Page 75 of One Filthy Kiss

Pause. “Me?” She even peers behind her as if I might be speaking to someone else, someone she didn’t know was in the room. “When? I mean, you want me to travel to Vermont now?”

“Yes. As soon as you can get away. Today preferably.”

“Wow.” Another deep breath and she stares out the window, at the hazy blue sky. “I don’t know if I can. I mean, it’s tempting, of course, but there are travel arrangements to be made, and I’m not exactly flush right now, and?—”

“Flush?”

“Made of money.” She rubs her thumb and index finger together. “How do I even get to Vermont?”

“I will take care of the logistics.”

“So, what, you’ll arrange for me to travel on your private jet?”

“My private jet is currently in Europe, but I will arrange for you to use a friend’s aircraft.”

“Ha!” she scoffs. “You’re kidding, aren’t you?” Her eyebrows get lost beneath her bangs. “You’re not kidding.”

“I’m not kidding.”

“Wow. I mean, Meg told me about your private jet, but…” She faces me again. “This is how you live, so you probably take it for granted, but for people like me and Meg, it’s like waking up in the Twilight Zone.”

Nikki pinches the skin on the back of her hand.

“Ow. Yep, this is real.”

“So, you’ll go to Vermont?” I ask because she still hasn’t given me a straight answer.

“Am I like a distraction?”

“Yes. Just for a short while, I want Meggie to feel like she can lead a normal life.”

“It’s a bit late for that.” Nikki shrugs.

“I think it will be good for her to have her friends close.”

“Okay.” It isn’t quite as enthusiastic as I’d anticipated. Then, “No, sorry, fuck. I have a second audition for another movie tomorrow. This could be life changing, you know. This could be the difference between going back to my shitty apartment in Hackney or staying here where the sun always shines and people greet you with a smile.”

“Incorrect.” I check the time on my wristwatch. “You have a second audition in thirty minutes. Then you’ll travel to Vermont.”

“I… Thirty minutes… What the hell. How did you…?”

“I’m the boss, Nikki. I can do what I want.”

“Fuck. I need to change. I need to learn my fucking lines. It’s not enough time. Can you reschedule it? Please…”

“You will be fine. I know you will.” I turn to leave. “My car will be waiting outside for you.”

She flinches. “Isn’t that a bit, you know, biased? Rocking up for an audition in the boss’s car?”

“Depends which way you look at it.”

“Okay. Well, thank you, I guess.” It sounds flat. Like she needs time to come to terms with the change of plan.

I reach the front door before she remembers what she wanted to say.

“Did you arrange the first audition for me?”

I face her with my hand on the door handle. “Let’s just say that I recognize when someone needs a break.”