Page 57 of Behind the Scenes
“I see what you’re doing.” My voice was low. A warning. “Let me do my thing. I came here and worked like I was supposed to. Don’t make me remind you and the director just how many times we had to reshootherparts versus mine.”
His eyes widened and he took a startled step backward. I had snapped at him before, but never like this. Could he feel just how hard it was to keep my hands at my side and not around his throat?
I hope he does.I hoped he could feel the murderous rage that was boiling just under my skin and how close his life was to coming to an end.
But instead of shying away, he narrowed his eyes at me.
“You need to remember who has the power in this industry, Harley. It’s not the actors. No matter how much money you make, you’re a tool of the trade. Something werent outto make the big pictures work. People don’t pay to see you?—”
I threw my head back and let out a bitter laugh.
If people weren’t paying attention to us before then, they sure as hell were now.
“You see those people?” I asked and pointed at the crowd watching us from behind the barriers that had been set up. There were many I recognized. Fans who followed me from set to set. Always in the front. Always cheering me on. “They are here forme. You think people give two shits about this mediocre romance movie? They come forme?—”
“She’s right,” a voice from behind me said.
I know that voice.
I turned to see both Penelope and Laura walking toward us. Laura had her hair up and her glasses on. She was wearing a lounge set I’d never seen before. Her skin was pale and she had no makeup on.
She came right from the hotel.
My gaze snapped to Penelope. She gave me a sheepish look that told me that she couldn’t stop Laura from leaving the room.
“And who might you be?” My manager asked, his footsteps muffled in the sand as he moved closer to my side. I instinctively moved away from him.
“I’m Laura, Harley’s partner.” She made no move to shake his hand when offered.
“Nice,” he said and brushed off the obvious slight by wiping his hand on his shirt. “Well, to be frank, this doesn’t involve you?—”
“I’m also a lawyer.” The vicious smile on her face was seriously turning me on.My girl.“So when I notice my client being treated unfairly, it does involve me. In fact, it really becomes my problem.”
“Client?” my manager said with a huff. “Isn’t it unethical to fuck a client?”
Laura didn’t seem rattled in the slightest by her words. In fact, she smiled wider, something dangerous flashing behind those beautiful blue eyes of hers.
“Not if said fucking is consensual, started before I became herlawyer, and I don’t demand or require sex as a condition of my services,” she said in a sickly-sweet tone.
Fuck, I love her.
All the anger melted from my body and all I could focus on washer. She still looked tired, with bags under her eyes and a pale face. But she was always beautiful to me.
No one had ever been able to calm the storm inside me as effectively as she just did. And she hadn’t even spared me a second glance. She hadn’t touched me. She hadn’t even acknowledged my presence.
She was just… here.
I’m a fucking dog for her. Ready to kneel in front of her and be walked on a leash.
“What matters is,Mr. Manager,” she started as she came to stand by my side. “It’s been about fourteen hours since filming started for both Harley and the crew?—”
“And they will get paid overtime,” my manager interjected.
“One, don’t interrupt me again. And two,” Laura tilted her head to the side. “Penelope, in all the time you’ve worked with Harley, has she ever gotten paid overtime?”
My assistant perked up at this. “No, she hasn’t. Many claimed she is paid more than enough to compensate for the long hours, regardless of the union’s rules.”
Laura’s gaze never wavered from Julian, taking in his annoyance like it fueled her.
