Page 80 of Overexposed

“Shutterbug, you know I love you and your mother more than life itself.”

Uh-oh.

“But I need a break from her and I’m pretty sure she needs one from me.”

That fell right in with my line of thought, but I still had to bite back a smile. I hadn’t told either parent about the break-in and vandalism. Frankly, the police seemed to have almost no leads. Their bottom line had been that I’d been fully doxed online. It could have been literally anyone, since my photo, name, and address were out there for any psycho Seven Harrison groupie to find.

Their less-than-helpful responses had frustrated Gem so much, he’d said something about hiring his own detective. I thought I’d talked him out of it, since the police had a really valid point. Maybe.

“Done,” I said without needing him to convince me more. “I’m already trying to work out a plan to give Mom a few days off. That means we’ll probably have to use one of the nurses you don’t like as much.”

“I don’t care if I like them,” he admitted. “I don’t generally feel bad when they tick me off and I scold them. Your mother has been letting me get away with it, and I just…I can’t be a bastard to her, Shutterbug. She doesn’t deserve that from me.”

She’d probably been letting him do it for the same reason he didn’t want to do it to her: they still loved each other. Living together and sharing a life together just wasn’t in the cards. They disagreed on too many things, but their divorce had never been about a death of feelings.

“That’s ’cause you’re the best,” I reminded him. “But if you can hold out another couple of days, I just have to get everything squared with the home-care staff.”

“Have I told you that you’re my favorite child?”

Funny guy, since I was an only child. “Yes, many times, and I’m glad, but I’m still not bringing you beer.”

His laughter this time wasn’t populated by a phlegmy cough, so I’d take that as an improvement. Then we were getting off the phone and I met Ollie’s curious gaze.

“I want to meet your father.”

Six words I never imagined coming out of Ollie’s mouth. “How about?—”

“It can wait, obviously. We need to get you settled and he’s healing, but I want to meet him. He’s only met Seven, and I don’t think that’s the impression I want him to have.” He rubbed his jaw, looking thoughtful.

“I’ll think about it,” I said. “You like to cause trouble.”

“I do,” he admitted without shame. “I suppose I could curry favor with your dad if I brought him beer, but that would definitely cost me points with you. So what if I bring him some fake beer that tastes like it and has no alcohol content? He gets to enjoy the flavor and you don’t have to worry about him.”

That was…ingenuous. “I don’t know if he’d go for it.”

“No harm in trying,” he said. “Right?”

“Right,” I admitted. Then my phone vibrated with an update. Oh, good. Celebs spotted at the Grapevine. It was a fun, little wine bar, very popular with younger actresses. “I need to go.”

“I’m in,” Ollie said, grinning. “Really, put me in, Coach. Make me work for it.”

This was never going to work, but I headed for the Grapevine anyway. There were a couple of B-list actresses having lunch with an agent. I checked them out through the telephoto lens.

Nothing about the meeting looked squirrelly or even particularly interesting except…

“Do we know if he’s the agent for both of them?”

“No idea,” Ollie said. “Let me check their website. It usually lists all the clients.”

The blonde was definitely working the agent; she was leaning forward and the dress she was wearing was cut low, so the man seemed to be in an intense conversation with her breasts. While I wasn’t there, I could practically hear her talking…

“Yes, please focus on my breasts some more. I see that you completely respect me. You’re really listening to my issues, and I feel like I can rely on you to represent me in my attempts to make it onto the A-list somewhere. On it, not under it.”

Next to me Ollie chuckled and I cut a glance at him.

“Am I wrong?” I motioned to the man who hadn’t lifted his gaze from the actress’s boobs the entire time we’d been sitting here.

“No,” Ollie admitted. “She’s alsonothis client yet. I’d imagine this is her vetting a possible stepping stone, because he has a higher caliber of actor in his stable and she’s looking to trade up.”

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