Spotlight: Bad Reputation by Emma Barry
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In this whip-smart workplace romance from the author of Chick Magnet, a former teen star and an accidental intimacy coordinator have a plan to fix their images—and falling in love would ruin everything.
Cole James’s reputation as Hollywood’s favorite himbo no longer suits him. His fans can’t separate the real man from the character he played on a soapy teen drama decades ago. But that’s going to change with Waverley, the hit streaming historical romance series (think Bridgerton or Outlander).
Maggie Niven hates her own notoriety. Fired for directing a divisive play, Maggie takes her fight against censorship public. When Hollywood comes calling, she becomes the new intimacy coordinator for Waverley. But it’s harder than she imagined to focus on the job.
Cole isn’t what she expected—and Maggie is more than he dreamed of. As filming gets underway, the cast’s old traumas lead to real intimacy, and Cole and Maggie struggle with feelings they shouldn’t have. Having an affair on set could destroy his comeback and her new career.
The show must go on. But if Cole and Maggie want a happy ending, they’ll have to start doing things their own way.
Excerpt
Text copyright © 2024 by Emma Barry, Published by Montlake
“Hold on.” Cole rolled back on his heels, and with the V of his old-fashioned shirt hanging open and his hair mussed and his lips flushed, he looked like a romance cover model come to life.
Maggie whimpered in her mind.
“Toss me a pen,” he deadpanned. “I gotta write When in doubt, be a selfish ass in my script.”
Which she could tell that he loathed because it was contrary to every reflex she’d seen him act on. Even when he was being a little too direct and told Rhiannon to put her own feelings ahead of the director’s, his impulse had had good intentions.
“That’s why they call it acting,” she reminded him as she began packing up.
He looked as if he wanted to disagree, but then he swallowed whatever self-deprecating response he’d wanted to make. Cole wasn’t as obviously or deeply wounded as Tasha, but somewhere along the way, someone had done a number on him too.
As long as Maggie managed to keep things aboveboard, she needed to try to help him as well. So when Cole returned the prop shirt, she told him, “I really appreciate everything you brought into the room today. I don’t think most people would be as willing to share those worries as you were, but it helped with—” She covertly pointed to Rhiannon. The actress was quite possibly the most Scottish-looking person ever, with pale-white skin, long red hair, and bright-green eyes. This rehearsal had driven home for Maggie how young she was, how vulnerable. “So thank you.”
Cole shrugged, as humble as ever. “It was no big deal. I honestly wasn’t even trying to break the ice or whatever. Those are real things I’m stressed about.”
“That’s what made it work. It wasn’t a put-on. You’re sincerely a nice guy.”
That much she felt comfortable saying, even though it was exactly why this crush was going to linger. She liked him, in addition to being attracted to him. It would’ve been easier if he’d been simply the hot, vacuous guy she’d assumed he was, but the real Cole James wasn’t the Cole James brand. Not at all.
“Now we just have to get Tasha to do the same,” he said.
When Maggie hadn’t been able to fall asleep last night, she’d spent the wee hours contemplating the Rubik’s Cube that was Tasha Russell.
This first episode of the season included a Geordie-Effie love scene in her jail cell. The audience needed to see the history between them but also their desperation, which was no small order. Since the table read for episode one was just a few days away, Maggie and the actors needed to start work on the blocking immediately.
“I’m going to take another swing at her, one on one.”
“You sure?” Cole was impressed, and it took a lot of self-control for Maggie not to preen.
“Yup. I have some theories about what’s going on, and I need to test them without witnesses.”
“Okay, but maybe you should get that gear baseball catchers use. The pads and the mask.”
“Do you have fencing gear to practice the sword fighting? Maybe I could borrow some from Ryan Baris.” Maggie hadn’t met the stunt coordinator yet, but from the way Cole talked about him, it was clear he and Tasha liked and trusted him. She was kind of jealous about that.
“Actually, no. We’re not using sharp swords, but they have me training with the stuff that we’ll use for filming. No masks or eye protection or anything. The gear for the sex is more hardcore.”
“Whoa.”
Cole shot another look at Rhiannon, but she wasn’t paying attention to them at all. She was smiling at her phone, probably texting someone.
He set a hand on the table and leaned closer to Maggie. Close enough that she could smell his deodorant. “I’m really glad you’re here, Maggie Niven. I don’t think I’ve talked about the hows of acting or creating characters more than I have today.”
Maggie’s voice came out soft. Intimate. “That, Cole James, is a crime.”
For a long moment, they stood there, watching each other. The sun had shifted during the morning, and the room was now all soft grays and blues. Cole’s hair looked less blond and more brown and gold than this morning. Maggie wanted to push back the lock that had fallen over his forehead.
But Maggie needed this job. She needed to be good at this job.
So she just waved her hand awkwardly. “Have a good day.”
She made that big, including both actors. And then she left before she accidentally said something else too revealing.
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About the Author
Emma Barry is a teacher, novelist, former political staffer, and recovering academic. Emma lives with her high school sweetheart and a menagerie of pets and children in Virginia, where she occasionally finds time to read and write. You can visit her on the web at www.authoremmabarry.com.
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