Part 3Best Actress in Love (and Scandal)

As soon as she accepted her award, Vivian whisked me out of the ceremony.

Inside the back of a stretch Rolls-Royce, I finally found my voice. "Why'd we leave so early?"

"Any later," Vivian said, her tone dry, "and we'd be getting invitations to be passed around directors' hotel rooms like party favors."

"Really? That's never happened to me." I frowned, thinking back. "No one's ever even hinted at anything like that."

Vivian glanced at me, a hint of a smirk in her voice. "Why do you think I made sure the entire industry knew I was pursuing you?"

My lips parted. "To… to keep the creeps away from me?"

Vivian chuckled softly. "Not as clueless as I thought."

A wave of warmth washed over me. Wow. Maybe I'd misjudged her. She was actually… kind of a good person.

I gazed out the window at the glittering city lights, a genuine smile on my face. "So, where are we headed? Are you taking me somewhere fun?"

"Mhm," Vivian hummed, her voice flat. "We're going to have some fun. In my apartment."

In an instant, the smile froze on my face.