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Ah, so that’s what it’s about.
A knock on the door has me turning to see little miss sourpuss walking in the door. She shoots me a withering glare with her eyes, which only makes me smile wider. I’m pretty sure she hates me because I turned down her advances with a pretty swift rejection when she began working here eight months ago. I know women like her and they’re exactly the kind Len warns me about. It’s a shame he doesn’t take his own advice more often, it would have saved him a fortune in alimony.
“Here’s what you asked for.”
“That was quick.”
He places a hand on her ass as she moves around the desk and I look away, distaste making me shiver. Len is a good manager but he’s a walking HR nightmare.
“Anything for you, boo.”
I wrinkle my nose and rub my chin as I try not to laugh at the pair of them. Len looks at the sheet and I groan internally at the look of glee on his face. He dismisses Emma with a slap to the ass that makes me feel like puking and pins me with his beady eyes. His typical, slightly brown comb-over and dark deep-set eyes do nothing for him and yet he still acts like he’s Don Juan.
“Well, well, you are a dark horse. Amelia Stone is the youngest daughter of Harold and Jennifer Stone of the Stone Brothers Liquor Company. She makes you look poor, Xander my friend. This is good, this is real good.”
I shake my head already seeing his brain spinning. “No, this is nothing to do with that. It’s a date for a charity auction and that’s all.”
He looks up from the information sheet Emma gave him. “But she must like you if she won the bid.”
“Maybe. Or maybe it was her way of helping her friend out.”
“Friend?”
Damn, I didn’t mean to say that. “Amelia is friends with Lottie Coldwell and my sister.”
Len looks like he’s about to start bouncing in his seat from excitement. “Oh, this is gold. Nobody would suspect a thing if you two began dating and with her family’s profile, it would raise your own even more. Especially with the launch of the third movie this fall.”
“I’m not fucking dating Amelia just to raise my profile. She’s a nice person and I won’t use her.”
“Oh, see, that was so convincing. The public are gonna love this.” He stands and waves his hand through the air. “I can see it now, the movie star and the heiress.” His eyes move to me, and he grins. “And she’s beautiful so that will help.”
I stand, having heard enough. “Just stop. I’m taking Amelia on this date and that’s it. If you so much as leak this to the press, you’re fired.”
I’ve never taken a hard stance with Len before, but it doesn’t even phase him, he just nods. “Of course.”
“Get me those scripts to look at.”
I walk from his office only remembering to pick up the scones when Lois calls my name. I force the frown away and spin on my heel, pushing my temper down as best I can.
“That bad, huh?”
I roll my eyes and once again kiss her cheek. “Nothing I can’t handle, Lois.”
“That’s my boy, don’t let these assholes push you around. You know your own mind, my boy.”
I leave through the front and go straight to my truck. I have no use for sports cars and, honestly, I don’t even need this truck with the amount of driving I do, but the Ford Raptor was my father’s dream truck. When I made my first big paycheck I didn’t hesitate to buy it. Is it a sensible vehicle for New York traffic? No. But do I care? Also no.
I pull into traffic feeling unsettled after that meeting with Len. The thing with Amelia bothers me a lot. I don’t want her dragged into any unnecessary drama because of who I am and what I do for a living. Acting is my career, it’s not who I am. That, more than anything, sings to the heart of my ill feeling. I love my job, but I don’t always love what comes with it, like hiding who I am for a start.
Hitting a few buttons on my steering wheel, I call my sister.
“Hey, Xand.”
“Hey, sis.”
“What’s up?”
“Why would something be up? Can’t I just call my favorite sister and say hi?”
