Page 84 of Sizzle Reel

I didn’t get the job. The job that was meant to be the next logical move upward, the job that I was banking on to make leaving my job with Alice—a job I sacrificed two years of my life to—worth it.

I don’t have a job.

Just then, three additional people enter the group: one woman and two men. Valeria smiles as they approach, and each of them gets the hug-and-kiss thing. They take the space between Valeria and me, and Brendan straight up leaves.

Valeria turns to me and Wyatt. “Luna, this is the rest of my team. My agent, Bass.” She motions to an exceptionally tall white man with a crew cut and an expensive suit. “My publicist, Tori.” Tori is blond, thin, also designer decked. A wedding ring sits on her finger. “And my lawyer, Derek.” He’s short, extremely tan—like to the point that it seems like he’s trying to seem ambiguously P.O.C.—and also wearing an expensive suit. They’re all as nondescript as Steven. I’m almost surprised she’d have such an…older Hollywood team.

“Did you adopt a child, Val?” Bass the Agent asks.

It’s a blow to the stomach.

Valeria scowls while I recover. “She’s the camera prodigy I told you about.”

Bass looks at me without a blink of remorse. “Of course. Quite the prodigy indeed.” He finally shakes my hand.

Not prodigy enough to get a fucking A.C. position.

“Hope you’re not doing anything to make her uncomfortable,” Derek the Lawyer says. Derek leans into me. “She’s a flirt.”

Wyatt stiffens. I’m sure I do too, but I can’t feel my limbs anymore.

“No, she’s been…” Dating me? Making me come every night for a week?

I look at Valeria. She’s got her arms crossed, and she isn’t even hiding how pissed she is. “Can you guys stop?” she says. “You’re the ones scaring her.”

She doesn’t mention the truth about what’s going on with us. But I thought she said she was out with everyone at this party? Her words sit in me like ice. Am I just a secret to her? Or is this just not the right time to say anything?

“Oh, Val,” Steven says. “Please don’t tell me someone’s trying to #MeToo you?”

What?

Valeria’s face twists in disgust. “What does that have to do with this? Do you think I had an affair with her while she was my P.A. and that’s why I passed her short along? I’m not a fucking animal. I can control my urges.” She looks at me. “Luna, come over here.”

“Jesus Christ, Val,” Bass says. “I was making a joke. You’re pulling her up the ladder, and it’s only natural that people will be suspicious.”

“Yeah, Val,” Tori says. “We all know you’re not dating anyone. We might as well announce to the press you’re asexual or whatever.”

I move over so I’m next to Valeria now. She’s seething. I swear heat is radiating off her.

“Don’t tell people I’m ace,” she says, her voice almost a bark. She looks at me and her eyes soften. “And as for Luna, she’s amazing. You should give her a little respect.”

All these people—Brendan, who didn’t believe in me enough to get me a bitch camera position, even after I gave him that shot; Valeria’s team, who thinks I’m a child she’s grooming or some weird shit like that; my parents, who don’t believe in my dream; Romy, who thinks I’m being ridiculous—they’re all right. I couldn’t spin this. I lost my footing on the third rung of the ladder.

But I still have Valeria. She believes in me.

She brushes her fingers against my hand.

I take it and say, “We started dating after the shoot. No weird boss stuff.”

Valeria goes ghost pale. Wyatt too.

And suddenly, everyone’s face is white.

Because just beyond the group, someone’s holding up a camera. A good camera.

There’s one moment of silence, one moment of peace, like someone has hit the pause button.

Then Tori and Derek break out of the group and run after the photographer.

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