AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Smoke is coming out of Smith’s ears. “Madman, can we get moving on this?”
“Right.” Maddox nods. “Riley, please take a seat.”
I nod and slump into my chair.
Maddox walks over and sits next to Smith on the couch. “We have to get our stories straight. I have a reputation to uphold.”
My face twists. “You hook up with new actresses every week.”
“They’re not co-stars. I keep my work and private life separate.”
That seems like splitting hairs to me, but I’m not going to push things with Maddox.
Smith says, “Why didn’t you tell me you were bumping uglies—“
“Nothing is going on between Riley and me,” Maddox cuts in, stern.
“Producers are up my ass demanding answers.” Smith’s voice booms as he feverishly types into his phone.
“It’s handled.” Iris paces the room, her almond-lilac perfume wafting around. “We’ll put out an official press release stating you were there for a private Billy Road event—“
“Don’t do that yet. Log into your Bingeflix Rankings account.” Smith stares at his buzzing phone. “Yeah. Change of plans.”
Shit.Our puppet master can make our lives a living hell.
I don’t have my cell with me, but after Iris looks at hers, Smith says, “You see that? Ratings are skyrocketing. We’re talking unprecedented numbers.”
Iris stops pacing. “Okay.”
Smith returns to his fevered typing. “Barbara’s writing me. Hold on.”
Barbara Burns is the CEO of Bingeflix, so the room falls eerily quiet as we all wait to hear our fate.
“Well, shit.” Smith smiles. Smithneversmiles. “Urban Dawnjust took the number one spot on Bingeflix!”
“That’s amazing!” Iris says, but Maddox and I remain silent. I know I should be ecstatic, but right now, I’m too terrified to speak. I feel a cloud of impending doom, and by Maddox’s face, he feels it too.
Smith’s face beams. “Phones are blowing up. The world’s going apeshit about Rilox.”
Speechless, my jaw hits the floor. Smith didnotjust call us Rilox.
“That photo might look steamy, but Riley got scraped up when I landed on her back.” Maddox flashes me another apologetic look. “Not exactly proud of that, Smith.”
Painful is right. I lift my shirt to show the scrapes and bruises all over my stomach.
“Yow.” Smith’s lip curls. “Good thing you already filmed the strip scene, Rook. That would’ve taken a gallon of cover-up.”
“Smith.” I find my voice but struggle to keep it even. “We were there helping out my godmother and Maddox’s dad.”
“Nobody cares.” Smith is using his dickweed director’s voice. “Did you hear me?Urban Dawnis now the numberonestreaming show on Bingeflix.“ He hesitates, and that cloud of impending doom explodes into a tornado.
Smith puffs out a dramatic sigh. The air fills with tense, silent dread.
When Smith opens his mouth again, the words, “I think you two are gonna have to fake it for a while,” come out.
Absolutely not, I scream in my head, because I can’t say that out loud to Smith. I’m not even a permanent cast member.
Maddox and I meet gazes, and by his shocked expression, it doesn’t seem like he’s any more thrilled with this plan than I am. Iris, on the other hand, appears ten steps ahead of us as she makes several clicks on her tablet.
