Money (The Keatyn Chronicles Book 10) (9 page)

Captive Films - Santa Monica

RILEY

I got up early this morning, finally giving up on trying to get a restful night
’
s sleep. Even though Ariela seemed to take the news well, I could hear the stress in her voice.
 

As Tyler brings me coffee and a pastry, I absentmindedly pat my midsection, feeling guilty for skipping my usual morning workout with my trainer.
 

“
Raul said you bailed on him today. You feeling okay, boss?
”
Raul is Tyler
’
s life partner and my personal trainer.
“
Still recovering from the big homecoming weekend?
”

“
I guess so,
”
I say, not wanting to talk about it.
“
What do we need to discuss before I start my day?
”

He studies me for a beat before looking down at the iPad he uses to keep track of everything.
“
Well, I took the liberty of ordering a gift for Dallas and RiAnne
’
s baby. It will be delivered tomorrow morning.
”

“
What did I get them?
”

“
A lovely Armani layette for the darling baby Farryn, a gorgeous Hermes bag for the new mother, and a golf outing with the new father.
”

“
Are you talking about me?
”
Dallas asks from my doorway.

“
What are you doing here? Shouldn
’
t you be at home?
”
I ask him.

“
RiAnne is going to be in the hospital for a couple days. I took the rugrats to school and both the nanny and RiAnne
’
s mother are home with the little ones. I want to get the negotiations on the Captive deal done before Keatyn goes on her honeymoon.
”

“
Wow, that
’
s fast.
”

“
They want to move fast, and I was under the assumption that you were on board.
”

“
I am.
”

“
Then we need to come up with a new name if we
’
re going to give up Captive.
”

“
Like what?
”

“
I was thinking something to do with the three of us. Like Triad Films, maybe. Other synonyms for three are Trinity, Trio, Triplicity. Trivium. I actually like that one.
”

“
Three, huh? Maybe we should go with Menage A Trois?
”
I joke. But then I think about Ariela
’
s face when Shelby suggested a threesome.
“
Um, I need to talk to both of you about something. Tyler, will you close the door and have a seat?
”

He does as I ask and then both he and Dallas sit in the chairs in front of my desk, looking at me expectantly.

“
There is a new development in my life that I need you both to be aware of.
”

Dallas looks at me shrewdly.
“
You find out you have a kid?
”

“
Sort of. Shelby is pregnant.
”

“
Do I know her?
”
Dallas asks.

“
She was my date for the L.A. premiere.
”

“
Cheap champagne girl?
”
 

I nod.
“
Yes.
”

Dallas leans back, his hands forming a bridge as he thinks.
“
And you believe you
’
re the father?
”

“
Part of me doesn
’
t know how it
’
s possible, since I used condoms, but the timing is right, and she is definitely pregnant. Aiden says there
’
s a paternity test that can be done at eight weeks. She
’
s about four weeks along.
”

“
So, we wait until a paternity test determines you are the father then, once we know, we
’
ll deal with the outcome.
”

“
I told her I would find her somewhere nice to live.
”

“
Why did you do that?
”
Tyler asks.
 

“
Because I
’
m a nice guy, and if she is having my baby, I
’
m not going to be some asshole baby daddy. She lives in a shitty place, and I don
’
t want the possible mother of my child living somewhere like that. She is also short on her rent this month because she
’
s been sick.
”

“
She
’
s already asking you for money. That
’
s a red flag, Riley,
”
Dallas states.

“
She wanted to move in with me.
”

“
Oh dear,
”
Tyler says.
 

“
And suggested we get married,
”
I confess.

“
Gold digger,
”
Tyler coughs.

“
That was my first thought, as well,
”
Dallas says.

“
It was my first thought, too, but she told me she grew up with nothing and doesn
’
t expect anything from me other than for me to be a good father. Apparently, her father wasn
’
t around growing up.
”

“
Well, that explains a few things,
”
Dallas says with a chuckle.
“
Okay, serious advice from both your friend and your lawyer. Tyler, find her a place to live. I’ll draw up a document for her to sign
before
she’s allowed to move in that will spell out what happens if a paternity test doesn
’
t prove you are the father. If that happens, we’ll give her thirty days to vacate the premises. We’ll deal with anything else once the results come back.
”

“
That sounds good,
”
I agree.
“
Tyler, find her a place that is furnished somewhere close to me but not too close. And I
’
d like it right away. Somewhere nice.
”

“
I
’
m on it, Boss,
”
he says.
“
Do you have anything else pressing for me this morning?
”

“
Take care of this first. Everything else can wait.
”

Tyler heads out, and Dallas goes over to the bar, grabs a bottle, and pours a shot in both our coffees.
“
How are you doing?
”

“
I
’
m in shock. I can
’
t believe something like this would happen just when Ariela is finally back in my life.
”

“
Did you tell her?
”

“
Yeah. She said it didn
’
t matter. That she would love any baby of mine. I want to have children with Ariela, not Shelby.
”

“
How
’
s her divorce coming?
”

“
I
’
m not sure. It
’
s not something we
’
ve talked about. Mostly because we weren
’
t talking after the Vegas fiasco. Then at Eastbrooke, it wasn
’
t the right place. Since she’ll be working at the vineyard all week and I’ll be here, we promised each other we’d have nightly phone conversations to get to know each other better. I’m sure the divorce subject will come up.
”

Knox strolls in with Jennifer, not bothering to knock.
“
Heard you knocked up the blow job chick.
”

“
That is not for public knowledge,
”
I say.
“
Tyler, get in here!
”

Tyler comes rushing in.
“
What?
”

“
You are not to tell anyone about this until we get a paternity test.
”

“
I haven
’
t told anyone.
”

Jennifer sets a newspaper down in front of me. A headline is circled in red.
Captive Films
’
Riley Johnson
’
s Baby Mama Drama.

“
Are you fucking kidding me?
”
I yell.
 

“
The article got a lot of other stuff right,
”
Jennifer says as I start reading.

Captive Films
’
Riley Johnson
’
s Baby Mama Drama

Well, people. The goings-on at Captive Films just continue to get more exciting. We
’
ve learned that the playboy CEO, fresh back from his crazy Vegas publicity stunt with Knox Daniels, Jennifer Edwards, and his equally sexy brother, Dawson, is going to be a father.
 

The baby mama is a cocktail waitress at one of the establishments Riley frequents. Our source tells us that RBM (Riley
’
s Baby Mama) was his date for all three of the world-wide premieres for
The Keatyn Chronicles
trilogy. Although it
’
s doubtful RBM will be hearing wedding bells soon with this notorious bachelor, the sounds of a wailing child should keep her occupied.
 

Speaking of babies, Captive Films
’
CLO Dallas MacMahon welcomed a new addition to his family just yesterday. Mama and Baby number FIVE are said to be doing well.
 

Excitement surrounds this group. We
’
re told by a source at the hospital that Dallas was out of town partying with Keatyn, Knox, and Riley when his wife went into labor. After a call that involved a whole lot of yelling, the friends flew home as fast as they could and were helicoptered to the hospital just in time for the birth.
 

All I know is this. I am not stepping foot in Captive Films. That pregnancy thing might just be catching.

Which brings me to my next revelation.
 

Hold on to your skirts, ladies. This is big news.
 

I believe I may have been wrong. (I know, right? That never happens.)
 

But my being wrong leads to a whole lot of right.
 

Because this is juicy.

I have come to the conclusion that Keatyn
’
s recent breast enhancement may NOT have been the result of plastic surgery.
 

I
’
m going on record. I
’
m going to be the first to call it.

Keatyn Douglas is pregnant.

Upon further inspection of all the photos from the recent
Daddy
’
s Angel
event, where Keatyn clung to Knox Daniels all night in a beautiful, tight Herve Leger bandage dress, I realized that I was too focused on her boobs to notice her small baby bump. Check out this side shot. Do you see what I see?

Let the baby bump frenzy begin!

Now the question becomes
—
what kind of baby daddy drama will Keatyn have? Is the father of her child her fianc
é
, vintner Aiden Arrington, or is it Knox Daniels, her sexy costar, with whom her tangled relationship has burned bright for years?

Can you even imagine how beautiful a Knox
—
Keatyn spawn would be?

With Knox and Keatyn set to be on location together over the next few months, I predict that the two will work out their issues, that Keatyn will break her engagement, and Knox and Jennifer Edwards
’
fledgling relationship will fail.