Money (The Keatyn Chronicles Book 10) (14 page)

“
But
—”

“
Have you ever seen a bungalow at Chateau Marmont?
”

“
That
’
s
the kind of bungalow you
’
re talking about? Oh my God! I
’
ve heard about those!
”

“
So do you think you
’
d be okay staying there until we can find you a suitable place to live?
”

She frowns and hangs her head.
“
They
’
re really expensive, Riley. I don
’
t need anything that nice. Besides, I don
’
t have anything to wear to a place like that.
”

I push her chin up.
“
Then it sounds like you
’
ll need to go shopping first.
”

“
Riley, I can
’
t . . .
”

“
I
’
ll take care of it.
”

“
Are you trying to get rid of me?
”
She starts crying.
“
I
’
m sorry, Riley. I
’
m just so emotional right now. Must be all the pregnancy hormones.
”

“
Speaking of that,
 
I thought you told me you
’
ve been sick?
”

“
I have been. I threw up first thing this morning. I usually feel okay until about midday then I
’
m exhausted.
”

“
Are you still planning to work?
”

Her eyes get big, and she looks at me like I
’
m nuts.
“
Of course I am, Riley. I appreciate that you
’
re going to put me up and all, but I know how men are. As soon as they
’
ve used you up, they move on. And if you decide to move on, I
’
d be fucked. I
’
m not stupid.
”

“
I
’
d say I
’
m not like other men, but I probably am. I work hard. I fuck a lot of women. It
’
s who I am.
”

“
I don
’
t care about any of that, Riley. You know, sexually, I
’
m pretty open-minded. But just to be clear, if you
’
re going to fuck around, so am I.
”

“
I understand,
”
I tell her, appreciating her candor.
“
Tyler, my assistant, will get in touch with you this morning. He
’
ll have a personal shopper work with you and then get you all checked in.
”

“
Will you come help me christen my new place tonight?
”

“
I
’
ll try,
”
I tell her, not wanting to commit, but knowing I
’
ll be there with fucking bells on.

Captive Films - Santa Monica

DAWSON

I took the girls to the airport this morning and got them on a plane back home.
 

It was not fun.

Harlow hung on me and cried, saying that she didn
’
t want to leave. That she didn
’
t care if Ava liked the school. That she wanted to be with her daddy and her soon-to-be-adopted pony.

I
’
m not sure what to do. Harlow loved the school when they visited yesterday. She and Carder seem thick as thieves, and I know if she came here, she
’
d do well. But she
’
s more easygoing like me.

Ava is tougher. She said she had a good day, but that she didn
’
t know yet if she wanted to move. My mom says it
’
s because she
’
s almost a teenager. That they are moody and don
’
t know what they want. She says at some point, I
’
m just going to have to tell her she
’
s moving, and that
’
s it.
 

But I don
’
t think she
’
s right. Ava is a lot like her mother. She knows what she wants and is not afraid to go for it. Where Harlow is reckless abandon, Ava is a well-orchestrated plan. I think if I back off, she
’
ll come to the right decision.

I blink away my thoughts and focus on the marketing calendar in front of me.
 

Tyler
’
s voice comes over the speaker.
“
Keatyn is on line three.
”

“
Hey, Keatyn,
”
I say, picking up the receiver.
“
What
’
s up?
”

“
I have some news I need to share with you. This is top secret, okay? We
’
re calling a special board meeting this week, where we will announce the sale of Captive to Front Door Films.
”

“
Oh, wow,
”
I say, shocked. I know how these things work. When one company sells to another, most of the executives are fired. And that means me.
“
I probably wouldn
’
t have come out here had I known.
”

“
Most of the employees will have the option of taking a buyout or moving with the sale.
”

“
I see.
”
Shit, what are the girls going to say when I tell them I
’
m coming home?
 

“
Riley and I want you to run our new company.
”

“
Run it?
”

“
Yes, it will be a much smaller Captive Films. One that only takes on a few special projects at a time. We
’
ll be taking
Daddy
’
s Angel
with us, along with all my scripts that haven
’
t been optioned by Captive
—
which is everything that
’
s not currently in production. And Knox and I have a project in the works that we hope to run through the new Captive, as well.
”

“
What
’
s Riley going to do?
”

“
Produce movies. It
’
s what he loves. Really, this sale will allow us all to get back to doing what we love. What we started out doing. Things won
’
t be quite so hectic, you know?
”

“
That sounds nice, actually.
”

“
How did the girls
’
visit go yesterday?
”

“
Harlow loved the school and is ready to move. Ava isn
’
t so sure.
”

“
She
’
s at a hard age. I
’
m sure she doesn
’
t want to leave her friends. Have you tried bribing her?
”

I laugh.
“
That
’
s the other reason Harlow is so gung-ho about California. She wants a pony, and Vanessa said she could adopt one of hers.
”

“
Vanessa must really want you to stay.
”

“
She
’
s redoing her whole house. The girls seem to affect her. She showed us a playroom that she
’
s kept locked up and told me about how she can
’
t have more children.
”

“
She
what
?
”

“
You didn
’
t know?
”

“
No. Oh my gosh. No wonder she took the miscarriage so hard. I thought it was because of Bam
’
s cheating but
—
oh, it all makes more sense now.
”

“
Don
’
t tell her I told you. I shouldn
’
t have said anything. I didn
’
t mean to betray her confidence. I assumed since you are best friends that you knew.
”
 

“
I won
’
t tell her, Dawes. So, back to your new job. I guess the first question is, would you be interested in being the CEO of a smaller, more nimble Captive Films?
”

“
I definitely would be.
”

“
Good to hear. I should also mention that when this deal goes through, all of our employee stock in the company will vest and be paid out. If you recall, you received numerous shares as a sign-on bonus. I don
’
t know if you would be interested, but if you would like to use those funds to buy into the new Captive, we
’
d love to take you on as a partner.
”

“
Who all is investing? Will you still have a board to report to?
”

“
The investors are me, Riley, Dallas, and Knox. There won
’
t be an outside board of directors. Basically, the plan is for you and Dallas and, hopefully, Tyler, to run the business with a small staff. We
’
ll outsource anything else. We expect
Daddy
’
s Angel
to be huge, and the project Knox and I will do next could win Captive its first Oscar. So what do you think?
”

“
Providing Ava agrees to come to school out here, I
’
m in.
”

“
Anything I can do to help with that?
”

“
What do girls her age want?
”

“
When we were all up at the vineyard, she told Fallon that you won
’
t let her wear makeup. I remember RiAnne saying it was a really big deal for Fallon this year.
”

“
She
’
s too young to wear makeup!
”

“
She doesn
’
t want to wear a face full. Just tinted lip gloss and a little clear mascara.
”

“
That
’
s it?
”

“
That
’
s what Fallon wears to school.
”

“
Makeup
? Could it be that simple?
”

“
Probably. Good luck.
”

I text Ava, knowing she has Wi-Fi on the plane.

Me:
 
I don
’
t know how you feel about this, but Keatyn told me that in L.A. girls your age get to wear a little bit of makeup to school. Just a little. Like some of that lip stuff and a little mascara. You know I won
’
t let you wear it now, but if you come to school here, I
’
ve decided you can.

Ava:
 
Are you joking? Like, are you laughing out loud right now?

Me:
 
No.

Ava:
 
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Me:
 
What does that mean?

Ava:
 
Just so I
’
m clear
—
we
’
re talking black mascara, lipstick, blush, and glitter powder?

Me:
 
Clear mascara, lip gloss, and glitter powder. I
’
ll even throw in Instagram.