Mr. Bad Influence

Chapter 20

"Where are we going?" Kerri asked as she got into Nick's car.

Stephanie hadn't called her since yesterday's meeting, so they couldn't be out on another mission. But Nick had this look of determination, as if he was on a mission of his own.

Nick went around the car and got in. "We're going to find out who changed my schedule and tipped the paparazzi off."

"Does it really matter?"

"I'll be off for my album promotion tour soon," he said. "I don't feel good about leaving you behind with people I don't trust."

She dreaded the idea of being apart from Nick for the next few months. Nick had asked her to go with him, but between having to go on her movie promotion tour and to train for her upcoming movie, she couldn't get away.

Whenever she thought about the next few months without Nick, she wondered if it would have been better if she had just allowed the studio executives to kick her out of the upcoming movie. She shook her head. "And how are you going to track this person down?"

"Do you remember the leaked photos of us kissing in the gym?"

"You think it was done by the same person?"

Nick nodded.

"But there were quite a few people there that day. How are you going to find out exactly who took the photos?"

"That idiot tried to sell them online. Roland posed as a reporter and said he would pay him two thousand dollars for the photos, but he wanted to meet up to see the photos first before deciding if he wanted to buy them."

"So we're on the way to meet the idiot."

Nick nodded.

"What if it's Scott? It's not as if I can stop training with him if he's the one behind the photos."

"But he'll know that we know, and he probably won't dare to do it again. And we'll just tell Dana to make sure Scott doesn't have his phone when he's around you."

She supposed that was the best they could do.

"Have you received your schedule for the next month?"

"I have a couple of days after the movie tour, but I may not be able to take off. There may be fittings and other stuff. I'm sorry."

One of his shoulders twitched. "It's our jobs, right?"

"I'll see you when you get back."

"In five months' time."

She tipped her head back. She would rather not be reminded of that. "I may be able to get away for a day or two while filming. I'll let you know when I get my filming schedule."

Nick nodded.

"Where are we supposed to meet the idiot anyway?" she asked. "Won't he recognize us immediately?"

"He's supposed to get into the car."

With the tinted glass, whoever that person was wouldn't be able to look inside. "He'll know it's us when he opens the door, and he'll probably run. Are you going to chase after him?"

"And have him claim 'victim' to the media?"

She smiled. "You're not as impulsive as before."

He turned to her. "I was too egotistical. I thought I was protecting you, but I was actually just upset because I felt I'd let you down."

"I know you always do your best for me."

His lips morphed into a grin, and he shook his head. "It's going to be tough to leave," he said while staring at the rear-view mirror.

She didn't want to think about him leaving. "What are you going to do when he runs?"

"We just need to see his face. He can run all he wants after that," Nick said and pulled his cap off. "I'll let Scott know. My only request is that he keep whoever this person is away from you."

Kerri pointed to the mirror. "I recognize that face."

A young man wearing a pair of jeans and a brown short-sleeved shirt trotted toward the car with a brown envelope in one of his hands.

Nick scoffed. "It's always the quiet ones."

"I don't even know his name."

"James, I think. I'm not sure, either." He cast a glance at her. "Let's give him a death glare through the rear-view mirror."

She grinned, but quickly wiped that off and glared at the mirror. As expected, the moment James opened the door, he registered their faces and bolted without even closing it.

Nick got out, closed the door, and got back into the car. "Mission accomplished."

Just when she thought they had completed their agenda for the day, her phone rang. "Eric," she said before picking up the call.

"Kerri, I'm in trouble," Eric said.

"I know. We need to talk."

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