Maddy couldn’t believe it. Blue had somehow managed to channel his father from the grave. She’d expected him to choke on camera, to reveal that the Dooley Foundation was now a sham. Instead, he had her believing he was the real deal.
Blue came around the desk. Maddy followed his every move with her camera.
Jenny gasped as Blue started to kneel at her feet. Maddy felt as if she’d been kicked in the gut.
Realizing it must look as if he was about to propose, Blue’s smile turned apologetic. He sat awkwardly in the chair next to Jenny’s. “Let me tell you what a man thinks when he walks into a club and sees you in skintight clothes.” Blue used his father’s voice again. “He’s looking for a sure thing in bed. He’s looking for a one-nighter, because if he’s at a crowded pickup bar, he doesn’t have the time or the desire to invest in a relationship.”
Jenny’s carefully made up eyes were huge.
“And if you take him home that night…if you hook-up instead of exchanging contact information...You’re letting him know you’re only in it for the sex.”
Jenny blinked back tears. And then she slapped Blue, pushed Cora aside, and ran out.
“Give her a minute before we do a follow-up.” Staying behind the camera, Maddy looked at Blue. “You okay?”
“She doesn’t pack much of a punch.” But his cheek was bright red.
“I mean, are you okay in here?” She tapped her chest over her heart. As his producer, she needed to know.
“It was like I was my dad, having the hard conversations.” He glanced up at Cora. “I know Jenny feels shitty, but doing that to her made me feel like crap.”
Despite her best intentions, Maddy’s foolish heart sat up and took notice. “She had to hear the truth, painful as it was. Your dad would have been proud.”
Blue stood, his features drawn into hard planes and unforgiving angles. “Proud that I hurt someone trying to make a point? Yeah, that was my old man. Christ, I didn’t think it’d feel like this.”
Maddy wanted to comfort him, but she was a producer, not his lover. Maybe if she said it a thousand more times it would sink in. She stayed behind the camera. “Blue – ”
“Don’t. The Avengers are right. I’m an insensitive ass,” he snapped, eyes blazing with the unspoken truth that he’d been an ass to Maddy as well. “That’s what Dad always pointed out to me. That, and what a failure I was.”
“You don’t have to do this.” From the door, Cora took on the role of protector.
Here was the out Maddy hadn’t offered him. She held her breath.
He shook his head. “No. I have to make amends. To a lot of people. I’ve got to take Jenny through the second phase of the lesson. But I need a few minutes.” And then he, too, walked out.
His sister followed him.
Sucking in air, Maddy turned to Larry, feeling every bit the traitor when she asked, “Did you get that?”
He nodded.
“Cut.”
They had to wait for Jenny to touch up her make-up before they could resume filming in Blue’s office. The cameras didn’t make Blue as nervous as he’d thought they would. Instead, they were an annoyance, a reminder of the kind of man he’d sworn he’d never be. Earlier in the day he’d thought he’d found the key to everything he needed to get through this, but applying the key only made him realize what a shallow, untrustworthy person he was.
What had Maddy seen in him besides a man who could give her a good time in bed?
Maddy called, “Action.”
“Jenny, when we were going out you always wanted to pay for everything.” Blue had thought the first part of the session was hard, but assigning Jenny a punishment left a sour taste in his mouth. “Your dad is a famous man who provides only the best for you, right? Have you ever had a job?”
“I did some modeling once.” Jenny squirmed, although she was so beautiful, it looked more like a slow-mo sex move that was wasted on Blue.
“Good, so you know what it’s like to work.” Yeah, right. “Jenny, you’re a great girl, with lots of…love for someone.” He had to tell her the truth in a compassionate way. “I’m just sorry it couldn’t be me.”
Her smile weakened.
“But I want you to find someone who’ll make you happy.” This was it. The moment he assumed his father’s mantle and sold out his lifelong principles. This was the moment Blue sold himself out for three million a year, and a chance to prove to Maddy that she’d gambled on the right man. There should have been dim lights and melodramatic music. At the very least, the theme for Darth Vader should have been playing.
Blue should have been thinking about Jenny and what was best for her. Instead, his mind circled Maddy. She was everything a good man wanted in a woman – honest, genuine, smart, sexy. The more he got to know her, the more he thought about sappy things, like being a better man rather than the young Hollywood stereotype he’d become. He wouldn’t let himself believe it was too late to salvage what was between them.
“As part of your…” He hesitated and glanced at Maddy, deviating from his plan. “Jenny, when we dated, did I ever ask you to commit to me? Did I ever offer to be exclusive, like a regular couple?”
Jenny’s brows tilted ever so slightly downward. “No.”
He looked at Maddy again, nodding as if to say: See?
She blushed, but otherwise gave no sign that he’d proven his point.
He allowed himself a small, private smile. “Jenny, as part of your relationship rehab, we’re going to cut your allowance for a day and let you see just how fortunate you are. You’ll spend the afternoon working.”
“What?”
“We’ve got your dad waiting on line one.” Blue punched the speaker on the landline.
“Hi, puddin’. I miss you sweetie. I’m in Texas today, but I wanted to be part of your recovery with Dr. Rule.”
Doctor Rule? That made him sound like a bad teacher in a low budget porno flick. Blue’s self-image took another in a long series of hits.
“Now as part of your recovery, I’m going to cut off your credit cards and the good doctor is going to take away those designer clothes.”
“What?” Jenny paled beneath her canned tan.
Cora handed Jenny a bag of clothes.
“But Daddy.”
“If you cooperate, puddin’, we’ll be back to normal in no time.”
“But Daddy.”
“Love ya, darlin’.”
The dial tone buzzed along Blue’s nerves. He pressed the release button.
“Don’t worry, Jenny,” Blue said. “I’ll be with you through the next step of the process.”
“What process? What are you doing to me? This is bullshit!”
“You’re going to work for a former Playboy Playmate and movie actress. She’s eighty and the daughter of a Texas oil man whose wells ran dry. You’ll be her companion for the rest of the day.”
“She’s been in there an awful long time,” Maddy said, as everyone stood outside the bathroom at the Dooley Foundation.
Larry had his camera trained on the bathroom door, waiting for Jenny to come out in her non-designer fashion. Cora leaned against a wall, involved with her phone.
“Does Jenny normally take that long to change clothes?” Maddy glanced at Blue.
Without looking at her, he held up his hands, backing down the hall on the plush carpet. “I’m not touching that one.”
“Right.” Inappropriate question to ask your former lover about his former lover. The heat creeping up her cheeks and a speculative look from Cora reminded her why she shouldn’t have slept with Blue in the first place. Or the second.
Maddy knocked on the bathroom door. “Jenny, are you all right?”
Jenny’s response was a series of muffled, colorful curses about what they could all do with themselves. She flung open the door. Her makeup was runny. Her nose was red. Her new jeans were rumpled and her new T-shirt didn’t lie flat at the hem. “I hate everybody.”
“It’s just for th
e day,” Blue soothed.
“I’m going to tell Portia and Kaya what you’re doing to me.” Jenny thrust her nose in the air. “They’ll bail. The Avengers will rise again.”
Maddy might have rolled her eyes from all the melodrama, if Blue hadn’t stiffened beside her. Before he could reply, Maddy said, “It doesn’t matter if you tell the others. Blue tailors every relationship plan differently.”
Blue’s nod of thanks was nearly imperceptible. He took Jenny’s arm and led her out to the parking lot.
Maddy had already loaded her equipment into Cora’s car. They walked down the hall together, far enough behind Larry that they couldn’t be heard. “All we need now are some bachelors for tomorrow night.”
“Let me take care of that,” Cora said. “My brother may know every woman in Hollywood, but I know every eligible man.”
“Thanks.” Maddy was grateful there was more to the Fashionista Rule than Cora let on to the public. “What’s the possibility your brother can get Kaya a hair make-over?” She’d love to see those spiky points gone.
“Slim to none,” Cora deadpanned. “What’s the possibility my brother will date you?”
Maddy didn’t have to think twice. “Slim to none.”
“Too bad. You seem perfect for each other.”
L.A. Happenings by Lyle Lincoln
…I’ve heard rumors that the Playboy Avengers are a ruse, a promotional tactic for Blue Rule’s reality show. Not true, according to the Playboy Avengers. However, since some of their members are part of Mr. Rule’s reality show, I’m not sure whom to believe.
Chapter 27
“You’re not going to believe this,” Cora said the next morning as she rushed past Maddy into Blue’s office, dodging Brutus and Mr. Jiggles. The two Rules of Attraction beasts were chasing one another around the lobby. “Those bitches. Jenny must have told them how upset she was. Check the Avengers website. They just posted a video.”
Blue felt as if he’d been sucker punched, first by the Avengers, then by the sight of Maddy.
She set down her camera cases and walked toward Blue, not backing down from his gaze. He and Maddy hadn’t exchanged a word yesterday afternoon that didn’t involve the project. Longing kept him from reaching for his laptop.
“For the love of God, Blue.” Cora half-turned his computer and took control of his keyboard.
Standing at the corner of his desk, Maddy leaned over to see what Cora pulled up. A lock of her hair swung across her cheek, testing his control. He smelled flowers and Maddy’s unique scent, the one that bypassed logic, shut down painful truths, and urged him to take her. But where once she’d been bright and sunny, no matter what he’d thrown at her, no matter what he’d said, since she’d discovered he didn’t know the Rules, she was all business.
“Don’t be fooled,” Cora read. “We aren’t a promotional stunt.”
He dragged his gaze from Maddy. A slate introduced the clip: How Our Playboy Gets His Rocks Off. It faded to the video of Blue in Winnie’s backyard. The women were bobbing up and down in the spa, throwing their heads back in the tense pleasure that builds before release. One by one they found their release.
On-screen, Blue looked at the camera, at Maddy, with a lascivious grin. It was hard to remember how excited and powerful he’d felt that night. Now, a fatalistic feeling claimed his limbs, as dense and clingy as swamp mud. It was one thing to tell himself he was going to follow in his father’s footsteps. It was another to actually see himself doing it. And then there was the fact that everyone in L.A. was going to see him this way. A highly-paid pervert.
“That’s my film.” Maddy straightened. “How did they get my film?”
Blue washed a hand over his face as phones started ringing. Phones they all ignored. “Do you have a wireless laptop?”
Maddy nodded.
“And the network you use at home, is it the apartment building’s?”
“Yes, but it’s password protected.”
“Everybody in your building knows the password. You’ve been hacked.”
“That can’t be,” Cora said. “None of them is good with technology.”
“It’s easy enough to hire someone,” he said wearily.
Maddy frowned at him. “You expected this all along. You mentioned it back at Quinby’s office.” And then her voice dropped to a whisper. “You expected me to sell you out.”
Had he? Not really. But some hardened part of him reared up in anger. He’d told her the truth. He’d told her he wanted to date her. For him, that was huge. But she’d walked away from him.
“Why wouldn’t you sell me out? Everyone else has.” He shifted his gaze to Cora, who held up her hands as if she was innocent, and edged toward the door. “It doesn’t matter if you didn’t hand the footage over personally. You lack the survival instincts to protect yourself from the sharks in Hollywood. I’d appreciate it if you’d call a lawyer to get an injunction against the Avengers for stealing your film. I’m sure we’ll see Ulani’s footage soon. And Dave’s.”
Her voice was anvil flat, having the last drop of optimism hammered out by him. “You think I’m like them. You probably consider yourself a predator, too.” Her gaze was a kaleidoscope of emotion – hurt, regret, sadness, indignation.
The pain he caused her clawed at his insides. He didn’t want to make her suffer. But he couldn’t afford for her to be so vulnerable to his enemies. “You may not have done this on purpose, but people like us,” he gestured to himself and Cora, “we cross lines all the time.”
He watched Maddy struggle to cloak her feelings. He’d thought she’d run, but she surprised him. “Don’t leave, Cora.” The expression on her face was now fully detached. “We’ve got work to do. We need bachelors for tonight.”
This was probably the way his father ended relationships. Without charm or finesse or compassion – or choosing not to leap out of a plane. No, his dad had probably ended things by backing his women into a corner until they chose to end things. It was cowardly and left a sour taste in his mouth. A taste he’d become used to.
Maddy’s cell rang. She stepped out into the lobby. “Yes, Ivan. I saw it.”
His energy drained with each step she took away from him. He’d win her back. After he survived matching the Avengers, he’d win her back.
“So, bachelors for tonight.” Blue forced out the words, dragging his gaze to Cora’s.
Since Maddy had made it clear the other night she couldn’t trust him anymore, she’d taken whatever poor excuse he had for a heart. The world should have been ending. The sky falling. But traffic still hustled on the road outside his window. The sun was still in the cloudless sky. And telephones still rang.
“What are you doing?” Cora stood in the middle of his office looking like she wanted to be anywhere but in the midst of all that messy emotion.
“Butt out.”
Winnie sent him a text message about needing to talk. He ignored it. He’d apologize to her later.
After a moment, Cora sat down and cleared her throat. She leaned forward. “Are you sure? She’s perfect for – ”
“I’m not perfect for her.” His voice sounded like a parched bullfrog. “We need dates for Jenny tonight.”
After another moment, Cora nodded. “Jenny needs at least one sugar daddy. All those Playmate types seem to have daddy issues and go for older men.” Cora fingered her platinum necklace. “Daddy would have been perfect. He loved younger women.”
“He loved women period,” Gemma said, poking her head into the office. “I could tell you stories.” At their expectant looks, she quickly added, “But that would go against my non-disclosure clause.” She disappeared.
The siblings exchanged glances.
“I was thinking Cal Lazarus or Jack Gordon,” Cora continued. “Sexy, solid bank accounts, and old enough to appreciate a trophy wife.”
Blue shook his head. “Jack’s married.”
“Separated. Vivian’s dating you. Although…how could that be if you’re
dating Maddy?”
He shook his head again. “I never dated Viv. She’s a client. And they’re reconciling.”
Cora seemed about to say more, but stopped herself, frowning, as if she was trying to balance what was in the L.A. Happenings column with what Blue said.
“Do you think Gemma has Cal’s phone number on file?”
“I have it,” Cora said absently, falling silent.
The silence stretched. Blue drummed his fingers on the desk and listened to Maddy trying to soothe Ivan. “Our second bachelor needs to be someone who looks good on the surface, but doesn’t have much depth.”
“That’s exactly who Jenny’s been dating,” Cora pointed out. “What about Cy Maxwell? He’s your typical Hollywood agent – smooth, polished, great looking.”
“Who trusts an agent?”
“No one.” Cora grinned. “That’s why he’s perfect. She’ll reject him.”
“Don’t assume. It’s a sign of character growth if Jenny rejects him, but with my luck, she’ll want to sleep with him.”
“So we need a way to make her realize she has to reject him.”
It came to him then, the answer he’d been doing a mental head thunk for since Maddy first proposed this madness. “I’ll have her ask each candidate three questions.” Blue raised his gaze to Cora’s. “Do you remember when you started dating? Dad had you ask each date three questions before he’d let you out of the house.”
“God, yes. The only thing I hated more than doing that was how disappointed I was in my date when he answered.” Cora stood. “I’m going to go call Cy. He owes me a favor. What about bachelor number three?”
“That’s a no brainer,” Blue said. “Do you remember the nursing assistant yesterday? His name was Marcus.”
“The sweet guy who couldn’t stop looking at Jenny? She’ll eat him up alive and spit out his entrails.”
“For some men, that would be the dream of a lifetime. And if Jenny has a brain beneath all that fluff, she’ll realize – maybe not this week, but soon – that someone down-to-earth like Marcus is just what she needs.”
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