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“Narcolepsy. Doesn't hurt him as long as he doesn't fall asleep in his water dish.”
“Aha.” Ryan’s mouth formed a half smile, and I knew he was picturing this. Poor Elvis.
"Anyway, yes, the deal. Thanks for coming." A little lump formed in my throat. I'd hoped maybe this could all be worked out at the agent level, but it seemed I'd have to lay out the ridiculous plan myself. "Yeah, there’s something I’d like to ask you. Will you sit?"
Ryan sat on the couch, and I took the wing chair across the coffee table, perching myself on the edge and crossing my ankles. How did you ask someone to pretend to be your boyfriend?
God, my life was weird.
"So," Ryan said, his dark eyes full of concern as his brows came together. He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs.
"So," I echoed.
Talk, Juliet.
"So here's the thing." I laid out the blackmail plot Zac was involved in, the painful settlement he was demanding, and the potential media fallout. I made sure to be clear that while it would certainly affect my career, it could blow back on some of my former co-stars too, especially Ryan, since we'd been romantically linked in a few articles. Purely speculation, but still, I thought it might motivate him to agree.
"That's awful," he said. "I'm sorry you're dealing with all that. What can I do to help?"
I wrung my hands in my lap and then forced myself to take a breath and pretend to be relaxed and nonchalant about this whole thing. "Well, my agent has had an idea. One that could help us both."
"Okay." Ryan looked uncertain, and I didn’t blame him. This was all so weird.
It was now or never. I dove in. "We wondered if you might be willing to play a little role. Be my boyfriend for a weekend event, just for the press. We'd let ourselves be photographed together, stir up media speculation over the relationship, and capitalize on the chemistry we had onset. Hollywood loves that sort of thing, and my agent thinks that a juicy new love story will overwhelm whatever scandal Zac can stir up in the background."
Ryan pursed his lips, his lids dropping over the thoughtful eyes for a moment. "And that's good for me because ..."
I worried I was offending him, but forged ahead. "Sorry, right. Well, my agent is pretty sure she can get the director of my next film to cast you as the male lead."
"So you're bribing me with a role? Because you feel sorry for me after that Antarctica disaster?" He grinned as he asked this, letting me know he wasn't offended. His last movie, some kind of pirate zombie thing in Antarctica, had been awful.
"Would it work if I was?" I tilted my head, put a little flirt in my voice. I needed him to say yes, even if him saying no would be a relief in some ways.
"It might. Honestly, between that andCharade of Stones, man ..." he trailed off, rubbing a hand over his jaw.
"I know it's not the easiest thing to agree to. Not ... normal. But I guess Hollywood isn't really a normal people kind of place, right?"
He laughed. "Definitely not."
"Oh, and there's one more part. The event. I have to go home to Maryland next weekend for my Gran's ninetieth birthday party. Clarissa has set up a magazine interview to happen out there—a 'Juliet's roots' kind of thing. Would you be able to go as my date?"
Jace coughed from the doorway, and my heart twisted a little bit inside me. I glanced to where he stood, but could only see his shoulder in the shadowed dining room. I wanted to be with him, not in the middle of the Juliet Manchester telenovela that was my ridiculous life.
"So I pretend to be falling for America's favorite actress for a while, take an all-expenses paid trip to Maryland next weekend, and get a great role in a movie?" Ryan's uncertain smile cranked up to a grin.
"Not sure about the 'favorite' part, but the rest sounds right." A thought occurred to me as I glanced at Jace again. "Do you have a girlfriend, Ryan? Someone who might be hurt by this pretense?"
He laughed and shook his head. "Nope. I'm free and clear in that department."
For a brief second, I’d thought maybe we could still get out of this stupid plan, but it seemed we were diving in headfirst. "Oh, okay." I felt awkward suddenly, waiting for him to decide.
"I guess we'll let our agents work out the details?" he said. "I'm sure there'll be something to sign?"
I sat up straighter. "So you'll do it?" Something like relief rippled through me.
He nodded, getting to his feet. "I'm happy to help, Juliet. And I guess it's helping me too. It's a win-win, right?"
I wasn't so sure. Jace's dark eyes flickered through my mind. "Yeah, I think so. I hope so."
