Jesus. “How do you know these things?”
“Darling, there are no secrets in Hollywood. Haven’t you figured that out yet?” She flicks away an invisible speck of dirt on her manicure. “I know you care about Ryder. I can tell, even though you’re trying very hard not to fall for him—for which I commend you. But don’t worry. It’s only for a year.”
The revelation stuns me. I thought…Well, I thought it’d be longer than that. But does it matter? Beggars can’t be choosers.
“In addition, it’s more or less your job,” she says.
“No, it isn’t.” What the hell? “No assistant’s required to marry her boss!” Ryder trusts her, and she’s a powerful influence, but she should also understand she can’t treat me like some second-class citizen.
“Fine then. How about I give you a little something extra?”
“I’m not interested in your money,” I say.
She waves it away. “Oh, don’t be insulting. There are other currencies, especially in this town.” Her head tilts, the tip of her black Cleopatra bob poking the corner of her red lips. “Why don’t we, say… Why don’t I make sure Shaun never gets a gig, ever again? Not even as a stunt man. I can arrange it.”
I gawk at her. That is so mean, so cruel… The notion never entered my mind, not even in my most furious moments with him.
She waits a moment, then frowns. “You want more? Want him utterly ruined and driven out of Hollywood? It wouldn’t be a problem.”
“No!”
“Why not? I would want that if I were you.”
“Look, what he did sucked, but—”
“Oh, more than ‘sucked.’ He tried to use you to influence Ryder to become an action star. Ha! Like I would ever let that happen.”
My eyebrows leap to my hairline. I feel almost naked in front of her, like she’s been going through my trash. “I believe in karma, and Shaun is going to get what’s coming to him. I don’t need you to mess him up.”
Mira crosses her arms. “So you aren’t going to do it?”
Her tone holds a naked edge. If what Shaun did is worth utter ruination and being banished from the place he loves more than life, what is a refusal going to be worth?
At the same time I can’t have her boss me around like this. I work for Ryder, not her.
“Don’t try to intimidate me,” I say evenly. “I don’t dream of being a star. I don’t have to be in Hollywood to get a job, or to be perfectly content…even if the notion is about as familiar to you as a non-organic, non-gluten-free granola bar.”
Her lips twitch, and I can’t decide if it’s a smile or sneer she’s trying to hide. “So what do you want?” she says, her voice quiet.
I’m about to tell her nothing, but then I stop. “There is something. Kind of breaks your rules for working for Ryder, though.”
Another hand-wave. Rules, schmules, apparently. “Now we’re talking. Who do you want gone?”
“Would you stop? I’m not asking you to do anything like that.”
“Why not? You’ve been here four years. There must be somebody you want to destroy.”
Wow. “No, I really don’t. Hate is a waste of time. Now listen. It’s my roommate. Her name is Renni Wainger. She’s an aspiring actress. You know I never, ever use my connection to Ryder to further anybody’s career, but I’m going to make an exception this once because I like her and I think she just needs a break.”
“Oh honey, I don’t take on new clients, especially a nobody.”
“If you’re any good, you’ll be able to do something for her. If not…” I purse my lips. “You’re the one who suggested a little pot-sweetening.”
Mira sighs. “Has she been in any movies?”
“A couple of TV episodes.”
“Text me the info. Did she have any lines?”
“A few.” Renni and I watched the shows breathlessly for her parts.
“Does she already have an agent?”
“Used to, not anymore. They parted ways.”
She sighs again. “I’ll see what I can do.”
I raise a finger. “Nuh-uh. I need better than that. I won’t trade a yes for a maybe.”
Her lips firm. “Fine. If you agree to marry Ryder for a year, I’ll take her on.”
“For a year. Minimum.”
“All right. I’ll give her a fair shot.” She gets up, then stops and gives me a narrow-eyed look. “You really should’ve been an agent, Paige. You wouldn’t have been half-bad.”
I give her a sweet smile. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”