Page 49

“Bullshit.I mean, I know pancake can work wonders, but your eye’s bloodshot as well.”

“That might clear up?—”

“What did the doctor say?”I put just enough sarcasm in my tone that he shut his jaw.

“That it won’t.Broken blood vessel.Will take time to heal.”

“All right.We need an excuse why you can’t make the gala.Something covering all contingencies but that doesn’t sound implausible.How about a bad case of influenza?”

“It’s summer.”He frowned.“Even I know flu is like, generally, a winter disease.”

God save me…nowhe chooses to use that big brain of his.My only A-list client who was also MENSA.Personally, I would’ve loved to see him pursue some kind of academic endeavor.But nope.When he injured himself, he’d lost his football scholarship.He’d nearly had to return home, but he’d been spotted on the street.Scouted on the spot.So first, he’d tried modeling.Which had, unsurprisingly, become acting.The twenty-eight-year-old already had an impressive résumé.Last year, he’d been up for a Golden Globe.

Yet here we were.

“Herpes?”

He groaned.“That’s not funny.”

“Well, it would keep people away from you.Seems to me that should be the goal.”

“Filming for the movie starts in a month.Norah’s my costar.I don’t want her to think I have a communicable disease.”

I frowned.“Right.”I wracked my brain.“Pneumonia?You can get that year-round, right?”

“Mainly in the winter when people are crammed together in small spaces.”

“Fuck.”I probably knew that, but my brain was short circuiting.“Pink eye?Highly communicable, would explain any lingering eye damage and…” I waved my hand in the air.

He squinted.“That might work.But I could still show up and?—”

“No.”I tapped the table.“Not only could people see the shiner, but I want this to be a lesson to you.”

“Makeup would work just fine, you know.”He crossed his arms in the universalI’m pissedpose.“You’re not my agent.”

“Makeup can do amazing things.But, again, the eye.And yes, it’s true I’m just your publicist.But Shayna and I are in complete agreement.You need to face some consequences.Now, I’m glad that’s not in the form of the guy suing you or pressing charges.”Shayna was one of the best agents on the West Coast, and this guy was damn lucky to have her.Fucking that up by not listening to her advice could easily get him tossed from her roster.

Andreas pointed to his eye.

“You hit first,” I countered.“And if you hadn’t been drunk, you might’ve had better aim.”

He eyed his hand.“Yeah, that was a miss.”

What he’d succeeded in doing was barely grazing the guy’s cheek.

And yes, my client could’ve pressed charges himself.Thank God, once he’d sobered up, he’d realized that option had most definitely not been in his best interest.

“You’re sure there aren’t any pictures?”He might’ve assured me about a dozen times, but I didn’t want them showing up on TMZ or some other place.

He crossed his heart with his hand.

Quaint.And twenty-four hours too fucking late.

“We were the only two in the bathroom.The server found us brawling and called the cops.We, uh, waited…”

“Like two little saints?”

“Well…” He winced again.“The bouncer might’ve threatened us within an inch of our lives.”