The Billionaire's Game

Chapter 5 | Unfinished Business-3

Mason took a sip of his martini as he glanced sideways at Ines and the older gentleman who was seated a few tables away. Lord, but she was good. The way she was practically mooning over the old man — the girl was an absolute pro.

“So tell me about your job,” Rachel said. She was absently tracing the rim of her sangria with her forefinger. “Do you get to hang out in movie sets a lot? Is it fun?”

“It's work,” he said, shrugging. “Neither fun nor dreary. And no, I'm not needed on the set. I'm just the money.”

“Yeah, but they wouldn't be able to make movies without you.”

“I suppose not. Not the really big ones, anyway.” He could see Ines and her companion talking animatedly. At least they weren't holding hands anymore.

“But those are the only ones that matter, right?” Rachel pressed on.

In Mason's opinion, any film that needed that many millions to make couldn't be worth s**t. He could barely remember the plots of the last five blockbusters he'd bankrolled. Michael Sorensen may be a drugged almost has-been, but the film he was working in had a solid script and a fine director at the helm. Jane Holtzman had only ever made shorts, but Mason had seen them and saw the genius behind the camera. Michael and Jane's indie feature was the only project Mason was involved in where he felt he was helping create something that mattered.

“Financially speaking, yes.”

“Well, I like my job. I think it's fun. They hooked me up with a nice big suite at this hotel. You ever stayed here?”

“No, I can't say I have.” He glanced over at Ines while taking another sip of his drink. He almost choked.

She had moved to sit right beside the old man. They had their heads together, and their shoulders touching. All Mason could see was Ines's back, but he saw her occasionally whispering in her companion's ear and laughing.

Had the girl no sense of propriety at all? They were in an upscale restaurant in a five-star hotel. Yet there she was practically letting the old lecher paw her in front of everyone.

“Mason?”

“What?” He frowned. “Sorry, I was thinking of something ... important at work. You were saying?”

Rachel giggled. “It's fine. I asked you if you wanted to see my suite. It's got a hot tub and everything.”

“Oh. Right.” There was no question of how the evening was going to end. He should be more pleased. Or even a little pleased.

But all he wanted to do was stomp over to where Ines and her ... date were not having dinner, and instead were practically having an orgy in full view of God and man. Maybe get security to haul them out for public indecency or something.

"That's, uh ... Sounds lovely," he said and swallowed the rest of his drink.

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“So these,” Ines said, scrolling down her phone browser, “were from the movie In the Pink. Piper had to gain twenty pounds for the role.”

“Did she?” John squinted at the screen. “I don't see a difference.”

Ines rolled her eyes mockingly. “That's because you're looking at her through love goggles, John.”

“I suppose I am.” He gazed softly at the images on her phone. “She's always perfect to me.”

“Even like this?” Ines pulled up a photo of Piper from a movie from the previous year. The actress was wearing prosthetics on her face, and fake teeth. “They had to make her ugly for this role.”

"Did they? Hmmm. She just looks the way she does in the morning before make-up."

Ines laughed.

When staff arrived to clear the remains of their appetizers, she excused herself to go to the ladies' room.

The bathrooms were near the elevators. As she walked through the restaurant, she saw Kilborne seated at a table. He was throwing back his drink. His date was gorgeous, Ines had to admit with a pang of jealousy. She was right about him having a girlfriend after all.

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