I giggled. I'd known I would eventually convert him. "I love that I've had such a profound effect on you."
"In more ways than just food."
Right after I leaned across the table to kiss him, the waitress delivered our drinks and took our orders, and the moment we were alone again, an alert came through my phone.
It was the specific ringtone that I feared. During most occasions, I wouldn't immediately reach for my phone, but what followed the alert this time was an incessant dinging of texts.
From Dominick's cell.
And mine.
"What the hell is going on?" I said, unzipping my bag. The second I saw my screen, my mouth fell open. "Oh my God."
BREAKING NEWS:
WE'VE GOTTEN OUR HANDS ON SOME STEAMY PHOTOGRAPHS. ONES THAT STAR KENDALL ROY. WE DON'T KNOW WHO THE LUCKY COSTAR IS, BUT WE DO KNOW SHE LOOKS AS GOOD NAKED AS SHE DOES AT THE CLUB.
IF YOU WERE WONDERING IF SHE'S SWEET OR SPICY UNDER THE SHEETS, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'VE GOT OURSELVES A JALAPEÑO, FOLKS.
"I'm going to be sick," I whispered, my hands trembling as I clicked on the link.
There were pictures of me standing in the bedroom of my apartment, my back to the camera as I walked over to a man lying on my bed.
His face and body were shaded out, so he couldn't be identified.
But I knew it was Dominick.
They weren't so kind when it came to masking me. Although parts were blurred, I could still see the outline of my breasts, my bare ass, the dip of my hips, the arch of my back.
In the shots, I was riding Dominick; in others, he had me positioned doggy style. There were even some of me on the floor, Dominick sitting on the edge of the bed, my hands and mouth around a dark blur that I was obviously sucking.
"I'm going to fucking kill someone," he barked, causing me to look up. "Wring their goddamn necks until they can't take another breath."
He was clearly looking at the same site.
"Who would do this to me?" Bile was working its way up my stomach, my eyes filling with tears, my mouth on the verge of dry-heaving. "Why is this happening?"
I couldn't put the pieces together in my head.
Dominick had only been to my place once, and that was before filming had even begun, when I was free to do whatever I wanted in my apartment, the cameras not on.
Or so they had promised.
My stomach lurched again as I read the text underneath the photos.
FIRST, SHE WAS WITH PRESLEY JORDAN, THEIR MOUTHS SMEARED IN PINK.
THEN, SHE LANDED DOMINICK DALTON.
IS THIS MYSTERY MAN ONE OF THE ABOVE OR SOMEONE NEW?
WHAT WE DO KNOW IS, WE LIKE WHAT WE SEE.
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, MISS ROY.
MEOW.
THIRTY
DOMINICK
O
nce I had Kendall back at my house, making her as comfortable as possible in my bed with a bottle of wine and a glass of water next to her-whichever she needed most-I got in my car and drove straight to the studio.
Fuck calling.
I needed Ted's fucking head in my hands, and a conversation over the phone with the studio's CEO wasn't going to give me that satisfaction.
I was only a mile past my driveway when I phoned my assistant. Once she answered, I ordered, "I need Brett Young and my brothers on a conference call immediately. I don't care if they're in meetings; haul their asses out."
"Give me two seconds. I'm just going to put you on hold while I call them."
I was driving double the speed limit, barely braking around turns, running yellows that changed to red.
"Dominick," my assistant said through my car speakers, "I have them all on the line. I'm going to connect you now."
I heard the click and said, "Brett? Jenner and Ford?" When they confirmed, I continued, "I know you all have seen the alert. I've gotten your voice mails and texts. It's easier to have this conversation all together."
"Jesus, brother. I pity the fucking asshole who's about to get the wrath of you," Ford said. "What do you know so far?"
"First, it goes without saying that it's me in the photographs."
"Never questioned it," Jenner said. "I just want to know who the fuck I'm about to sue."
I slowed down at the next red light, my foot feeling heavy enough to run it. "I was only at Kendall's place once-the day before she started filming. We stopped by, so she could change her clothes before we went to brunch, and the obvious happened. The contract was clear-I'd read it with my own goddamn eyes-and the cameras weren't supposed to be on until filming began."
"That's correct," Brett said. "I read the same verbiage."
"Then, how the fuck did this happen?" Jenner asked.
"I'd like to know the same thing," Brett replied.
"I'm going to tie up that studio in so much legal, that show is going to sit on a hard drive, collecting twelve inches of fucking dust."
"Should I start the proceedings?" Jenner asked.
I blew through the next yellow, turning onto the street where the studio's executive offices were located. "Not yet. I'm headed there now for answers. I'm bypassing Shane-that motherfucker can't give me what I want-and I'm going straight to Ted."
"Going right for the big dog-I like your style," Jenner said. "But be prepared. I'm sure their legal counsel is on his way there as well. They don't want litigation or their name tied to this. If they're responsible for the leak, they're going to offer a private settlement before this goes to court-I can promise you that. And they're going to do it quickly; they don't want anything or anyone delaying the airing of this show."
I laughed. "It's far too fucking late for that."
"Do you want me to meet you over there?" Brett asked.
"I'm not dragging you into this," I responded.
"What do you think happened?" Ford asked. "Do you think it's to garner attention for the show? Or something else?"
Since I'd read the alert and viewed the photographs, that question had been fucking eating at me.
I had theories, but I needed proof.
"I don't know," I told them. "But you bet your ass I'm going to find out. I'll call you once I leave the studio."