Shortcake*

Chapter 3: The Scandal

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Link

Several weeks later, they finished shooting all the ocean scenes around Greece and moved back to LA to start on the scenes that could be filmed on the soundstages. They were back stateside for a week when Link was woken up on his day off by cold water thrown at him. He sat up with a yelp and looked around to see his manager Annette Francis glaring at him. "Get up and meet me in the kitchen." She snapped at him.

"Bloody hell Annette!" Link swore loudly, collapsing back on his wet pillow. "What the fuck is your problem?"

"You! You and your goddamn wandering dick! Get up! We need to talk." She stormed out of the room, leaving Link incredibly confused as he stood up, pulled on his pants from the night before, and went to the bathroom. What the hell happened for Annette to be this mad at him? He hadn't been with anyone for over three months and had no idea what she was talking about when she said wandering dick. When he was done in the bathroom, he quickly changed and went down to the kitchen. Annette and his publicist and best friend, Will Morgan, were sitting at the island reading something on Will's tablet. Annette pushed the tablet and a coffee at him when he walked in. "Want to explain this?"

Link took the tablet and read through the article, his stomach tightening. "It's not true." he pushed the tablet back at her. "Those pictures are from last year. I haven't laid eyes on Gabriella since way before she started dating Joey."

"They're from the same resort you stayed on while filming." Will shook his head apologetically. "I need more than that."

"I stayed there last year on vacation and rented a villa. We met at a party, and she spent a few days with me. I didn't even have a villa this time. I was in a room on the same floor as Cleo." He shrugged, not sure what else to say. "What's Gabriella saying?"

"According to her statement, she and Joey argued, and she left the room. She refuses to say where she went but denies she was with you." Will sighed. "Which isn't helping because she was followed to the resort you were staying on."

"Well, she didn't stay with me." Link shook his head. Will and Annette looked at each other and then back at him. "What?"

"Were you with anyone those two nights in question?" Will asked hopefully as Annette began typing on her phone.

Link shook his head. "I wasn't with anyone the entire time we were in Greece. I haven't been with anyone since I ended things with Annika before we started filming." It was the truth. He had been warned that fucking this one up would end his career, and that wasn't something he was ready for.

Annette finished typing and put her head in her hands. "This movie was supposed to bring you out of your slump. Do you have any idea how hard I worked to get you that role? Cleo Knight was supposed to bring you up; you weren't supposed to drag her down! Fuck!" She slammed her hands on the island. "I promised them no fucking scandals Link!"

"And I promised you I would behave, and I've been behaving!" Link yelled back at her. He tapped the tablet. "Those pictures are over a year old."

Will held up his hands. "Look, I believe you. The problem is the public won't unless we give you a solid alibi."

"How do we do that?" Link asked hopelessly.

"The producers have a plan, but you're probably not going to like it." Annette said quietly. "If she agrees, you won't have a choice."