Page 28 of Hot Mess

I felt the tension melt out of my muscles. He had found Kayla. “She answered her phone?”

“Yeah, she did.”

“Is she willing to be my date to these events?” I felt an unexpected excitement. He found her.

“Yes and no.”

I didn’t like the sound of that. “What do you mean, no?”

“She’s not exactly willing to drop everything to show up at a few parties with you. She’s going to need to move to LA and wants a stipend.”

“A what?”

“A stipend. She wants to get paid,” Isaac said in careful slow words.

“Fuck me. I can’t have a paid companion. Can you imagine how that would go over with the paps. Hell, if the studio found out, there goes my Captain Wonder career. They’d recast it or scrap the whole deal.”

I walked in a tight circle; the office was entirely too small for me to properly pace. This wasn’t good.

“No one would differentiate me paying her to show up at a party from her being a prostitute.”

“I think you’re going too far, Nick. No one is going to accuse her of being a prostitute.”

“It doesn’t matter. Movie stars don’t hire escorts. If anyone finds out she’s paid that’s the end of my career.”

“Look, you wanted her. Getting Kayla involves moving her across the country. You didn’t tell me she didn’t even live in the same time zone.”

“She didn’t tell me. I just knew she wasn’t from LA. Okay, so we pay to move her.”

“Pay to move her, pay for her apartment, pay her.”

I huffed out a heavy breath. The small heater wasn’t taking care of all the cold in here. I could see my breath with each frustrated puff.

“I’ve got this, Nick. I just need you to give me your blessing. You don’t need to know the details.”

I closed my eyes. He was right. I didn't need to know the details, I wanted to.

“Tell me.”

“This is the plan,” Isaac began. He continued to tell me the complicated history he crafted for our back story. If I was to be seen repeatedly with the same women, there were going to be questions asked. Isaac had answers for everything. The man could be a novelist if he wanted.

We met at a party around Halloween. She was dressed as Ishtaria and I, Mithrandes. So far, so good. And since it was the truth, I wouldn’t exactly mess it up.

I was intrigued by her version of my character’s love interest. Again, the little history Isaac was concocting was completely in line with the truth.

“Isaac, that’s exactly how we met.”

“Perfect. Now you’re also engaged. Is that real too?”

Now he was just being a smart-ass.

“I’ve got a little job for her lined up with my stylist, so she isn’t simply lounging around your house being decorative.”

I wouldn’t mind her doing that. She was lovely.

“Okay, so I’m dating someone in the industry that I met at a party. Seems reasonable.”

“You’ll pay her rent, buy her a car, and cover her expenses. The stipend is so she can pay her bills, buy lunch, and pay for incidentals.”

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