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Arden was a legend!

Again, she wondered what on earth she was doing there. She felt way out of her element.

“Good to see you, Damon,” Max said. He even spoke with a casual, confident manner. His whole air seemed to indicate he owned the world but would simply watch it with detached amusement, seeing how everything panned out before he made a decision whether as to intervene or not.

“I’ve been wanting to talk to you about some potential deals,” the studio executive continued. “Wish we could have met under different circumstances, but, well, here we are.”

Holy cow! Tessa thought, hoping her eyes weren’t as wide as she feared they were. The balls on this guy! He just stole Damon’s girlfriend and now he had the audacity to try and set up a business deal? What the heck?

Maybe that was just the norm for Hollywood types.

Huh.

“Of course,” Damon said. “Let’s set something up. You have my agent’s info?”

Max grinned. “Damon. Come on. We’ve both been around for a while. I was hoping we could do this without agents. Just me and you.”

Tessa watched Damon intently. How would he play this? Surely he was offended at Max’s gall.

If he was, he didn’t show it.

Maybe that was those acting skills again. Or perhaps it was the fact that millions of dollars were on the line.

That might do it.

“You know we have to go through agents to ink anything. But I don’t see what a simple lunch would hurt,” Damon relented. “Let’s shoot for next week.” He looked at Tessa. “Right now, Max, I want you to meet Tessa. She’s my Little.”

Tessa smiled.

That had been genuine. Damon really didn’t want her to be ignored or left out. She wasn’t sure how she knew; she could just tell.

Max, on the other hand, didn’t seem to share in that concern for Tessa.

He barely gave her a glance as he flashed her a fake smile and said, “Happy to meet you. Come by sometime and I’ll arrange a special tour of the studio.”

His focus went instantly back to Damon.

“I’d really like to meet soon, Damon. There’s so much talk that a picture can’t have mass appeal and sweep the Oscars. Bullshit. I say with Damon Drake, it can.”

Wow, this guy doesn’t give up, Tessa thought. And he apparently didn’t know when it is and isn’t appropriate to talk business. Or maybe he did know, and just didn’t care.

Apparently, Lissa was thinking the same thing. Putting her arm on Max’s, she said, “Daddy, why don’t we let them shop? I bet Tessa is dying to get to it.”

“I sure am,” Tessa said. “Daddy was just about to get me into a diaper and a cute outfit.”

Shit, Tessa! Why the hell did you say that?

Even Damon seemed surprised, though it only registered in his eyes for a split second.

Stop saying the first thing that comes to mind!

Damon took her hand in his. “I sure was. Going to get her changed and then take her to playground out back.”

“Oh, well maybe I’ll see you out there,” Lissa told Tessa. “It would be nice to play.” She wrapped her arms around Max, though it came across as a little showy. “Isn’t that right, Daddy? I’m always wanting to make new friends.”

“That’s right, honey.” Max seemed to be looking elsewhere, probably scanning the room to see if there were other industry-type people there.

“Well, then I’m sure we’ll run into each other again before we all leave,” Damon said.