“I should have hired an attorney to review that,” Riley said. “I was just so desperate! And didn’t know anything about all this stuff. Instead of waiting until I had stuff figured out, I just grabbed the first agent who would sign me. I was so excited!”
Stryker leaned in from the leather chair he was sitting in. “Riley, it’s not your fault. Lots of these people prey on inexperienced folks who just want to make it in the business. Unfortunately, this is something that happens far too often.”
Riley nodded as she looked up. “I can’t fire her, though. She’ll release the picture.”
“Honey,” Athena asked, “what exactly is the picture of?”
Riley sank a little lower, and if Briggs would have bet anything she was blushing right then, even though he couldn’t see her face.
“Well, I was… sorta… in Little Space in my apartment. This was before I bought my house. And…” Riley groaned.
“Honey,” Briggs said, leaning closer to be near her ear as he spoke. In a soothing tone, he continued, “Think about where you’re at. None of us are going to judge.”
Riley seemed to perk up a little bit after a moment of reflection.
“Yeah. I know.” Her voice was stronger, too. “Okay, I was wearing a diaper and a cute little shirt that said PRINCESS.” She giggled. “I still love that shirt.”
“That’s it?” Harrison asked.
“Well, I was drinking some juice… you know… from a sippy cup.”
“I did that this morning,” Stryker said proudly.
Everyone laughed.
Briggs loved being around Littles. He wished everyone could have something so cute and harmless to do for self-care.
“Anyway, I’d given Rita a key to my apartment. She’d insisted on it. This was after my DUI incident. She said she needed to be able to get to me in case of an emergency. So, I agreed. But she came in unannounced! When she saw what I was doing, she snapped a pic.” Riley’s shoulders slumped once again. “She’s been hanging it over me ever since.”
“I’m sorry,” Briggs said. “That must be an awful feeling.”
“If that ever got out it would ruin my career!” Riley cried.
“So you can’t find another agent,” Trevon said, connecting the dots. “She’s got you locked up tight.”
“Tighter than you think,” Harrison said. “The threat of exposing the pic is just to keep her playing ball. Going along with that bratty image she wants to sell. The contract itself is ironclad. Again, she owns Riley’s likeness and image even if something happens to her.”
Briggs walked to the back window, looked out at the shimmering water of the crystal-blue pool, and turned over the situation in his mind.
He wasn’t a lawyer, obviously, but he could tell this was dire.
Speaking of lawyers, he thought…
“Can she sue?” He turned around and looked at Harrison.
“She could,” he said. “But I sent a copy of the contract to some attorney friends of ours in Mountainville. The town’s legal counsel, Penny and Chelsea.”
“Oh, they’re great!” Stryker said.
“They are,” Harrison agreed. “But after reviewing this they said it would be tied up in the courts for years, most likely. And even then, the outcome wouldn’t be guaranteed.”
Riley stood. “I don’t have that kind of money. A protracted legal battle would be so expensive.”
“Damnit!” Trevon growled. “I could bust through this Rita lady’s walls and make her give me that pic and the contract.” He shrugged. “Though I’d never hurt anyone, of course. But busting through her walls would be fun!”
Stryker nodded. “Like the Kool-Aid Man!”
Athena laughed. “Unfortunately, I don’t think this situation calls for brawn. It wouldn’t help.”
