Kathleen Brooks - Secrets Collide

“I just sent a tweet out that I’m looking to cast a reality show and am excited about this next phase of my life. Then I sent a couple texts to some people I know that I’m back in town and will be at a certain club tonight.”

“And you think that’s going to work?” Dink, dink, dink, dink . “Oh, shut up.” Gemma turned and went into the bathroom as he tried not to gloat.

“What?” Dink . “I didn’t say a thing.” Dink . And with that, he failed to not gloat.

* * *

Cy had a hard time keeping his eyes off Gemma. Now he knew how she got into the VIP sections of clubs so easily. She was a knockout. She wore a black dress with a plunging neckline. A wide red belt showed off a narrow waist while the tight skirt emphasized her amazing curves and long legs. She finished the outfit with red spiked heels.

Her hair cascaded down her back in soft waves as she greeted Joe, the doorman. He was the perfect doorman: handsome, athletic, and had enough dings and dents to show overzealous patrons that he wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty if they got out of line.

“Joe, this is my friend Cy. We both really appreciate your help on this.”

“Cy? Cy Davidson, the producer who’s looking to cast a reality show about trying to break into the industry?”

Cy shot a triumphant grin to Gemma as he held out his hand to Joe. “That’s me. From what I hear, you’ll want this more,” Cy said as he handed Joe a card.

“Doug Mac’s private number,” Joe said reverently as the looked at the business card.

“Tell him Cy told you to call. I have a feeling working with him will be more suited for you.”

“Thank you. Oh my God, Gem, I totally owe you. And you, too, of course, Mr. Davidson. “

“You could call it even by letting Sarah Flannery know I’m here. Just don’t let her know I was asking about her.”

“You got it.” Joe took out his wallet and looked at the card once more before safely tucking it away.

Cy followed Gemma into the club. The loud music coursed through his body as the lights bounced off the people dancing. They passed the bar and Gemma gave the bartender a quick wave before another club employee unhooked a velvet rope and allowed them up a set of stairs to the VIP area overlooking the dance floor.

Before they even sat down, the first expensively perfumed starlet enveloped Cy. Gemma rolled her eyes and sat down before she lost a seat. Cy smiled and laughed and played his part. It was something he was good at. While he wanted to be himself, Cy Davidson was a part of him, too, after all these years, and it felt good slipping back into character.

“Ladies—I’ve missed you all so much that I decided to come back for a bit,” Cy laughed at Gemma sticking her finger down her throat as she sat on the couch behind the gaggle of fawning women.

“Here’s my card.”

“Here’s my number.”

“I’d be perfect for your show.”

“I’m sure y’all would be perfect. But give all your information to my assistant over there so it’ll be safe. You never know where I’ll end up tonight and I’d sure hate to lose your card.” Cy sent Gemma a wink just before all heads whipped around to look at her.

Cy used the time to cast a quick glance around the club. It was almost full as night turned into early morning. He caught sight of the very tall and leggy blonde as she strode into the club with her posse. Cy headed back into the pack of women before Sarah could reach the VIP area and was totally engrossed in conversation by the time she arrived and took her seat.

Gemma could only imagine this was what hell looked like. Her eyes were watering with perfume, her ears were ringing with their twittering, and two of them had “accidentally” stabbed her foot with their heels. Then there was him . Just sitting in the middle of the pack. She could see his head getting bigger and bigger as they flattered and flirted with him. Maybe she’d take her heel and pop his ego with it.

She also didn’t know what to think of the quick transformation back to the man she met here just a short while ago. He’d been this carefree, hot-to-trot kind of guy her mother had warned her about. But after arriving in Keeneston, he seemed to drop the fakeness. He had actually seemed a little lost at times, but when they were together she felt as if they were both free. They both dropped all defenses and just enjoyed being together.

Gemma was knocked out of her reflections when Cy caught her eye and gave a slight nod toward a sitting area next to them. Sarah Elizabeth Flannery was draped across a chair and surveying her domain, which currently included Cy. Her two friends, both slightly less attractive and completely doting, were whispering in her ears.

“I’m sorry, I have to get a drink for Mr. Davidson, “ Gemma said to the small crowd trying to hand her cards and headshots. She made her way to the private bar and took a seat to wait after ordering two drinks.

She didn’t have to wait long for Sarah to take a seat next to her at the bar. “Hi. I’m Sarah.”

“Gemma, nice to meet you.”

“Same. So who’s your boss over there? Seems pretty popular.”

“Cy Davidson. He was a stuntman, but now he’s gone into producing.”

“Oh, that’s Cy Davidson. I’ve heard a lot about him. I see the talk is true. Yummy! What’s he producing?”

“A new reality series. He’s trying to find someone young and new to follow around as they audition for major roles. Basically, he wants to document them becoming an A-list actor.” Hook, line, and sinker, Gemma thought as she saw the excitement in Sarah’s eyes.

“Really? What does new mean?”

“Well, they need a little family history in Hollywood so they may actually get their foot in the door, you know?”

“Of course. I completely agree with that. Oh, here,” Sarah said as she winked at the bartender in the VIP section. “Let me get those. You sit here and take a minute to recover from those vultures. I’ll take this to your boss.”

Gemma sighed with relief. “Really? Thank you so much, Sarah.”

Cy saw the second Sarah picked up his drink. Gemma had pulled it off. He turned to the women around him and asked for a couple minutes to relax. His assistant had their numbers and headshots and he’d look over them soon.

“I guess I have good timing,” Sarah purred as she handed him his bourbon.

“I guess you do,” Cy responded as he blatantly checked her out. “For bringing me my drink, I’ll give you five minutes.”

Sarah smiled, thinking she had succeeded. “I’m Sarah Flannery. My mother, Cashmere Flannery is a soap opera star. I’m twenty-one and looking to make it big in the industry. I have almost six million followers on Twitter and have a lot of buzz around me right now after that horrid sex tape was leaked.”

“Horrid. Too bad. If it were a good sex tape, then you’d be interesting.” Cy took a sip of his drink and turned away from Sarah.

“Oh, it’s good. It was just horrible that it was leaked. Someone hacked my phone and stole it.”

“I guess that means they want more of you. My assistant has a list of questions with her that we use during interviews. Why don’t we sit down and go over them. If I’m interested, I’ll get back to you in a couple days and you can come back for an audition.” Cy led Sarah over to their couch and waved for Gemma who came looking very professional with her tablet.

“Miss Flannery has captured my interest. Now let’s see if she can keep it.”

“Oh,” Gemma said, feigning surprise. “Let me pull up our background questions. Okay, here we go. Tell us about your immediate family, including any acting experience, how much money you had growing up, and where that money came from.” Gemma looked up. “You know, old money from Granddad’s oil days, new money from your mother’s technology company, stuff like that. And then what your family does now. Jobs, hobbies, and how close they are to you.”