Page 29 of Heavy Shot

Jill huffed a laugh. "Well, let's hope it means we both have good taste."

"It was good," Rhiannon nodded, still smirking. "Just how well did you know him?"

"I knew him for years. We met right when he moved to the city. I was just finishing a run in Les Mis as Cosette, and looking for my next job. I'd gone to see my boyfriend--I was dating August then--at the Fashion Institute, and Kline was up there with some of his friends. They all knew each other. He just became part of the group."

"Hm," Rhiannon said, leading the way into the kitchen. She put the bottle on the counter and went to the stove to stir the bubbling pot. "I made a quick marinara for some fresh pasta I picked up, and some zoodles for you. Figured we'd have that and a salad and you don’t have to cheat. Sound good?"

"Sounds beautiful. Thank you! That’s so considerate. Do you need help with the salad?”

"Everything's on the counter. It just needs to be maimed and thrown together in a bowl," Rhiannon said, tilting her head toward the small collection of vegetables. "Feel free to take out your aggressions."

"Oooh!I get to chop!" Jill took up a knife and went to work, chopping the vegetables like a pro. "I dated a chef," she said, when Rhiannon looked over."Well, not a chef. He worked in a little tavern on the East Side, but I learned a few things from him."

"I'll say," Rhiannon said, with a smile. "Don't make it too pretty or I won't want to eat it."

Jill laughed and began scooping bits of lettuce into a bowl. The two women worked quietly for a few minutes before Rhiannon took up the conversation again, "So, you said you're getting new management? Who? Not that Michael guy."

"No, Michael and Royce just weren't cutting it. I’m in talks with Roland, actually. I have some things to work out, but it shouldn’t take too much.”

"Kline's manager?"

"Yeah.He's good."

"Well, looks like the social circle is tightening up again. Just like old times, huh?"

"Hardly!No.It's business.I just need someone who will work for me, not work on me."

"Still, you'll probably see more of Kline, too. It's hard for Roland to be in two places at once."

Jill shrugged, an elegant gesture, "Sometimes, I'm sure I will. But then, I've been running into Kline all over the place since I got here, so that wouldn’t be anything new. We talked about having lunch when I come back from New York–I’m up there next month–but it’s more Roland would like his star to be seen with someone who isn’t Kara Viceroy. It wouldn’t hurt me to be seen with him, you know? Business. It is funny seeing him again. It's surreal."

Rhiannon chuckled, "Yeah, seeing him has the same effect on me."

Jill tilted her head and smiled wryly, "I doubt that. You're sleeping with him, right?"

She was fishing for answers. Jill could never just come right out and ask something. Rhiannon fought a scowl and said, "Right. It's still a bit surreal. I'm actually surprised by the whole thing, and you know how difficult it is to surprise me."

"Why are you surprised?”

"Why do you think?"

"Because it’s Kline? Yeah," Jill nodded, dicing a carrot quickly, "But you're smart, funny, beautiful, and you're likely to let him have the spotlight." She looked up then and grinned. “Just don’t outshine him.”

"I couldn't compete with him, so I won't even try," Rhiannon sighed, pulling down plates. She went to the table and laid out the placemats and silverware. "What was he like when you dated him?" Two could play her fishing game.

"I never said I dated him," Jill said, shaking her head, "but back in the day he was alternately cocky, sweet, flighty, sincere, and always a good friend and good listener. But he was pretty young and ridiculously good-looking.All the girls wanted him then like they do now.He took full advantage of it."

"So, you didn't date him?"

"Define date? Kline wasn’t one for big commitments back then. We all sort of went out in that group. It was very incestuous. I’m sure he’s all grown up now, though."

Rhiannon looked at her for a long moment, then went to the stove and began dishing food onto plates. "You two must have been close. You have the same memories. Well, you tell the same story, anyway."

"In a way, we grew up together. He was in New York alone, like August. Geri, Alex, Mel and Jimmy, who rounded out our little group, were in varying stages of horrible dysfunction at home.I was the only one of us who was working, but I was also the youngest of the group and my mother was evil to the core.In a lot of ways, we were all each other had.

“Actually,” she paused and smiled. “Kline did really help me find a way out from under my mother. I mean–you met me after I’d fired her as my manager. Kline talked me through the finer points of how he found his management back then, too. He was with Ford. It gave me the courage to pretend I had some courage and go talk to Gersh. It was the beginning of my freedom!” She threw her arms open wide, then remembered she was holding a knife and reigned it in. “Sorry. If you ask August, he'd probably tell the same stories, too."

"Yes, and how is August?" Rhiannon said, taking the plates to the table.

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