AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I was amazed. “Okay, sure, dad. For you. Anything. I’ll meet with Eli, hear what she has to say.”
After the call had ended, I did something I should have done a while back: searched Eli Robinson’s name.
I then realized what a colossal mistake I’d almost made. The entire first page of search results, besides links to Eli’s website, Wikipedia entry, and impressive IMDB resume, were articles like ‘Top 10 Contemporary Film Directors’, ‘How Eli Robinson Single-Handedly Revolutionized and Popularized the World of Avant Garde Film’and ‘Eli Robinson’s Record Breaking Award Wins’.
Oh, so she was like... abig deal.
I unblocked Eli’s number and sent her a single text.
Luna:Okay, I’m willing to talk.
I immediately received a response.
Eli:GREAT. WHEN R U FREE
I laughed at her caps-lock text style, and sent her a list of dates, checking my calendar. Of course, if something came up with one of my clients short-term, I’d need to postpone things with Eli. It seemed like she was keen enough she’d wait.
The Brock brotherswere still waiting on the sibling test results to come back, and I was obliged to keep up appearances with Apollo. Therefore I found myself at yet another meeting for his second memoir, which seemed to be dragging on far longer than his first had.
The material I had for his second book was plentiful but increasingly worthless. He’d resisted all of my attempts to steer him in any direction, and mainly was going off on wild tangents about, for example, how stupid Sylvester’s hair was, or how much he hated Forest’s glasses. While it was hard to disagree with the stupidity of Sylvester’s hair, this wouldn’t make for great reading material compared to the explosive claims of his first memoir, which I was increasingly beginning to realize had been a fluke.
As I sat once more in his office across from him, listening to him describe in great detail a chandelier that Emory Brock had in one of his mansions, a switch flicked in me. I’d finally had enough.
“Apollo.” I’d interrupted him, so he went silent and stared at me. “Sorry to interrupt... it’s just I’m not sure we’re really getting to the heart of your story, here. You said you’d think about telling some more personal stories... such as your own family history. Did you think about it?”
Apollo remained silent, glaring across the table at me.
I figured this was just his usual sullenness, almost teenage-like for such a... grown man. So I continued. “For example... how was your upbringing? What was your family like? Your... mother, for example?”
Apollo muttered something under his breath. I couldn’t quite tell what it was. But it almost sounded like: “Always about my Mother...”
“Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that.”
Apollo’s eyes flashed in my direction, and he pushed his chair back from the desk, abruptly standing up. “Alright, that’s quite enough for today. Once again, I seem to have lost my train of thought. I’ll be calling upon you again soon, I’m sure, Ms. Black. Security will see you out, as usual.”
Jostled down the hallway by one of Apollo’s security guards, I realized I was getting at something of a sore spot for Apollo.
Then, the security guard melted away, leaving me suddenly stranded in the building alone. I was rarely alone, except when visiting the ladies room. Then I realized I was not alone. The eyes of Priscilla Lamb were shining towards me out of the darkness of her recording studio, beckoning me without needing to gesture.
I followed her into the room, and the door closed behind us. Once more, we were in almost complete darkness. Priscilla was just a silhouette with glittering eyes and glimmering nails, sharp.
Her voice came out accusatorily. “You’re poking around.”
“I’m... poking around?”
“Yes. In my son’s head. Trying to prod out things about his upbringing. His family. Why?”
I realized with a cold chill that she’d somehow been listening in. There was no way Apollo had had time to talk to her in the few seconds between being escorted out of his office and beckoned into Priscilla’s.
What’s more, she had called himmy son.
“I’m writing his memoir. That’s part of my job.”
“Hmm. I suppose that makes sense.” Priscilla walked around, her heels clacking slowly and thoughtfully on the tiles. “Then I’ll ask you as a friend. Stay away from the subject of Apollo’s upbringing. His family. If you know what’s good for you.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. Was she giving me a friendly warning not to get on Apollo’s bad side? Or was she threatening me on her own behalf to stay away from the topic?
“I’ll see you again soon, Luna Black.”
