"I totally do," Avery replied with a smile, restraining herself from turning the cat fight they just acted out into a real one.
Even though she was partly satisfied that Valentina believed the stupid lies she weaved together earlier that morning, she was still annoyed that the idiot thought she could hold it over her head.
_Well, two could play the ga._
Jodi nudged her, lowering her voice into a whisper to ask.
"What was that about, Ava? Are you guys friends now?"
"Definitely not," Avery replied through gritted teeth.
"That’s what I thought. What did she an by inside jokes then?"
"I guess it’s her own twisted way of drawing attention to herself," Avery lied. She tilted her chin in the direction Valentina had gone, and added, "You think I can befriend soone like that? That talked down on twice and doesn’t look like she’s sorry."
"Yes," Jodi deadpanned, schooling her face into a stoic expression. When Avery turned on her with a playful glare, she hurriedly added, "I an, you are still wearing make-up and clothes of the character Sloane. Maybe I’ll have sothing different to say when you change out of this bathrobe."
Stuart stepped forward, his hand on his hips as he intentionally flexed his biceps.
"Don’t listen to Jodi, Ava. You don’t need to change out of it; we can just stay behind together. I, in my briefs, and you, in the bathrobe."
Jodi shook her head slowly, a wistful look in her eyes.
"I’m sure if Ava agrees to that, what we’ll be leaving here is you in bloodied briefs and Ava in bloodied bathrobe." She smirked at the ntal image that ford in her mind and added, "And don’t be confused. The blood on Ava’s bathrobe won’t be hers, but yours."
Stuart stared at her, his face scrunching up in disgust at the image she just painted with her words.
"Who would kill ?" He flashed Avery a flirty smile. "Ava is such an angel and you? I could overpower ten won even if each has ten tis the strength you currently possess."
Jodi shrugged, the smirk on her face turning more evil as she spoke.
"I won’t argue with that. But then, it’d be good if you keep in the back of your mind that I won’t be the one unaliving you, but a certain ’green’ bird. Green stands for jealousy, of course."
Realization dawned on Avery at the sa ti Jodi leaned closer to whisper in her ears, "Mr Donovan’s gonna end him."
"Jo! Are you Archie’s spy?" Avery whispered.
"Nope, definitely not," her friend laughed. "It’s just that Stuart is too handso to die now."
Before she could co up with an appropriate reply, one of the crew mbers, Lair, rushed into the apartnt. Her eyes were bright as they swept around the apartnt until they settled upon Avery, and she hurried forward.
"Ms. Ava?" she called.
Avery turned around to face her, brows raised in question. "Hi!"
"Uhm..." Lair hesitated, her face growing red like a boy in front of his teenage crush. "There’s a car waiting for you in the garage."
"A car?" Avery blinked in perplexity. She turned to Jodi, "Did you call an Uber?"
The latter lifted her hands in the air, shaking her head and turning to the crew mber.
"I don’t even have my phone with . Did you ask who it is?" When she got a negative reply in form of a nod, she asked, "Why don’t you go check who it is, Ava?" As she talked, one of Stuart’s assistant walked to them and handed her her phone. "You didn’t keep your phone?"
Avery shook her head, "No. I was late, so I kept it in my backpack." She turned to Lair, "Please tell them I didn’t call an Uber. They probably have the wrong na. So sorry for the trouble."
"But it’s not an Uber," Lair said. "It’s a luxurious car, a Tesla."
Jodi wasn’t the only one who whipped her head up from her phone at that information, Stuart did; and Valentina stopped dead at the entrance of the room where she had been heading to change. She turned, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips as she called out, "It’s a rich man, Ava. There’s a high chance you know him, or he ca to employ your services after hearing about you from his friends."
All the heads turned to Valentina, so annoyed, so disappointed, so confused, and the rest curious, but the smile on her face didn’t drop.
"Ah, you guys won’t understand. I’m sure Ava does though," she said, a wicked glint sparkling in her eyes.
"Yeah," Avery snickered. "Of course, I do." With her eyes still on Valentina, she said, "Lair, tell whoever it is that I’m unavailable at the mont." Her lips curving into a smile, she added, "Wealthy or not, Tina, I’m extrely picky with the kind of clients I accept." She restrained herself from laughing out loud at the shock streaked look on Valentina’s face, and turned to Lair, who hadn’t left yet. "Yes?"
"Nothing, Ms. Ava. I will pass your ssage across but..."
Avery smile turned genuine and her eyes softened.
"Is there anything you need?"
"Just..." Lair blushed. She brought her hands from her back to reveal a white card and signing pen, both of which she extended to Avery. "Could you please sign an autograph for , Ms. Ava? We are starting a fan club for you and we need... well, we need sothing to signify that we are the pioneer fans."
Avery blinked. That was unexpected.
"I think you made a mistake," she chuckled. "A fan club or anti fan club?"
"Fan club!" Lair exclaid. "You can leave it to Bree to create an anti fan club. But don’t worry, she doesn’t really hate you, what she hates is the fact that what people are saying doesn’t affect your personality and current position. Simply put, she’s jealous. But I? I’ll see you as a motivation instead. A reminder that we don’t need everyone to like us before thriving in life."
Avery blinked back the tears that were starting to form at the base of her eyes. She couldn’t explain the feeling coursing through her veins at what she just heard. Was this why Emma had chosen this career? Not just because she liked it but because of people like this?
Oblivious to Stuart’s proud grin, Leroy’s supportive smirk, Jodi’s delighted expression, Valentina’s incensed face; Avery smiled, a teary smile that only made her look more beautiful.
"I’ll be glad to. What’s the na?"
"Lair. Then The Veelions."
As her hands flew across the page, Avery asked, "The Veelions? That’s the na of the fan club?"
Lair nodded vigorously.
"Yes, if you like it. It ans Vee’s Hellions, as on Ava’s fan club. I thought of Vee’s angels but it didn’t quite fit well, because I know we aren’t taking shit from people who just want to talk down on us all for the sake of doing so." She cast a sidelong glance at Valentina and continued, "But we can be sweet to those who deserve it, loyal, and faithful, but won’t back down when faced with people that are against us. Bitter haters."
The sound of the door slamming made them all direct their gazes at the door Valentina had disappeared through.
Avery chuckled. The idiot probably couldn’t bear to see soone that wasn’t herself getting praised, and she was so foolish that she couldn’t hide her envy.
"I love the na, Lair. And I love you all." She laughed, "As many people that join, I an. Though I don’t care if you are the one behind . Your support is the best form of encouragent I could ever ask for."
She handed the signed card to Lair, and watched the latter sprint out of the room, an excited bounce in her steps.
"Ava."
The sound of Jodi’s voice dragged her eyes from the door to her face.
"What?"
"I think you should stop Lair from telling the person you’re unavailable."
"What? Why? Do you know who it is?"
"We both do," Jodi whispered. She turned her phone so Avery could see the ssage displayed on it.
The na of the sender: Mr Donovan.
The ssage: Ava. Did she eat her phone?
Jodi continued in a whisper, "I think he called you and you weren’t picking up."
"And he had to co here by himself?" Avery raised a brow, her eyes shrouding in confusion when she caught the new blush spreading on her friend’s face. "What? A new ssage?"
"Uh... Yeah," Jodi announced.
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