Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 53466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
My stomach flips in excitement. “Where is Tawny?”
“She’s already downstairs. Come on. Let’s go!” He moves in closer, but I don’t open my door for him to step through.
“Ben’s not back yet,” I say. “I can’t just leave.”
“Do you want to blow your possible chances? The bodyguard will understand. You’re with your agent. Well, closest thing to your agent until Anna shows up later. Now move it!”
I jump into action. “Let me grab my shoes.” I shut the door in his face and slip back into my high heels, rushing back to meet Michael in the hallway, where he continues to pace back and forth, his nerves worse than my own. “I’m ready.”
“It’s about time,” he mutters, grasping my elbow and turning the opposite direction from the bank of elevators.
“Where are you going?” I tug my arm out of his grasp.
“The paparazzi are all over downstairs, waiting for a glimpse of Jade or you and Tawny. I’ve been using the service elevator. It’s safer.”
I frown but I agree, having been through the crush of photographers and reporters earlier. He holds on to my arm, walking me to the far end of the hall and the single elevator there. A housekeeper joins us, waiting for the lift, which seems to take forever. Probably because many people have the same idea to avoid the press in the lobby.
Michael is practically hopping from foot to foot, his nerves driving me crazy.
“I can’t believe I’m telling you to relax,” I say, taking in the irony. It is my life about to change, one way or another.
“It’s a huge day,” he mutters, staring at the housekeeper’s back. “Let’s just take the stairs.”
“What?”
He pulls me by the arm, and I teeter on my heels before righting myself. “Michael, chill out! We’ll get there.” I follow him across the hall, into the stairwell, and down a flight of steps.
My feet hurt and my ankles wobble in the too-high heels.
“Michael, let’s just go wait for the service elevator. I can’t do stairs in these shoes.
He holds on to me tightly. “No. Here’s fine.”
“What are you doing! Let go of me!”
“We’re alone now, and we need to talk,” he says. “I need your help. You have to do something for me and I’ll pay you well.” He is talking fast, rambling.
“What is it?” I ask, nervous because he is in my personal space, his big fingers digging into my bare forearms.
“Drop out of the competition. I’ll pay you a hundred grand. Just say you’re overwhelmed and it’s too much for you so you’re giving it up to Tawny. Use the money to rent a studio. Go indie. Do something, anything with the cash,” he says, shooting out ideas in an obvious panic.
I look into his wild eyes and see real desperation, which, along with his hold on my arm and my proximity to the edge of the stairs in my ridiculously high heels, scares me. “What’s this about?” I ask quietly, hoping to calm him.
“My life. Life as I know it. Tawny’s threatening to tell my wife about our affair if I don’t secure her this opportunity. I have a prenup. Cheating means I get nothing. Nothing!” he shouts at me.
He is sleeping with Tawny? And she is blackmailing him?
“Michael, were you behind everything that’s happened to me? The trashing of my dressing room, attempting to drug me?”
Regret flashes in his eyes. “I had no choice. You didn’t take any hint. When you performed on The Morning Show, you should have bombed and slipped away in disgrace. Instead you pulled out a win.” He runs a shaking hand through his hair. “You didn’t scare off after I warned you to drop out. I thought if you took that drink you’d get so sexually aggressive with your bodyguard I could film you and it’d go viral. I never thought he’d be one step ahead of me. I have no choice. Please. Take the money,” he all but begs me.
I should be shocked, but didn’t Ben have a bad feeling about him? But I can’t just walk away from Jade’s competition. I invested my entire life to have this one chance at stardom.
I glance at Michael, who watches me anxiously.
“I can’t,” I say. “Don’t you see? This opportunity is everything to me. Maybe if you talk to your wife, apologize…”
“Shut up! Just be quiet. I can’t lose everything. My kids. The money. My reputation.” He punctuates every word with a near violent shake. My heel slips, and I nearly fall down the stairs. Only his grasp keeps me upright.
My heart pounds hard in my chest, real fear taking hold. He isn’t at all rational in his panic. Jade’s deadline is making him crazy.
“All you need to do is say you changed your mind. Say you can’t handle the pressure of opening for such a big star.” He repeats his earlier words. “And I’ll wire money into your account today.” He pulls his phone from his pocket, never releasing his grip on me with his other hand. “Here. I’ll record.” He holds up the video camera on his phone.