that?” Did these people resort to putting a tracking device on him?
“She showed up at my office today, begging for help, even asking for Erin or Ryder.”
He squeezed his phone. Damn, he should have slept with her and added her to the pile. She didn’t care who she had as long as they carried the Hollywood Stardust stamp. He wasn’t unique. “Maybe we should just let one of them speak already.”
“Not without you and not with the questions she threw at me today.”
She knew better. He almost laughed. “Well, that ends it.”
“It was the deal she made with you, not me,” Brian said. “The studio wants this project, and it has to be you. We can’t have her or her website poking around without being guided if you want to stay in the lifestyle to which you’ve become accustomed.”
He turned around and looked between Isaac and his brother. Others relied on the lifestyle to which he’d become accustomed. “Fine, I’ll fix this.”
“Look at all the pay you make, and this is the first time you truly had to work for it in years.”
“Yeah, right, don’t forget your percentage.” He hung up the phone.
Both Wilson and Isaac stared at him.
“I think I’m going to cut our tasting short and playact at being an actor. Hopefully, this won’t come up again until the fiftieth anniversary.” As if he had a choice in the matter, he kept his tone upbeat.
“All of this will be good for the bar. You’ll see.” Wilson polished off the last of his meal.
A pounding on the front door interrupted whatever Logan wasn’t going to say to his brother.
“I’m expecting a delivery. I’ll be back.” Wilson put his plate down and left the kitchen.
“Log.” Isaac shook his head. “This is my fault.”
“No. It’s mine and always will be mine.” He pointed at his friend. “Don’t let anyone ever tell you that you didn’t get the best role in the movie.”
“How can you say that? You and Ryder had girls practically climbing over each other to get to you. Between my weight issues, the prosthetics they put on me, and my role, I couldn’t buy a date. No one would touch me.” Isaac held his arms out and glanced down at himself.
“Yeah, but no one knew you either.” Logan had to laugh at the trick. Fake teeth, fake nose, and fake hair had created the character of Charles, the misunderstood outcast of the Hollywood Stardust group. At the time, the directors and producers thought it would be a great publicity stunt to have all of them always appear in character. Drew didn’t know what a favor they did him. Without the makeup and about fifty pounds, and with a name change, he blended right back into the regular world, and Logan vowed that’s where Isaac/Drew would stay if that was what his only friend wanted.
“Still don’t. Though I’m still paranoid.”
“It’s twenty years later, they don’t expect it to be you, and you changed your name. No one connects the dots.” The conversation of Drew’s whereabouts sprang up anytime Hollywood Stardust came to the forefront of the media, but he had made it twenty years under the radar. Most thought he had died or moved out of the country.
“Logan!” The door to the kitchen swung open, and Wilson rushed toward them. “What are you doing?”
Once more he lifted his phone. “Nothing.” He scrolled through her texts. What he thought was her wanting him was her wanting any star. Though he should be used to being third behind Ryder and Erin, he hoped she might be different.
“Well, if your nothing includes not avoiding Ivy, you’re in luck, ’cause she’s here.” Wilson motioned toward the door.
“What?” He shoved his phone back in his pocket. “She’s here?” Here on his turf? His sanctuary? A woman-free, Hollywood-free zone?
“Her and her friend are checking out the front of the house. She tracked you down, or someone gave her this.” Wilson held out one of their business cards.
“This is how she wants to play.” If she wanted the
“She showed up at my office today, begging for help, even asking for Erin or Ryder.”
He squeezed his phone. Damn, he should have slept with her and added her to the pile. She didn’t care who she had as long as they carried the Hollywood Stardust stamp. He wasn’t unique. “Maybe we should just let one of them speak already.”
“Not without you and not with the questions she threw at me today.”
She knew better. He almost laughed. “Well, that ends it.”
“It was the deal she made with you, not me,” Brian said. “The studio wants this project, and it has to be you. We can’t have her or her website poking around without being guided if you want to stay in the lifestyle to which you’ve become accustomed.”
He turned around and looked between Isaac and his brother. Others relied on the lifestyle to which he’d become accustomed. “Fine, I’ll fix this.”
“Look at all the pay you make, and this is the first time you truly had to work for it in years.”
“Yeah, right, don’t forget your percentage.” He hung up the phone.
Both Wilson and Isaac stared at him.
“I think I’m going to cut our tasting short and playact at being an actor. Hopefully, this won’t come up again until the fiftieth anniversary.” As if he had a choice in the matter, he kept his tone upbeat.
“All of this will be good for the bar. You’ll see.” Wilson polished off the last of his meal.
A pounding on the front door interrupted whatever Logan wasn’t going to say to his brother.
“I’m expecting a delivery. I’ll be back.” Wilson put his plate down and left the kitchen.
“Log.” Isaac shook his head. “This is my fault.”
“No. It’s mine and always will be mine.” He pointed at his friend. “Don’t let anyone ever tell you that you didn’t get the best role in the movie.”
“How can you say that? You and Ryder had girls practically climbing over each other to get to you. Between my weight issues, the prosthetics they put on me, and my role, I couldn’t buy a date. No one would touch me.” Isaac held his arms out and glanced down at himself.
“Yeah, but no one knew you either.” Logan had to laugh at the trick. Fake teeth, fake nose, and fake hair had created the character of Charles, the misunderstood outcast of the Hollywood Stardust group. At the time, the directors and producers thought it would be a great publicity stunt to have all of them always appear in character. Drew didn’t know what a favor they did him. Without the makeup and about fifty pounds, and with a name change, he blended right back into the regular world, and Logan vowed that’s where Isaac/Drew would stay if that was what his only friend wanted.
“Still don’t. Though I’m still paranoid.”
“It’s twenty years later, they don’t expect it to be you, and you changed your name. No one connects the dots.” The conversation of Drew’s whereabouts sprang up anytime Hollywood Stardust came to the forefront of the media, but he had made it twenty years under the radar. Most thought he had died or moved out of the country.
“Logan!” The door to the kitchen swung open, and Wilson rushed toward them. “What are you doing?”
Once more he lifted his phone. “Nothing.” He scrolled through her texts. What he thought was her wanting him was her wanting any star. Though he should be used to being third behind Ryder and Erin, he hoped she might be different.
“Well, if your nothing includes not avoiding Ivy, you’re in luck, ’cause she’s here.” Wilson motioned toward the door.
“What?” He shoved his phone back in his pocket. “She’s here?” Here on his turf? His sanctuary? A woman-free, Hollywood-free zone?
“Her and her friend are checking out the front of the house. She tracked you down, or someone gave her this.” Wilson held out one of their business cards.
“This is how she wants to play.” If she wanted the
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