Page 8 of All That Glitters

It won’t get me anywhere. None of it will, even if I cry in front of him. He’s seen it too many times to be moved, even when the tears are real.

If he’s determined to drag me out of the house, then that’s what he’ll literally do. Drag me. Throw me. Handcuff me to his wrist and force me to fall into step beside him.

There’s no place to be soft anymore, no more bubbles outside of a champagne glass where I might pretend things are okay.

A knock sounds on the door, and when I look at the clock on the wall, five minutes have passed.

“Empire, I fucking swear, you better be in there dressed and ready to go. I’m not playing around anymore.” His voice is muffled by the wood.

Demanding, like he always is.

“I’m not dressed,” I reply. “And when have you ever played around with me?”

I know what he’s going to do, and even though there’s no surprise when he bursts into the room again, crowding me, I still stare at him with wide eyes as he grabs the dress.

“You’re never going to get the part if you show up in wrinkles or late.” He says it like I need the reminder. Apparently, I do. “Hurry your ass up.”

I imagine the sympathy on his face because he’s aware, like I’m aware, of what happened at the last reading I went to.

“I’ve been to plenty of auditions, Mr. Ortega,” I tell him, nose in the air again as I pretend to be calm and collected, borrowing a little bit of poise from the dead woman who used to own this house.

“Yeah, and you’ve gotten shit from them. Maybe you’ve done tons of readings in your past, but you’ve never gotten a part to date.”

I wince, turning to the side to hide it from him. Knowing he’s watching me, I stand, dropping the towel and having a moment of brief satisfaction when he closes his eyes, chest hitching, but not before I see the way his gaze darkens. I pull on my bra and panties, and the dress follows, a punishment for him while I remember my failures.

“I might not have gotten a part yet,” I seethe, “but I know exactly what I’m doing.”

“The only reason you’ve made it this far is because of me, and if I don’t keep on you, then you’ll be a slug in bed. Beauty fades, Empire.” His gaze hardens. “Make the most of this while you can. Otherwise, you’re going to lose your cushy lifestyle and mine, which is not something I’m willing to entertain.”

“You know why I’ve never gotten a part?” I ask dully.

He straightens. “I suppose you’re going to tell me some sob story about being too good.”

“I put too much of myself in the roles, and no one wants to see it,” I say softly. “The directors and producers all say I lack subtlety.”

“Like I said.” His voice is whip-crack hard. “Sob story. I don’t give a shit about your past, because right now, I need you to focus on your future. The money will run out. Not right now, but eventually, and if you keep acting like a spoiled princess in your mountaintop castle, then soon, you’re going to find yourself living with an ogre.”

“Try not to be too hard on yourself.” I’ll do my makeup in the back of the limo on the ride to the studio, I decide, grabbing the shoes he’s already laid out for me. An ogre and a control freak.

He’s got to be. It’s part of his literal job description. But I’m too tired to deal with his bullshit right now.

My hair drips a line of moisture down my back and stains the dress. I’ll have to do my hair in the limo too. In sticking it to him, I kind of fucked myself over.

“Look, please do this for me.” His tone shifts and softens. “We’ll go to the reading, and then we’ll go visit what’s her face, your BFF for life or some shit.”

“Come on, you know her name.”

“Please, Empire.”

It’s the pleading in his voice, the tender notes he rarely hits, that has me caving. It’s the same tone he used on me when he soothed my nightmares this morning. It’s a glimpse of sweetness he never allows to show, and I partly wonder why this audition is so meaningful. What’s got him pushing me hard?

Because it’s not the money, not really.

One snap of his fingers, and he’ll have cash rolling in faster than King Midas.

“Fine,” I agree. “I’ll go. I’m just not happy about you springing this on me.”

“It’s part of my persuasion. If you knew about it ahead of time, I’d have no chance of getting you in the shower. This is as much for me as it is for your own benefit.”

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