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“That’s rich parents,” Cynthia said with a shrug. “You explained how lucky he was to get just a year, right?”
“I did, yeah. But they don’t believe me. They think I failed their son.”
“That’s stupid.” Cynthia put a square of cheese in her mouth and chewed, as though this were the easiest thing in the world. “It’s wild how stupid rich people can be sometimes. But in Hollywood, I work with some pretty empty-headed actors. And producers. And set designers.” She scratched her ear. “And directors, now that I think about it. Most everyone is pretty helpless.”
Amanda stifled a laugh. Cynthia’s performance—if it was a performance—was comical and gorgeous. It took her back to college.
“Big deal,” Cynthia said. “They can have their pity party and move on.”
“It isn’t that simple,” Amanda said. Her eyes pricked with tears. “The Arnouts know people in Massachusetts. The governor and all of the governor’s friends are in their pockets. And they made a few phone calls to get my license suspended.”
Cynthia’s jaw dropped. “What?”
Amanda raised her shoulders. Just saying this aloud, just being heard, loosened the knots in her chest.
Cynthia put down her glass of wine. “I mean, how is that even possible?”
“Money is old out here,” Amanda said. “Family names go a long way.”
“This is ridiculous.” Cynthia’s cheeks were tomato red. “I work in one of the most narcissistic and nepotism-based businesses in the world, if not the most. I’ve heard of people attempting to do something this heinous, but I’ve never heard of anyone succeeding.”
“The Arnouts are capable of anything.”
Cynthia’s hand shot into her purse. She hunted around until she found her cell and dialed someone without saying another word. Amanda’s heart seized. Cynthia’s eyes had hardened to tiny blue ice cubes.
“Georgia? It’s Cynthia. Yeah, I’m out East.” Cynthia’s tone was authoritative. “Can you set up a call with Baxter for tomorrow morning? Tell him it’s urgent.” Cynthia clucked her tongue and fidgeted with her fork. “Nine a.m. your time, noon my time. Perfect. Looking forward.” She then stamped the phone on the table, picked up an olive, and plopped it into her mouth as though that was that.
Amanda stuttered. “Who is Baxter?”
“Baxter is one of the most powerful lawyers I know in the entire state of California,” Cynthia explained. “He started out in criminal law before transferring to entertainment law. He wanted to live in Los Angeles, and he wanted to make buckets of cash. That’s the way.”
Amanda peered at Cynthia. Her head pounded with confusion.
“Baxter knows people, too,” Cynthia explained. “I see no reason he can’t make a few phone calls and get this monkey off your back. He owes me a favor.”
Amanda couldn’t believe it. Was Cynthia her fairy godmother, come to transform her pumpkin into a carriage and her rags into a ballroom gown?
“Seriously, these rich people love to swing their weight around,” Cynthia said sternly, “but they can’t get away with this. This is America. We have laws for a reason. And we’re lawyers, Amanda. We have to use those same laws to protect ourselves and each other.” Cynthia picked up another slice of cheese and put it on her tongue. “Now, let’s talk about something more interesting, shall we? Tell me how you met your husband. Last I knew, you were dating that horrible guy. What was his name? Chris? Just awful.” Her eyes shone. She wanted to gossip like old friends.
Amanda’s heart had begun to beat again. She matched Cynthia’s grin. “It turns out Chris was just as awful as you say. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Cynthia cackled. “He’s nowhere near as cute as your husband either.”
“My mother hired him to be the manager at the Sunrise Cove,” Amanda said. “As you know, I moved back here after…” She remembered herself at her first wedding and Chris’s abandonment. “After my life flipped upside down. But Sam was right there in front of me. Laughing with me. Always remembering little details about me. My heart was so bruised, and I told myself I didn’t have space in it to fall in love again.”
“We don’t always have a choice about when we fall in love, do we?” Cynthia said with a sigh.
“Are you in love?” Amanda asked.
“Me? No way,” Cynthia said. “I’m in love with my career and myself right now. I’m dating all over Los Angeles, of course. Mostly very attractive actors.” Her eyes sparkled. “But they’re all pretty egotistical and eager to use my connections to better their careers. I almost always kick them to the curb.”
“Almost?” Amanda laughed.
“If they have stellar talent or a killer jawline, I send them along to my friend who works as an agent,” Cynthia explained. “No use letting them go to waste!”
Amanda was fascinated with Cynthia. For a little while, they’d had similar lives, gone to the same school, and even lived just a few blocks away from one another. But now, Cynthia’s life had transformed to Technicolor Los Angeles highways and long Californian beaches and high-end designer wear. Amanda’s life was diapers and sleepless nights and flicking through television channels as her brain turned to goop.
But Cynthia had promised that she could get Amanda’s career back up and running with her connections. The Arnouts couldn’t touch her.
