Page 11 of Touch Me

I’m munching on the muffin and waiting for the barista tomake the latte when I hear my name. I recognize the throaty voice immediately,and turn to see my agent, Evelyn Dodge.

“Hey,” I say, delighted to see her. “What are you doinghere? Shilling for some other client?”

She puts an arm around me, pulling me into a sideways hug.Nikki once described her to me as a brassy broad, and that’s about dead-onperfect. She’s stunning, but people would be more inclined to call her handsomethan beautiful. She’s a hell of a tough negotiator, knows the businessbackwards and forwards, and is willing to put up with me. Which makes her justabout perfect.

“Another client?” she repeated, then waves the words away.“Don’t you know you’re my only priority?”

“You are good,” I say, and we share a laugh. I grab mylatte, then walk with her to the elevator.

“I thought I’d join you at the meeting.”

I cock my head. There is absolutely zero reason for my agentto be at a pre-production meeting.

“I know, I know,” she says as if reading my mind. “But weboth know what’s riding on this for you. I would have preferred a characterpiece—let you show some serious acting chops to balance out the action of Intercontinental,but with a budget over two-hundred mil, this picture can launch you into thestratosphere, too.”

“Uh-huh.” I start to take a sip of my latte, then change mymind. “Does this smell off to you?”

She sniffs it, then shakes her head.

“Want it? I guess I’m not in the mood.” I grimace. “I feltcrappy this morning. I think I’m catching a cold.”

“We’ll pump you full of vitamins,” she says as she takes thecup. “Rehearsals are starting soon.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be the picture of health. And don’tchange the subject.” The elevator doors open on the twelfth floor, and we stepout. She starts down the hall, but I call her back, then shrug when she lifts aquestioning brow.

“I just want to hear the rest of it.”

“The rest of it?”

“We both agree this one can make my career, but it won’t bemade in this room today. So unless you just had nothing better to do, why areyou here? Oh.” I realize the answer as soon as I ask the question,kicking myself for not clueing in sooner. I can add brain fog to my list ofmaladies. “The new guy.” My voice is barely a whisper. “Something’s going onwith the new guy. Shit.”

Evelyn hurries to placate me. “Nothing’s going on. At leastnothing I know of.”

Her voice is as low as mine, and I cock my head, giving hera disbelieving stare. She sighs, then leads me a few feet down the hall andinto the ladies room. After checking under every stall—this town lives andbreathes on gossip—she looks at me and sighs. “I’ve heard rumblings.”

“What kind of rumblings?”

“Vague ones,” she says, and I know I won’t be getting anymore info out of her. “It’s my job to worry,” she says, clearly in response tomy expression. “And that’s why I’m coming to today’s meeting.”

* * * *

“There’s my star.” Carson Donnelly holds his hand out toshake, then pulls me into a hug, which I happily return. “I miss working withyou.” He’s tall and lean and as far as I’m concerned has the air of a bigbrother. Or, at least, my version of what I think a big brother would be like.

“I know. Me, too.” Doing the celebrity interviews with himhad not only been ridiculously fun, but it opened doors all over town for me,especially since some of my interviewees are now good friends.

“And Evelyn, so glad to see you again.”

“Always a pleasure, Carson. And Matthew,” she adds, asMatthew Holt enters from a side room. Holt is one of the most powerfulproducers in town, and with his broad shoulders, wide mouth, and hard,assessing eyes, he looks the part. And all the star-watchers claim that he hasthe magical ability to not only make hits, but to make stars.

Here’s hoping that glow’s still clinging to him.

“You look amazing as always,” Matthew says, and although I’mpleased with the compliment, considering how crappy I feel today, I’m certainhe doesn’t mean it. Still, points for manners.

“I hope you coming along for the ride doesn’t mean we’reabout to renegotiate her contract,” he adds, turning from me to Evelyn.

“She’s always worth more,” Evelyn says. “But today I’m justwatching.”

The corner of his mouth twitches. “Losing your edge?”