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“Hello, Fitzy,” I say, as I take a seat next to Eli on a small couch.
“Hello, Adrian,” she replies stiffly.
“You’re looking well,” I say, leaning back and spreading my legs slightly. It’s an understatement. Every time I see this woman, she hits me like a ton of bricks. I add, “As always.”
“Thank you. So are you.” She smirks. “As always.”
I don’t know how Laila does it. Her words were complimentary, like mine, but her tone somehow transformed them into a dig. But that’s Laila for you. A master at throwing shade that gives you whiplash.
“Sorry we’re a bit late,” Eli says, eliciting a barely audible scoff from Laila—one that conveys she’s not the least bit surprised. Eli pauses, briefly, at Laila’s interruption, before adding, “A couple paparazzi were waiting for Savage as we left his hotel. So, we took the long way around, to be on the safe side.”
Laila’s blue eyes are fixed on mine now, so I flash her a look regarding Eli’s explanation that says, See? This time, it wasn’t my fault.
In reply, Laila shoots me a look that says, I don’t believe it for a second.
And in reply to that, I roll my eyes and look away.
Daria, the agent, says, “It was the right call to play it safe. If we’re successful in putting together a deal, we wouldn’t want anyone knowing about this backdoor meeting.”
“Exactly my thoughts,” Eli says.
“There’s no need to apologize for being late,” Laila says sweetly. But when she shifts her gaze back to me, her expression turns snarky. “I was on tour with Savage for three months, remember? I never expected him to be on time for this meeting, in the first place.”
Eli chuckles at Laila’s dig, while I exhale and shake my head.
“Well, this is gonna be fun,” I mutter.
Daria clears her throat. “Why don’t we get down to business, fellas.” She leans back in her armchair and crosses her legs. “You gentlemen requested this meeting, so go ahead and make your pitch to Laila as to why she should do this huge favor for Savage.”
“Oh, it wouldn’t be a favor for Savage,” Eli insists. “Like I said on the phone, this would be Savage doing a huge favor for Laila. He knows how much this would help her career, and—”
“Cut the bullshit,” Daria snaps, jerking forward. “Nadine told me everything, on the down low, so let’s skip ahead to the part where you try to convince Laila to save Savage’s ass from getting shit-canned.”
I can’t believe my ears. Eli swore Laila would never know I need her to save my job! My jaw hanging open and my eyes bugging out, I look at Eli, as if to say, Can you believe Nadine ratted me out? And, instantly, I know I’ve screwed up when Laila’s agent across from me blurts, “I knew it!” while pointing at my face.
“Goddammit, Savage,” Eli says, shooting me a murderous glare. “I told you to maintain a poker face at all times.”
I look down. Shit. He totally did.
Laila chuckles. But I’m too pissed to look up at her. Fuck.
Daria says, “It’s time to put your cards on the table, Eli. Savage messed up last night and, now, his ass is in a sling. The question is: what is Savage willing to do for Laila to save himself?”
Eli leans back. “Savage doesn’t need to do a goddamned thing for Laila. This opportunity is way too big for her to pass up. Savage could walk away from this show and still have a monster career that’s ten times bigger than Laila’s. I’m sorry, Laila, but it’s true. This opportunity would be a game-changer for you. You need to be smart.”
“Don’t address my client directly, please,” Daria says. “Especially not to condescendingly tell her to ‘be smart.’ I represent her in this negotiation, and I’ll tell her what I think is ‘smart.’ And then she’ll use her big ol’ brain to make the final decision.”
Eli bristles. “I apologize, Laila. No disrespect intended.”
“It’s fine.”
Eli returns to Daria. “I’ll say this to you, then. You’re doing your client a huge disservice, if you’re letting her think, even for a minute, she should turn this opportunity down.”
Daria sniffs. “I disagree. The per-episode fee for mentors is an insult, especially when they want Laila to take on the added duty of fawning all over your client like he’s the great love of her life.”
“Fair enough,” Eli says. “Then do your job. Rather than sitting here busting my balls about the money, call the producers and demand a sweeter deal.”
Daria looks fit to be tied. “Oh, is that how negotiations work, Eli? Thanks for mansplaining it to me.” She narrows her eyes. “Believe me, I know exactly what I’m doing. Before I’d even think about calling the producers to ‘demand a sweeter deal’ for my client, we’ll first need to reach an understanding between ourselves about our joint demands.”
