AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I knock on the desk twice with my knuckle and walk away. “I know you’re ogling my ass, Lois.”
A deep husky laugh follows me through the door into the inner sanctum. By contrast, Emma, Len’s secretary and the woman auditioning for the position of his fourth wife, is a miserable bitch. Still, I plaster on a smile as I walk past her.
“He in?” I don’t stop but whistle past her as she stands up.
“You can’t just walk in there, Xander.”
“Sure I can.”
I’m sure I see smoke coming out of her ears but no one would have a clue what her mood was because her expression doesn’t change. Permanently in stasis from all the Botox she’s had. If she is under thirty-five I’ll eat my hat, but considering Len is fifty-five, his batting average for wives is still under twenty-five.
The man himself is reclining back in his chair, his phone to his ear as he waves me into the room. I slump down into a chair and wait for him to finish as I glance around at all the memorabilia. Photos of him with some huge stars at some of the most prestigious award ceremonies in the world.
“I know, Marty, but if you can make this happen, I’ll speak to Bill over at Pinnacle. He assures me he can greenlight this deal.”
I watch him as he nods silently after making that last statement, to who I’m guessing is Marty Parry from Lodestar Entertainment, a smile on his face that speaks of triumph.
Len Schneider has been my manager for eight years and is partly responsible for my huge success. I owe him a huge amount, more than I can ever explain, but lately, I feel like we’re wanting different things and I feel less like a person and more like a cog in the machine.
He hangs up his call and claps his hand with a grin on his face as he stands and moves toward the bar he has set up in the corner. “Whiskey, Xander?”
I wave my hand. “Not for me. I have a gym session after this.”
He nods. “Good, good. Gotta keep that body in tip-top shape.” He pauses and loosens his tie. “What about the other thing? Any setbacks?”
I can feel the tension knotting the back of my neck and causing me to tense my jaw. I actively relax my jaw and clasp my fingers together over my abdomen. “You mean my addiction, Len? You can say it, you know.”
He winces as he moves behind his desk and takes a seat, as I follow the movements with my gaze. “Yes, that. Any issues?”
“No. I haven’t touched so much as a joint since I came out of rehab a year ago.”
My particular drug of choice was Oxy after a stunt left me with a fracture in my pelvis. I was lucky I got help pretty quickly thanks to none other than the man I can’t stop thinking about.
“Good because we can’t have anyone getting wind of it. Your image is everything, Xander, and I don’t need to tell you that. Especially when I’m in negotiations with EGA about the next three movies in the franchise.”
“Well, rest easy, I’m doing fine.”
I can’t help but feel a sliver of resentment at his words. He isn’t the slightest bit concerned about me as a person but just how it would affect him and his ability to bring in the big bucks. I’ve made Len a very rich man and, yes, he’s worked his ass off for me, but he hasn’t done it for free.
“Great. Now I want to talk to you about something pretty exciting.”
He starts to drone on and on about a deal with a lingerie brand that wants me to pose in my boxers on their billboards. I start to zone out, my mind on Amelia instead. I wonder if she’s settled into her apartment. I know it was only yesterday she moved in, but find myself wanting to go and check in with her.
Who am I kidding, I just want to see her again. She excites me, not just because she has the body of a goddess and I want to do exquisitely naughty things to her, but because she’s smart and funny, and I like being around her.
“Xander, are you listening to me?”
I blink long and nod. “Yep, get my pants off, pose, and repeat.”
Len sighs. “What’s going on with you?”
“Nothing.”
I can hardly tell him I can’t get a woman out of my brain, he’d be horrified. He believes the only women I should see are ones that he approves are good for my career. I can fuck who I like—his words—but dating is different and would upset the fans. I was okay with that at first but now it feels stifling like I’m suffocating under my own image.
I try and find the words to tell him that. “I’m bored, Len.” I lean forward in my seat trying to convey how much I need something I can feel passionate about.
“So you want a little passion project?”
