Born Savages - Cora Brent Page 0,54
like an ashtray and has his shirt off so all the female world can admire his chest.
“Where’s the fucking fire?” he growls and I brace for trouble. But he just shakes his head and sidesteps me.
Suddenly Cate Camp’s blonde head peeks around the side of the house. She looks from side to side like she’s a secret agent and then her raspy voice hisses some orders into her mouthpiece.
The barn is new and smells of paint. Ren is standing in the middle of it, holding a giant hose. It takes approximately two microseconds for her face to change from surprise to alarm when she sees it’s me. I’m done biding my time with her though.
“I think it’s time we talked,” I say with supreme coolness.
She blinks. She looks at her feet and swallows hard. “Okay. What do you want to talk about?”
You. Me. Heartbreak. Your fucked-up family. This ridiculous show. Five years of silence. Take your pick, sweetheart.
But none of that comes out of my mouth. Instead I laugh at her. “I don’t know Ren, why don’t we talk about major league baseball standings?”
She turns her head the other way, says nothing.
There’s a giant push broom leaning against a nearby wall. I grab it and start carelessly moving it across the floor. I sweep a large circle around her feet. “Or we could talk about gluten free dietary alternatives. That’s absolutely relevant. What the hell do you think I want to talk about?”
She still says nothing so I keep talking.
“I know. We could discuss that old Savage-endorsed adage that tabloid publicity is the best publicity.” I get right next to her and her breathing quickens. I reach out and tug ever so lightly on the sleeve of her shirt. “Of course once upon a time when you had the chance to test that out you crawled back into your den like a gutless rat.”
“I don’t blame you for feeling that way.”
“Good. I do hate to be blamed for things.”
“Oscar…” she says, her voice trailing off, her eyes full of pain.
“I’m not looking for an explanation, Loren. After all this time I don’t really fucking care.”
Her eyes flash. “Well, good for you. But you seem to be going to a lot of trouble for someone who doesn’t care.”
“And for someone who used to hold all this celebrity crap in contempt, you’re sure going to a lot of trouble to whore yourself out.”
She whirls around, swatting me away, her eyes flashing. “That’s not fair.”
“Nothing’s fair, baby.”
“Fuck you.”
“Yeah you did.”
Ren knocks the broom right out of my hands. It clatters to the floor. “Why the hell are you here, Oscar? Why now?”
I kick the broom away. “That’s a real bullshit question to ask me.”
She scowls, then adopts an ominous tone. “I can try a different one. How much cash did Gary promise you?”
Laughter erupts out of my mouth. I’m mocking her and she knows it. “Honey, just because you’re for sale doesn’t mean the rest of the world is too.”
Her mouth falls open and her face reddens. I’ve hit a nerve. Good. I’d like to get on every single one of her goddamn nerves with a cattle prod and juice some sense into her.
“You have no idea,” she spits caustically and throws the rubber hose clumsily toward my feet like she’s all of a sudden going to be tough. But then she backs away as her eyes skate nervously from side to side like she’s searching for something.
I get it. She’s trying to figure out how she’s being seen right now.
“Holy shit.” If there was something nearby to punch I would punch it. Instead I glare at her. “The cameras. The motherfucking cameras. That’s what you’re looking for. You trying on a pose for the best angle?”
“Shut up.”
“How about you turn to the side? Give ‘em a profile shot. Suck in your stomach and push out those pert little titties. Didn’t Gary give you orders? Sex appeal matters when it comes to ratings. You know, maybe old Gary should have paid for you to have some work done to enhance your assets. Need to grab that male eighteen to thirty five demographic.”
“Goddammit, shut up!”
She’s about to lose it but I don’t feel like shutting up. I take a step in her direction. Her breathing catches and her brown eyes widen.
What the hell does she think I’m going to do? Hit her? I’ve never hit a female in my life.
But she betrays herself when she looks down. She zooms right in on my cock