Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 65643 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 328(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 219(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65643 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 328(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 219(@300wpm)
“Or coercing your ex into giving me a deal.”
Noemi gave me a do something look. God, I knew that look well. Three years of marriage and eighteen years of divorce had seared it into my memory. I nodded at her. I’d figure it out.
“Okay, how about this,” I said, getting Destiny’s attention again. “What if I don’t charge you upfront at all? What if I work on commission?”
Destiny narrowed her eyes at me, suspicious. “What do you mean?”
Good question. I was still figuring that out. Building the plane as I was flying it, but I’d always worked best that way. I thought fast. “I’m telling you that I can save your career, right? So, I’ll put my money where my mouth is. I don’t get paid until you do. My job won’t just be to detach your name from Geoff’s narrative. I’ll help you change your image and get a role.”
Noemi nodded at me approvingly, but Destiny looked skeptical.
“I can get a role,” she said, crossing her arms. “But I don’t want to do anymore dumb, high school mean girl roles.”
“No mean girls,” I agreed.
“And I don’t want it to be about taking my shirt off,” she added. “It would have to be a good role.”
“Got it.”
Destiny looked at me suspiciously. I didn’t look away. I wanted her to see that I was serious about this. In a strange way, I was into it. Crisis management had gotten too easy. Full career rehabilitation? That would be a challenge. “You don’t get paid until I do?” she double checked.
“Not a penny.”
“And I pick the role?”
“Within reason. Don’t expect to get the lead in the next Scorsese film right off the bat,” I warned. “We might have to do some smaller roles before you get the big one.”
Her eyebrows drew together, annoyed. “I’m not an idiot, Garret. I know how careers are rebuilt. I just don’t want to—”
“I know. You don’t want to play the bitch or the slut, I get it.” I stuck my hand out. She was on the precipice. I just needed to pull her over.
Slowly, Destiny unfolded her arms and extended her hand. I closed my fingers around hers and felt a zing run through me. A jolt. I tightened my grip in surprise and looked up to see that her lips were pressed together in a flat line. She’d felt it, too, and she didn’t like it.
Not one bit.
I’d driven Noemi to the restaurant, so after we finished eating, we walked Destiny to her car. I evaluated it and decided it would work. A nice but not ostentatious red Mercedes convertible. The candy-colored coating matched her hair.
“This is fine,” I said, patting the hood.
Destiny looked at me, her eyebrows drawn together in what I figured was going to become a common expression. “So glad you approve,” she said, her words dripping with acid.
“I do. How many parking tickets do you have?”
She shrugged, her eyes sliding guiltily to the side. “A few.”
I figured as much. There were a lot of people in this town who were happy to pay for VIP parking. My friend Dominic liked to say that everything was legal as long as you could afford the fine.
“Start parking legally,” I advised. “It looks entitled.”
Destiny’s eyes cut back to mine, and her cherry red lips opened, a retort on her tongue.
“It was so good to see you again, little sister.” Noemi slid gracefully between us and wrapped her arms around Destiny.
Destiny’s slim arms came up around Noemi, and they hugged for a long time. I was used to that. Noemi was a full contact hugger. She squeezed you and she rocked you and she let you close your eyes and lose yourself in the scent of her hair as long as you needed to. Destiny needed her for a long time. When she finally let go, those tilted, otherworldly, blue-green-gold eyes were damp.
“Thank you,” she said quietly. “I missed you.”
Noemi kissed the side of her head. “We’ll get this straightened out. Don’t worry.”
Destiny rubbed her eyes and then looked at me, distinctly less emotional. “Nice to see you again, Garrett,” she said, not bothering to act like she meant it.
“You’ll be seeing me a lot more,” I assured her, and enjoyed the way her eyebrows slanted together in annoyance.
On the way back to Noemi’s place, my ex pulled her leg up into the seat and turned sideways to look at me. “So, what do you think?”
I slid my sunglasses down against the glare of the sun. “I think she needs to change her hair.”
“Obviously. What else?”
I thought about it as I navigated traffic that was somehow terrible no matter what time of day it was. “Her friends,” I said finally. “I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them aren’t as innocent as she’s claiming to be.”
“She’s not claiming anything,” Noemi corrected. “She isn’t tangled up in any of that.”