A photographer steps in front of us. “Mr. Kent. A photo with your date please.”
I’m about to spit that I wouldn’t date this man if you put a gun to my head, but Kent blithely puts his arm around my waist and pulls me closer. “Of course. Smile, darling.”
I think I smile. I’m not sure. Maybe I just bare my teeth in a horrifying way.
The photographer clicks off a few shots. “Wonderful. Thank you.” He moves on to his next victims.
When I squirm away from Kent, he chuckles. “I can see what Liam sees in you. Beautiful. Feisty. Intelligent. I like you, Elissa. Current circumstances may be painful, but there’s no need for things to become unpleasant between us.”
I give him my most condescending smile. “They don’t need to be, but they are. That’s what happens when you ruin my professional reputation, get me fired, blackmail me and my friends, and try to keep me from the man I love.”
He shrugs. “It’s just business. Nothing personal.”
I lean into him, and touch his chest. “Well, since business is so important to you, perhaps you’d be interested in a proposal I have to offer.”
He looks down at my hand before returning to my face. “I’m listening.”
“Can we meet tomorrow morning? The conference room at the rehearsal venue?”
He frowns. “What is this about?”
“You’ll have to show up to find out.” I give him what I hope is a sexy smile. “But I promise, it will be worth your while.”
“Well, that’s sounds too intriguing to pass up.” He leans down, his face close to mine. “I’m looking forward to finding out more.”
I hide my disgust as Mary rushes up to him. “Anthony, where the hell is Angel? She ran straight past all the interviewers. We need her.”
Mary rushes off in a panic, and Kent looks around. Liam is about halfway up the carpet, smiling and doing his duty by answering questions and signing things for fans. When he glances over, a frown passes over his features as Kent mouths, “Where’s Angel?” Liam shrugs and shakes his head.
“Shit.” Kent pulls out his phone and dials her number. He taps his thigh as he waits for her to answer. “Angel? Where are you?” He frowns and looks back at the theater. “Is it broken?” He looks at me. “Okay, fine. Wait there. I’ll get help.”
He hangs up. “The strap on her dress has broken. Could you go help?”
I half shrug. “Sorry, but I don’t work here anymore. Guess you’d better do it yourself.”
“What the hell do I know about fixing dresses?”
I reach into my clutch and pull out a safety pin and some double-sided tape. “This will fix pretty much anything short of an eight-cylinder engine. Knock yourself out, MacGyver.”
“You just happened to have these in your purse?”
“I carry them everywhere I go. Stage manager, remember? Always prepared. There are bound to be wardrobe malfunctions at these things.”
He smiles. “You really are remarkable, aren’t you? You know, if you’re ever looking for a replacement for Liam—”
“Not if you were the last man on earth.”
He chuckles. “Okay, enjoy the show. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
As he heads into the theater, I whisper, “Yes, you will,” and muster up what I hope is an evil-mastermind smile.
Ten minutes later, Angel and Kent emerge from the theater, and he escorts her to her rightful place next to Liam. As Kent walks away, Angel glances over at me and smiles. I raise my glass to her. A few minutes later, Josh slinks out of the theater and stands next to me. His face is bright red.
“You okay?” I ask.
“Fine.” His voice is tight, and the muscles in his jaw are working overtime.
“Josh?”
He pushes out a short breath. “He had his hands all over her, Lissa. It was disgusting. Mission accomplished, I guess.”
“Jealous?”
“Of course not. But I’m starting to think Quinn had the right idea in murdering him. Just give me ten minutes alone in a room with him. They’d have to use dental records to figure out who he used to be.”
“Sure you’re not jealous?” He shoots me a glare. “Okay. Fine. But you got the money shot, right?”
“Oh yeah. I got more money shots than a feature-length porn film.”
I drain the rest of my champagne and smile. “Then stick a fork in Kent. He’s done.”
TWENTY-TWO
THE LAST STAND
Thankfully, opening night goes off without a hitch. Liam and Angel are magnificent, and the audience screams through five curtain calls to show just how much they loved the show. It’s officially a hit.
At the after-party, all I want to do is throw my arms around Liam and tell him how proud I am, but I feel Kent watching my every move. I settle for giving Liam the most loving smile I can when he glances at me from across the room. After that, Josh and I head home early.
On Sunday morning I’m as nervous as I’ve ever been. What happens today will either ensure future happiness for me and my friends, or tear our worlds apart.