But Livvy fended Flynn off. After the initial shock of Rallo jumping on her, she was fine. Content, actually. “No, it’s all right. Let him be. If we’re going to make a picture together, I should get used to him jumping on top of me.”
“I wish you’d toldmethat,” Flynn retorted. Out of anyone else’s mouth, it would’ve seemed leering. But somehow, he made it ludicrously charming. He smirked at her and her heart started racing.
This was bad. This was why she’d pretended not to know who he was, and she was still determined to show him how little he impressed her. Damn Harry Evets and his stupid plan to improve Flynn Banks’s image.
The monkey played with the small golden hoop earrings she was wearing, clearly entranced by the way the lights in the rafters of the soundstage made them sparkle. He attempted to nibble on the hoop, and Livvy giggled at the soft huff of the monkey’s breath behind her ear. Satisfied that her earrings were not edible, Rallo scampered down her shoulder to her hand, which she made into a fist so that the creature would not fall. He perched on it and looked at her, cocking his head from one side to the other, appearing to weigh her trustworthiness. Seemingly content with what he found, Rallo wrapped his hands around her arm and squeezed, leaning his little head against her bicep. It tickled and was astonishingly gentle.
“What’s he doing, Lionel?” Flynn asked in concern, edging closer, clearly ready to intervene if necessary.
“I think…he’s hugging her.” Lionel met Livvy’s gaze. “He likes you.”
Livvy smiled. She patted the monkey on the head to thank him for the hug.
Flynn scowled. “That’s not possible. He threw his own shit atme for six whole weeks when we made our first picture together. I still have a scar on my finger from the time he bit me nearly down to the bone!” Flynn held up his pointer finger on his left hand as proof, and sure enough, Livvy could see a series of short, thin white lines that looked like dashes in Morse code and matched the exact width of Rallo’s teeny teeth. Livvy swallowed an urge to laugh.
Rallo turned his head and looked at Flynn’s finger, baring his teeth. Flynn grimaced back and Rallo twisted his head to look up at Livvy, as if to say, “Are you seeing this?”
Lionel ignored them both. “Try this.” The trainer gestured, cradling his arms as if he were holding a child. Livvy did as instructed, and Rallo instantly climbed into her arms and snuggled against her.
“Oh, he’s a dear,” she cooed.
“A dear who nearly bit my finger off,” grumbled Flynn. “He’s a little tyrant is what he is.”
“Oh ho ho, five minutes ago, he was your best friend that only you knew how to handle.”
Flynn glared at her. “I worked like hell to win him over. And this is the thanks I get. Feeble-minded beast.”
Livvy gasped in mock outrage. “Flynn’s a meanie, isn’t he?” she mumbled to the monkey curled in her arms. “You’re not a tyrant or a beast. You just don’t like loud, boorish men, do you?” As if in answer, Rallo curled more tightly against her and raised his little hand over his ear.
“I am not loud and boorish!” Flynn stomped his foot. “I treated that monkey with nothing but respect. I practically had to buy a banana farm to get in his good graces! I let the publicity department put him on the movie posters. What more does the little creature want from me?”
Lionel burst into uproarious laughter. Flynn crossed his arms and sat down in the chair next to the monkey’s perch. He quietly seethed while Livvy swayed the monkey in her arms.
“Five little monkeys jumping on the bed,” she sang.
“Are you singing him a lullaby?” Flynn growled.
“He looks tired.” Her heart swelled at the sight of the monkey wrapping his hand around her thumb, clinging to her.
“He can’t be tired. He has fencing practice with us.” Flynn stood up abruptly, crossed to Livvy, and practically touched his forehead to hers to look down at Rallo, who seemed utterly content.
“Traitor,” he muttered at the monkey. Rallo yawned and rolled over so his tail was pointed up at Flynn. “I see how it is. A pretty face turns your head, and you abandon all loyalty.”
“You think I have a pretty face?” Livvy inquired. Flynn had not been quick to compliment her in their brief interactions the days prior. She wasn’t certain that Flynn Banks had time for anyone’s good looks but his own.
“Miss De Lesseps, don’t flatter yourself. Anyone can see you have a pretty face. I’m merely stating a fact.”
Livvy lifted her shoulder, gently shrugging. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Banks.”
“Not in Hollywood,” he retorted. Livvy raised her eyebrows at him. “Sorry, I… Sorry, that was rude.”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were jealous,” Livvy quipped.
“He was my monkey first,” Flynn replied with the petulance of a small child.
“Here, if it bothers you so much, take him.” Olivia held out the monkey in Flynn’s direction, willing him to pick Rallo up. But Rallo refused to let go of her thumb, and with his otherhand, he immediately grabbed her shirt, not wanting to be handed over.
“He doesn’t want to come,” Flynn grumbled.
