Page 38 of Overexposed

“Then it won’t be a problem at all for me to review any statements that you’ve made before you sign them.” The attorney slid around Olivier into the room. Olivier winked before he strolled away, smug as hell.

“And you still insist that you and Mr. Griffiths aren’t dating?” The detective gave me a bland stare that all but shouted I was nuts.

“Mr. Griffiths doesn’t even know my real name.” Not that it seemed to matter a damn to Peter, the attorney, who took the statement and went over it.

So much for almost being done.

Dammit, I still really needed to pee.

chapter

fifteen

Stella

Normally the five hundred dollars to fix my broken window would have sent me into a deep pit of money despair and I’d likely have ended up driving around with a plastic trash bag taped over it until I could save the money. But thanks to my slightly shady deal with Seven, I was able to confidently accept the price and drive away with my repaired car by the end of the next day.

Paulie called to say my equipment had arrived early, and I spent a stupidly enjoyable evening at home with a bottle of wine, setting it all up. I even splurged and ordered home delivery Thai food, since Seven was paying.

If I thought about it too much, yeah it did feel a little bit dirty…essentially getting paid for sleeping with Gem. But I justified it by reminding myself thatSevenpaid me and it was for the NDA not for the sex. Sure one was needed due to the other but…semantics.

About four days after making my deal with the demon spawn, I packed myself a little picnic lunch and went to a park to take photos of strangers as test shots. There was no sense trying to familiarize myself with new equipment when I wasonthe job and potentially miss a prize shot.

An hour or so after I set up, my phone buzzed in my pocket and I set my camera down on my picnic blanket to check. Probably Dad, bored at home and wanting to know if there had been any new scandals in the celebrity sphere. You could take the man out of the paparazzi game but not the paparazzi out of the man.

To my surprise, though, it was a message from an unknown number.

Unknown Number: Are you going to be at the wrap party for War of the Mesozoic tonight? I hear there will be lots of great photo ops… Here are the details, just in case.

The next message contained an address in Malibu and a time. I blinked a couple of times, confused, then suspicious.

Stella: Who is this? I think you have the wrong number.

Unknown Number: Nah, it’s the right one. Come on, Snow… take the olive branch. This party has been kept top-secret so there won’t be many other paps there to steal the scoop.

I smiled, unable to help myself as I saved the number into my phone.

Stella: Olivier, did your lawyer give you my number? So much for client confidentiality.

Olivier: Wash your mouth out, Snow. My lawyer would never break confidentiality. Peter is the epitome of professionalism.

Shaking my head, I chuckled. What kind of old-fashioned gentleman uses “epitome” in a text message? Then before I could reply, my phone lit up with an incoming call from him.

“Okay, so if not Peter, then it must have been Seven,” I said by way of answering.

Olivier gasped. “Seven has your number? How and why?”

Was that genuine shock or exaggerated sarcasm? It was so hard to know, over the phone, but his voice gave me a tingly warmth regardless.

Crap on a cracker, did I have a little crush on Olivier Griffiths? Yes, undoubtedly yes. I wondered if bro code would prevent anything happening between us, since he and Gem were so close. Which then made me wonder…howclose? Close enough to share?Dirty Stella.

My week was so freaking odd because the idea that I even had a chance with one celebrity—let alone two—was actually laughable. Gem was just a random stroke of luck…twice. Olivier?

“Why are you calling me? If it’s about Seven’s NDA?—”

“I honestly don’t give a flying fuck about his NDA, Snow,” Olivier replied with a laugh. “I just wanted to say thank you for intervening with the police…by slipping you some inside info. The wrap parties for theMesozoicfranchise get crazy wild. I bet you could get some great photos if you’re in the right place at the right time.”

I pursed my lips, thinking it over. It sureseemedtoo good to be true…but I had saved him and his lawyer a whole lot of drama with Dillon attempting to press charges for assault. So fair was fair.

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