“What can you do for me that one of the other agencies can’t?”
“At one of the large agencies, you will not be given the attention your work deserves, because they’re too busy catering to their high-profile clients. We are never too busy to serve your needs.” Reggie wiped his mouth with his white cloth napkin and tossed it lightly by his plate as he sat back in his chair. “I’m a partner in this firm, and we made a conscious choice not to overbuild our business in order to make sure our clients get full customer care. And still, if you look at our client list, which you’ve had a chance to do, you’ll see that we represent very successful people. We’re a boutique agency by choice, not necessity.”
Paul looked over at Reggie. “I’ve had a few other meetings this week with the Charles Louis Company, Adams Group and Morris Entertainment, which all have high-profile clients. They were all trying to be my good buddy, get me free tickets here or there, do me some favors, buy me a great lunch, et cetera, which is total bullshit. Their client lists are in the hundreds, which gives me the feeling of being part of a mill instead of a human enterprise. I have to say that this has been more real. So what’s next? What’s the next step if I sign with you?”
“Your work will get out to all the major studios when I think it’s good enough. Taylor and I read all scripts and take meetings on them before we send them out. We want to make sure we’re sending out the best product we can. In the end, it’s what makes this a winning situation for all of us. Your movie gets made, and it’s not just another piece of crap being thrown out to the public. Four of my writers have had major motion picture award nominations, and two took them home in the last five years. I’m looking for quality here. I don’t believe in making shit movies.”
“All right. I’m in.”
“Let’s draw up the contracts and meet later this week.” Reggie grinned.
“All right. Sounds good.”
“Taylor will take care of you. Ah, there’s Frank.”
I looked up in time to see the silver-haired man who’d been sitting by Reggie’s pool last Friday come through the picket fence in a casual summer suit. He was taller than Reggie by an inch or two.
Of course, my heart was pounding, wondering how he was going to handle our “misunderstanding,” which I was still confused about. But as it turned out, I didn’t have to worry. As we all stood to greet him, his eyes caught mine and he winked, which immediately worked to alleviate some of my residual stress from the other day. I’d actually believed he was going to kill me. Ludicrous, right? Here he was, hugging Reggie and shaking hands with Paul. He was the reason Paul had been able to get his work looked at. Connections. Pure Hollywood. Idly, I wondered what favors were owed and what this connection entailed, but there was nothing unusual about doing business this way. It was, after all, how things got done in Hollywood most of the time.
“How’s your dad, Paul? Haven’t seen him in some time.” Frank’s voice was jovial, with his slight British accent.
“Stuck in a stuffy office. He’s been working lots of overtime lately. I hardly see him anymore.” Paul shrugged with an engaging grin. “Hoping to take a trip with him somewhere this summer.”
“Counting your lucky stars, young man? You could be right with him in that stuffy office.”
“Absolutely.” Paul gave a firm nod. “I didn’t know you were dating Reggie when you offered to pass it on. Maybe I could have gotten my work looked at sooner.”
“It wouldn’t have done any good. Reggie is a tight ass when it comes to his work. He doesn’t like interference from anyone. Even me.”
“Damn right,” Reggie interjected with a grin. “Only the best.
Frank finally turned to me with a twinkle in his silvery-gray eyes. I fully expected to be charmed. He seemed so well liked and was being so amiable.
“The chocolate was delightful, Taylor.” He grasped my hand, and though he was smiling and being charming, and though it was a freaking hot summer day, a chill went up my arm. I sensed menace. Danger. Death. It swamped me, and I couldn’t get my breath for a moment. He’d taken life without remorse and was going to do so again. I could feel his intentions! It took all I had not to immediately snatch my hand away and run.
Shit. Holy shit. Who was this guy?
My heart pounded in my throat, and a cold sweat broke out down my spine. My mind was momentarily blank with panic. He kept looking at me, almost knowingly, and I wondered if he could read my thoughts. No, because my fortified shield was up. I quickly slammed a wall into place mentally against his thoughts, but not before I caught a final promise. She won’t be a problem for much longer. Finally, I will fulfill my contract.
The quiet certainty of the words moving through Frank’s mind made my skin crawl. I experienced a feeling of dread like never before. It made me shiver. I hadn’t been wrong on Friday. He did mean to hurt me.
“Reggie wanted to surprise you,” I finally managed with a false, bright smile. I was referring to the chocolate.
“He did.” Frank’s smile was oily and suggestive. It added just another layer of sick to the situation.
“I hope you had a good trip,” I offered hesitantly.
“Trip?” Frank’s eyes narrowed on me analytically. “Yes, of course. I was interested in some investment property.”
“Have you talked with Dad about it?” Paul inquired.
“Soon enough,” Frank replied vaguely. He turned to Reggie. “Are you ready?”
“We’re set.”
“Shall we get this dreadful task accomplished? I can’t wait to be done and home where the air is so nicely conditioned.” Frank smiled, only this time, instead of looking charming when his gaze met mine, he looked calculating and cold. Reptilian.
“Take your time, Taylor. I won’t need you back at the office today.” Reggie threw several hundreds down on the table, more than enough to cover our meals and then some. “Just make sure to set up a time for a contracts meeting.”
“Okay.” I watched them leave, not knowing what to do with the information I’d unwittingly retrieved from Frank’s thoughts. I could just see the look on Paul’s face if I told him Frank was a killer. He’d probably think I was batty. ‘’’Course, Paul’s father was friends with Frank, so who was Paul in all this? How did he fit in with the bigger picture? Were he and his family as dangerous as Frank, and here I was being left alone with him?
Reggie and Frank got into the black luxury sedan that was parked just across the street. The valet chased around the car to open both doors, accepting a tip from the killer Good Samaritan, Frank.
“They have great chocolate-chip cookies. Can I tempt you with one? Maybe some coffee?”
“Sure.” I smiled and sat back down at our table, partly because I needed to ground myself again. I was still feeling shaky. Quivery. It isn’t every day that you find out someone is trying to kill you. Now what was I supposed to do? That is...if I believed in this whole mind-reading thing...and if I felt like I’d really read his mind...and if I’d done it accurately. He could have been thinking about his contractor or his designer, right? Mind reading. What a hoot. How silly. Ha-ha-ha.
But the humor was missing from this mental exchange I was having with myself. In truth, I was afraid.
“I’m glad you aren’t one of those waifs where never a carb, a sugar or a fat will pass your lips. Though I was worried when I saw you’d ordered a salad.” Paul’s eyes twinkled as he gave me a crooked smile.