Truly Unreliable
Once she left the set, Avery Hayes decided she was done thinking about Caleb Sterling. What was meant to be would be, and she wasn't about to let some guy derail her own plans.
She'd barely made it off the lot when her phone rang. It was Leo Foster. He told her he was landing in Hollywood at three that afternoon and that she should meet him at the Summit Ridge Condominiums.
"Summit Ridge?" Avery asked, stopping on the sidewalk.
"Where'd you rent an apartment?" She glanced east, where the luxury high-rise complex dominated the Hollywood skyline, visible even from a distance.
Dexter had mentioned last night he'd have Leo arrange a place for her, but the guy hadn't even landed yet.
How could he have the housing sorted out already?
"What do you mean, 'rent'?" Leo said. "It's Zac's place. It's sitting empty, so of course I'm staying there while I'm in town. Who else would?"
He had a special kind of nerve, claiming a friend's apartment like it was his own personal hotel.
"Wait, isn't the apartment for me?" Avery asked, a little skeptical. "My coach, Alden Pierce, is coming in a few days, and I need space to train. You should find somewhere else to stay." She paused. "If you're too busy, I can just rent a place myself. The company will reimburse me."
"Zac's place is a thirty-two-hundred-square-foot condo," Leo shot back. "You could fit ten of Alden Pierce in there, let alone one. We always stay there when we're in Hollywood."
Avery froze. The guy was a total flake. What was he thinking? She hadn't even officially debuted, and he was already trying to get her tangled up in his drama.
"No way," she said firmly. "Either you find another place, or I'm renting my own."
Leo just laughed, his voice casual on the other end of the line.
"Why would I get another apartment? You'll be upstairs, I'll be downstairs. It's not like we're living together."
He drew out his words, enjoying this. "Zac has two condos in Summit Ridge. The one upstairs is fully equipped with everything you need for training. You couldn't rent a place this good if you tried."
Avery's patience snapped. "Why didn't you just say that in the first place?"
So he wasn't a *complete* idiot. Still, she couldn't believe Dexter had trusted Leo with this. With his track record, wasn't Dexter worried he'd screw everything up?
"Didn't I just say that?" Leo muttered.
Avery was done talking. She hung up.
Immediately, she shot a text to Dexter Reed, asking when her manager was supposed to arrive. The thought of relying on Leo for anything made her nervous; a proper manager would handle things the right way.
Dexter replied almost instantly. Her manager had been chosen but was currently overseas.
They would fly into California with Alden Pierce in three days.
He also added that Leo had brought a selection of scripts for high-profile roles, and she should pick one she liked.
Once she decided, Leo would take her to meet the production team.
Reading the text, Avery felt a jolt of unease.
It felt like she'd just walked into the lion's den.
Stellar Media was supposed to be a legitimate company, so why did everything feel so chaotic?
Leo was an outsider, yet Dexter was putting him in charge of her career.
And based on his choice of living arrangements, she had a pretty good idea of the kind of guy he was. It did not sit well with her.
Meanwhile, at JFK Airport in New York, Leo was about to board his flight. He glanced at the "Call Ended" screen on his phone and turned to Joel Duke beside him. "Man, she's got a temper."
Joel had been strong-armed by Dexter a few days ago into directing the short drama Leo was funding, which meant he was now responsible for the entire production.
Leo was a hot-headed rookie investor, and since it was his old friend's son dipping his toes into the business, Dexter had asked Joel to keep an eye on things.
That's why they were at the airport together.
But Leo's reputation in Westlake City preceded him, and even though he was the one with the money now, he couldn't exactly throw his weight around.
Hearing Leo complain, Joel rolled his eyes and didn't bother to answer.
Honestly, he was on Avery's side. The living situation Leo had "arranged" was a disaster waiting to happen, and Joel wanted to smack him for it.
Avery, Dr. Hayes, as he thought of her, had a clear career path.
The last thing she needed before she was even established was to have her name tied to a rich kid like Leo.
But the idiot wouldn't listen to reason, just kept repeating, "She's upstairs, I'm downstairs, what's the big deal?"
Like Avery, Joel couldn't for the life of him figure out what Dexter was thinking.
"Quit your whining and get on the plane," Joel finally said, his voice flat. He did not like Leo Foster, but he was stuck with him. The kid had the cash, after all.
Leo narrowed his eyes. "What kind of attitude is that? In case you forgot, I'm not just some actor in your drama anymore. I'm your investor. You better watch your tone."
"If you have a problem with my attitude," Joel shot back without missing a beat, "go talk to Dexter."
"Everyone just uses Dexter to shut me down," Leo grumbled.
Joel let out a short, humorless laugh and tossed a contract into Leo's lap.
"See this, Mr. Foster? This contract says you're the money guy. Period. You don't get to interfere with my production."
He'd seen this coming. Worried the kid would start playing director on set, Joel had forced Leo to sign an agreement stating he had no creative control.
Leo, who had paid a fortune to be a glorified rubber stamp, scrambled after him. "I'm paying the bills, so I'm the boss!"
Joel just smirked. Without turning around, he called back, "Sure, you're the boss. And I'm just going to follow the contract, which says all matters concerning the film crew are my call."
Back in Hollywood, Avery hung up on Leo, went back to her hotel for a quick nap, and then checked out.
She plugged "Summit Ridge" into her phone and followed the GPS directions.
Her timing was perfect. She waited by the main gate for less than five minutes before a car carrying Leo and Joel pulled up.
Joel was clearly swamped. He had a meeting with his creative team to go location scouting in a few minutes. He gave Avery a quick hello, told Leo to be at the new production office the next morning to go over the budget, and then took off.
Leo stuck his head out of the car window. "Get in," he said. "This is the main entrance; there's no parking. I gotta go down to the garage."
Avery tossed her luggage in the back and slid into the passenger seat. "So," she asked, "when does the show you're investing in start filming?"
Leo turned the steering wheel, heading down the ramp. "Ten days. Why? You want to make a cameo?" He glanced at her in the rearview mirror, raising an eyebrow. "I don't think my little production can afford a star like you. Besides, Dexter said no more short dramas for you."
The car glided into a parking spot. Leo got out and pulled her luggage from the trunk. As he slammed it shut, his eyes swept over the luxury cars parked on either side of them. "I've gotta get a new car," he muttered. "Every single one of these is flashier than mine."
Avery couldn't begin to understand the mindset of a rich kid like Leo, so she didn't bother saying anything.
He didn't seem to need a response. After shooting the other cars a disdainful look, he grabbed a suitcase in one hand and started walking toward the elevator, leaving Avery to follow quietly in his wake.
The elevator stopped at the twenty-third floor, its doors sliding open to reveal a sleek, gunmetal-gray apartment door.
Leo handed Avery a key. "You can get settled in. I'm right downstairs."
Halfway through his sentence, he seemed to remember something.
He raised an eyebrow, stepped back out of the elevator, and pulled a large black document bag from one of the boxes he was carrying.
"These are the scripts," he said. "Dexter wants you to pick one. Once you decide, just let me know, and I'll take you to meet the crew."