Miles
Cole Bennette is an absolute nightmare to work for. And I happen to be his PR manager. What luck!
So, you must be wondering who the hell Cole Bennette is. Well, if you're wondering that, then I'm certain you must be living under a rock, because who doesn't know who Cole Bennette is?!
Cole Bennette is a living legend, or so they say. One of the biggest stars of this century. His exceptional acting skills have earned him countless prestigious awards. His talent is recognized worldwide and praised by critics and audiences alike. Every director wants to cast him. Every actor dreams of sharing a screen with him. Every brand wants Cole's face attached to its name, no matter the price.
And on top of all that, he is ridiculously good-looking, which explains the massive fan following. Talent paired with good looks is a win-win for an actor. He sounds incredible, doesn't he?
Well, he might be a phenomenal artist, but he is an absolute nightmare to deal with. And how do I know that? Because I am the unlucky bastard who ended up becoming his new PR manager after Tina, his previous one, retired.
Yes, she retired.
She had worked with him her entire career. She was his first, last, and only PR manager. And when she finally decided to step down, she pushed me forward to take her place and work with the devil himself.
At first, I was beyond excited to work with him. That excitement, however, didn't last long. It peeled right off in one quick pull.
"He's not that bad," Tina chuckled through the phone.
I rolled my eyes while juggling his steaming hot black coffee in one hand and a tuna sandwich in the other. Oh, and his coat was hanging from my forearm because he had forgotten to take it out of his car. Meanwhile, I was walking two whole blocks in the ass-biting chill of a New York winter.
All because his assistant was on vacation. And since the moment she left, he had decided to make me his personal slave.
I was supposed to deal only with his PR. Instead, here I was, fetching him coffee and carrying his damn coat, which I was sure he wouldn't even wear anytime soon.
I wanted to say all of this to her, but instead I only sighed and rolled my eyes. "I don't know which Cole Bennette you worked for, Tina," I muttered. "The one I work for is a total nightmare."
"Yeah, he can be like that sometimes," she muttered, but she was quick to add, "But hey! I warned you, didn't I? You were so excited to work with him that you completely skipped the part where I was ready to explain the hardships of the role. You were eager to take on the challenge, so here it is now… your challenge, Cole Bennette."
She sounded extra chirpy now that she no longer worked for him.
I couldn't argue with her there. She had warned me. I was just too excited to take the job. And now that very challenge had me walking two brutal blocks in the freezing cold for coffee and a sandwich. The same challenge often makes me cry in my sleep and sleep in my shower.
I freaking hate this man.
I opened my mouth to complain some more, but then I saw an incoming call from my best friend, Jonathan. I sighed. "Tina, I'll talk to you later, okay?" I said.
"Sure. I'm free as a bird now that I've tossed my challenge onto you to deal with," she chuckled.
I couldn't help but let a ghost of a smile curl on my lips. "And hey, all jokes aside, I know he can be a little difficult most of the time," she added, her tone turning sincere, "but believe me, Cole is amazing. He might be a little tough, but he has a heart of gold."
It was hard for me to believe that.
"If you say so," I muttered.
"I know it's hard right now. You've only been working with him for a month. Give him some time. You'll understand why I spent most of my career working for him," she said gently.
"I hope so," I replied, glancing at my phone. Jonathan was still trying to reach me. "Okay, I have to go. I'll talk to you later, Tina. Give my love to Lori."
Lori was Tina's only daughter, and I was friends with her, too.
"Sure," she said. "Bye, love."
The call ended, and I finally picked up Jonathan's.
"You're still alive?" Jonathan asked jokingly the moment I answered his call.
I rolled my eyes. "Barely," I replied as I walked into the MAK Agency building, the best agency in all of America. It had always been a dream of mine to work here, surrounded by A-list celebrities. That was before I learned how hard and demanding it actually was.
Being a PR manager sounds fun until you find yourself on the battlefield, fighting on the front lines against misjudgments, mishaps, miscalculations, and pure bad decisions. I thought it would be exciting, but I never imagined it would come with sleepless nights, skipped meals, and a slow descent toward insanity.
PR managers lose their sanity so the world can believe their clients are not insane.
I could hear Jonathan chuckling on the other end of the line. "Damn, is my uncle really giving you that hard of a time? Should I talk to him and tell him to go easy on you?" he laughed.
Oh yes, you heard that right. Cole Bennette is Jonathan Bennette's uncle. And Jonathan has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. So, you'd think I'd already known Cole before I started working for him. Well… no.
Cole Bennette is completely different from his older brother, Jonathan's father, Max. You see, Max is fun to be around. Cole… not so much. I honestly wonder how two brothers can be so different. Maybe it's the age gap. Max is in his early fifties, Cole in his late thirties.
But shouldn't that fact make the brothers the opposite of what they are? Shouldn't Cole be more outgoing and friendly, and Max be more serious and uptight? Somehow, with the Bennette brothers, it's completely the opposite.
"Can you, please?" I muttered sarcastically.
Jonathan laughed. "He's not that bad," he replied.
I rolled my eyes and stepped into the elevator, pressing the button for the top floor. "You're the second person to tell me that today," I said.
"Oh, how's Tina doing? Enjoying her 'Cole-less' days?" he asked jokingly.
Of course, he knew it was Tina who had said that. Who else could it be? Not many people know Cole so personally. In fact, it's just Tina, Cole's brother, and Cole's nephew… or at least that's what I know. Cole is extremely private about his personal life.
"Lucky her," I muttered as the elevator climbed.
I heaved a sigh. "Anyway, when are you returning to New York?" I asked.
"When it's not so cold anymore," he chuckled.
"Well, damn," I muttered. It was only the end of November. "Seriously? Is that how long you're planning to stay in Thailand?"
"Have you seen how lovely it is here?" he asked.
I wish.
"I might never return," he laughed.
You bastard. He was privileged enough to go on vacation for months. And I knew he could stay as long as he wanted without making a dent in his bank account. Me? I couldn't do that. Hell, I hadn't even been out of the city, let alone the country or the continent.
I could see the conference room where Cole was, so I decided to end the call. "Okay, Jon, I have to go now. I'll talk to you later."
"When?"
"Probably when your uncle isn't making my life a living hell," I replied sarcastically.
He laughed. "Oh, Miles, just give that poor man some time. He's not so bad. He's an angel. Be patient… he's going to make you see heaven."
Spoiler alert: he did.
I sighed and rolled my eyes. At that moment, I didn't believe him. "Okay, sure," I muttered. "I have to go now." We ended the call, and I heaved another sigh as I walked into the room, bracing myself to face the devil.
As soon as I stepped in, Cole Bennette was in my face. "Is this the shitty script you brought me to New York to read?! Seriously, Reed?!" he barked, furious.
I am Miles Reed, and this man is going to drag me back and forth between hell and heaven. So, stay a while, and get lost in the twisted story of my life.