Mr. Bad Influence

Chapter 19 - Part 1

The paparazzi had been following Kerri and Nick everywhere. It didn't matter if they were together or alone, the cameras tagged along as long as they could. Stephanie had wanted Nick and her to stay low and stay out of the limelight.

It wasn't possible, though.

Besides the scandal that was already causing them to dominate every other magazine cover, her mother's 'written in the stars' statement had propelled greater interest in Nick's and her relationship.

Her mother's interview had also turned the scandal around. She had given Hannah a way out of the situation with dignity, and Hannah had taken it. Netizens seemed to agree with her mom regarding the 'original parties instead of third party' statement as well. Her mother always seemed to have that sway with audiences.

So though she and Nick had hidden at home over the past week, photos of them, both new and old, kept popping up everywhere. Some even had annotations about their small gestures to show how in love they had always been.

With all the attention on them, it was impossible to meet Stephanie without rousing anyone's attention.

In the end, Stephanie had to sneak into Kerri's place and set the plan in motion.

Kerri looked around at the restaurant, at the patrons seated at the three different tables around them. They had scheduled this meeting after lunch, hoping there would be fewer people in the restaurant.

She cleared her throat and took a sip of water. Stay calm. Treat it like a scene in the movie. She'd never acted in an action film before, but she could do it. How different could it be?

Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God.

Knowing that Nick was in the kitchen, watching the wireless camera they had set up earlier, did put her at ease. She wasn't here alone. They came here with a plan. All she had to do was smile and act her part.

When Douglas walked into the restaurant with a bright smile, she graced him with a polite smile in return. She knew nothing about Douglas; she didn't even know if Douglas was his real name.

If she'd seen Douglas on the street, she would never had guessed that he was a drug dealer. With his BMW and his well-tailored suit, she would have thought Douglas was a successful lawyer or businessman.

"This is new." Douglas sat and placed the brown paper bag he was holding onto the gray tiled floor, and his cinnamon brown hair that was casually pushed back fell forward, revealing streaks of copper blond.

"I liked your supply." She pushed her phone to the corner of the table. "So I'm buying you lunch before giving you more business."

"Are you sure you aren't being followed?"

"You won't believe what I had to do to make sure that didn't happen. I hid in the trunk, and my part-time maid drove me out." Actually, she and Nick had both squeezed into the trunk. "Now that I have an hour or two of freedom, I'm not going to waste it."

"Tell you what," Douglas said with his usual charming smile. "It'll be my treat." He pulled out his phone from his pocket and placed it on the table, across from her phone.

Her shoulders felt slightly lighter at the sight of his phone. Now she just needed to get him away from it. If everything went as planned, she might just have a chance to accomplish what she set out to do.

"How about some coffee?" Pastor Jay asked, in his waiter's uniform and oversized spectacles with the thickest lenses she'd ever seen. "We just got a new machine that makes fantastic espressos."