Chapter 2 #3
As Alex was escorted out, the room remained eerily quiet.
I didn’t give a shit. I also didn’t give a shit that news of the drama was likely already being loaded onto every social media platform.
Something else would inevitably overtake it by the morning, and it would fade into the wasteland of tabloid fodder.
I did care that Greer was staring at me like I was a heartless monster.
Fuck.
How am I getting this so wrong?
I lifted my water glass to the room. “The party goes on, and it calls for cake!”
Cheers erupted around me, but I lowered my voice so only those closest to me could hear. “There. Now I have an assistant opening.” I looked at the siren still eyeing me warily. “You’re hired.”
Her gaze darted to Maddie—who remained uncharacteristically silent—before returning to me. “I’m, uh, honored, but I have an interview already.”
“So cancel it.”
“I can’t.”
“I’ll do it for you. I’ll say I’m your assistant.”
She laughed, but not in an amused way. It was the kind that said she thought I was insane.
And I probably was. I wasn’t thinking clearly. I blamed a fat little cupid for striking me with an arrow on that roof.
Or the overconsumption of whiskey with a side of blow.
Either way.
“Name your salary, and I’ll have my lawyer draw up the new hire paperwork tomorrow,” I said.
“No.”
I opened my mouth to offer her my damn house as a signing bonus.
She spoke before I could beg. “I’m not just taking the job. I’ll interview for it.”
“That’s a waste—”
“An actual interview. With questions and all that.”
“Sure, fine. Tomorrow morning. My house.” Mornings—and I used that term for anything before two PM—weren’t my thing, but I would be up at dawn if it meant seeing her.
“No—”
“Fine. Easton’s office.”
“No,” she emphasized firmly. “I have the other interview in the morning.”
I was already pushing it, so I conceded.
Barely.
“Fine. Tomorrow afternoon at my house.”
“At Easton’s office.” She looked at him to loop him into the discussion. “If it’s okay with him.”
“I’ll have June reserve a conference room,” he said, referring to his own admin.
“And I’ll bring the popcorn,” Maddie muttered so softly, I might’ve misheard her.
Greer untucked and retucked her hair, looking two seconds from calling off the whole thing. Instead, she let out a soft exhale and turned to the happy couple.
I couldn’t hear what she said over a sudden booming, “It’s the man of the hour!”
I looked over to see Tony pushing his way through the crowd.
Tony was the perfect Hollywood agent. Unlike the previous one I’d inherited from my father, he didn’t give me shit every time my name showed up on a website. As long as I booked roles—and he got paid—all publicity was good publicity in his mind.
“Sorry I’m late,” he said as he handed me a bottle of whiskey with a big ass bow stuck to it.
I held up my wrist to show the new watch I wore. “You already sent this and a fruit tray.”
“Those were from everyone at Hullywod. This is from me.” He twisted the bottle in my hold. “Incredibly rare. Incredibly expensive. But if you don’t want it…”
He jokingly tugged it from my hold, and I let it go. I didn’t care. I wanted to introduce him to my soon-to-be assistant since they’d be working together, too.
But when I turned, she was gone.
Damn.
The lights dimmed, and for a brief second, I thought it was just in my fucked-up head. But a rumbling of ohhs and ahhs broke out as a massive cake was rolled through the crowded room.
The flickering candles made me think of the pretty siren.
The smell of the sickly-sweet frosting made my stomach churn.
Cancel the damn.
Upgrade to a fuck.
I forced a smile and laughed and joked my way through the loud rendition of a birthday song before blowing out the sparkler candles. Two servers began cutting while another two prepared to hand out slices.
The first went to me, and if I hadn’t already fired Alex, the cake would’ve been his undoing. Cohen had handled the food and location since it was his bar. The cake was Alex’s one job for the evening.
Fucking chocolate.
I scowled down at it.
Tony nudged my shoulder. “Did it insult your mother?”
“Wouldn’t have cared if it did,” I said before I could catch myself. I glanced around, but luckily, it didn’t seem like I had anyone else’s attention. I didn’t bother tasting the cake or pasting back on my smile. I passed the plate to Tony with a muttered excuse and beelined for Cohen and Easton.
For them, I mustered up a pleasant expression. Or as much of one as I could force.
It wasn’t enough.
Cohen took one look at me and set down his glass. “Can you make it up to Atlas’s?”
I lifted my chin.
He and Easton both stood, but I waved them off. “I’m fine. Stay. Relax. Keep everyone distracted.”
They did as I said, but they didn’t look happy about it.
I fucking hated their concern.
Poor little rich punk.
I started toward the locked door that I’d gone through to get to the roof before tempting fate by backtracking. “Please save a piece of cake for me to give to Greer tomorrow.”
“That’s not necessary,” Maddie said. “Greer isn’t big on dessert.”
“It’s an inside joke.”
Her brows lowered, and she opened her mouth like she was going to question it but slowly nodded instead.
With that settled, I walked upstairs and used the code to let myself into Atlas’s apartment that took up the entire third floor. I barely made it to the bathroom before the room shifted so violently, I thought it was an earthquake.
And then I passed the fuck out with my face pressed to the cool tile floor.