“So, you good now? Ready for tomorrow?” Brian asks Xavier.
“Yeah. I’m good.”
Brian nods. “Good. You know it’s important to have your head on straight. No more fucking around. Rex means business and he’s going to do his best to make you eat mat to prove he’s the ultimate contender for the belt. He’s been gathering backing while you’ve been gone. He’s got one of the writers in his pocket now.”
Xavier leans back in the chair and rolls his ripped shoulders. “Let him try. I’ve been dying to really put a whipping on that fucker. He runs his mouth far too much for my taste. Someone needs to shut him the fuck up.”
“While I’d love nothing more than to witness you doing that very thing, you have to be smart about it. He’s going to try and antagonize you.”
Xavier sighs. “I don’t understand why he can’t do his job like the rest of us. He takes things too far, makes shit personal, and that really pisses me off. I’ll hit him harder than called for, every chance I get.”
“He’s got a death wish, X. He’s going to fight dirty.”
“I thought everything was choreographed? Why does he have to get personal?” I ask.
Brian turns his attention to me. “The man is afraid of X. We all know it, but he’s hell bent on getting that belt, so he’s going to try to exploit and pick at every weakness he can find so he doesn’t have to fight him directly to get it.”
“Deena,” Without meaning to say her name out loud, it slips from my lips.
“Exactly,” Brian agrees. “And you, now that you’re in the mix.”
Xavier rubs his face. “Shit.”
Brian nods. “You walking in here hand in hand…my guess is he’ll try to get to Anna just to press your buttons.”
His brow flinches for a brief second. “She’s too smart for that. She won’t fall for his shit.”
“She might not, but it won’t stop him from trying.”
Brian glances down at his phone. “Got to run, brother. Time to check in with the wifey.” He stands and smiles at me. “Anna, good luck keeping my man on track. You’ve got your work cut out for you. This stubborn ass is pretty set in his ways.”
I laugh as Xavier rolls his eyes. “Thanks.”
The moment Brian walks away, I say, “I like him. He seems fun.”
The waiter sets our food down in front of us, and Xavier cuts into his steak. “Brian is a good guy, and the only real friend I’ve got in this business.”
“That’s hard to believe, what with that charming, outgoing personality you have.” I bump my shoulder into his and Xavier chuckles.
“Keep it up, beautiful. Insubordination will get you punished.”
The water glass pressed to my lips, I stare at him over it and raise my eyebrow. “You don’t scare me.”
He licks his lips slowly as he glances down at my mouth for a brief second. “I should, but I’m glad I don’t.”
The tension between us is driving me crazy. While I know what he’s saying isn’t sexual in any way, my mind instantly takes it to the gutter. It’s the main complication I’ll face, working for a man I find insanely attractive.
I need to refocus and remember the reason I’m here. Maybe that’ll occupy my brain and make me stop thinking of my new boss as an object of desire.
“So when are you going to tell me what my duties are?”
His jaw works around as he chews while considering my question.
After a moment he swallows and asks, “What would you like them to be?”
I shake my head. “That’s not how this works. You’re supposed to give me direction.”
“Direction…” he mumbles. “Okay, the first thing you need to do is stay away from Rex. He bothers you, talks to you—whatever—you let me know.”
“After the conversation I just heard, that goes without saying. What else?”
“Deena used to keep my schedule in order. She’d tell me where I had to be and when. That actually really helped. With everything I have going on, I lose track of interviews and promo shoots.”
“I can do that. Do you have your calendar?”
“It’s on my phone. Text me your email, and I’ll send it over to you.”
Now we’re getting somewhere, and this feels more like a real job. “Anything else?”
“No,” he says flatly. “I prefer to take care of everything else myself. Jimmy deals with all my business affairs, so things are pretty well-handled.”
I probably shouldn’t say this, but I’m going to anyway. “I know this puts my job in jeopardy, but I really don’t think you need me if that’s all the work you’re going to give me. I at least want to feel useful.”
“Just you being here helps more than you’ll ever know. It’s nice to have someone around to talk to who’s not cutthroat like the rest of these motherfuckers around here.”
“So what you’re saying is that you basically hired me as your companion?” I freak a little inside, suddenly needing to clear up exactly what this job doesn’t entail. “I’m not a paid escort, Xavier, if that’s why you brought me along.”
He furrows his brow. “I know that.”
“Do you? I’m just making it clear that I’m not like Deena.”
“Beautiful, you couldn’t be any more different if you tried.” He takes my hand into his on the top of the table. “You’re more woman than she can ever dream of being.”