“What did your phone do to you?” Roe asks, walking into the room with only a towel wrapped around his waist and a smaller one in his hands.
“It’s giving me lip…”
Now see, this is why we can’t get things done. He towels out his hair and different muscles fire off like pistons in complicated machinery. He’s a freaking body soap commercial. My mind wants to go back to last night. It wants to replay every delicious moment. I’m seconds from giving in when my phones buzzes again.
“Entertainment Exclusive, now!” my phone yells.
“What’s wrong?” He’s at my side, reading over my shoulder. “Who’s O.G.?”
“The Original Gangsta, obviously. Turn on the TV.”
He does as I ask. The screen fills with an image of Viktor. It’s a mug shot and he’s got a black eye and busted lip. He’s glaring. Roe clicks up the volume. A Botoxed reporter drones away.
“…sources at the renowned gay bar say that Viktor Karlsson was in the process of being kicked out for starting a fight with a bartender who cut him off when he pulled out a gun and shot it into the ceiling.”
I gasp and glance to find Roe stony and listening closely.
“Viktor Karlsson was held at the LA County courthouse on several charges but released on bond early this morning.” The camera switches to a male anchor with gelled-back dark hair and a hawkish nose.
“When contacted for a statement, this news agency found the actor had been dropped from his current representation for his violent outburst and as far as we can tell has not been picked up by anyone else.”
The camera switches back to the female anchor.
“If you recall, this isn’t the first run-in with the law Karlsson has had. A few years back a similar incident occurred that ended up getting him fired from his current movie.”
“It’s not looking good for Viktor,” says the male anchor. “This morning, Marty Zebulund announced his regret to have dropped him from his production company.”
The screen flashes a stock photo of Zebulund and as always my stomach roils at the sight of him. A statement appears as the anchor reads it.
“We regret having to cut ties with Viktor Karlsson but Slingers Production Company has a long-standing reputation for excellence and his violent behavior cannot be rewarded nor ignored any longer.”
I snort. Roe’s frowning so deeply his eyebrows could block him from a rainstorm.
“Social media is blowing up with outrage,” the female anchor goes on. “@LAGal2354 said, ‘Violence like this shouldn’t be rewarded. Good for @Slingers for giving him the boot.’ Well, it’s sad no matter what you think.”
“That it is,” the male agrees as the camera focuses back to him. “Switching to happier news. James Roe has been rumored as the lead in the next Guy Horatio film. The movie hasn’t even been filmed yet but there’s Oscar buzz.”
“It couldn’t happen to a more deserving actor.” The female finishes but Roe shuts the TV off and runs a hand over his face.
“Fuck,” Roe says.
“Fuck,” I agree.
“It’s like Zebulund was writing me a message.”
I nod because that’s exactly what I get out of all that too.
“I didn’t tell you, but yesterday, after you left, Zebulund said something. At the time, I was having a moment of regrettable pity toward him.”
I growl without meaning to. He faces me and holds my shoulders.
“Trust me, it won’t happen again. But he made a comment. Something about me being a good egg, seeing the right side of things. The same sort of shit he always says. But this time, I think he was warning me. This is not a coincidence. These stories back-to-back.”
His neck is red. He’s carefully controlling his rage. I am not.
“I hate him so much!” I yell as I stomp my foot. Like a child.
Roe doesn’t even hesitate. “Me too.”
