When Day Breaks(69)
Eden’s mouth dropped open, eliciting an instant frown from Bertrice, who was just finishing her lips.
“I’ll be finis. Just few seconds more. Then I leave and you talk.”
Skylar grimaced and clamped a hand over her mouth with a groan, but she waited until Bertrice finished up Eden’s lip gloss and then stuffed her bag full of the stuff she’d taken out and left the room.
“Shit,” Skylar muttered. “Shit, shit, shit!”
Concern wrapped around Eden’s throat, squeezing her airway tight. “Skylar, what is it? Surely it can’t be so bad.”
“You shouldn’t know anything about all the crap I just told you. Classified. All of it. That wouldn’t earn me any brownie points for sure with the powers that be. But I swear, you’re so down-to-earth and easy to talk to that I find myself just spouting out the least little thing. Like we’re BFFs or something, for God’s sake.”
Eden smiled and then reached up to hug Skylar, squeezing her as lightly as possible so she didn’t muss her hair or makeup.
“One, I’d never tell a soul what you just told me. And two, I’d very much like to consider us friends. Despite my profession being dominated by so many women, I’m not actually friends with any of them. This is a competitive, cutthroat business, and if the opportunity presents itself, they’d step all over me to climb higher in the ranks. So I have no illusions of true friendship or loyalty. I’m well aware of what’s at stake in my career. If fucking me over will get them ahead of the game, they’d do it without a second thought.”
Skylar pulled away frowning. “But, Eden, that’s terrible. It’s a terrible way to live and work. How do you handle knowing all of that? How can you even be nice to women you know would turn on you in an instant? In my job loyalty isn’t just something. It’s everything. We depend on one another for our very lives and I know without a doubt that any of my team would put themselves on the line for me in a heartbeat.”
“I think that’s awesome,” Eden said wistfully. Then she laughed. “Listen to me. I sound like a poor little rich girl. I do have that. My father and brothers would lay waste to any threat to me. Hell, they hired you. But as far as outside my family, I don’t have confidantes. People I know I can trust absolutely or who I don’t feel have a motive for wanting to get close to me. Isn’t that horrible?”
Skylar shook her head as Eden bent to pull on the pair of crystal heels with the hint of sparkle that matched the dress.
“I don’t think it’s horrible at all. It’s called reality, Eden. I’m sure you’ve had your share of hanger-ons and a number of people who would take advantage of you in a heartbeat. I’m sure it’s something all celebrities have to contend with. There’s nothing wrong with being discerning about who you place your trust and faith in, and for reserving judgment and not wanting to be BFFs with the first woman who crosses your path.”
Eden chuckled. “You are extremely astute. However do the men put up with you? I can’t ever imagine them winning an argument with you. You have a solid, intelligent comeback for everything.”
Skylar grinned. “Well, you mix intelligence with a streak of evil and that way they never know what they’re going to get. Works best when you keep them off balance. Way easier to manage them that way.”
“I seriously heart you,” Eden said as they walked to the door where Swanny waited. “We are so keeping up after all this is over. No way I’m letting go of my first real potential girlfriend.”
“Does that mean I get to accompany you on the red carpet at some swank Hollywood get-together sometime?” Skylar asked slyly.
“Yup. You and me both in killer dresses and fuck-me shoes? We’d have the room of men on their knees. Now carry that image with you while I work the rest of the afternoon.”
Skylar laughed but Eden could see she was doing just that. Imagining her and Eden, partners in crime at some posh get-together where neither would give a rat’s ass what anyone thought of them.
“Do I even want to know what the two of you are plotting?” Swanny asked warily.
“Nope,” they said in unison. “Just girl stuff.”
Most men couldn’t back out of a conversation quick enough when the dreaded words girl stuff were mentioned, and Swanny was no exception. He cupped Eden’s elbow and Skylar fell into step on Eden’s other side as they hurried her down the hall to the studio.
There with two whole minutes to spare and Eden knew without false modesty that it didn’t look as though she’d hurried through any of her preparation. She exuded calm and stood waiting patiently on Lonnie to bark his first instruction.