Typecast

by Kim Carmichael

  Once more, her phone announced a text. She lifted the device.

  I’m sorry baby. I’ll be there in a couple of hours. You okay?

  She chewed her lower lip and read the text twice before responding.

  Do what you need to do. I’m just doing some research. She sent the message and turned back toward the screen and Erin’s card.

  Unsure of what to do with the time, she typed Erin’s e-mail address into the log-in bar.

  If she only knew the password, she could find out everything.

  Someone like Erin wouldn’t have a complicated password. The woman said herself she had trouble remembering things.

  Ivy pulled her lower lip. Maybe Matt would know how to crack the code.

  At her own thought, she winced. Breaking into e-mail would be wrong, illegal.

  Her cursor flashed in the password box, beckoning her. On a lark, she typed in the word password into the box.

  An error message indicating the wrong password came up in red.

  Well, the woman was smarter than she thought.

  She almost clicked the x in the corner to close the window, but almost as joke her herself, she decided to try once more and typed in 12345678.

  For the second time, the error message came up with a warning. She would get one more try before she was locked out.

  Always one for a riddle, she shut her eyes.

  Seconds later, she opened her eyes and glared at the password box. Would serve Erin right always having to go to Logan for everything. They did one movie together so it wasn’t like they had a relationship. With a lift of her chin, she typed in Hollywoodstardust, lifted her finger high, and pounded the Enter key with conviction.

  The screen changed and in a flash she was gazing at a list of Erin’s e-mails.

  “What?” She gasped and held her hands back away from the keyboard.

  After catching her breath, she slid her chair closer to the computer. Did she dare? What if her actions could be traced?

  Her body shook, and she scrambled to pick up her phone, scrolled past Logan’s and Giselle’s texts, and found the master of all things electronic.

  You in the building?

  She tapped her foot waiting for the answer.

  Only if you’re buying the candy bars and have time for a chat.

  She bit her lip at Matt’s message and typed back. How about a candy bar, my treat. A chat and some computer expertise, your treat?

  What’s wrong in the digital world?

  Having some e-mail issues. It wasn’t really a lie.

  I’m on my way, cape and all.

  Thanks. She hit “Send” and turned back to the screen. What had she done? Could she go through with it?

  “Is there a reason we are in the middle of nowhere?” Ryder stomped to Logan’s side.

  “I hardly consider a piece of land in Los Feliz the middle of nowhere.” Logan continued to stare out at the view of downtown Los Angeles. The little upscale town, close to Hollywood but far enough away to have a life, always held appeal for him.

  “This is not cool in heels. You should have warned me.” Wearing a scarf around her head, sunglasses, and a cross between an overcoat and a cape, Erin clutched Ryder’s arm and put her hand above her eyes as if she were trying to see something way off in the distance. “What is this place?”

  “This is my land.” He swiped his hand in front of him.

  “You own a piece of land here, but you live above your brother’s bar?” Erin shook her head.

  “After I got out of rehab.” He made the quotation mark sign around rehab. “I used to drive around up here. It was my first investment.”

  “So, we bought the land.” Ryder motioned between himself and Erin.

  With slow steps, he circled his friends or his enemies. Their status toggled through the years. He stopped in front of them. “I earned every cent.”

  “Speaking of which, this is why we called this meeting.” Ryder lifted his chin.

  “Correction.” He held up one finger. “I called the meeting.”

  They stared each other down.

  “It doesn’t matter who called the meeting.” Erin wedged herself between them. “What matters is Ryder and I spoke after yesterday’s little gala, and we want to make sure that your end of the bargain is being held up.”

  “While I’m not surprised you asked me, I am disgusted.” He put his hands in his pockets. “Let me ask you a question.”

  When they both stayed quiet, he continued. “Do you ever wonder what it would be like if we woke up one day as totally separate entities from each other? No strings, no contracts, no payments, nothing.”

  “What do you mean?” Erin turned to Ryder.

  “Although I think I understand, why don’t you elaborate?” Ryder glared at him.

  “I want to set you both free. I want to set myself free.” He swore the lump he had carried in his stomach since he’d realized he wanted Ivy lessened some. It allowed him to take a full breath. “We need to separate our lives if we are ever going to have lives.”

  Though he didn’t expect cheers and a band to start playing, he did expect smiles and possibly a handshake. Instead, Erin turned paler than Ivy at the studio, and Ryder turned away.

  “Don’t you understand?” He walked over to them. “We are finished. There’s nothing more owed. You can do your own thing.”

  “After that night, you told us our lives would be forever intertwined,” Erin whispered. “You said you would take care of everything.”

  “I did take care of everything. Both your careers flourished in their own ways. I became a businessman. But I think twenty years is enough. You can’t say you don’t agree.” What was the issue?

  “So when you decide the time is right, you can drop us and go on with your life?” At last Ryder faced him. “Did someone offer you some money for finally telling the story?”

  He stomped up to Ryder. “I have been offered money too many times to count, and though some of the sums were better than what I was paid for not telling the story, I never said a word.”

  “He wants to tell his girlfriend. Maybe he already did.” Erin put her hand to her chest.

  “No.” Ryder squared his shoulders and looked him in the eye. “He got offered a movie deal and forgot that at the end of the day we own him.”

  Each one of their accusations piled up on one another, a wall of bricks between him and his love. He lunged at Ryder, grabbed his collar, and pulled him up to his face.

  “Logan!” Erin jumped back.

  Ryder tensed, but didn’t struggle, almost daring him to do something.

  “Listen here, both of you.” First he stared down Erin, then Ryder. “I have no need to rehash the past. I need to have a future.”

  “You’re masterminding this, just like you masterminded that night.” Ryder grabbed his wrist.

  “Listen here.” His heart threatened to leave his chest, his muscles begged for him to act, but he tempered himself and gave Ryder a tug. “Never forget that yours truly covered for you. Yours truly sacrificed himself so you didn’t have to do the sequel. Yours truly allowed you to go on with your careers. Remember, I had offers too.”

  “You got paid much more for covering for us than you would’ve ever made on that independent film.” Ryder hissed at him. “We had real deals.”

  “It was what I wanted to do, and I didn’t do it. I got fired.” He thrust Ryder away from him.

  Ryder stumbled but caught himself.

  “You canceled the sequel because of Drew.” Erin’s voice cracked. “You took him away.”

  “You nearly killed him and then you decide you want him?” He stepped toward her. “You slept with me, you slept with Ryder, you slept with Brian, and the only man you claim you wanted, you never even touched?”

  She pressed her lips together.

  “He worshiped you. You broke every promise you ever made to him and left me to mop up the mess as usual.” He leaned forward. “You don’t want him. You never did
. You only wanted the thought of him.”

  A tear rolled down her face.

  “So why did you bring us here?” Ryder held his arms out. “Did you just want to flaunt what your percentage of everything we made since that night bought you?”

  “Maybe I wanted to show you what the future could look like.” Once more he took in the view. “This is my future. Right here. I wanted to start it off right.”

  “You want your future without us.” Ryder shook his head. “Toss us out when you don’t need us anymore.”

  “I don’t see why anything has to change.” Erin backed up.

  “The only things that would change would be your bank accounts. The old rules would remain in effect.” He attempted to be reasonable.

  “So the only one giving up something would be you?” Ryder took a deep breath.

  “Well, you wouldn’t have me to do your dirty work anymore. You can all speak for yourselves, fight your own battles, and handle your own disasters.”

  “I’m not ready to make a decision. I don’t know.” Erin continued her retreat toward her car.

  “I have to say, I’m with my costar. I don’t think making a snap decision is a good idea.” With a bit of a grin at having one-upped him, Ryder shrugged.

  “You made the decision to pay me for two decades in less than an hour.” He walked to the edge of his property. The kitchen window should face the view as should the master bedroom. Yes, once he and Ivy chose a contractor, they would have to be extremely specific about what they wanted.

  Of all the property he had bought, he had never purchased a home. He barely remembered having a house, but he could have one with her, and he wouldn’t let anyone taint what should be incredible for him or especially Ivy. “Don’t contact me until you have an answer. If you need something, tell Brian.”

  “What if our answer is no?” Ryder’s voice fell flat.

  “Then I’ll keep collecting the checks, but I don’t think I’ll be funding any more films, and I’m certain Drew would agree with me. Not that either of you would ever talk to him.” He slid his phone out of his pocket.

  “Is that a threat?”

  “No, a threat is telling you that you will no longer have your pretty little face if you ever hit on Ivy again.” He didn’t even bother glancing in Ryder’s direction. “She’s smarter than Erin and saw right though you.”

  “Logan.”

  “Get off my land.”

  “When you want out, that’s it, right?” Ryder raised his voice.

  Logan didn’t move. “The last time I checked it was the other way around.”

  At last, the sound of footsteps followed by the slamming of doors and a car driving away let him know they abided by at least one of his wishes.

  Once more he found himself staring out at his property. The situation almost proved to be laughable. When Ryder and Erin wanted out, they got their wish and he was the genie, even though it meant giving up his acting career.

  Hell, the situation seemed tailor-made for him. He was always the bad boy. The studio kept all four of them in character the entire time, so he would only be living up to his reputation.

  At the time, it had seemed easy: he would be set, Wilson would be set, and he could still have it all.

  Yes, it was easy. So easy. Life as an up-and-coming star is easy, especially when there seems as though there’s no direction to go but up.

  He remembered that night driving to the Beverly Garland hotel with the top down on his new little Italian sports car. He was at one with the stars, at one with the universe, and he was the leader. Yes, he called the meeting with Erin and Ryder. He would single-handedly fix all their ailments and make their acting careers.

  The valet nodded at him as he pulled into the driveway, and as a reward, Logan tossed him his keys and a hundred dollar bill. Fine, the money was to spite his brother, but the valet was a cool dude. In a few short months, Wilson would no longer be his guardian, and he could spend his money as he wanted.

  Upon walking up to the front desk, he was instantly handed a key to the suite they rented for their so-called meeting, but the space was more like the entire top floor of the hotel. Stardom had benefits. The Beverly Garland didn’t even charge them. All they had to do to earn their keep was walk through the lobby a couple of times. They even had full run of room service. A few times they even let him into the kitchen.

  Once the elevator opened into the suite, he froze as the scent of something other than cigarettes and the echoes of laughter wafted around him.

  Every muscle in his body tensed, but he forced himself forward, through the living room area looking over all of Beverly Hills and into the master bedroom.

  Like an ill-fated treasure hunt, he found his costars there. The room looked as if a dormitory of rich frat boys vomited up all their possessions inside and then they decided to make a mess. He balled his hand in a fist, preparing for the fight. In one corner, a shirtless Ryder, in the other Erin, in nothing but an oversize T-shirt. The ashtrays, the bottles, the other more hard-core drug paraphernalia, and the disarray told him everything. He was only thankful he didn’t walk in on the middle of anything else.

  “I told you he would show up.” From his position reclining back on the bed, Ryder pointed at him. “In fact, he’s early.”

  “If I know nothing else in this world, I know that I can rely on Logan.” Erin downed a glass of something. She approached him, pressed her hand to his chest, and looked up at him with those big blue eyes. “If anyone knew the truth about you, it would ruin our reputation entirely.”

  “I told you we needed to talk.” He grabbed her wrist. “We have decisions to make.”

  “Why don’t you come and join us?” She slid her hand up and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  No matter if she was all done up for a media event or a tipsy mess, Erin was universally gorgeous and he swore not to be pulled into her vortex of crap again. He put her hands on her waist to push her back.

  She resisted and stood on her tiptoes. “You know it’s you.”

  Ryder stretched and stood, ran his hands through his hair, and disappeared into the bathroom.

  “Is that what you told Mr. Scott before I got here?” With a bit more force, he managed to get her off him.

  “That’s not fair.” She backed away.

  “That’s the truth.”

  “You could have brought him, you know.” Her eyes narrowed.

  “What? So he could walk into this?” To prove his point, he motioned toward the tangled bedding. “I can see how brokenhearted you are.”

  “I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.” As if instantly going into a role, she waved her hand in her own face in a mock attempt to abate the tears.

  “Then let me tell you.” He pointed behind him. “We are going to go have a meeting about the sequel and then you are going to clean up this mess before housekeeping decides to sell photos of this to the National Reporter.”

  Redressed and as cocky as ever, Ryder joined them. “Remember we’re supposed to live our roles. Well, here we are, the triangle.” He walked across the room and patted Logan on the shoulder. “Let’s give our girl a moment to collect herself and then have our meeting.”

  After shrugging Ryder off him, he returned to the living room and went to the bar, grabbing a bottle of club soda.

  “You need something to mix in that, my friend.” Ryder took a seat on the couch, spreading his legs in the need to take up as much space as humanly possible.

  Logan opened his drink. In truth, he thought Ryder only sat that way to air himself out. With that image in his mind, he took a long swig of the bubbling liquid in hopes it would work its magic and get rid of the nausea. “Looks like you cleaned out the bar.”

  Ryder simply shrugged.

  Without a word, in a new set of clothes, Erin entered the room and sat by Ryder. So this was how it was going to go down. Normally she had the decency to sit in a neutral location.

  “You called this meeting.
Let’s get going.” Ryder put his hand around the back of the couch.

  Erin only stared at Logan, her eyes still wet from her faux tears.

  Well, he might as well get right to the point. “They want to recast the part of Charles since Drew won’t sign the contract.”

  “No.” Erin shook her head.

  As if this was nothing more than a bother, Ryder stared up at the ceiling.

  “I think we need to make a stand and demand Drew, but there’s some work we have to do first.” After taking another gulp of his drink, he came forward and sat on the chair facing the couch.

  “What do you mean?” Playing her role of innocent to the bitter end, Erin’s voice came out more of a sad whisper.

  “Erin.” Ryder growled.

  “I think you know exactly what I’m talking about.” Logan leaned forward. “You got what you wanted. Everything centers on you.”

  “I have begged for him to talk to me, but he won’t take my calls. I even wrote a letter.” Her true fiery attitude blazed, melting away Erin’s sweet veneer. “We can’t do the movie without him.”

  “Erin!” Ryder spun toward her. “What are you talking about?”

  She pressed her lips together and sat back, turning away.

  Right below the surface something brewed between the two of them. Seemed all signs pointed to the fact they were doing something more than screwing and getting high before he arrived. “What’re you talking about?”

  Ryder faced him. “Erin and I want out of the sequel.”

  Before responding, he made sure he heard the words correctly. The way his stomach knotted told him his ears were functioning to perfection. Without them, there would be no movie. “You have signed contracts.”

  “We also have other offers on the table. Good ones.” Ryder’s tone reminded him of when Wilson tried to explain his parents’ divorce.

  “So do I, and they are waiting until after the filming.” He attempted to remain calm, but he needed the movie, wanted the movie. “Hollywood Stardust created us.”