Dallas smiled to the others as if in apology for Bob’s behavior, then her eyes turned to Remi.
Remi headed into the galley before she gave in to the overwhelming feeling of wanting to strangle Bob. She came back quickly with a bottle of beer in one hand and a pitcher of Mojitos in the other.
“Here you go, Dick. In my bartending days I took great pride in my ability to match a beer to a person’s personality, so drink up.” Remi handed him the bottle, then started refilling the ladies’ drinks.
“Again, shit for brains, the name’s Bennett, not Dick. And what in the hell does a Dos XX have to do with my personality?” Bob held up the bottle she’d handed him.
“Well, the way I look at it, you’re just a strike three waiting to happen.” Molly and Lisa started laughing. “Enjoy your drinks. We should be landing in about forty-five minutes.”
Remi left the pitcher and walked toward the private room at the rear of the plane to change.
“Bob Bennett, you fucking idiot, and fuck you!” Bob screamed to the retreating back.
He turned his attention to Molly and Lisa, who were still laughing. Using his best smile, he decided to do a bit of fishing, since Dallas was in contract negotiations for her sequel and any information on the new management couldn’t hurt.
“Do you ladies know Remington Jatibon?” he asked in as smooth a voice as he could conjure up.
Lisa looked at Molly and smiled before opening her mouth. “Why yes, we do. What would you like to know?”
Bob thought again just how stupid women could be. At times they made it too easy. “What’s he like?”
The two friends asked in unison, “
“Is that a hard question or would you like for me to go a little slower? There isn’t a lot of information out there about him, just a lot of gossip around the studio, but no pictures to back up the talk.”
“Depends on who you ask,” Lisa muttered. “There are so many facets to Remi it’s hard to know where to begin.”
Bob looked at them, wondering if they’d downed one drink too many.
“Well, what are his plans for the studio?” Bob started with what he assumed was an easy question.
Molly spoke up next. “Remi plans to turn the studio into a more lucrative venture by putting out a better product. For the past four years only about half of the films have made a substantial profit, while cost overruns bleed the winners like Dallas and Jenny’s picture. Then I imagine it’ll be back to the family business. That’s where Remi’s true heart lies.”
“Is he the lady’s man everyone says he is, or is he a legend in his own mind?” As he waited for the answer, Bob considered which outfit Dallas should wear that evening. The laughing women brought him back to the conversation, making him think again they were intoxicated.
Wiping tears from her eyes Lisa turned to Molly and asked, “If I gave him a hundred bucks, could he buy a clue?”
Dallas leaned forward, obviously wanting to hear the answer to his question.
“Remi has a unique way with the ladies. They find the looks combined with the devastating smile, style, charm, and lots and lots of money hard to resist. The money’s only secondary, though, because Remi’s a good listener who’ll move mountains just to see someone smile.” Molly finished, with Lisa nodding in agreement.
“Does that happen often?” Dallas joined the discussion for the first time.
“No, sweetie.” Lisa smiled at her. “The woman who captures that heart is in for a lifetime of bliss. Remi has a huge capacity for love. We see it all the time. It’s just that the right one hasn’t come along yet.”
“What are Remi’s hobbies?” Dallas asked, and Bob snorted over the stupid question.
Molly glared at him, then answered. “Everyone would say work and winning, just because they don’t know the real Remi. But the Remi we know loves to read adventure stories. You know, the ones with a damsel in distress, a dragon flying around somewhere wreaking havoc, and a knight who saves the day. The only requirement is that the word ‘vanquish’ appear somewhere in the text.” Molly paused.
Lisa took up where Molly had left off. “Remi loves to work, don’t get us wrong, but when the clock strikes quitting time, you’ve never spent time with a more fun-loving person. And we all know there’s a romantic hidden in that big heart somewhere. It’ll just take the right girl to bring it out. We know this because the idiots we’re married to get all their romantic hints from Remi.” Lisa patted Dallas’s hand.
“Sounds like someone who’ll be easy to work for,” Dallas said.
“Please return your seats to the upright position and down your drinks, people. We’re almost there,” Remi said in her low voice, walking back into the room to sit by Steve and Dwayne.
“It’s true Remi’s easy to work for, and I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough,” Lisa said, smiling at Dallas.
The suit Remi now wore fit her tall, muscular body perfectly, accentuating the tanned skin, and the black cowboy boots added over an inch to her height, making even Bob take another look.
Chapter Four
New Orleans, Louisiana
“Good God, Casey, you look like shit,” Cain told Dr. Sam Casey when she stepped into the exam room.
“Wait until you’re only getting an hour of sleep a night. Then we’ll see how great you look.”
“Don’t listen to this comedian.” Emma squeezed Cain’s fingers as a sign for her to behave. “I’m sorry we
