Page 1 of Baxter's Right-Hand Man

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PIERCE

“Life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent.”—Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,The Complete Sherlock Holmes

“Pierce! Pierce, look this way, please.”

Cameras flashed like fireworks.

“Pierce, how do you feel about Baxter’s latest adventure?”

Pretty damn good, thank you very much.

“Congratulations on your new film, Pierce. Can I get a second with you forET?”

Sorry, no.

“What are you wearing tonight, Pierce?”

A tux, for fuck’s sake.

Of course, I didn’t say that aloud. I slid my hands into the pockets of my designer-issue formal wear and smiled big and wide, pausing long enough to give the paparazzi a few quality shots and wave at the fans screaming my name from behind the barricade in front of the hotel. We weren’t even close to the street, which meant they had to have strong-ass binoculars to see me at that distance.

I gave a double thumbs-up and blew a kiss in their general direction. The noise level rose to ear-splitting and borderline uncomfortable, and yeah…I fuckin’ loved it.

Hear that?

Pierce, Pierce, Pierce!

They were chanting my name now. These people loved me. They couldn’t get enough. And wow, it was utterly, unbelievably intoxicating. Like the craziest high I’d ever experienced. So pure and so surreal that for a moment, the world went still.

And everything sparkled and glittered like fairy dust from a magic wand.

I wanted to bottle the sensation, savor this buzz, and bask in the incredible outpouring of love. I’d been around the block long enough to know how jarring the silence was on the flip side. Sure, I had a beautiful babe on my arm, the regard of Hollywood’s finest, and the satisfaction of knowing that win or lose this award tonight, Baxter was number one in the box office…everywhere.

Our latest film inThe Baxter Chronicleshad exceeded expectations and outperformed some of the highest-grossing pictures with some of the biggest stars in the business. In a twist, movie audiences really fucking liked crime-fighting action-adventure flicks. And for that, I was eternally grateful.

I had big plans to celebrate by partying like a seventies rock god when this ceremony was over. We’re talking…frat-style, anything-goes blowout. We’d started with tequila shots and champagne on the way here. Me and—

I glanced over at my date—a stunning blond with long hair and red lips, wearing a skintight silver beaded dress that accentuated her huge tits. Pretty girl, but I had no idea who she was.

Janet had set this up. As usual. Showing up with the appropriate arm candy at high-profile events was very Hollywood. It was also very expected. Fans worried when I arrived anywhere solo.

Was I okay? Was I working too hard? Or dating someone “inappropriate” on the sly?

The speculation never ended. That part wasn’t so great. In fact, it was exhausting.

Sometimes, it made me wish I wasn’t…me. And that was nuts. I mean, look at my life. Awesome sauce, right?

A pretty girl at my side, an adoring audience, and all of the glitz and glamour of one of Hollywood’s most anticipated evenings. I was arguably the biggest star here, and that wasn’t a brag. It was just…the truth.

My presence on this red carpet and inside that venue sold movie tickets, revved social media algorithms, and moved products ranging from pickup trucks to tampons. Don’t ask for specifics. I wasn’t sure how it all worked. I just knew that the corporate world needed my presence tonight as much as movie fans.

I was grateful. Really.

But I wasn’t…happy.

I wasn’tunhappy, either. It was more that I felt like something was missing.