Page 201 of My Five Daddies

I pull up out front of Franklin’s place. It’s gated, like every fucking house out here, but fortunately it opens as soon as I pull into the driveway. The house itself is set back from the front. It’s large and white with big white columns, sort of a cross between colonial and Greek styling. It’s honestly fucking ugly and absurd, but people love this shit outhere.

I get out of my car and climb up the steps. I ring the bell, which is this big booming sound that I can’t help but roll my eyes at. A minute later, a little girl pulls open the enormous wood door and looks up at me with these big blueeyes.

She’s maybe four years old and is absolutelyadorable.

“Hey there, sweetie,” I say. “Is your daddyhome?”

She nods herhead.

“Can I seehim?”

She nods her head again but doesn’tmove.

I smile and kneel down in front of her. “What’s yourname?”

“Ashley,” she says in her tiny little girlvoice.

“Ashley, pretty name. Do you like movies,Ashley?”

“Yes,” she says. “Daddy makesmovies.”

“That’s right, he does. I work in your daddy’smovies.”

She smiles at me. “Actor,” shesays.

“That’s right, I’m anactor.”

“Actors are all scum,” she says. “Daddy saysthat!”

I stare, completely fucking shocked, as she turns and runs back into the house. I can’t believe the little girl just said that. I burst out laughing, not able to help myself as I stand back up. He must say that a lot if she’s repeatingit.

I push the door open a bit. “Hello?” I callin.

A second later, Franklin comes around the corner, followed by his daughter. “Jackson?” he asks, cocking his head. “What are you doinghere?”

“I’m really sorry,” I say. “I just need a second of yourtime.”

He takes a deep breath and sighs. “Okay. Five minutes.” He kneels down in front of his daughter. “Now, honey, what does daddy always say aboutactors?”

She smiles sweetly at me. “Best peopleever.”

I grin at her and wink and she giggles before Franklin sends her away. That must be what he wants her to say, but clearly little Ashley knows her daddy better than herealizes.

Doesn’t matter to me. I think all studio execs are scum, so we’reeven.

I follow Franklin into his obnoxiously gorgeous house, and I have to wonder if the guy makes more money than I do. We head into his study and he sits behind his desk, gesturing for me to take a seat in front ofhim.

“Okay, you have me,” he says. “Pulled me away from dinner. My wife can cook a mean fucking steak, you know that? Gives a mean blowjob too, but I get the steak moreoften.”

I fake a laugh but I already hate this guy. “I’m here about Holly,” I say, getting down toit.

He groans. “Save your breath, Jackson. Your agent alreadytried.”

I clench my jaw slightly. “I wantout.”

“Doesn’t matter,” he says. “You wanna finish this movie? You need to stick itout.”

“I was thinking about that.” I say. “We’ve shot a lot of the movie already, or at least the important bits. If I walked now, you’d still have to pay me for what I did so far. Then you’d have to find a replacement, someone that can draw an audience like I can, and you’ll have to pay them to work last minute and fast. Plus all the footage you lost, all the crew you’ve paid, it’ll all get pushedback.”

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