“I know.”
“Anybody that was in the suite last night will get a visit from Baptiste, and maybe a few questions from me.”
I swallowed. “Okay. I hope it isn’t one of them.”
“True. But if it is, I’ll know soon.”
We picked up my team. An uncomfortable tension thickened with each person getting into the limo. Alexander had a black eye and didn’t even try to conceal it. The whole ride, he remained silent. Takako still held the same look of annoyance they had last night. I ignored them, not caring. If they thought I would sit there as they slut-shamed my friend, then they were dead wrong. Takako was new to this industry. A good lesson in keeping their mouth closed was needed if they wanted to continue to rise to the top.
When everyone entered, we drove off to the mansion. Hunter watched each face and took in every word, which was few.
One of you could be the person terrorizing me.
We headed to upstate New York where there was an embarrassing number of mansions. However, the place we were going was one I was excited to see.
The moment we arrived, the place took my breath away.
Usually, the mansion served as an active working writer’s colony hosting 80 Pulitzer Prize winners, 100 National Book Award winners, and two Nobel Prize winners. It had been built in 1881. There was more stone than wood. It was a three-story, tower-topped, 55-room estate encompassing 50,000 square feet. Gorgeous gardens surrounded the estate.
Too bad tons of vehicles scattered all over the property. Where there wasn’t vans, trucks, and tents, there were people. Tons and tons of people running this way and that. Security guarded the place as well as local police. An ambulance and fire truck were parked on the side just in case of an emergency.
Trigger loved to have fire in his video. There’d been some accidents on prior ones. I was sure his insurance company had forced his agent to do the precautions.
Hunter stayed with me as I maneuvered through my day.
I grabbed a bagel and coffee on set and then perused the makeup available.
I can’t use any of this.
Thank God, Takako hadn’t my shades of plum and I’d brought my emergency case, so I didn’t have a bunch of bright pink all over me.
Takako and I tried a test look and showed the director. He disagreed with the first presentation. I washed my face and returned to Takako’s chair. Thankfully, the second presentation, he loved. Still, I cleaned that stuff off too and went to choreography.
The mansion’s main living room was huge with high ceilings. A chandelier hung. Two massive staircases rose on each side and met in the center.
Right on the ground level, Trigger stood on a small fake stage made from fluffy white clouds. He wore no shirt. Sweat trickled down his muscles. If I hadn’t known his personality, I would’ve enjoyed him swaying his hips perfectly to the beat.
Over and over, Trigger practiced his song.
I had two hours to learn a crazy routine that involved a lot of specifically-timed crotch thrusts and ass pops. Anything more and I would’ve been tripping over my feet. Still, the counts had to go just right so I could stay with the real dancers performing behind us.
Lunch arrived and CiCi showed up too. A shocked expression covered her face.
“Your driver came and said we were having lunch.” CiCi drank in the excitement of the set. “Girl, thanks for bringing me out here. I wanted to ask, but I’ve been feeling like a charity case lately, borrowing make up teams and being people’s plus-ones at top parties instead of getting my own vacation.”
A little guilt hit me. “Hey, I’m glad you decided to come. Stay afterwards, if you want.”
Her gaze fell on Trigger. “Uh…maybe I’ll stay for a little bit.”
I guided her over to my small dressing section. The video had a high budget, but the money hadn’t extended to dressings rooms or anything like that for the female performers. We all were stuffed together while on the other side of the lot, Trigger and his boys had a nice sized trailer they smoked weed in most of the day.
Hunter had brought us salads and fresh loaves from a high-end Italian restaurant nearby. He remained several feet away but watched us from a far.
“How’s the new guard going?” CiCi asked.
“Very well.”
“He’s super hot.”
“Yeah.”
“You don’t mind, if I flirt with him, right?”
I widened my eyes. “Uh, yeah I would mind.”
“Oh, of course. You have to keep it professional to find this guy.”
“That and…this is Hunter.”
“Wait.” CiCi gestured his way. “The guard is Hunter? The hot stepbrother you’re always talking about?”
“Not stepbrother. More like adopted.”
“Still.” She opened her mouth in shock. “Hunter is fine.”
“Yes.”
“Damn.”
“Yes.”
“How the hell have you not slept with your brother by now?”
I hit her arm. “Really, CiCi?”