Free Playing the Part by Robin Covington Page B

over the front pages as the woman men love to dump. And then the questions will start rolling in if I’m going to freak out again. No, thanks.” Piper shoved past him, rushing out of the trailer and leaving nothing but the door swinging on its hinges to serve as proof that she was ever there in the first place.
    “What a bitch,” Lewis grumbled.
    “Shut the fuck up,” Mick and Chris both barked out in unison.
    Lewis ignored the two men glaring at him. “I guess I’ll line up one of the new models the studio suggested for your date tonight. Would you like a blonde, brunette, or redhead?”
    “I don’t care. Whatever.”
    “Man, a case of blue balls really puts you in a shitty mood.”
    “Lewis, just shut up.” Mick rubbed his eyes, then glanced at the clock. He had to prep for another scene and was due on set for rehearsal in a half hour. Damn, the buzz he’d had all morning was barely hanging on after this mess.
    “Excuse me for doing my job. You could get on board and help me out.” Lewis jammed his phone is his pocket, his tone and expression losing all traces of kissing ass. “I don’t know what’s wrong with you, but you’ve got to get your head out your ass and think about your career. It’s really simple: go to the club. Smile for pictures.”
    Mick hated to admit it, but on some level, Lewis was right. The studio had spent a ton of money on the Dark movie, and he needed to get out there and do his job. Whatever was going on with Piper would to have to wait.
    “No, don’t book someone else,” Chris said, leaning against the kitchenette countertop with a resigned expression on his face. “I’ll get her to go.”
    “Are you sure?” Mick asked, wondering if forcing Piper to go out tonight was a good bet. If she got cranky, the publicity would go south pretty quick.
    “The publisher wants her to, and she knows what she needs to do.” He glanced at Lewis, then turned back to Mick with a grim expression on his face. “Can we talk in private?”
    “I’m gone.” Lewis opened the door, waving his phone at Mick as he exited the trailer. “Answer my calls next time.”
    Chris’s expression was sober, and Mick knew the “after school special” talk was coming. He hated this shit, but Chris wouldn’t be much of a friend to Piper if he didn’t give him the requisite “hurt her and I’ll kill you” speech.
    “Other than keeping Piper in your bed, what’s your deal?” Chris asked.
    “It’s pretty simple. She’s hot, wicked smart, and so far we’ve had fun together. I’d like to have more fun with her—preferably naked. Look, man, I’m no choirboy, but I make sure each lady knows what it is and what it isn’t.”
    “And it isn’t…”
    “Anything permanent. Love. The white picket fence. That’s not my scene. My childhood scarred me for life—blah, blah, blah. I don’t believe in all that stuff.”
    “I told her to keep away from you, but Piper’s a big girl. She’s going to do what she wants. But you damn well better be straight with her.” Mick frowned, his thoughts clouding his features with a fierce edge. “She’s been through enough with Antonio—”
    “Antonio?” Mick interrupted. “Who the hell is Antonio?”
    “Are you the only person in the free world who doesn’t read People ?”
    “Apparently.”
    “Then how do you know what people are saying about you?”
    “Lewis tells me what I need to know,” Mick said, trying to hide his impatience. “Can you…” He motioned for Chris to continue.
    “All right. I’ll give you the Cliff’s Notes version. Antonio Rojas—”
    “I know Rojas. He’s a douchebag,” Mick spat out. He’d worked with Rojas on a movie years ago when they were both on the verge of pulling in the big movies and the even bigger bucks. Rojas had been an ass to everyone on the set except those people he needed to suck up to. He’d even screwed everything with two legs in spite of the girlfriend he talked about all the time. Holy