Touching the Billionaire - Holly Jaymes Page 0,9

was her saying that she knew how it was in this business. She was only eleven when she left so how could she know?

She laughed but it was a sad sort of laugh. “People in power try to take advantage of children too, Mr. Wolfe.”

My heart slammed hard in my chest at the idea of an adult taking advantage of a child.

“I was never touched inappropriately, if that’s what you’re thinking. But don’t think it doesn’t exist. I was lucky to have a forceful mother and two powerful parents in the industry, so I wasn’t getting my ass grabbed back then. But I also know that when somebody has control of your career, that’s an awesome power that can be abused and often is.”

I wasn’t quite sure what to say. I wanted to assure her that that kind of thing wouldn’t happen with me, except I knew it already had, sort of. My goal hadn’t been to sneak my hands on her, but I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t manipulating her to see what she was made of and if she could carry this part. But I’d gone about it the wrong way and the guilt at that made me very uncomfortable. I wanted to tell her that but I was pretty sure she wouldn’t hear it or wouldn't believe me. My only choice was to show her while working with her.

“If you’re worried, I’m not going to sue or make any kind of fuss at your firing me. After all, I wouldn’t want to be viewed as difficult to work with.”

It was like she had a knife sunken into my chest and was twisting it as she brought up all the sordid, nasty, rotten ways people in power acted in the entertainment business.

“I think we both know that what I wanted was to know that you could inhabit Nicolette. And we both know that you absolutely nailed it. You can stop worrying about being fired. And you can be sure that I will be more careful in the future when trying to elicit a response…” Shit. That wasn't the right way to say that. “What I mean is in acting.”

She studied me for a moment, then the car stopped and the doors opened. “Then I guess I’ll see you in a week or so.”

I nodded. “I’ll see you the first day of the shoot.”

She exited the elevator car and I sagged back against the wall, hoping I hadn’t said something to fuck this all up again.

I rode the rest of the way up to my penthouse, stripping my clothes off on the way to the shower. I stood under the cool spray, replaying my conversation with her at the test today as well as in the elevator. As much as I needed to maintain that tension between us, I couldn’t shake the need for her to know that I wasn’t going to be a jerk. I didn’t want her to be apprehensive or feel like she was walking into a hostile or dismissive environment. Too much push was bad for chemistry too.

Once I finished cleaning, I threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, and then went and grabbed a bottle of wine from my wine rack. I picked up the phone and called the building manager, making up a story about how I needed to get a hold of Madeline who was staying with her sister on the eighth floor. One of the perks of being famous was that for some reason I could get private information that I wouldn’t have necessarily gotten as a regular person. The manager gave me the condo number and I proceeded out back into the elevator, pushing the button for the eighth floor, and hoping I’d be able to strike the right balance of push and pull between Madeline and I for the duration of this movie shoot.

The Real Theo Wolfe?

Madeline

I hurried from the elevator and into the apartment. Closing the door and leaning against it, I let out my breath in a long whoosh. My second meeting with Theo had gone nearly as bad as the first. He apologized for his behavior, but was it sincere? Was he really sorry about being a jerk? Or was he just trying to make nice?

I didn’t get the feeling that he’d come to like me as a co-star when I left, so it was possible, even likely, that Corrine and Jon had told him to be nice to me. Hadn’t