Chapter 4
Casey called an emergency meeting with the executives.
Along with Annie she told them about the check.
They quickly confirmed that they had not authorized it. In fact they had recently noticed missing money, into the millions. They suspected Justine or one of her team but didn’t have proof until then.
They also confirmed they had not authorized her to approach Juliet a second time.
Annie even asked for Juliet’s personal address, phone number. But it had some how vanished from the system.
“Let me speak to her before you bring her in? I need to know a few things.”
They all agreed since it may give them an idea what happened to their money.
**
Later that evening…
A knock sounded at her door. She knew already it was Justine.
“Try and stay calm,” Casey reminded Annie before she answered the door.
“I’m not promising anything.”
Opening the door she made sure to wear a fake smile, she had got good at it over the years.
“Princess, I was so happy for your call.” Justine looked like she had come straight from the office. She had the top few buttons of her shirt open, revealing a lot of cleavage. She must have just done it, because she is normally very proper for work.
She clearly was expecting a reconciliation with her.
“Come in, we need to talk.”
She walked in the suite and moved behind Annie as she closed the door.
“Let’s leave talking for later,” She pressed her front against Annie’s back. “Let’s get reacquainted.”
A throat cleared behind them and she stepped away, much to Annie’s relief.
“Hello Justine,” Casey greeted with a clearly fake smile. Neither got along.
Casey was still in high school when her sister was first approached by Starlight music after her role in ‘It gets better.’ It was her first singing role.
They had Justine work as her assistant. Within a week Justine began dating Annie. Her parents didn’t say anything about then spending time together because they thought it was just work.
Annie was close to Casey even then. But Justine didn’t like it. She was jealous of everyone and tried to drive a wedge between the sisters.
So when Annie did finally break things off with her and later hired Casey, taking Justine’s job, she blamed everything on the younger girl.
“Casey, I expect you’ll be going to spend time with your husband.”
This time she had a real smile. “No, I’m fine here,” Casey said with a smirk walking to sit beside Annie on the couch that she was now sat on.
Justine openly glared at her.
“Take a seat, Justine. I want to ask you something.”
She woman quickly sat down now smiling and looking staring at Annie.
“Anything, Princess.”
“How many of my girlfriends have you paid off?”
Her smiled disappeared and she looked startled. “W.. What?” She wasn’t expecting that.
“Don’t try to deny it.” Annie wore a blank expression. She needed to get Justine to incrimindate herself and tell her what she wanted to know.
Justine sighed. “I’m not denying.”
“Why?”
“When we first met I promised your parents take care of you and I have.”
“That’s a load of bull-crap and you know it!” Casey said with a sneer.
“You were jealous because she choose them women over you!”
Justine looked amused. “Jealous? Hardly. They were passing fancies, dalliances.”
“Dalliances? Who even says that anymore?” She ignored Casey and continued.
“They were only using her for fame and money. They were all happy when I offered them the check, they bit my hand off.”
“What about Starlight?” Annie asked gaining her attention.
She looked to Annie with a sweet smile that turned her stomach. “They gave me permission. I was protecting you.” That was a lie.
Starlight were happy if she was happy. She was a rock chick. She didn’t need a squeaky clean image like she had as an actress.
“And what about Juliet?”
“Who?”
“Chase! She wasn’t after money or fame. She loved me!”
“She didn’t. She left you like they rest, taking the money because that’s all she wanted,” She sounded as though she was speaking to a child.
“She was much too young for you anyway.”
Casey couldn’t help but laugh. “You and Annie have the same age gap and you dated her when she was seventeen, not even legal!”
“But we are different. We come from the same world. We were always going to get back together sooner or later.”
Annie couldn’t hold it in anymore.
“Are you serious? I fucking hate you.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“I do. You are repulsive. You make my skin crawl. I hate you. The only reason I dated you is because I was a horny kid who wanted sex,” Annie exclaimed standing up.
“I don’t believe you,” Justine gave her a hard look.
“It’s true. Even if you weren’t a jealous, control freak, I still wouldn’t be with you. But Juliet…” A smile went on her lips at the memory.
“I’ve never orgasmed so much in my life. She makes my body and heart happy. She loves me for who I am, not what I am. I want to be with her.”
“She never loved you, I do. She took the money. I can prove it when she cashes it. I have proof that they all left you. Not one stayed, only me, I love you.”
“If that’s true then why’d she leave this.” Annie held up the letter Juliet left for her.
**
Shortly after Annie left for the meeting…
A knock sounded at the suite door gaining Juliet’s attention.
Pulling on a robe she walked to the door unsure what she would find but was surprised to find the woman from Starlight who had met her only a few days ago.
She was a stern but attractive woman, mid to late forties with dark pulled back hair and a very smart expensive looking suit. She had a large brown paper envelope in her hands.
“Hello, Ms Jones. If you’re looking for Annie, she already left.”
“No, I am here to see you. May I come in?”
“Oh, yes, sure.” She stepped aside, letting the older woman in and closed the door.
“I have just spoken to Ms Grey and she made me aware of your brief indiscretion.”
“Indiscretion?”
“Yes,” Ms Jones began to remove a familiar contract from the envelope.
“She would like to end this indiscretion. If you could sign this…” She hand her a pen and the paper.
“But I already signed a nondisclosure.” Despite her calm words inside her heart was breaking.
“That only covered the dinner, this is for the past few days.”
She had expected to be told to leave but not like this. Why hadn’t she told her herself?
Signing the paper she handed it but the the now smiling woman.
“Here is your check and your return ticket. You’ll find your flight leaves in two and a half hours,” She said beginning to stand.
“Check? I don’t want money!” She tried to hand it back but the woman shook her head.
“I can’t take it. It is officially yours. Starlight has signed it over to you. It’s the routine. Ms Grey likes giving all her female dalliances money.”
With the signed agreement in hand she headed to the door. “Goodbye, Miss Lucas.”
The moment she was alone, she fell down on the floor and cried.
**
Justine scanned over the paper in Annie’s hands.
“She didn’t take the check?” She looked more than a little worried.
“No. She left it in my drawer with the several thousand dollars I offered her to go shopping but she didn’t want because she wasn’t after my money or fame. She just wanted me, to make me happy.”
“Nonsense,” Justine said standing up.
“It’s all just to suckered you in. She’ll be back for the money, mark my words,” She said confidently.
“I’m going to need the check back.”
“Why? Didn’t you say Juliet would be back for it?” Casey said smirking.
“Starlight have a policy. I can’t allow someone who it isn’t written out to, to keep it.”
“But they allow you to give it to my girlfriends?”
“The indiscretions, yes. Robert Hall himself told me to keep a close eye and pay them to protect your image.”
“Oh please, Justine,” Casey snorted.
He was Annie’s manager and an executive of Starlight. He had no idea. She was sure if that.
“Why don’t you give me Juliet’s address and I can post it to her?” Casey offered since Justine had removed all Juliet’s details from the Starlight systems.
“No. You aren’t to be trusted.”
“Hey! That’s my sister!” Annie snapped.
“It’s alright, Annie. We both know who is the real one who we shouldn’t trust.”
“Take that back. I have done nothing but love and protect her for years without so much as a thank you.” She turned to Annie again, taking a step closer. “I don’t see why you’re so bothered about that girl anyway. I can give you anything and more than she can.”
“No, you can’t. She hasn’t even been gone a day and I miss her. I miss having her small body curled up against me, holding me as she slept. The way she giggled, ate and even the way she smelled. I felt a connection with her I haven’t with anyone else.
“We might have not lasted long. But I wanted to give it a try. I hadn’t told her, but I was going to ask her to go on tour with me, as my official photographer and girlfriend.”
“No! Starlight would never allow it!” Justine exclaimed with an angry expression.
“That’s the thing. They did and have. I’m going to see Juliet and if she’ll give me a second chance I will ask her to come with me as my girlfriend.”
“You can’t. The press will find out you have a girlfriend and your parents will disown you.”
Annie smiled. “I can’t be what I’m not. My parents will accept my choice or lose me. I’ll miss them. But I don’t care anymore. I’ll be able to be myself, be with my girl and I’ll still have Casey and the guys.”
“Give me a chance, I’ll be that girl.”
“No. But if you be real quick you might still be able to get the check.”
“What?”
“I had my beautiful husband hand it into the security guard at the front desk. It’s in an envelope addressed to Robert Hall.”
“Are you serious?” Casey grinned and nodded.
“Better get running. I hear he’s working late tonight.”
