Idolized (Hollywood Stardust Book 3) (67 page)

A shudder ran though him at the thought of the interest rates alone. Those loans were no joke and lured in desperate people who needed money fast and under the most dire circumstances.

At his realization, he glanced at the time and resumed his eavesdropping.

“Hey, I didn’t mean for you to spy. What are you some kind of creep?” Slate came from the other direction and pushed him into the office. “Look at what I found lurking about.”

He stumbled into the room and his head spun. Once he regained his footing, he gave Jade a half-hearted wave and glanced at Willow. If possible, her light complexion was even paler, almost translucent. He recognized her pallor. It was the same look he saw whenever someone honestly needed funds. Somehow he needed to tell her he had her stay of execution, and it would only require one year of her life.

Jade narrowed her eyes at them.

“I wanted to grab something to show our peeping Randolph.” Slate went to his desk and picked up his tablet computer.

Both Jade and Willow focused on Randolph.

“I don’t believe Willow should take out one of those high interest loans.” With all the attention on him, he did the only reasonable thing and brought sanity to an insane situation. The vice around his head seemed to tighten and he rubbed the back of his neck. “She needs to create as much inventory as possible for her shop because that is the only sure way she will have money coming in.”

“I need the loan to buy the materials to make my inventory.” Willow lifted her chin.

“Not if Jade is letting you take a break on the rent.” He returned his hand to his temple swearing he felt the pulse of pain through his fingertips.

She hugged her papers to her chest. “My supplies are very expensive.”

“Willow’s morning tea actually works. I feel great.” Slate looked up to the ceiling. “What’s it called?”

“Activi-tea.” Jade went to Slate and hooked her arm in his. “We also loved the one you call Boo-tea.”

The vision was a bit too nauseating and he returned to the matter at hand. “There are many grades of materials, just change some of it up to save money. It’s done all the time. I think the issue lies in not knowing your true profitability and not having a focus on your product offering.”

“Some say when you are out of quality you are out of business.” Willow’s eyes widened.

“There are others that say the same about money,” he countered.

Silence encompassed the room.

“Slate,” Jade whispered.

“Hey, I really did want to show you something, and wanted to talk to you about the artistic co-op. Look at this.” Slate basically shoved the tablet in his face. “Remember that artist who creates those murals in the middle of the night in little hidden spots? They call him the Mural Man.”

He nodded and restrained any reaction to the article and the picture. Instead, he kept his focus on Willow.

“Whoever it is struck again last night and painted over some graffiti.” Slate stood next to him and enlarged the picture. “Wonder what this art would be worth. It’s different. I definitely need to get someone like him involved in the project.”

“I may have another way to help you.” Without acknowledging Slate, he lifted his chin toward her. “A different kind of proposal.”

“Honestly, Mr. Van Ayers, I’m not interested in anything you have to offer.” She reached into her bag, pulled out a little jar and held it out to him. “I do believe you need this though. Rub it on your temples for your headache, and later you can tell me if I skimped on my ingredients.”

He took the jar. How did she know he had a headache? “Maybe we should talk in private.”

“Or not at all.” She spun back around to face the desk.

“Come on Birthday Boy, let’s go get your party started.” Slate corralled him out of the office.

“I’ll be right there.” He watched Slate stroll down the hall and resumed his position with his back pressed against the wall, once more glancing at Willow and at his watch. They needed each other and he had only a little more time before his life had insufficient funds.

* * * *

“Let me run some numbers and some options.” Jade straightened the pile of papers on her desk. “Why don’t I see if I can find you a less expensive apartment in one of my other buildings? If not, I can ask around.”

Since Willow’s move to Los Angeles and opening up a small shop for holistic healing, Jade and her boyfriend, Slate, had been nothing but kind to her. Somehow the universe took care of her by allowing her to meet Jade at a metaphysical faire during one of her friend’s performances. Afterward, they got to talking, and she helped her get into the building only a few doors down from Slate’s gallery.

Jade and Slate understood her vision and always referred customers, but it wasn’t enough. Though everyone loved her teas and wellness elixirs, she couldn’t sell enough to catch up. Whenever she started to make any money, she needed to buy more materials and could never quite get things to even out. As a last resort, she even took something from the one person who had given her the most without telling her. “Jade.” She chewed her lip trying to figure out exactly how to say what she wanted.

Jade continued to read the papers. “Yes?”

“Nan and I moved into the upstairs of the store a few weeks ago.” She dug her nails into her palm, but she promised Nan, the woman who raised her, she would tell Jade the truth. With the words out, the weight on her chest lightened a bit.

Jade looked up from the documents.

“I’m sorry, I should have said something.” Her mouth dried out. “If we can just stay a little longer.”

“Is Nan okay going up and down the stairs?” Jade winced.

Leave it to Jade to be concerned with Nan and not call attention to the fact they didn’t have a real home. “Yeah, it takes her a minute, but she needs the exercise.”

“Please be careful, and if there’s anything you need--”

“I’ll figure it out.” Not wanting to take one more thing from her friend, Willow cut her off. “The universe will make its decision, and if we can’t get caught up we will leave.”

“I’m fine, seriously.” Jade gave her a smile and held her arms up. “I am a work in progress and I’m blooming. Just work on it okay?”

“I have something for you.” She smiled at Jade’s costume wishing she had the ability to bloom as well. While she may have received a reprieve, she didn’t get the pardon. Her friend and landlord gave her an incredible deal on the rent. She looked inside her oversized bag in search of her meager offering. Not that she wanted or expected one. “Hold on.” One day she would remember to carry a flashlight, but she would put it in her purse and it would end up at the bottom. She turned her bag over onto her lap. Her wallet, crochet project, various stones she picked up along the way, pictures and more paperwork tumbled out.

“Wow,” Jade gasped. “Amazing what that bag holds.”

She rifled through the assortment and held a piece of jade she made into a necklace out to her. “It seemed fitting.”

“You don’t have to.”

She gave her the gift. “Jade is green, the color of healing and hope. It is also for luck, though I already think you are pretty lucky.” Karma, the universe, or the gods blessed Jade with a great career and parents and a wonderful boyfriend. The woman fit her name. Maybe one day her own energy would change. Nan kept telling her to be patient, she was paying her dues. The only problem was she already had too much debt and needed a windfall. All her troubles came from the material world or the fact she had no material.

“I think I should change into something more befitting Randolph’s birthday.” Jade took off her hat of flowers, stood and put the necklace on as she headed for the door. “Thank you.”

“Thank you.” She scooped everything back into her purse and joined Jade.

“Absolutely.” Jade nodded. “You’re going to stay for the party, right?”

With nowhere else to go, and reluctant to face Nan yet, she shrugged.

“At least go have a drink or something, and give Randolph something to look at.” Her friend winked.

She tensed. “Maybe I’ll sneak away and let him have his day.”

Jade headed toward the door. “I think he likes to tease you so he can get your attention.”

Her cheeks heated.

“Someone’s blushing.” Jade raised her eyebrows. “I’ll see you out there.”

She stood in the small hallway by herself. Music and laughter echoed through the building and all around her. Not in the mood for a party, she decided maybe the best course of action would be to take a walk and clear her head before returning back to her makeshift home.

Wanting to make a clean getaway, she tiptoed toward the exit. The noise indicated the party was in full force with food, drinks and a ton of people.

In a self-indulgent moment she stopped and glanced around, instantly spotting Randolph. The man stood out in his tailored suit giving him an air of power, but his blond curls and mischievous green eyes gave him a playful air and were equally as fun to look at, the same way she would stare at teen idols when she was younger.

All she knew about him was his family owned a bank, actually banks and he was exceptionally, incredibly irritating. Irritating in the same way a clothing tag would scratch at someone’s skin but it couldn’t be ripped out. The few times she talked to him only ended with him being condescending, and her saying something to try to match it. The man was in no way good for the psyche. Yes, he was irritating and he also was coming her way.

She turned away, wondering how bad it would appear to go running. With fleeing from the scene not an option, she straightened up.

“May I get you a drink?” He flashed her a smile of perfect pearly whites fit for any pre-pubescent girl’s wall.

Okay, if he was going to be nice, she would return the gesture. Maybe it would even out all the bad energy. “Thank you. I think I’m just going to go, but I do wish you a happy birthday.”

“I wanted to talk to you. I think I can help you.” The smile didn’t waiver one bit.

“I’ll be fine. I would rather not have any more business advice.” She took a step backward.

“It wasn’t business advice, but rather a dose of reality.” Still the smile, but he glanced at his watch.

“Reality?” Why couldn’t he leave them be at a happy birthday and a disobedient curl falling on his forehead?

“Yes. I know you live in an alternate universe, but I wanted to bring you back down to earth.” He put his arm out as if to guide her to do what he wanted.

Her heart seized and she broke out into a sweat. She longed to slap him across the face, but held back. “One day I hope you regret the fact you never visited an alternative universe, but I’m sure by then it will be too late for you. Enjoy earth.” She swallowed back the burning bile in her throat and rushed out of the gallery into the alley.

Nan always said all she needed was fresh air and a night sky to be happy, her way of explaining how material things didn’t matter. However, when rain started or the temperatures soared or sank, it was pretty nice to have a roof over her head. After everything the woman had done for her, she needed to figure out some solution before they ended up on the street.

“You left before cake.” Randolph’s voice seemed to fill the alleyway.

She wrapped her arms around her shoulders and stared up at the stars wondering if up there somewhere a female on another planet gazed in her direction with some jerk banker bugging her from behind as she tried to figure out how to fix her life and her credit score. Did they even have FICO in other galaxies? “I think I’ve watched you blow enough hot air for the duration. I can picture it just like I was there.”

“I didn’t know you were clairvoyant as well.” He chuckled.

Shivers overtook her with each inch he came closer. “I’m not, but I still see you leaving me alone.”

“I deserved that, and I do want to apologize for my comments earlier.” He stood beside her and glanced at his watch. “Also, as I said before I wanted to talk to you.”

“Is this a timed conversation? Can it be less than ten seconds?” His aura clashed with hers making it impossible for her to concentrate and causing ugly words to leave her mouth.

“I may need a little more than ten seconds.” Once more he looked at his watch.

“But not much more.” She turned to him.

“Now that hurt.” He lowered his arm, then, as if he couldn’t control himself, he lifted his wrist to his face again.

“What could you possibly need to talk to me about when you have something so pressing going on with your watch?” The acid of negativity Nan spoke of built up in her blood, singeing her skin. “I’m sure my paltry little problems aren’t enough for you to miss an appointment or party over.”

“First, your problems are huge. Let’s make no mistake about that.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned back on his heels. “Second, you’re not the only person in this alley with huge problems.”

She studied him. All her life she had been reminded not to judge on outward appearances and material possessions, but the man’s shoes cost a small fortune, his cufflinks a large one. What did this man even know of problems? Also, who wore cufflinks anymore?

“May I tell you?” He glanced at her.

“Fine.” She swallowed, preventing herself from letting loose another insult.

“What if I told you I was supposed to get married today?”

Only because his voice lowered as if it wanted to fall on the gravel and be run over did she manage to forgo the comment about a ten-second honeymoon. “I would say check your watch again, you only have a few hours left.”

He paced in a circle ending up back in front of her. “She cancelled on me at two o’clock, right before I was supposed to meet her at the courthouse.”

Though nothing appeared funny, she sucked in her cheeks and waited for the punch line. She refused to succumb and ask what happened only to have him make a snide comment about numerology or something. “Well, look at the bright side, you got to buy some art instead. Something much quieter with lower maintenance.” She slighted a woman she didn’t even know as if his situation were personal. It wasn’t like she was planning on marrying the man. Somehow he brought her to new lows.