Page 32 of Off Script

“It’s nice to meet you, Jada. I hope you won’t be too disappointed if I don’t live up to Tristan’s praise.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I’ve found Tristan usually has sound judgment.” Jada hoped her inner sarcasm didn’t come across out loud.

“So, what have you been up to since I saw you last?” Tristan asked. “I know your sci-fi thriller,Prototype, came out recently. It’s a hit.”

“Oh, I saw that one! It was amazing.” Jada chipped in as she got into the groove of Tristan’s act.

“Yeah. Not to talk business on your off-hours, but are you working on anything else like that? Something cool?”

“Well, it’s always good to have something in the works. Right now, I’m exploring a big action flick. ThinkBlack Panthermeets Indiana Jones.”

“Wow! I’m so picturing Michael B. Jordan in a fedora right now.” Jada glowed when Logan laughed boisterously at her joke.

“You know, you’re quiet, but also quite charming,” he said to her. “Good catch on your part, Tristan.”

“I like to think so,” Tristan said, showering Jada with a look of love. One that she almost bought.

“Well, anyway, it sounds great.” Jada tried to steer them back on topic.

Logan looked at her calculatingly.

“We’re still in the early stages. Would you be interested in auditioning for a part? The female lead will have to pull off playing a badass assassin. Do you think you could handle that?” Logan asked.

“Hell, yes!” Jada put on an air of badassery, garnering another laugh from Logan.

“Sounds great, love,” he said. He reached into his pocket and passed Jada his business card.

“Stay in touch. Get your agent to give me a call and we can set something up.”

“Thank you!” Jada tried hard not to gush further as she took the card.

“Thanks for everything, Logan,” Tristan said after they’d indulged in several more minutes of small talk. “We’ll have to get together again for another drink or something.”

“Sounds good.” Logan lifted his glass.

With that, Tristan steered Jada out of the booth and back to the main lounge area. Jada turned to him, still shocked.

“That was way easier than I thought it would be.”

“Yeah. Logan is widely known as an English Don Juan—he’s worse than me. A sucker for a pretty face. I knew if I brought you over things would probably go our way.”

“You’re saying I only got the audition because of my looks?” Jada frowned. Tristan sighed before facing off with her.

“No. I’m saying he’s a man,” Tristan said. The intense heat returned to his eyes as he touched Jada’s chin, studying her. “Who wouldn’t fall for you?” he asked, his voice soft. It washed over her, enveloping her in warmth and something else. Something dangerous. So dangerous that she worried she would fall into it.

“What do you say? Should we have one more dance to celebrate?” Tristan asked.

Instead of answering right away, Jada averted her eyes . . . only to see her worst nightmare.

It was Daniel.

Three steps away, a short distance over Tristan’s shoulder, Jada swore she saw her ex-boyfriend staring straight at her. She studied him: tall, slim, piercing hazel gaze. This was not a horrible mirage. Douchebag Daniel was here in the flesh. Locked in their staring contest, all the awful memories reemerged: Daniel’s constant lies, his cheating, his nonchalance when Jada got fired. His mother’s complete manipulation of the situation. Everything that led to this very moment, when Jada had to pretend to be Tristan Maxwell’s girlfriend to keep the one job she had left. Sickened to her core, Jada began hyperventilating. Noticing her distraction, Tristan squeezed her hand.

“What’s wrong?”

“Daniel,” Jada muttered under her breath.

“King of the vampsFallen Creatures’ Daniel?” Tristan perked up as he spotted the person who had put Jada into a petrified trance.

---