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Everyone started clicking away on their own phones, and since I couldn’t see Janus’s, so did I. And soon I along with everyone else at the premiere had clicked on a video on a fan TikTok page which had an obviously deep-faked video of Leander. The tinny sound played in echoes all over the dais.
And all of a sudden I went from anxious to giddy. Because it was a good fake. It was obvious only in that it was from a movie with a well-known actor but had Leander’s face instead—otherwise, the image was very smooth.
Murmurs started through the crowd and I felt my eyebrows go up, impressed in spite of myself. While I knew the tech was possible, I hadn’t seen a ton of well-done examples of it.
Janus pulled the mike back to his mouth. “It’s sad how many people will try to capitalize on celebrity. And sad how quick most people are to believe the worst. Now, I’m going to go inside and enjoy the movie I thought we were all here to celebrate. I loved making it, and I hope audiences love it just as much as I do.”
And then he held out the mike to his side and dropped it.
To the roaring cheer of the mob, who just like that had gone from wanting his blood to adoring him again in five minutes flat.
6
THE AFTER PARTY
“So do they do that a lot?” I asked Milo, letting out a loud breath as I finally sat down for what felt like the first time all night.
I tapped the private bartop and asked for a vodka tonic.
Milo looked up. He’d been standing by the wall near the bar, calmly clocking the party. “What?”
There’d been a lull between songs, but another loud one started and I had to stand up and talk almost in Milo’s ear so he could hear my answer. “Switch places like that.”
Milo just smiled mildly as he pulled back from me and shook his head. It was dimly lit in this mansion in the Hollywood Hills, and the interior design had the inspiration of a nineties coke den. The stool I was sitting on was the only comfy seat in the joint. Everything, including the furniture, was all pointy edges.
There were about a jillion lights embedded in the ceiling everywhere, but they were all turned dramatically low. Then a strobe light went on at the same time a low bass beat dropped. It had the intended effect of drawing people back on the “dance floor.”
They spared no expense for parties like this. The most elite of the Hollywood elite were here. Stars in their natural habitat.
I had already counted three Oscar winners and countless Emmy winners among the bunch. Even one EGOT superstar.
Not that I was one to be starstruck.
I shook my head in disbelief as I held a champagne flute loosely in my hand. It was the first time I’d slowed down all night. I’d missed the entire movie, fielding calls and handling press. I’d used Janus’s spontaneous statement as a jumping off point, leading everyone to the deepfake on the fan account he’d mentioned and pointing out how easy the technology was these days.
Then I started drafting a statement for tomorrow, short and sweet, that I’d have both twins look over before I sent it off in the morning. Well, I’d done that in between fielding calls, and by the end of them I didn’t even have to manufacture my outrage at the questions I was getting. I found revenge porn disgusting on every level and I would lie, beg, borrow, or cheat, if I could help them out of it.
“I think it’ll blow over,” Milo said.
I looked up in surprise at Milo just as the bartender returned with my drink. The music had chilled out to a low dance zombie beat that I just bet went great with whatever party drug was currently circulating right now. But it did make it easier to talk. “The scandal?”
He grinned at me, showing off his big, straight white teeth. “What scandal?” He held out his arms gregariously. “Tomorrow it’ll be gone. Because of you.”
I laughed and swiped at my mouth with my napkin. “If it does, it’ll be because of him.” I gestured with my glass towards Janus.
But Milo just shook his head. “What, that? He got that deep fake idea from you. He went looking for it after you mentioned it at the meeting the other day, just to have on hand if anything like this happened. Fuck, none of us thought we’d need it sooner rather than later.”
He shook his head, then went back to watching the party.
“So are you on duty right now?”
He bobbled his head back and forth. “I have my security guys downstairs and at the doors, but I always like to keep an eye on things when we’re out like this.”
