"Seriously? You couldn't find a right time in any of the times we were talking? Or when Jon was coming around? Or when you told me to call Jon to represent me? Why would you even do that, by the way? If you two used to date, why do something that would bother you?"
"Because it didn't bother me until Jon started hanging out with you," she admits, averting her eyes. "He shouldn't? he shouldn't go after clients. It's how we started dating and it just rubbed salt in the wound. I haven't seen anyone since? since we broke up." Kathy is stammering over her words now, looking upset. "So when he started flirting with you, it just pissed me off."
"So you're upset he was moving on?"
"No. Yes. I just didn't like him going after you. Where I would have to see it, Jenny. It has nothing to do with you."
"You heard what he said. He said he had no feelings for me in that way. So all of this is just him being friendly."
Kathy shakes her head. "No way. He's just trying to save my feelings. Listen, I know you're upset I wasn't honest with you. I get it. But it really isn't that big of a deal, Jenny, really."
The fact she is now trying to dictate my feelings is pissing me off. She has no idea how I feel. Trying to tell me that it is okay and not a big deal is simply invalidating my own emotions. It rubs me the wrong way, and I can feel myself closing up. I feel stupid. Knowing that Jon and Kathy had a history makes me feel as if I am just being used to make her jealous or something. Jon had declared that he didn't have feelings for me. I have misread everything and now look like a jackass. Is he trying to make Kathy jealous?
If he is, it seems to be working. She can tell me that it is because she doesn't want me to go through what she has gone through, but I don't fully believe it. Kathy doesn't like seeing Jon flirt with me. I am stuck in the middle of their mind games.
"Jon is a really good agent," Kathy goes on, not noticing my darkening mood. "I truly thought he would help you. And he has! It has nothing to do with you seeing him as an agent. I just don't think you two should see each other-"
"I don't care what you want," I snap, storming back to my room to get an overnight bag. "I don't appreciate getting pulled in the middle of your mind games with Jon."
"Jenny!"
I start shoving some things in my bag, wondering where I can go. I need to cool down. It isn't as if I know a lot of people in this city. The only person left for me is Rich. My reservations about him fly out the window. Jon probably lied about him at dinner as well.
I call Rich and wait for him to pick up. "Can I see you?"
Chapter Eleven
Rich drives me to a place I have only seen in movies and TV shows.
"You live in Beverly Hills?" I say, my face practically planted against the window of his car.
Rich chuckles. "It isn't a big deal."
"Are you kidding me? Of course it is. I bet my apartment fits into your closet."
Rich turns into a gated community, swiping a code that opens up the ornate gate. As we drive into the community, all thoughts of what has been stressing me out fly from my mind. The homes - make that mansions - are massive. I can't believe that people can actually afford something like this. We drive past them slowly with Rich obviously letting me take in the expansiveness of these enormous urban palaces.
"Mine isn't as big as some of these," he says. "I wouldn't get too excited."
I wave my hand in his direction, my eyes still glued to the window. "Whatever. When people say Hollywood, this is what everyone truly means." I pause for a moment and then look at him. "How did you get so successful anyway?"
"Ah, if you're thinking it is all from my job, I'm going to disappoint you. I was born into money."
"Lucky," I grumble, looking back out the window.
We turn another corner. This street has smaller houses, although they are still massive in relation to anything I've seen back home. Rich turns his car into one of the driveways of a spacious, well-maintained, two-story house. A far cry from the dollhouse, I muse as I get out of the car. Clutching my overnight bag, I trail after Rich toward the front door.
He holds open the door for me and I step inside. We are in a large foyer with low lighting. There is a painting on one wall and marble flooring underneath my feet. I think back to Underwater Nosh and how overwhelmed I had felt when I had merely stepped into the coat room. I feel the same thing now.
"Want a tour?" he asks.
"Oh, definitely!"
He leads me through the house. I marvel at how large his kitchen is - he could easily fit twenty people in the kitchen alone. The dining room has an oak table and windows that overlook the pool. The living room is modern, with all sorts of tech-savvy stuff I probably can't figure out on my own. He leads me up the stairs to the second floor. He stops in the guest room, which looks exactly like something I would see in a five-star hotel.
"This is where you can sleep tonight," Rich says, although his tone is overly light, as if he is suggesting I don't have to if I don't want to.
"Okay," I reply, keeping things vague on purpose.
I am still fuming over what Kathy has said and how I feel used by Jon. And no matter what anyone has said about Rich, he hasn't done anything to hurt me. Maybe I am a fool. Jon is obviously a bad guy wrapped up in a nice guy exterior. No one wants to be used to make someone jealous, including me.
I trail into the bathroom and for the first time since I stormed out of the apartment, I check my phone. I had put it on silent, not wanting to deal with it. There are two calls from Kathy and three from Jon. Two voicemails. Two text messages. I shove my phone back in my purse. I'm not interested in hearing anything they have to say right now. Not while Kathy tries to tell me how to feel and being used by Jon.
"Lost in the bathroom?" Rich peeks his head in.
I turn around, flustered. "Yeah. I mean, a rain shower in the guest room? What do your parents do anyway?"
"They're heavily involved in the stock market," Rich replies, motioning me to follow him out of the guest room.
"Damn, I should have gotten involved in that, too."
Rich walks past a billiards room and opens a door at the end of the hall. I step inside and look around, mouth agape. His bedroom is luxurious, all dark browns and reds. There are floor-to-ceiling windows on one side that open out onto the patio - I notice a hot tub. A big screen TV is on the wall across from the bed. There's an ensuite bathroom, which is probably massive as well.
"This is incredible," I breathe as Rich moves behind me, placing his hands on my shoulders.
"A soak in the hot tub would probably help you unwind, you know," Rich whispers in my ear.
I close my eyes. I briefly mention to him that I had gotten into a fight with Kathy over the audition and need to cool down. The thought of melting into a hot tub sounds perfect.
"I don't have a suit," I reply, opening my eyes at the sudden thought.
Rich smiles against my skin. "Do we really need suits?"
That flame of desire sparks up inside of me again. Not caring about anything to do with Kathy and Jon, I turn around and head toward the guest room to slip out of my clothes.
***
I let out a sigh of delight. The bubbles feel amazing against my skin. I lean back and close my eyes. I have told Rich I wanted to get in the hot tub first. I am nervous about strolling out onto the patio naked. He agreed, and is waiting for me to get settled. It has been ages since I relaxed in a hot tub.
"Are you ready?" he asks.
"All set."
I keep my eyes closed. It sounds silly, but the thought of seeing Rich naked and getting in the hot tub makes me blush. All this luxury and money? I am feeling out of my league. He probably can have models or celebrities. What in the world does he see in me, some newbie who hasn't even had a single role yet?
"Feels good, doesn't it?"
I open my eyes. He is across from me, looking out at the view. I swear that I can see what could be considered comparable to a waterpark in one of the mansions a ways off.
"I have to admit that I don't use it enough."
"That's a shame," I mumble, closing my eyes again.
We both fall silent, enjoying the bubbles. I try not to think about Rich's body and the skilled way he had made me orgasm the last time we had slept together. It is difficult to find a man who knows how to treat you in bed. Rich is very good at that.
"What are you thinking about?" he asks suddenly.
I hope he can't see me blushing as I open my eyes to look at him. "Nothing. Kathy, I guess," I lie.
"She needs to get over it. It's show business."
"Right."
"She shouldn't feel threatened by you. If she had confidence in her skills, she wouldn't be so concerned you got a callback."
"Yeah. I know, you're right," I reply, wanting to switch the subject.
"It's 'cause she probably has all these stupid ideas of how Hollywood works from Jon," he scoffs.
Intrigued, I decide to pursue this topic. "You worked with Jon, right?"
Rich eyes me. "He didn't say anything about me?"
I shake my head, hoping my face is blank. I am interested in what Rich has to say about Jon.
"He has his head in the clouds. He came to Hollywood with nothing. I was the one who hired him. His code of ethics doesn't match what goes on in this business. His ideals are so pure that while he is a great agent for people like you, new to the industry, I really have to suggest you dump him once you get some real work under your belt. I can suggest some people for you."
"So you left the company because you two just didn't see eye to eye?"
"Jon didn't want to get his hands dirty. Unless, you know, it was with his own clients. Although I'm sure you know all about Kathy and Jon."
"Oh, yeah. She mentioned it ages ago," I lie, fuming that Rich knows this and I have been left in the dark.
"You shouldn't date your own clients. They had that messy break up, and he lost a rising star because of his stupidity."
"Kathy was pretty vague on why they broke up." I can't help myself, I want to know every stupid detail. "Do you know why?"
"Kathy said he wouldn't commit. Jon said he just wasn't ready to settle down yet. Anyway, he harps on me for what I do or what he thinks I do, but he isn't that swell of a guy either."
I try to match up Rich's dark words against what I know about Jon. I even told Jon about Maggie, something that still torments me when I think about it. Opening up like that is rare for me. I have kept everything inside of me locked up so tightly yet I shared something so personal with him without even knowing him for very long. What will he do with this information? How can I keep him as my agent when I have feelings for him?
It is stupid to even think about the feelings I have for him. I have feelings for Rich, too, I tell myself as I look at him. He is handsome and well off and has great connections. So why am I so upset about Jon and his history with Kathy? I should just forget about him completely. Rich can help me find another agent.
"Let's not talk about those idiots anymore," Rich says roughly, sliding across the hot tub toward me.
He tilts his head down and kisses me. He tastes faintly of the water in the hot tub. I kiss him back, sinking into him. His hands go around my waist, holding me tightly against the side of the hot tub. I wrap my arms around his neck. Rich is the guy for me. I don't need to torment myself over Jon any longer.
We stay like that for a while, making out in the hot tub. His kisses are hot and slowly growing hungrier. Our bare bodies press against each other. I can feel the bubbles on our skin. The sun has fully set now, leaving us only guided by the lights from the hot tub. The whole thing feels as if I am in some sort of fever dream. All I focus on is holding onto Rich and kissing him.
Finally he breaks apart from me. "Want to come inside?"
"Won't we get the bed wet?" I mumble, feeling dazed.
He laughs and I blush. "The last thing on my mind right now is good housekeeping," he grins at me. I realize how ridiculous that must have sounded considering the moment. We get out of the hot tub, and he leads me to his giant bed. We stop in front of it, and he looks me over, drinking me in with his eyes.
"You're so sexy," Rich whispers.
"So are you," I reply, kissing him.
He kisses me back, and I lower myself to my knees, taking him in my mouth. He lets out a groan as I move my tongue up and down his length slowly, teasing him. Rich is stiff and warm, throbbing. I move my head up and down as I suck on him, rolling my tongue around the tip of his cock. He shudders and moans my name.
I work on him like this for a little bit, enjoying the feel of him inside my mouth. Rich has a nice cock and I like sucking on the tip and then taking the rest of it in my mouth.
Finally he moves away from me. "I need to fuck you," he says gruffly.
I am out of breath and my head feels light. I want it, too. I get on the bed but he shakes his head.
"I want you to ride me. I want to watch you."
Emboldened by how sexy he thinks I am, I straddle him after he lays down. I sink slowly down on his cock, moaning a little as he fully fills me. Once I got settled, I began to ride him. Rich reaches his hands up to my breasts.
My clit rubs against him, sending shivers of delight through me. I arch my back and ride him harder, liking the tremors that work through me. Rich is moaning loudly, gripping my breasts and squeezing them. Whenever our skin touches, I can feel how warm we are. The moonlight casts a light on us, and I rock against him so hard I can hear the bed moving slightly.
The sensations of riding him and feeling him inside me send me over the edge. I let out a gasp and cry his name as I come, shuddering hard. Suddenly, Rich takes hold of my hips and starts to pound inside of me, fucking me so hard that it only makes me peak harder. He is hitting my G-spot, I realize, as he fucks me. I cling to him as I come again. My moans have turned into screams of passion as Rich comes as well. He moans loudly, his orgasm rocking through him as though his entire body is vibrating.
When we finish, I collapse on top of him. We are both covered in sweat. Sleep grabs a hold of me and pulls me in. I don't resist.
Chapter Twelve
I go back home the next day. As incredible as it was escaping for a night with Rich, there is no way I can avoid these problems forever. Being with Rich has clarified what I need to do. Whatever feelings I have for Jon are not going to be reciprocated. I would be stupid to focus on what I have felt for him. He obviously isn't the type of person I thought he was.
As for Kathy, she still has given me a lot of help to get out of the spot where I had been depressed and lost. I am not pleased with the situation, but for the sake of us living together, I need to forgive her. I have to be the bigger person.
I also figure Kathy will give me another agent to call and see if I can switch agencies. I don't want to ask Rich for a favor like that yet, especially since he will ask why I want to switch. The last thing I feel like explaining to Rich is how I thought Jon and I could be something.
I walk in the front door of our apartment to see Kathy reading a book in the living room. I have readied myself for a conversation with her.
When she sees me, she jumps off the couch. "Oh my god, Jenny, I was so worried!"
"Why?"
"I didn't know where you were going or anything. I wanted to make sure you were okay! I didn't hear from you! Jon tried to contact you, too."
"Don't worry about it. I had my ringer turned off last night."
"Jenny, I'm so sorry," Kathy says, coming over to me. "I should have been upfront with you right away. I was stupid to hide it from you. I recommended Jon to you purely because he's a great agent. He helped me a lot with building up a solid body of work to go after actual roles, like this soap opera. And when I saw him bringing you flowers and being kind to you? it just brought up all these bad emotions," she goes on, rambling,
her skin flushed. "I couldn't stand to think I had chased you off. I had the best intentions. I just messed up. I'm sorry."
I put my hand on her shoulder, trying to give her some comfort. "It's okay. Truly. I slept on it and I understand how? tangled emotions can get. But you helped me move forward when I didn't realize I needed to and would never have thought to. I can't hate you for being mad because you thought your ex was moving on. I shouldn't have thought of Jon as anything but an agent. Especially seeing as he didn't consider me as anything else but a client," I add, somewhat bitterly.
Kathy opened her mouth to say something but then shut it and shakes her head. "You should really speak to Jon. He called me, worried about you, trying to get a hold of you."
"It can wait. I should honestly find another agent."
"Oh, Jenny, please reconsider it."
I wave my hand. "If you know of anyone, let me know, okay? I should probably get ready for this audition. I've been so caught up in this stuff."
Kathy watches as I head to my room and calls out, "Jenny, please call Jon."
***
I don't call Jon. I do listen to his voicemail though.
"Jenny. Please call me. I want to clear this up with you. What you heard? what happened with Kathy and me. Are you with Rich?"
The other voicemail is from Kathy. She has sent me two texts as well but there is nothing else from Jon. I try to push that from my mind and focus on my audition instead. If I nail this part, I can find another agent. They would want to represent someone on a show, surely? It puts a spark in me to keep trying my hardest.
When I am acting out the scenes in my room, this time not caring if Kathy hears me, I feel my mind wiped clean from worries. It is different than when I was with Rich. My mind is blank but fills with a desire to feel him and be around him. This is a pure focus on the words and the emotion I can put behind them. Even if Rich is in the audition, I won't let someone I know being there throw me off.
***
As Kathy and I drive to the audition on Monday, I try not to let my nerves show. I have spent the entire weekend focusing purely on preparing for this audition. I know I am going to see Jon as well as Rich. I can't let that ruin my focus.
"Are you nervous?" I ask Kathy, wondering if someone who's been through this several times already can still be nervous.
Star Bright - Book 1 Page 7