Capturing the Moment

Chapter 3

Sidney

I glance up. "Code Red? What does that mean?"

Neither woman answers, but they're having a whole conversation with their eyes. As their gazes lock, matching scowls curve their lips, and they aren't ordinary women anymore. They're twin tornadoes bent on destruction.

I scramble off the couch.

"My brother's been cheating on Sidney," Lillie tells her. "He made their break-up as public and embarrassing as possible - on purpose. And he gave her starring role to his new girlfriend. He needs to pay."

Pay?

The new girl doesn't question it. She just nods. "I'm in."

"In?" I manage. "In for what?"

I half expect them to say murder or dismemberment. That's how intense their faces are. But then those matching vengeful expressions falter.

They have no idea which revenge is the best revenge.

And neither do I, honestly.

Logan and I were together for six years. I've spent more of my adult life with him than I was without him. Now it's over, and I don't want to do anything. I don't want to date anyone.

I'm not just losing him, either. Logan wasn't even interested in my pitch for Starfinder until I made him read the script. When he first heard the synopsis about it, he said it was too girly of a role for him.

Probably because nothing blows up.

"Let it go," I tell Lillie, "There's nothing we can do. I don't want him back. What else is there? If I'm not trying to fix things, for what? Burning his clothes?"

He already picked them up anyway, and left our city townhouse. That's out of the question.

"Keying his car? Egging his new house? Egging his car?" Cece suggests.

Their eyes gleam, but I discourage them fast.

"There isn't anything I can do to Logan that won't wind up front page news. And, once you're cast as the vengeful ex, nobody in this town ever casts you as anything else." I say.

They both know it's true. In Hollywood, we've seen this happen a dozen times: even when the husband messes up, it's the wife who suffers.

Her career is over, but he always gets his comeback.

I'm not playing that game with Logan, though. I'm not going to let him burn me to the ground so he can rise like a Phoenix out of my ashes.

"I need to move on. If I can't have the female lead in Alien on My Ship, I have to find something else. Fast!"

The worst thing I can do for my career is wait and stay away too long. I want to hide in my house, in my bed where it's safe and watch reruns of the Housewives of Beverly Hills. I want a never ending supply of hot tea and gummy worms and never come out. But if I do, Logan gets to ruin my career along with everything else. He gets everything, and I will get nothing.

I refuse to let that happen; so we get to work.

I need a new project anyway. Something impressive, something bulletproof. A movie as good as Starfinder that is going to be in production soon. Something better than his sellout in theaters and streaming movie, The Last Action Hero.

Basically I need a miracle.

My agent is no help because conveniently, she became Amelia's agent too. Cece comes to the rescue. She's halfway through her idea - a delicious bit of gossip from her last gig that involves Lillie's infamous Hot Rebound - when there's a knock at the door.