by Jillian Dodd
“Oh, boy.” I hear Aiden talking to someone in the background.
“Who are you talking to?”
“I’m sitting on the front porch with Logan and Grandpa Douglas. Logan thinks you should steal Ariela away from her date. Grandpa thinks you should kiss her. I think you should get the hell out of there.”
“I like your advice the best. I’m out.”
I end the call and look around the room. It’s times like these, I wish I were a smoker.
Maybe I just need some fresh air.
I walk past Ariela and step outside onto the balcony. The view is gorgeous. The lights of L.A. spread out before me. I stare at them until they blur.
Ariela and I are lying on a blanket in the center of the lacrosse field one gorgeous fall night of our senior year. We’re holding hands and looking at the stars.
We couldn’t see the stars like this when we were in L.A. this summer, I say.
There are stars everywhere there—Movie stars. And, at night, the city lights are so beautiful. I really loved it there, Riley. It surprised me.
Why did it surprise you?
Because I’m an East Coast girl. I’ve lived here my whole life. California is so different. It’s so shiny and clean. I love the palm trees, the beach, and the weather. There’s something special about it.
I’m going there for college. I want you to come with me.
She rolls toward me and smiles. I’d go anywhere with you, Riley.
I become aware of someone standing next to me.
Female.
Silk dress.
Smells like lilac and a summer breeze.
Bitch.
“Riley, can I talk to you for a minute?”
I turn to look at her. God, she’s beautiful.
“Sixty seconds, no more,” I reply harshly. Why do I turn into a complete dick every time she’s around?
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I listened to my dad. I’m sorry I left after graduation and never spoke to you again.”
“Okay,” I say. What the hell else do you say to someone when they try to use stupid words like I’m sorry that could never begin to make up for the hurt they caused?
“That’s it? Okay?” she asks.
“It’s my understanding that Keatyn wants you to help with her wedding. Because Keatyn and Aiden are my friends, I’m going to be cordial to you until then. But I want your promise that once the wedding is over, you will go back to where you came from. Get the hell out of our lives.” I’m starting to get pissed. “What are you even doing here if you’re married?”
“I’m not sure, Riley. You always seemed to know exactly what you wanted to do. Who you wanted to be. Are you the person you hoped you’d become?”
“You read the article. You know how successful I am. I’m living our dream. Without you.”
“That’s why I’m here, Riley. My life isn’t a dream.”
“Serves you right,” I say with a huff and walk away.
I’m headed toward the door when Jennifer Edwards, one of Hollywood’s hottest young stars, grabs my arm.
“Riley Johnson,” she says with an exuberant smile. She’s barely twenty-two, blonde, down to earth, a little awkward, and has a reputation for photobombing on the red carpet. “Just the man I wanted to talk to.”
“Oh, why’s that?”
“I heard through the grapevine that you’re getting ready to cast a project I’d like in on.”
“Which one?”
“Daddy’s Angel,” she whispers.
“But it’s a television series. You’re a movie star.”
“I know, but it sounds fun.” She takes my hand and leads me to the bar. “Buy me a drink.”
“Drinks are free.”
“Okay, then, take me back to your place and make me a drink. We should discuss this in private.” She looks at me and starts laughing loudly.
“What?”
She slaps my arm. “Ohmigawd, it totally just sounded like I was trying to pick you up!”
“Are you?” I flirt.
She rolls her eyes at herself. “I’m an idiot. I want to talk to you about the role. There are a lot of ears here, if you know what I mean.”
I look over at Ariela, who’s looking straight at me, and can’t help but grin.
See, Ariela? I love my life.
I place my hand on the small of Jennifer’s back, lean toward her, and whisper, “I’m starving. Let’s drive through In-N-Out Burger, take it back to my place, and eat it in the hot tub.”
She flirts back. “Do you have tequila?”
“Tequila, huh? I like you already.” And I seriously do. She’s adorable, bold, and funny.
She gives me a kiss on the cheek. “Burgers. Tequila. Hot tubbing. Better watch out or I just might fall in love with you.”
“That, would be an honor. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
Jennifer, being the goofball that she is, turns back around and yells to the crowd. “I’m leaving with this hottie! Good night, everyone. And, if you are a member of the press, I’m spending the night with him. No need to follow us covertly.”
I’m laughing out loud as I lead her to my car.
“Ohmigawd!” she screams loudly. This girl is loud. I can’t wait to hear what she sounds like in bed. “You have a Bentley Continental GT3-R. Do you know how rare those are?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“How did you get one?”
“Tommy Stevens helped me.”
“Keatyn’s step dad, of course. You’re lucky.”
“How do you even know about a car like this?”
“I made a lot of money doing the Sector movies. Just for fun, my friends and I started making a list of the most ridiculously expensive cars. I didn’t really want to buy an exotic car until I saw this one. Now, I’m obsessed. I’ve seen this around town. I didn’t know it was yours.”
I open the passenger door, letting her in. “Maybe if you’re good, I’ll let you drive her.”
“No way!” she says, her eyes big. Then she narrows them at me. “Wait. What do I have to do?”
“Oh, I’m sure I’ll think of something.”
Wednesday, October 1st
Captive Films - Santa Monica
RILEY
“Someone got laid last night,” Tyler sings, the second I come in the office smiling.
Keatyn looks up from her paperwork and yells out of her office, “Tell me it wasn’t Shelby.”
“It wasn’t Shelby,” I yell back. I go plop down on her pale grey suede sofa, pushing a pink pillow out of my way.
“Why do you always throw my pillows on the floor?”
“You sound like an old married couple,” Tyler says, dropping off my usual coffee and making a quick exit.
“I have news,” I say, trying to contain my grin.
“What kind of news?”
“Your little project, Daddy’s Angel, if you could choose any actress to play the role, who would you choose?”
“Well, that’s easy, Jennifer Edwards, but she’s done so many movies, I doubt she would consider television.”
“What if it wasn’t television?”
“What do you mean?”
“I was thinking. What if it was a movie serial?”
“What’s that?”
“Back in the day, movies were cheap. People went every weekend to see the newest black and white films. What if we tried something radical? Big screen weekly showings.”
“Like a television mini-series, only at the movies?”
“Yeah, we could roll it over later to pay-per-view, and then maybe get a cable network to pick it up. We’d make money at each stop.” I grin at her, letting it sink in.
“It’s innovative. I like it. And the script, you know I love it. But to be at the movies, we couldn’t use an unknown. We’d need a big star like Jennifer.”
“Hey, guys,” Knox says, interrupting our meeting. He drops a newspaper on Keatyn’s desk and another in my lap.
I read the he
adline.
Jennifer Edwards’ new plaything, Captive Films CEO Riley Johnson
“You dog, you,” Knox says, throwing another pillow on the floor before sitting down next to me. “Jennifer Edwards. You’re fucking Jennifer Edwards? Tell me about it. She’s freaking hilarious. She’s got to be crazy fun in bed.”
Keatyn covers her face with her hand. “Tell me you didn’t sleep with her.”
“What’s with that rule, anyway?” Knox asks. “Riley can sleep with whoever he wants. Wait? Does that mean you’re going to do a movie with her? I want in on it.”
“You what?” Keatyn and I say at that same time.
“She’s box office gold, just like our friend here,” he says, pointing toward Keatyn. “Whatever you’re doing with her, I want in. I’ll clear my schedule. After Trinity, of course.”
I take the lid off my coffee to cool it down.
“Oh, Riley,” Keatyn says, covering her mouth. “You’ve got to get that coffee out of here. The smell. It’s making me sick.”
She starts doing that dry heaving thing again.
“What’s with you lately?”
“I think I just have a touch of the flu,” she says.
“Great,” Knox says, “I have to kiss you all day on set. I suppose I’ll get sick too.”
“Riley, please?” she begs.
“Oh, sorry. Tyler!”
Tyler rushes in. “What?!”
“Take this coffee out of here. It’s making Keatyn sick.”
“Well, I never!” Tyler grabs the coffee out of my hand and marches out, slamming the door behind him.
Knox laughs. “Never a dull moment around here. Back to the matter at hand. Jennifer Edwards.”
“I have to think for a minute,” Keatyn says, wrapping her nose in her sleeve then talking through it. “Knox, you’re too old to play the boyfriend.”
“Not necessarily,” I say, disagreeing. “You just have it in your head that Daddy chooses someone young. Why couldn’t he choose someone older?”
“Hmm, maybe. Do you really think that she would do it? And, Riley, did you sleep with her?”
“Yes, she approached me about it specifically. She’s looking for a fun project. Something outside the box.”
“Are you gonna be the something inside her box?” Knox asks under his breath.
“I didn’t sleep with her, okay?” I finally admit. “She spent the night. We had a lot of fun. I like her.”
Keatyn goes, “You like her, like her?”
“What are we? In seventh grade?” Knox laughs. “Riley, did you hold her hand? Feel her up?”
“Shut up,” I say with a goofy grin on my face. “She makes me feel like I’m back in college. It’s fun.”
Keatyn squints her eyes at me and I know that means she’s running all the scenarios through her head and about to make a decision. “Riley, if you can get her and Knox to both do this project, you can sleep with whoever you want. As long as it doesn’t affect her relationship with Captive.”
“If you haven’t slept with her yet, that makes her fair game, right?” Knox asks.
“This isn’t a competition. If you want to get in her pants, go for it. Our relationship is . . .”
“Is what?” Keatyn asks.
“Real.”
“You have a relationship?”
“I didn’t ask her to go steady, yet,” I tease, “but I’m taking off early today and we’re hanging out.”
“Who are you going steady with?” my older brother, Dawson, asks from the doorway.
“Dawson? What the hell are you doing here?” I get up and give him a hug. I haven’t seen him since this summer. And he was still a wreck over losing Whitney. Today, he’s smiling and looks put together.
“That’s what I was supposed to tell you the other day!” Keatyn says, rushing over to give Dawson a hug. “How are you?” she asks him.
“About to be better, I hope,” he replies. “I think you’re right. A new beginning is probably just the thing I need.”
“New beginning?” I ask.
“I hired Dawson,” Keatyn says. “He’s going to commute for a while, see how things go. Then if all goes well, he’ll relocate here permanently.”
What Keatyn did hits me in the chest, almost bringing tears to my eyes. My brother has been through so much.
I slap my brother on the back. “I’m glad you’re joining the team, bro. So what are you gonna do?”
Keatyn answers before he can. “I figured all his experience working with luxury brands would allow him to get great placement for our movies.” She’s biting her lip. And I know why. We have a marketing group that does placement for us. “He’ll be our new, uh, Senior Vice President in charge of product placement.”
Senior Vice President, a role just for him. She probably overpaid him too.
But I don’t mind.
“Knox, this is my brother, Dawson. I think you’ve met before over the years.”
“Yeah, we have,” they say, shaking hands and sharing pleasantries before Knox says, “I’ve got to get going. Same time tomorrow morning. Bring the girl.”
“Will do.”
I sit down. Still a little shocked that my brother is here and going to work for me.
“Tyler!” Keatyn yells. She never calls him on the intercom, she just sweetly yells his name and he drops whatever he’s doing and comes.
“You called?”
“Will you take Dawson on the grand tour of the offices?”
Tyler herds Dawson out of the room. I shut the door.
“Before you say anything . . .” she starts to say.
“I’m not going to say anything but thank you,” I tell her.
“Really? I’m so relieved. I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about it.”
“I offered him a job a long time ago and he turned me down. Of course, that was before. . .”
“I know. It’s so sad. It’s been almost two years and he’s still carrying the guilt around. I thought maybe coming here might help. I way overpaid him.”
“I wouldn’t have expected anything less. I’m touched, Keatyn. Really touched.”
She gives me a beaming smile and then a hug. “Good. In case I haven’t told you lately, I love that we work together.”
“I love that we work together too.”
When she pulls away, she’s in tears.
“What’s wrong?”
“I thought you were going to be mad at me. Aiden told me I needed to tell you. I went behind your back, and I feel bad. I don’t want you to be mad at me.”
I pat her back. “Why are you crying? Normally, when you want your way, you just tell me how it is. Or you pout until I cave.”
“I don’t know. I’m just really emotional right now.”
“Bout to get your period, I suppose. You want some chocolate?”
She brightens up. “Chocolate sounds yummy. Also, we had his office nicely decorated. It was expensive. And we’re leasing him a house on the beach. And got him a really nice car.”
“Wow. Rolling out the red carpet?”
“He only agreed to give us until after the holidays to see if this would work. I want it to.”
“And he needs it to.”
“Yeah, he does. Oh, there’s Vanessa. I have a meeting with her before my call time.”
I look at my watch. “And I have a meeting in five minutes.”
When I get in my office, I take a moment to read the article.
Jennifer Edwards’ new plaything, Captive Films CEO Riley Johnson
Jennifer Edwards is on the prowl again.
And this time the man in her sights is none other than Riley Johnson, CEO of Captive Films.
Unless you’ve been out of the loop, you know who Riley is. (If not, please see this month’s Majority Magazine. And study it, we’ll wait. P.S: Page 87. Abs. Scruff. Sunglasses. Swoon.)
You gotta give the girl credit, even though she’s leaving a lot of broken hearts in her wake, (we’re talking to you, Par
ker Hudson) she’s got good taste.
According to our sources, the couple met last night at the Minds at Play event. She walked up to the CEO, introduced herself, and whispered something in his ear. Moments later, she surprised the press by loudly announcing that she would be spending the night with Mr. Johnson and they didn’t need to follow her.
But, follow they did.
As evidenced by these photos of the couple driving through In-N-Out Burger. And later, being whisked up to his penthouse at the swanky WestBeverly residences.
Sources close to Miss Edwards say she’s looking for a new role.
Looks like that role will be Riley’s new girlfriend!
P.S. Ladies, we should all try the Jennifer Edwards’ method of picking up a man. I’m totally walking up to the next hot guy I see, introducing myself, and whispering in his ear. (Will report results later.)
P.P.S. Knox Daniels was also at the event sans Keatyn Douglas, although rumor has it they have been filming what sources say are THE HOTTEST Trinity sex scenes to date. (Can’t wait to see the movie!)
I set the paper down, pick up my phone, and call her.
“Hey,” I say. “Keatyn loved our ideas. I think that calls for a celebration.”
“I like to celebrate. And I know just the way. Come to Malibu. I’m renting a cute little place on the beach.”
“I have a couple meetings . . .”
“Cancel them.”
“Uh . . .”
“When’s the last time you just said fuck it and had some fun, Riley? Wait, don’t answer that. I’ve heard about your reputation. And we’re famous. Page six.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been referred to as a plaything before, but I like it.”
“Then cancel your meetings and come play with me.”
All of our conversations have been fun and upbeat, but when she says come play with me, there’s a sensuality to her voice. One that arouses me.
“I’ll be there this afternoon.”
“Perfect,” she says happily.
Captive Films - Santa Monica
VANESSA
Keatyn greets me with a kiss and says, “I don’t have a ton of time, I’m sorry. My call time just got pushed up for today.”