And the right thing in this case was to fire Aubrey Parker.
“Be prepared for an implosion. You can get dressed and take the rest of the day off while I deal with this.” Martin touched Max’s shoulder then stepped past him.
Max exhaled with relief and turned toward a makeshift staging area where he’d shed his clothes for the scene. The nine-by-nine square room looked just as he’d left it. Four temporary walls enclosed a space with two bench seats, a long mirror, and a portable rack from which his street clothes hung.
He yanked off the towel and began to dress, fingers making quick work of zippers, buttons, and the laces on his boots. Voices rose to the rafters, growing in volume, drifting through the cavernous space and down over the open top of his changing area. He tuned out Aubrey’s increasingly shrill tone as he slid a belt through the loops of his jeans. The diva was gearing up for the tirade of all tirades.
Talk about dodging a bullet. Aubrey didn’t appear to be taking the news well at all. He stuffed his wallet into his back pocket, phone into the front, and snatched up his keys from a bench. Just as he slid a pair of sunglasses into place, the door to the room swung open and a red-faced Aubrey stepped in. At some point, she’d pulled on a robe to cover her nakedness.
“Did you have anything to do with this?” she said, features pulled into a mask of fury.
“Martin is the director, Aubrey, not me. Though I won’t say I’m sorry. It just wasn’t working out.” He was about to brush by, intending to exit the room, when Aubrey pitched something at his chest. Max caught it with a reflexive motion, trapping the cool plastic against his body.
It was Camryn’s recorder.
Suddenly, puzzle pieces began to take shape and fit together.
“You’re the one who told Denny Harrison,” he said. “What did you do, promise to give him the recorder if he worked with you on a story? It wasn’t all that hard to find him, was it, not after the photos he released before he got fired? His name was all over the pictures and the article.”
“It’s a wonder your career got as far as it did, Max. Really. We could have released that recording—and yes, I did listen to it—just before the movie dropped. You know what they say. Any publicity is good publicity. You blew a prime opportunity to launch yourself and this movie into the stratosphere.”
“I like to keep my feet on the ground, Aubrey. And my career is doing just fine. It’ll continue to do so now that you’re being replaced with someone who can actually act.” Max had heard all he needed to hear. Aubrey had contacted Denny, not realizing Denny had his own agenda, to launch a huge scandal right before the movie’s release. She was part of the Hollywood crowd who adored the spotlight any way she could get it, especially at someone else’s expense.
At least now he had answers.
Keeping possession of the recorder, he departed the dressing room and didn’t look back.
“That looks awesome. Should we add anything else to it?” Lark asked.
“I don’t know.” Camryn squinted at the computer screen and the design that had taken them hours to come up with. Who knew something as simple as a double circle with a stylized letter I in the middle connected to the inner ring could take so long to create? Although the website itself looked professional and clean, they had not thought, until now, to consider an actual logo.
A series of knocks at the door brought Camryn to her feet. She glanced at Lark.
“Let me tell you. If that’s Denny, I’m gonna rip him a new hole and he won’t like where I put it.” Lark lurched up out of the chair and stomped into the living room.
Oh, Lark and her temper. Camryn couldn’t chide her roommate, not when she had her own fits of fury now and again.
“Don’t just open the door!” Camryn whispered, hustling to catch up to Lark. She grabbed a baseball bat sitting against the dining room wall on her way across the room. Lark’s wicked boots, black with steel spikes sticking out of the toes, could also be used as a weapon if necessary.
“Listen here, you snub-nosed, obtuse little shi—oh, hi.” Lark had yanked open the door, then ceased her sudden rant in exchange for a blinding smile.
Camryn spotted Maximo at the same time Lark did. “Max! What are you doing here? I mean, I’m glad to see you. We thought you were someone else.”
“Obviously,” Maximo said, glancing from Lark to Camryn. He winked.
“Hi. I’m Cam’s roommate, Lark. Sorry about the abrupt greeting.” Lark, still smiling, thrust her hand toward Maximo.
Camryn watched the two shake hands. Lark wore a somewhat starry-eyed look as Maximo stepped past her into the apartment.
“Nice to finally meet you, Lark,” Max said.
“You are a lot bigger in person than I realized. Usually stars that appear like giants on the screen are tiny in the flesh,” Lark said.
Max laughed.
“Let go of his hand, Lark.” Cam playfully swatted at Lark’s clingy grip, then set down the bat and allowed Maximo to pull her right up against his chest. The possessive act sent a tingle straight to her toes. Sometimes she still couldn’t believe this was happening. That Maximo was so open about his affection and intention thrilled her.
“Nothing else happened, did it?” he asked.
Lark closed the door and stood right there next to Maximo’s shoulder, as if there was an invisible tether keeping her at his side. Camryn couldn’t have been more amused. “Nothing else happened. We weren’t expecting anyone, so we worried that Denny had gotten inside the gate and had decided to pay us a visit.”
A dark look crossed Maximo’s features. “Let’s hope he’s smarter than that. However, I have something to show you.”
“What is it?” Camryn asked.
Max stuck a hand into his pocket and pulled out the recorder. He held it up in plain sight.
“That’s my recorder! Max, where did you get it?” Camryn snatched at the thing just as Lark did, but managed to get the device in hand before her roommate.
Maximo glanced pointedly at Lark, then Camryn. “What I say in this room stays in this room.”
“Of course, of course,” Camryn said, giving Lark a you’re forbidden from discussing anything you hear look.
“Aubrey had it the whole time. She planned to drop it right before our movie premiere to generate buzz. That’s how Denny knew about the recording. She looked him up after the scandal with the photos, probably because she knew he would release the tape into the wild,” Max said.
“That little bi—”
“You know, I’m not really surprised that Aubrey had it, but I am surprised she went so far as to contact Denny,” Cam said, talking at the same time as Lark. “Isn’t that going to make things really uncomfortable for you on the set?”
Camryn didn’t want to think about the scenes she knew Maximo and Aubrey were shooting.
“No. Martin fired her today. That’s how I wound up with the recorder. I guess we should be relieved that she wouldn’t have sold it to Denny regardless of whether or not she was in the film,” he said.
“Unless she made a copy,” Lark retorted.
Camryn winced. She fiddled with the buttons on the recorder and deleted everything on the device. “Let’s hope she didn’t think that far ahead.”
“I don’t believe she had nefarious intentions exactly. She’s just one of those types that think all scandal is good scandal, no matter what,” Max said.
“That and she has to know what effect that recording would have if it got loose,” Lark said. “Talk about the story of the month. Your sexcapade would have been blasted on every site known to man. I mean, if she was going for ‘buzz’ she would have succeeded wildly.”
Camryn shuddered and nudged Maximo farther into the apartment. Somehow she managed to untether Lark from his side. “Why don’t we have a drink and forget about the recording? I’m ready to put this behind us.”
“Yeah, let’s have a drink. Max, you can tell us what’s going to happen with the movie and who might be filling the
role in Aubrey’s place,” Lark said with a Cheshire cat grin.
“That’s a state secret. If I tell you, I’ll have to kill you,” Max said in a teasing voice.
Camryn laughed. It felt good to let go of the tension, to feel a little relief now that the recorder was back in her possession and the contents deleted. With any luck, Aubrey hadn’t given Denny a copy.
They would know in a matter of days.
Denny wouldn’t sit on that kind of tabloid bomb for long.
Thirty-One
“Put the hat on.”
“I don’t want to put the hat on,” Cam said, swatting Lark’s hand.
“He might block your T-shirt, then we’ve done all this for nothing!”
“You’re wearing the hat. Everyone can see the logo. That’s good enough.” Camryn squinted at the line of celebrities making their way down the red carpet. The late afternoon sun cast bright reflections off the endless line of limousines dropping stars at the curb. “Are you recording? I don’t see Maximo yet, but he should be here shortly.”
“I’m recording.” Lark had a video camera at eye level. “Man. Look at all the A-listers that showed up for Max’s premiere.”
“I know. There he is! Get ready.” Camryn would have spotted Maximo out of a crowd of thousands. On a red carpet, dressed in a fine suit of black, white, and silver, he stood out like a sore thumb. Her heart somersaulted to see him in his element, sporting a five o’clock shadow and sleek sunglasses with his dark hair styled away from his face. There was always that stray forelock that fell across his forehead, though, lending a roguish air to his appearance. The fans contained behind barriers erupted into shouts and cheers. Women catcalled and whistled. Several made inappropriate remarks.
“Seriously, Cam. You hooked yourself a huge fish,” Lark said.
“Shh. You’re recording.” Camryn brought up her camera to snap off a few pictures.
“Huge. Fish.” Lark would not be silenced.
Camryn spent several moments appreciating the vision Max made. He could have graced the cover of any men’s magazine or walked any runway. Maximo exuded a primal allure that drove women to push against the barrier, arms extended, their cries reaching a fever pitch.
He lifted a hand for a casual wave and the sudden flash of a smile.
“I have so much vagina envy right now,” Lark said.
Camryn cracked a laugh. “Lark! Pay attention. He’s coming this way.”
“Trust me. I’m paying attention.”
Camryn shot Max a smile and elbowed a photographer who continued to press her into the barrier. More paparazzi pushed against her back when they realized he meant to stop and talk.
“Hi, Maximo. Thanks for stopping to talk to Integrity. Congratulations on the premiere of your newest movie. It’s been a great turnout so far,” Camryn said, staring up into Maximo’s face. He smiled, a dimple creasing his cheek, and Cam hoped Lark was filming rather than gawking.
The interview went swiftly from there, touching on the subject of his rapport with his costars, his favorite scenes of the movie, and anecdotes of a few bloopers that Cam knew his fans would love. Maximo’s usually distant, aloof manner had been replaced by vibrant, engaging banter—at least until the interview was over.
Max strolled away on the red carpet, declining to speak to any other journalists. Once again he maintained a tantalizing, just-out-of-reach allure that Camryn found as appealing as his more open nature. The man was an enigma and she couldn’t wait to meet up with him again after the premiere was over.
“Come on, Cam. Wipe that lovestruck look off your face and let’s get back to the apartment. We need to get this online as soon as possible. Plus, I know you two have plans to meet up later, and nothing will get done then,” Lark said.
Camryn allowed herself to be guided away after a last longing look at Max’s retreating back.
Incredibly, impossibly, she was dating a superstar.
“I’m telling you. So many cameras caught your interview with Max. Our logo and website are all over the Internet. I told you the T-shirts were a good idea,” Lark said, scooting her chair back from the desk in the dungeon.
Camryn rubbed her eyes then stretched her spine. They’d been hard at it for hours, posting pictures and snippets of video from the interview. Integrity’s site visits were climbing by the hundreds per hour. Ad revenue poured in, much to Cam’s relief. “A very good idea. I think we can call tonight a success.”
Lark lifted her heavy boots to the desktop, crossing one ankle over the other. “This is the real deal, Cam. Integrity is off to a great start. But I have another great idea that I think will really grab people’s attention.”
Camryn groaned. “I’m almost afraid to ask.”
“You and Maximo need to let me interview you. Both of you. Imagine! It might break the Internet altogether.” Lark flashed Camryn a devious smile.
“No way. You’re crazy.” Laughing, Camryn pushed up from her chair. She ruffled Lark’s stiff, spiky hair on her way out of the bedroom.
“You know we should do it. You know we should!”
Camryn ignored Lark’s bellow, grinning on her way to the shower. She wasn’t ready for interviews and questions about her relationship with Maximo. Cam was content with their dates and sleepovers, content to let the chemistry sizzle. She didn’t need to put a name on anything, didn’t need to complicate what was simple. They were together—that was it and that was all.
By the time she’d showered and changed into a pair of jeans with sparkling rhinestones decorating the butt, it was pushing 1:00 a.m. She smoothed her palms over a pale yellow sleeveless shirt and shoved her feet into flats.
It wasn’t like she’d be staying dressed long.
“Okay, I’m heading out. I’ll see you in a day or two,” Cam said, picking up her purse and an overnight bag from the table.
“Later, Cam,” Lark called from the dungeon.
Camryn smiled to herself, pleased that everything had worked out for the best. She exited the apartment with a jaunty step despite creeping weariness from the busy day. Once at her car, she tossed the bag into the back, threw her purse onto the passenger’s seat, and was just about to slide behind the wheel when someone spun her around by the shoulder.
Like the last time, Camryn’s first instinct was to strike out. Anyone manhandling her at one in the morning deserved what he got. Her elbow contacted a jaw, causing the person to fall back with a grunt.
Denny.
He was back for more.
“That’s it, Denny,” Cam said, determined to put an end to his confrontations once and for all. “I’m filing harassment charges and will get a restraining order first thing in the morning.”
Despite her bravado, Camryn shook from head to toe. The last thing she wanted to do was fight. Denny recovered from the blow, rubbing his jaw with his fingertips. He looked worse for wear, hair a bit greasy, clothes in need of cleaning.
“It’s your word against mine, and let’s not forget who here has done the physical damage,” Denny snarled. “All I want is an apolog—”
A shadow separated itself from the darkness and suddenly slammed Denny against the Fiat.
Shocked to see Max appear out of nowhere, Camryn stepped aside as the altercation took a decidedly unexpected turn. Taller than Denny by a handful of inches, Max loomed over the journalist with obvious aggression.
“This is the last time you’ll visit this apartment complex or go anywhere near Camryn, is that understood?” Max said. He curled his hands tighter into the front of Denny’s shirt. “Because if I hear that you’re stalking her, or handling her, or doing anything else like you’ve been doing the last few weeks, I will beat your ass into the ground. Got it? I’ve had enough, man. Enough.”
Camryn glanced between men. She didn’t feel one bit sorry for Denny, nor was she inclined to interrupt Maximo’s demands. Faced with someone bigger and stronger, Denny apparently decided the trouble wasn’t worth it. He held up his hands in surrender.
Camryn knew it was likely the double threat of her turning him in and Maximo’s dark promises that helped persuade Denny to back down.
“All right, all right. I wasn’t going to hurt her, but she needed to know what she’s don—”
“Shut it,” Max said. “No more petty excuses. Like I said, this is the last time you come near her. It’s the last time you post photoshopped pictures or try to get revenge. I know who contacted you about the recorder, and I won’t hesitate to bring charges against you for extortion. I know it was you who followed her away from my house, so take heed. The police will be the last of your worries if you don’t stop stalking her.”
“I wasn’t stalking her. I thought she might have a lead—”
“Sure you did. You have an excuse for everything, don’t you? Now tell me you understand, or things are going to get ugly. I have no problem taking out some of my irritation on your jaw, teeth, or ribs. Then I’ll pay a visit to the police and we’ll see if they take my word over yours.”
“All right, all right. It’s over,” Denny said.
“It better be. This is your first and last warning.” Maximo moved Denny by his double-fisted grip in the man’s shirt. He walked Denny halfway across the parking lot and shoved the reporter toward a row of random cars.
Camryn watched the exchange with no small amount of satisfaction. Both her and Maximo’s reports with police would definitely put Denny in hot water, which was enough of a deterrent, she thought, to make Denny back off for good.
Her attention landed on Max as he straightened his askew suit coat and unclasped another button at his throat. He looked like he was about to go to war with a hundred armed men. His expression promised retribution and action.
Denny skulked off to his car and sped away with a belligerent screech of tires.
“You okay?” Max asked as he returned.
“I’m fine. Just surprised to see you here,” she admitted.
“I thought I’d catch you before you left for my house and offer you a ride over. Guess it’s a good thing I showed up when I did.” He stopped in front of her and cupped her jaw in his hand.
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