, when our employees aren’t producing the required photos to keep Hot Shot afloat, then it reflects poorly on the business as a whole. I’m sorry to say –”