“Rackers Bite won’t tank just because I float you fifty grand.”
“No, Laird.I don’t wanna weigh you and Dave down.You’re already cutting corners as it is.”
He goes silent for a minute before mumbling.“I can hit up my dad.”
“No!That’s worse!”I snap.His relationship with his dad is already a mess, and after the whole thing with Rebecca, asking him for cash would just set everything on fire.
The room goes quiet again.Laird has the contract spread out on the floor, flipping through the deal between Gene, me, and Mallory’s condom brand for the hundredth time.No matter how he looks at it, I’m boxed in with a cliff on one side and a pack of hyenas on the other, no way out that doesn’t destroy me.
I look over at him leaning against the balcony door, eyes narrowed at the clock on the table, fingers tapping against a cigarette box.I glance back at Jessy beside me, who’s even worse off, gnawed by migraine and anxiety until he’s literally biting the sofa cushion like he’s losing it.It’s all on me, my responsibility.I shouldn’t drag them down with me.
“What are we even scared of?”I suddenly blurt, my voice sharp enough to jolt both of them out of their daze.“It’s just an ad, that’s all, I’m just a model following a script.”
“How can you say that?The concept’s sleazy as hell.You want me to watch you fake sex with Alan on camera for the whole world?”Laird growls.
“It’s acting.I’m not actually sleeping with him.How’s that different from Hollywood movies?”I square my shoulders.
“You’re the one who said you wouldn’t back down.So what’s this?”
“There’s no other way.Do it once, get it over with, then move on.By February I’ll be clear, Jessy keeps his job, my name stays clean, and you don’t have to watch the damn thing,” I ramble.
“You think Alan’s just gonna let you walk away that easy?You’re being naïve, Fenella.He’s got more lined up, stuff you haven’t even seen coming.Next thing, he might try to set you up to actually sleep with him,” he snaps, slamming the cigarette box against his palm.
“Yes, Fen, this isn’t worth it,” Jessy adds, nodding, eyes wet as he wipes them fast.
“But there’s no other way.You still can’t figure it out, can you?”My voice cracks as I plead.
He goes quiet again, just fiddling with that cigarette box while I sink back into the sofa.As much as I hate it, he’s right.Alan’s been two steps ahead this whole time, laying traps we never even noticed, counting on me and Jessy to miss the fine print.He’s building this so I’d have to choose between my career or my sanity, and either way, he wins.
But I can’t let Jessy go down with me.He’s my best friend, my agent, and with his mom in cancer treatment, I can’t let him get fired and lose everything.Alan knows that, and he’s using Jessy as my weakness.
“Alright.If you wanna finish the project, I won’t fight you.And I’m not watching it either.I’ll just suck it up,” Laird finally says, breaking the heavy silence.
“You serious?”My brows pull tight.
“Didn’t you just ask for that?Do it once, finish it, Jessy keeps his job, you don’t pay a fine.”He nods like it’s settled.
“But?”I press, because I know he’s holding back.
“Alan’s good at this because he studies you.He knows your moves inside out.”
“Wait, are you saying he’s been stalking us?That doesn’t make sense,” Jessy blurts, his jaw dropping.
“I don’t know yet.But I know he’s playing old-school war games.Know your field, win the battle.”Laird’s eyes spark as he gets to his feet.
“He’s been hitting us blind this whole time.He knows us, but we know nothing about him.We don’t even know if he’s related to Amy, do we?”he turns to me.I puff out my cheeks and sigh.
“He’s never gonna admit it.So we dig.We find out how he runs his business, his family, his circle, everything.Once we know, we hit back.”His hand cuts through the air like he’s giving a speech, and for a second I’m actually sold on it.
“How do we hit back?”I ask.
“We find leverage.Something he can’t afford to lose.”
“You mean blackmail?”Jessy breathes.
“But he’s got dirt on me too.What if he reports it and I end up in jail?”My fists clench tight on the sofa cushion.
“If he spills that, he goes down harder than we do.He’s too much of a coward for that.”Laird shakes his head.
