Another blank look.
I had secondhand embarrassment for Josh, and firsthand embarrassment for myself that he was the loser I’d clung to for so long.
Way,waytoo long.
Easton spoke slowly. “An all-party consent state means that all parties need to consent to being recorded. Doug Moore didn’t agree to being recorded. I’m guessing whatever patient he was seeing also didn’t agree.”
Josh’s expression tightened until he looked every bit the weasel Maddie had accused him of being. His tone conveyed his anger, but also his shock and betrayal as he asked me, “You told them?”
I wanted to roll my eyes, but I got the feeling that would set Tripp off even worse.
“Don’t look at her,” Tripp bit out.
Yup, smart move not poking the bear.
Josh tried to play it smooth, but he was nowhere near as good as Tripp. “Look, I think we?—”
“Some legal advice,” Easton interrupted. “Delete the footage. Delete whatever cloud the footage is in. Delete whatever account that cloud is registered to.”
“Why should I?”
“Because if any of that footage you have leaks, I will happily represent every last person you secretly recorded in a lawsuit against you. Pro bono. And when I’m done, you won’t be able to keep a lucky penny you find.”
“You can’t prove it’s me who recorded it. Or me who released it.”
“Sure I can.” Easton pointed to a couple cameras. “All meetings are recorded.”
Josh thought he had a gotcha. “You can’t use that. I didn’t consent.”
“Sure you did.”
With a timing that couldn’t have been a coincidence, there was a light knock on the door. Tripp opened it, and June breezed in with a pleased smile that confirmed she’d definitely been waiting in the hall for that opening. She handed her boss a folder and sashayed right back out.
He tossed it onto the table before opening it. “Along with the NDA that says you can’t ever speak of any of this, there’s your consent to be filmed. That’s your copy, feel free to keep it.”
Josh finally gave the papers a more thorough skim. “I thought I was signing a contract for a film role.”
Easton pointed to the cameras again. “You did.”
The reality of the situation sank in with the dejected slump of his posture. “So there’s no part?”
“Not with me,” Tripp said.
“But I… I thought… I quit my job with Chase Majors for this.”
“That’s probably for your benefit,” Easton muttered with a vicious scowl, reminding me that Maddie had an unpleasant run-in with the entitled jerk.
“Whatever,” Josh said like a whiny ass who was taking his ball and going home. He tried to storm around the table, but he clipped the corner with his thigh. If that wasn’t embarrassing enough, when he neared the door, Tripp didn’t move.
The taller, bulkier man who dominated my life stared down the weasel who’d made it miserable.
“Stay the fuck away from Greer,” he said, his words eerily calm. “Don’t call her. Don’t text her. Don’t hit her up for a favor. As far as you’re concerned, she doesn’t exist to you. If you stick to that and the NDA, I’ll keep my mouth shut with all my connections. You’ll still have a chance to book work. But if you so much as whisper her name, I’ll torch every bridge you try to step on. You’ll be done before you begin. Understood?”
Josh gave his clenched jaw a jerky lift.
Tripp held eye contact for a few stretching seconds before stepping aside.
A small, vindictive part of me was tempted to call Josh’s name. To tell him that it wasn’t such a hilarious concept because I was dating Tripp.
