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When the conference room door opens, I expect to see an exuberant Jarrn burst from the office. He’ll lift me off my feet and twirl me around, then kiss me until I’m a moaning wreck.
Instead, Strogoff strolls out, his four arms swinging at his sides. He smiles my way and crosses the small room as I stand.
I lean around him. “Where’s Jarrn?”
“Oh, he took a little walk. I wanted to share a bit of the excitement with you before you see him. Do you have a moment to speak?” He waves toward the conference room.
“Oh, of course.” As I follow him, I smooth my dress, my fingers twitching on the fabric for no good reason. I don’t need to be nervous. This is probably just a formality. Maybe he needs my information since I’m part of Team Jarrn.
“Have a seat,” he says, settling into a chair himself, shifting his arms to fit. He leans forward, clasps the hands on his two upper arms, and sends me a bright smile.
I’d feel more relaxed if the smile reached his eyes, but I don’t know his species well. This could be his version of relaxed humor.
“You’ve got quite the friend there,” he says.
“Jarrn’s my boyfriend. We’re . . .” What are we? Not engaged or anything like that. But I’m sure we’ll talk about it soon. I want to be with him forever, and I know he feels the same.
“Jarrn has tremendous potential, but you already know that. You’ve seen him perform. You’ve seen how everyone gushes in his presence. He’s halfway to being a star already.”
“He’s amazing.” I’m grinning like one of Jarrn’s fans, but who cares? I’m a fan too. “What exactly did you offer him?”
“Everything.” He leans back in his chair, and his clasped hands plop onto his abdomen. “I shopped Jarrn around.” At my frown, he explains. “I showed a vid I made of your friend to various production companies. As you could expect, everyone was impressed. I believe, with the right training, the right clothing, and the right image, Jarrn has a true chance of landing a starring role in an exclusive vid series.”
“That’s wonderful,” I say, so happy for Jarrn. We’ll have to find a way to celebrate. He has to work tonight, but he has a free night in two days. We can make a reservation in one of the exclusive restaurants—we’ll have to twist some arms to get one since he’s staff and I’m a . . . well, a hanger-on, I suppose, though Jarrn doesn’t see me that way. We’ll order drinks and—
“We’re talking Dreamscape here. They want him to audition for a reboot.” He gives me a sly smirk. “Since you probably don’t know what that is, I’ll explain. If selected from a group of potentials, a large one, I might add, he’ll star in a remake of a popular series. Have you heard of the Male of Boursen series?”
“Yes.” My grin is fading, though I don’t know why. “I watched every episode the second it came out. I loved that series. Jarrn would be perfect for the role.”
“Exactly. He’sperfectfor the role. We’re talking about an incredible amount of credits here, and Jarrn would earn them all. Fame. A solid future for Jarrn with the right direction, which I will so aptly provide as his agent and guide.” He lifts a hand and examines his claws, which he’s decorated with sequins and spikes. “But you know how things are in showbiz.”
Actually, I don’t, but I suspect he’s about to explain, and I’m not going to like what I hear. I’m not certain why I’m so sure about that, but I am.
“It’s a competitive environment. It’s hard to make a big break, and even harder to maintain that success.” He pauses, giving me a knowing look.
My stomach twists and if this wasn’t a vital meeting for Jarrn, I’d find a bathroom fast and vomit. I have a suspicion about what he’s about to say, but I’m going to wait and let him lay it out for me.
Then I can vomit. Alone and not in front of this . . . conniving agent.
“They want him to audition right away,” Strogoff says. “In fact, once Jarrn’s packed, we’ll board a ship that’ll take us to the space station where Dreamscape has a premier office and studio.”
“I can pack fast too.”
“Yes, I’m sure you can, but let me make a proposal to you.”
Somehow, I doubt he’s about to offermea chance to audition for a starring role.
“I think, at first, anyway,” he says. “You should remain here.”
“I can’t. I share the cabin with Jarrn, but I’m his guest. If he’s not on board, I’ll have to leave.”
“Sadly, I suspected as much. I’m prepared to give you a solid amount of credits to travel wherever you’d like.”
“What if I want to go with Jarrn? He’ll want me with him. I support him and he does the same with me. We’re not just a couple; we need each other.”
“I’ve discussed this with him, and he’s in complete agreement. He’s going to be very busy between preparing for the audition and building the image Dreamscape will want to see from their newest star.”
“I see.” I deflate in my seat. My eyes sting, but I’m too stunned to do more than swipe the tears off my cheeks.
