The subtext was clear: How did a nobody like myself manage to get into the VIP section? I debated how to answer and opted to go for his jugular.
“I’m here with Harrison Ashford.”
Ben squinted at me. “That name sounds familiar. Is he with Paramount? That script writer?”
I laughed at him. “Uh, he’s the CEO of Ashford Jets? I’m sure you’ve heard of them.”
His expression went pinched, which was exactly the reaction I’d wanted. “Oh, cool. Are you two, like together, or is it business?”
I gave him a naughty grin and shrugged. Harrison appeared beside me holding a tumbler and a champagne glass with a Scarlet Rush swizzle stick in it.
“I figured you might want this,” he said as he handed the drink to me, his eyes never leaving my face, totally ignoring Ben in a way that felt pointed. Feltpetty.I hid my smile behind the champagne glass, maliciously delighted.
Harrison finally turned to Ben and offered his hand. “Oh, sorry. Didn’t notice you there. I’m Harrison. And you are?”
I bit back a chuckle. Score one for my bosshole, because there was nothing Ben Simon hated more than people not knowing who he was.
Ben puffed up as he grabbed Harrison’s hand so that he’d be close to his height. “Ben Simon. You might know me fromDetective School.”
“Oh, wow, you teach detectives?” Harrison asked with a straight face. “That’s a cool job. So I’m guessing you must’ve been a police officer at some point?”
Ben shook his head vigorously. “No, no, I’m the lead on the showDetective School. I’m an actor.”
Harrison glanced down toward the stage where Scarlet was still vamping between songs. “Huh. Never heard of it. I’ll have to check it out.”
“Oh, come on,” Ben laughed. “You’ve never heard of it? It’s been on for twenty years. I took over for Mark Sanders.”
“Oh!” Harrison said, playing up the lightbulb moment. “Him,I’ve heard of. So they brought you on to play a side character on his show, Ken?”
“It’s Ben,” he gritted out, his smile visibly forced. “And it’s my show now. I am the lead.”
“Sure you are,” Harrison nodded along agreeably. “Good for you.” He couldn’t have sounded more dismissive and condescending if he’d tried.
Scratch that. Hewastrying, and he was succeeding beautifully.
Ben’s smile shifted into a sneer. “If you want to hear more about it, Gwen could fill you in. This one knowsallabout me. She’s like my number-one fan.”
I glared at him, silently, because of course I didn’t have a witty comeback.
Harrison draped his arm over my shoulder. “Well, that must’ve been a long time ago, because your name hasn’t come up. Are you holding out on me, sweetheart?” Harrison asked me.
The sensation of being tucked against his body made my heart surge. It was all for show, to prove a point, but it sure felt amazing.
I glanced up at him. “Never! I guess my tastes have changed.”
Our eye contact veered into eyefucking, and that seemed to be enough to make Ben finally realize he’d lost this round and that it was time for him to make his exit.
“Hey, I’ll let you two get back to it. Maybe I’ll charter one of your jets the next time I have back-to-back engagements or something. Awards season is coming up, you know?”
Harrison nodded, still staring at me. “Yeah, maybe. We have a bunch of options for people who don’t normally fly private. Our bronze package might be a good fit for you.”
Ben looked suitably stung.
I heard the opening notes of Scarlet’s next masterpiece. “Oh my God, it’s ‘Sunshine Baby’! Babe, she’s playing our song!”
Harrison and I didn’t have a song, but Ben didn’t know that. He disappeared, and Harrison and I moved to the front of the box.
“Well played,” he said out of the corner of his mouth.
