The Reluctant Celebrity (12 page)

‘What’s
in South Kensington?’ he asked.

Lola
rolled her eyes. ‘Me.’

‘Oh,
I see.’ Guy replied. He didn’t have the first clue what they were talking
about.

‘It’s
all perfectly normal Guy,’ Sidney explained. ‘Many of the advertising campaigns
are teamed with some form or PR activity. Rumours of a budding relationship
always cause a storm of interest.’

‘Relationship?
But we don’t know each other.’

‘Please
tell me he’s not for real?’ Lola cut in, her face showing a mix of distain and
indifference as she stared at Guy through their reflections in the mirror.  

‘As
I said Guy, this is all perfectly normal and written in the contract you signed
as part of the promotional activity. We’ll arrange for the paparazzi to see the
two of you together; they then supply the photographs to the tabloids; who in
turn sell more papers. Everyone loves reading about the love lives of
celebrities.’

‘But
don’t the papers know it’s not real?’

‘Of
course they do. Anyone with half a brain knows it’s total rubbish. But they
sell papers, which in turn raises the profile of you and
GiGi
. Everyone
wins. Christ Guy, half the relationships out there are nothing more than a
mutual agreement to boost publicity. It’s just the way things are done.’

 ‘Right,’
Guy nodded. It was like he’d stepped into a parallel universe where nothing
made sense.

‘And
don’t forget to tell him about my rules Sidney,’ Lola said, turning to their agent
as if he wasn’t there. ‘He must never speak to the paps whilst I’m with him, or
even smile at them.’

‘Darlings,
we’ll get to all that. Don’t worry. Now, let’s get started.’ Sidney turned to
Guy, ‘Are you okay with all this Guy?’

‘Yep,
I’m great,’ he lied.

‘Good,
because there’s no going back now,’ she replied with a flash of white teeth.

 He
nodded, trying to smile as he followed Sidney out of one trailer and into
another. She was right, he realised as he stepped into the clothes he’d been
told to wear. There was no going back
.

His
life with Juliet was over. He hadn’t just burnt his bridges; he’d dropped a
nuclear bomb on them. How could he possible go back now? So much had changed in
a week. The world seemed a different place and he might as well get used to it.

MONDAY,
FEBRUARY 24
^TH

Has
Guy got a new girl? The sexy model turned singer likes to keep people guessing
when it comes to his love life, but this snap of the star looking flirty over
dinner with his publicist, Sonja Morton, suggests the singer could be mixing
business with pleasure.

Jules lifted the
newspaper from Stan’s display rack and smiled at the image of the big-breasted
woman in the photograph with Guy. If
The Daily
had found the life of
another unsuspecting woman to pry into then she was off the hook.

It was over.

The Daily
had
moved on, and by the looks of it so had Guy. With just one sentence, it was as
if everything with Guy and
The Daily
had been nothing more than a bad
dream.

Jules
slipped the newspaper back into place on the rack. She wouldn’t be taking it
with her today, or ever again for that matter.

‘You’re
in early today,’ Stan grumbled, making his way out from the back of the shop, a
sack of potatoes in his arms. ‘I’ve not even had a chance to look through the
papers.’

‘No
need thanks Stan,’ Jules smiled. ‘Looks like they’ve given up on me at last.’ Not
even Stan’s cantankerous demeanour could dent her sudden good mood.

‘If
you say so. How’s your head?’ he asked, busying himself with the vegetable displays.

Jules
lifted her hand to the sizable lump on the back of her head and gave it a
gentle prod, feeling nothing but the tenderness of a bruise. The throbbing pain
which had resonated from it like a homing beacon had disappeared.

‘Better.
Much better in fact.’ She smiled again.

‘Good,’
Stan mumbled.

‘Right,
well I’d best be off. No need to keep a copy of the paper aside for me anymore
Stan. See you later,’ she said with a wave as she left the shop.

Stepping
into the lane, Jules felt her eyelids scrunch at the bright February sunshine
streaming out from a cloudless blue sky. Had it been this nice on her walk to
the shop? She couldn’t remember.

It
took Jules twenty minutes to walk the short distance in the bright spring
sunshine to her house. The dizziness clouding her head may have disappeared
over night, but the aching from her limps had not. Deep purple bruises had
appeared all over the back of her body like a rash, causing a nauseating pain
to attack her anytime she moved her body too quickly.

She
could barely lift a kettle without feeling a stab of pain, let alone start
clearing the rubble that had once been her staircase. So when Terri had dropped
by on Sunday and offered to work another week, she’d forgotten about her desire
to be alone in the house and agreed, extending her stay with Mrs Beckwith for
the same length of time.

A
good decision, Jules decided as she made her way slowly up the driveway; an
easy smile touching her lips at the sight of her building team already there,
huddled over an open copy of
The Daily
.

‘Morning
guys,’ she called out. ‘Don’t worry I’ve already checked it.’

Three
pairs of eyes shot towards her.

‘What
is it?’ She felt a laugh build inside her at the stunned faces staring at her.

‘Are
you okay Lovey?’ Terri asked, her gaze turning to the paper in Dan’s hands
before resting on Jules.

‘Of
course I am. Guy can do whatever he wants with whoever he wants. As long as he
doesn’t mention me, why should I care?’

‘But
you are mentioned. A lot in fact. It’s just so...so unbelievable. I mean if it
was me I’d be cowering in my house for weeks.’

‘Terri,
what are you talking about?’ Jules felt a prickling of unease travel across the
back of her neck as she took another step towards them.  

‘The
story...here.’ Terri nudged her eldest son. ‘A whole two pages on…well, on
you.’

Jules
took a final unsteady step forward as Dan turned the paper around for her to
see.

She
hadn’t checked the whole paper, she realised just as her vision focused on the
headline reaching in giant blue letters across the entire middle section on the
paper:

GUY’S GALS A MANEATER

A
shocked laugh escaped her throat, the sound mixing with a sharp exhale of air
to create a howl like noise.

How could
she have been so stupid? Jules wondered as a tidal wave of nervous adrenaline
flooded her system, sucking the air from her lungs. They had not given up on
her. It was far from over.    

Rooted
to the spot, her body frozen, Jules could only stare at the story Dan held in front
of her face. She felt her eyes widening further and further as she read the
paragraphs laying out her life for the world to see:

MONDAY,
FEBRUARY 24TH

GUY’S GALS A MANEATER

When
heart-throb, Guy Rawson, revealed in an exclusive Valentine’s interview that
his heart belonged to former girlfriend, Juliet Stewart,
The Daily
couldn’t resist playing cupid. But in an unexpected twist to the couples’
story, we can report that gorgeous Guy’s Juliet is nothing more than a callous Man-eater
with more ex-boyfriends than we’ve had lawsuits.

Juicy
Jules’ path of destruction

1.
   
Bath
born Juliet has always had a way with men, according to estranged parents,
Eleanor and Bernard Stewart.

Left:
The picture of innocence, Juliet poses for school photo, aged 11.

Dated for 3 years

Heartbreakometer: 9/10

Despite
Guy’s declaration of love, the sexy star has gone on to have worldwide success
as the face of
GiGi
Sports and has recently catapulted to the top of the
UK singles chart.

Above:
The couple celebrating their final exams just weeks before Juliet (22) ran
away. 

Facts

Location: Nottingham

Dated for 1 year

Heartbreakometer:
8/10

Left:
Juicy Jules in skimpy bikini, then 23.

4.
   
After
getting a taste for heartbreak, Juliet set her sights on married father of two,
and older man, Steven Alton.  Alton’s now estranged wife claims the Man-eater
destroyed her family.

Facts

Location: Slough

Dated for 9 months

Heartbreakometer: 10/10

Juicy
Jules broke the hearts of the entire family when she stole Alton.

Right: Juicy
Jules, now brunette dresses for seduction in a Karen Millen suit, then 25

5.
   
From
married man to toy boy, Juliet dated student Daniel Barnes, 6 years her junior.
“She
could have been the one” claims Barnes.

Facts:

Location:
Reading

Dated
for 4 months

Heartbreakometer:
4/10

Right:
A casual Juliet, then 26, plays the role of modern day Mrs Robinson in skinny
jeans and Parker

6.
   
Who’s
next?
The Daily
can report that Juliet is still breaking hearts wherever
she goes. In a recent move to a small community in Gloucestershire, the Man-eater
is now on the lookout for her next victim.

Below:
This recent photo shows Juicy Jules embracing the country life. The longhaired
beauty is now looking for her next heartbreak.

Sources
close to the Guy camp say the star is “not surprised” by our revelations and is
currently very happy with new girlfriend and celeb publicist Sonja Morton. It
looks like
The Daily
’s attempts to play cupid have backfired! Good luck
Guy.

Time
stood still as her gaze flicked back and forth over the double page spread. How
could so many lies and photos be printed about her for millions to see?

Then,
as Jules’ arms finally regained their movement, she snatched the paper from
Dan’s outstretched hands, her eyes narrowing on the final photograph. When had
it been taken? The loose hair, the pale frown – Wednesday, her walk back from
Rich’s. At least they hadn’t known that, she conceded. But how long until they
did? she wondered suddenly. 

Jules
thought back to that morning less than a week ago, unable to recall a parked
car out of place let alone someone lurking in the bushes with a camera. How did
they even know where she was? Her mind answered instantly: the same way Guy had
found her. The ‘supposed’ friend who had spoken to her mum.

Suddenly,
a surge of anger seized her. ‘How can they do this to me?’ she cried out.

‘It’s
crazy alright,’ Jason spoke up. ‘You’re a celebrity.’

Jules
swallowed the urge to lurch forward and lash out at Jason. It wasn’t his fault.
But she was definitely not a celebrity. She was a victim. A victim of what, she
couldn’t find the words to explain, but most definitely a victim.

She
turned her pale face back to the paper gripped between her fingers. ‘It’s all
lies,’ she stammered.

‘Of
course it is Lovey,’ Terri replied.

‘Seriously,’
Jules fought the urge to shout. ‘Like this here,’ she continued, shaking the
paper like a rag doll. ‘I’m not estranged from my parents; I spoke to my mum
two days ago.

‘And…and
this, Steve, he was already in the divorce courts when I met him. It was his
wife who was having the affair, with the kids’ school teacher. I had nothing to
do with ending their marriage.’

Jules
looked up, shifting her gaze between Terri, Dan and Jason, searching their
faces for reassurance. ‘You have to believe me...I need you to....I just...’

Terri
spoke first. ‘Of course we do. Nobody in their right mind would take a word
that paper said as anything more than a bit of fun I promise you that.’

‘Fun?
How is this fun?’ Jules yelped, her eyes continuing to flit between the three
people in her driveway.

‘Boys,’
Terri began, turning her attention to her sons and digging out a five pound
note from the pocket of her dungarees. ‘Drive over to Marlene’s Cafe and get
yourselves some breakfa-.’

‘Cool,’
they replied in unison, taking the money and moving towards the van before
Terri had finished talking.

‘But
be back in an hour, we’ve got a lot of clearing up to do today,’ she yelled
after them.

As
Dan negotiated the van out of the driveway, Terri stepped towards Jules, taking
the paper from her hands and steering her gently towards the stone wall
surrounding the property. ‘Take a seat here for a minute Lovey. I’ll be back in
a jiffy with a cup of tea, okay?’

Jules
nodded, unable to speak as she felt the tears teetering behind her eyes and a
painful lump form in her throat.

She
had to get control of herself, she thought, taking a shaky breath. And yet her
mind refused to budge as she fought to push the image of
The Daily
away.

‘Here
you are then Lovey, drink this,’ Terri said as she handed a steaming mug to
Jules. ‘I know you don’t normally take it, but I popped a bit of sugar in
there, to help with the shock.’           

‘Thanks,’
she began. Terri’s kindness was the final straw of emotion, breaking her fight
to remain calm as tears flowed down her face. ‘I’m sorry,’ she sobbed. ‘I don’t
normally cry, it’s just I...I can’t believe this is happening.’

‘Of
course you can’t. The whole thing is utter madness.’

‘I’m
sorry,’ she repeated, ‘I know it’s stupid and I know that no one will remember
this in a few weeks, but I feel so...so...naked.’

‘You’ve
nothing to apologise for Lovey. Why, if it was me, I’d be on the first plane to
the back end of nowhere until not even my boys could remember my name. You’re
strong though Lovey, you’ll get over it. It’s the shock more than anything.
Nobody expects to wake-up in the morning and find this kind of thing.’

‘Thanks
Terri,’ Jules sniffed, wiping her hands across her damp cheeks. ‘I don’t know
what I’d have done without you these past few weeks.’