18. Jacob

18

JACOB

I love you.

I love you, Leo.

The thoughts came to me as Leo woke up in my arms the next morning, his head still cradled against my chest. He looked beautiful as dawn spilled through the window, casting the perfect shadows across his features. I'd been lightly tracing those same features with my fingers as he slept, taking in every bit of them, loving the way his skin felt under my touch.

He was mine.

At least for now. Even though he'd agreed to come with me to Parker's wedding, there was still a ticking clock between us. For all we knew, we'd fizzle out before we even got the chance to attend the wedding in a few months, Leo having long forgotten my name and my face. Even though it felt impossible to me that we'd ever be able to forget each other, I also knew that Leo was a jet-setter, the kind of guy who met new people pretty much every day.

And maybe soon, I'd be just another one of those people in his rearview mirror.

"What time is it?" Leo murmured, as he looked up at me.

"It's just seven," I replied. "Don't worry. You didn't sleep in or anything."

"Damn. Maybe one day." Leo playfully snapped his fingers as he spoke. "Still, I should probably get ready for that interview with Tommy."

"I didn't even know Tommy did interviews."

"Only for high-profile celebrities." Leo let out a nervous laugh. "He's one of the guys that people like Vogue call when they want to do a quirky spot for some up-and-coming starlet."

"Leo?"

"Yeah?"

"You do realize that you're an up-and-coming star, too, right?" I pressed. "In the PR world?"

Leo shook his head. "It's not the same thing, Jacob. There are some people who are just born to be in front of the camera, and then, there are people like me, who are born to manage the people born to be in front of the camera."

"There's no way you really believe that." I scoffed. "Baby, you're going to shine on camera, the same way you shine when you're just talking to people."

"But I'm not really good when there's a camera in my face?—"

"Then, how about you practice with me? Beforehand?" I interrupted him, as I shifted out of bed. I grabbed for my phone, holding it sideways, pretending like I was filming Leo.

"Leo Sullivan, PR extraordinaire, can you tell me a little about yourself?" I started, moving the phone even closer to his face.

"Uh, what do you want to know?" Leo's cheeks were already turning red.

"Where are you from? What makes you tick?"

"I'm from San Antonio?" He seemed unsure of his own answer. "And what makes me tick? Uh, being successful? I like it when things go well for me. And I tend to not like it when they don't."

"Oh, baby." I let out a small sigh as I shook my head. "You can be more natural than that."

"No. I really can't." Leo grimaced before he pulled a pillow over his face. "I'm going to bomb. Tommy's going to have to edit our interview to death, and, even then, people are still going to be able to tell that I have the charisma of a dead fish."

"Having charisma even after death? That's a pretty impressive fish."

"Jacob. I'm serious." Leo moved the pillow down to his eyes. "I don't know what's wrong with me or why I get so weird when it comes to stuff like this?—"

"Wait."

"Wait, what?"

"I think I know what's going on," I continued. "The reason you get so weird in front of cameras is because it's unnatural. No one is ever just talking to a camera, so your brain starts to get all nervous and feel awkward."

"Yeah, that's exactly what I just said?—"

"So, why don't you have the interview somewhere that you feel comfortable?" I suggested. "Somewhere where it can feel like you're talking to a real person, even if it's just out of the corner of your eye?"

"Like where?"

I smirked, as the perfect place popped right into my mind. "Tell Tommy to meet us at the bar."

I watched Leo slip into his usual place behind the bar, his breaths seeming to come slow and steady. He reached for a bottle of liquor, easily twirling it in his hands before pouring a shot for no one in particular. I let out a sigh of relief, just as Tommy stepped into the bar, his photography gear tight in his grip.

Perfect.

"How you doing, boss?" Tommy started, as he began to set up for the interview. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"I'm feeling pretty good." Leo smiled. "I think I'm ready for the interview, at least."

"You're going to do great, you know?" Tommy pressed a few buttons on his camera. "You're a natural. I've seen the way you are with the guys." He then nodded toward the bar. "Is someone else joining us for the interview? Or is that drink up for grabs?"

"Oh, actually—" Leo pointed over toward me.

And Tommy's head followed Leo's hand. "Oh! Hey, Jacob! Sorry, I didn't see you there. I had a bit of interview subject tunnel vision."

"Happens to the best of us." I grinned. "But you don't need to worry about me. I'm just going to be here in the shadows."

"Spoken like a future photographer." Tommy chuckled before he brought his attention back to Leo. "All right, then. Let's get started. We don't need to do everything in one take, and I can always edit whatever you think comes out too wonky."

"Okay. Sounds good."

"You ready?" Tommy held up a thumb.

"Ready." Leo returned the thumbs up as he set the bottle of liquor down on the bar.

"And… action," Tommy murmured. "Here we are at the Sunset Lodge in beautiful Roanoke, Virginia. We're here with Leo Sullivan, the brains behind a genius PR campaign, featuring some of the top athletes of today. Leo, how did you come up with this whole idea?"

Leo was quiet for a few seconds. His face seemed to drain of all color.

But then, miraculously, he started to speak, his usual charm flowing through every word. "Well, I think it all just made sense, you know? Bring some athletes out in nature. See how it goes. I even planned a snowstorm to make things a little more exciting."

"The snowstorm? That was you?"

"We PR people are a lot more powerful than you might think." Leo chuckled. "Controlling the weather is just one of the many things people expect us to do on a daily basis."

"Speaking of the snowstorm, I'm sure that caused some complications for you. Was there anything that made it easier? Doing yoga? Practicing your meditation?"

"Uh…" Leo looked over toward me, with a question forming behind his expression. "Hey, Jacob?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you mind coming over here? Really quickly?"

I quirked an eyebrow, even as I walked over to him, not stopping until I was standing next to him behind the bar.

"So, this is Jacob Bronson," Leo started. "He actually works at Wild Woods, a high-end camping experience that he operates out of Roanoke with his best friends turned business partners. He was helping us bring our stuff up here, the cameras, the equipment for the photoshoot this week. Unfortunately, or fortunately, he ended up trapped with us here the whole time."

Leo took a breath, before he went on. "And it turns out, that Jacob is really fucking good when it comes to pitching photoshoot ideas. Like, he pretty much ended up being my right-hand man when it came to helping all my ideas come alive, genuinely offering me assistance every step of the way. Which is why I couldn't let this interview go by without giving him all the credit that he deserves. You asked me if there was anything that made this process easier? Well, it wasn't anything . It was Jacob Bronson and his incredible insight and input."

"Wow, Jacob. It sounds like there might be a future in PR for you, too, if you wanted it?" There was a hint of playfulness in Tommy's tone. "What do you think? You think you'll be leaving Wild Woods anytime soon to strike out on your own?"

"Not a chance." I laughed away the question. "But I can't deny that working alongside Leo this week gave me a new appreciation for the field of PR and for what the athletes who were part of the shoot do, too. Everyone here was a hardworking group of people, and it was an honor to work and learn alongside them."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Tommy brushed off the compliment, even though there was a grateful grin on his face. "Get out of here, Jacob! We've got to get back to the star now."

"Yes, please. I'm ready for my close-up." Leo laughed as he framed his face with his hands. "It's time to get back to the star of the show!"

I smirked as I stepped away from Leo, happy to see him feeling more like he was in his element. He went right back to answering Tommy's questions, effortlessly fielding each and every one of them. Pride swelled in the center of my chest as I leaned against a nearby wall, as I watched Leo shine so brightly it was like I was watching a future star in the making.

Like I was watching him fully step into being the best version of himself, without the anxiety, without the self-doubt.

Without taking up less space in the room, just so other people could feel bigger.