Page 26 of The Pretender

Valentina

University CamFlix Competition Submission

Entry Number: 75

Sebastian and Valentina

First Interview Continued, or that time I thought about how long I could hold my breath until I passed out

Tom coughs, attempting to mask his laughter. “So, Sebastian acting the scene out behind you was the start of the wars?”

Why must he ask me to repeat it? “Yes. He humiliated me on camera.”

Sebastian, unable to mask his laugh, adds sweetly. “Oh, come on, baby. I think you were doing a jam up job of that on your own. I was merely your funny sidekick.” He kisses me on the cheek, and I manage not to vomit. “Your fans loved it.”

They loved it all right. They loved it all the way to his page.

* * *

“You’re a dick.”

The asshole neighbor of mine grins and slides his hand down his bare stomach, lingering dangerously close to the button on his jeans. “Mmm… Don’t pull out that southern Latina accent of yours. You know what it does to me.”

His words say it like it sounds sexy; yet, the look on his face his nothing but pure distaste.

“Where are they?” I push through the space between his hard body and the door frame. I don’t ask if I can come in. Once upon a time, I was over here more than my own apartment.

“Where is what?”

Deep breaths, Vee. I know you want to throat punch him, but you can’t. You need to get what you came for first.

“My keys. Where are they?”

I notice a guy who I haven’t seen before rounding the kitchen counter with a camera pointed right at me. “Cute,” I tell Sebastian. “You managed to blackmail a decent human to document your misdemeanors.”

Sebastian flinches as if my comment stings, but he schools his features quickly. “Smile for the camera, Valentina. Show all that hostility to our loyal fans. You know they love when mommy and daddy fight.”

If my father wouldn’t be sorely disappointed in me, I’d headbutt this fool in front of me. Instead, I go with, “If that camera gets anywhere near me, I will shove it so far down your throat, you’ll be your own personal nightlight.”

My comment brings a smile to Bash-hole’s face. “Violence isn’t very ladylike, but then again, you’ve never been much of a lady.”

He’s not wrong there. When your father is a Marine and all your friends are boys with Marine fathers as well, you learn to hold your own. Before I could talk, I could perform a chokehold. Such is the norm in my life, and it’s served me well.

“I want my keys, Sebastian.”

He leans against the wall, smug and annoying as shit. “Not until you tell me what you learned.”

And… his cameraman is about to witness a murder.

“I’ve learned that my neighbor is one misdemeanor away from being a serial thief,” I spit.

“And?” he prompts flatly, as if my comment did nothing to deter him.

“And one day I will see his face on one of those missing person boards when someone finally offs him for being a complete pain in the ass.”

He grins. “Oh, come on. Not a complete pain. I could only dream of being a complete pain in the ass. Right now, I think my status is one of a minor pain or just a twinge, but not a complete pain in the ass.”

“Sebastian!” I pop a hip and blow out a breath. “Give me my keys. I have places to be. I don’t have time for this shit.”

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