“Inviting her to lunch with Vanessa?”
“Yes.”
“Good plan. Vanessa reads bullshit a mile away.”
Even though it’s six in the morning, I grab my phone and fire off a quick text to Ariela, asking her to meet me for lunch today.
Then I lay my head back on Aiden’s shoulder and close my eyes.
Captive Films - Santa Monica
RILEY
I’m sitting at my desk waiting for Keatyn. We always meet an hour before every board meeting. It’s our routine. Something that originally helped smooth out our nerves when we started working at the company and helping to guide its future. The company was already successful when she took it over. It had done well buying movie futures and investing in classic film rights. Grandpa Douglas always says Don’t fix what ain’t broken, and we listened. With his guidance and business expertise, we kept the best of the past and followed our own vision to give it a bright future. I’ll never forget how much fun we had making our first film. What a summer.
I’m lost in memories—memories of that exciting summer with Ariela, doing what I loved and being with who I loved—when Keatyn steps into my office.
“Hey,” she says, a little frown gracing her face.
“Hey,” I say back.
“I’m sorry about last night.”
“It’s okay. Believe it or not, it got worse.”
“You look a little hungover. Did you go out?”
“Yeah. Called Knox. Went to a club.”
“Where you were surrounded by beautiful women?”
“Until Ariela showed up.”
Keatyn’s eyes get big with shock. “She showed up at the club? Was she following you?”
“She said it was a complete coincidence. That when she got home her friend wanted to go out. Her friend chose the club. They waited an hour to get in.”
“Maybe you should ask her out on a date.”
“I have no desire to go on a date with her ever again.” I run my hands through my hair, hoping my hangover will go away quickly. I don’t know what I was thinking. I never go out the night before a board meeting. I hit a button on my phone and demand, “Tyler, bring us some coffee.” Maybe that will help. “Shit, Keats. Why did she have to come back and ruin my life?”
“Speaking of that, I kinda hired someone without telling you.”
“What? You hired Ariela? What the fuck? Work is my sacred place. You told me that I couldn't hire the girls I date. That I couldn't mix business with pleasure.”
She tilts her head at me, giving me an amused smile. “You just said you have no desire to date her, so if I hired her, it shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
Tyler, my assistant, walks through the door with dark roast coffees. Best hangover cure ever. And it smells amazing.
He hands one to Keatyn, comments on how lovely her new Chanel bag is, and then sets mine on the desk in front of me. “Rough night, boss?”
I wave him away and he prances back through the door. Yes, I hired a gay assistant the day I started working here full time.
Although, I originally hired him because I knew I wouldn’t have to worry about sleeping with him, I hit the jackpot. He’s been my assistant for the last five years. I keep giving him big raises because, quite frankly, I don’t know what I’d do without him. He’s my right hand man. Incredibly organized, meticulous, never gossips, picks out most of my wardrobe, and works as hard as I do.
“Thanks, Tyler!” I yell.
A few moments after he leaves, Keatyn says, “Oh, shit.”
Then she rushes over to my trash can and throws up.
Actually, she doesn’t throw up.
She dry heaves into it. Nothing comes out.
She’s just gagging.
And it makes me gag.
I grab the trashcan from her and puke into it.
“Oh, god,” she says, covering her nose and turning white. She leans over and presses the button on my phone. “Tyler! Get in here!”
Tyler rushes back in, looking confused. Then he covers his nose too.
“Riley threw up. Can you please get this trash can and that coffee out of here? And maybe bring him some crackers and a Sprite instead?”
“I’d recommend a nice reviving green tea smoothie. Shall I go fetch one?”
“No,” both Keatyn and I say.
“You do realize you both have to speak at the board meeting in exactly forty-two minutes, right?” Tyler chastises.
“We know,” Keatyn says, dry heaving again.
Tyler turns up his nose at us and quickly removes the offending items.
“We’ll be in my office,” Keatyn tells him, as she grabs my jacket sleeve and pulls me across the hall.
She plops down on the couch and pulls me down with her.
“Whew,” she says. “What were we talking about again?”
“Ariela. You hired her?”
“No, I didn’t hire her to work here. Although, I invited her to lunch with the girls today. And if she passes Vanessa’s bullshit meter, I will probably ask her to help with my wedding.”
“Bullshit meter?”
“Aiden isn’t convinced we should trust her.”