“Oh, yes. Ramsey, thanks for inviting me. Please let me introduce you to my good friend and business partner, Ben Shepherd,” Phil said. “Ben, this is Ramsey Shah, the host of tonight’s party.”
Ben shook the hand of the slightly plump gentleman dressed in the latest fashions and wearing a conspicuous amount of gold jewelry. His chunky watch alone must have weighed close to a pound.
“You have a beautiful home with a view that takes one’s breath away,” Ben said. The man smiled happily at the compliment.
“This is my good friend Ashley Beaumont and my Security Specialist, Liliya Sokolov.”
The host gently squeezed their hands. “Your reputation for surrounding yourself with beautiful women precedes you.”
Ashley smiled but moved a little closer to Ben.
The man paused and looked at Phil. “Did you say Ben is your business partner?”
“Yes, he’s the Executive Producer for my latest film project,” Phil said.
Ben shot a sharp look at Phil as he thought he’d have a lower profile than Executive Producer. He’d seen that title on film credits. Luckily, Ramsey missed Ben’s reaction.
“Really? I thought that was picked up by one of the studios on the West Coast,” Ramsey said in surprise. He was eyeing Ben with serious interest now.
“His project matched a particular interest of mine. I don’t normally get involved with investments of this sort,” Ben explained.
“Meaning with riffraff like actors,” Phil teased, and Ashley giggled.
“Who are you calling riffraff?”
They turned to see a tall older man with a shock of white hair approaching with great dignity but a twinkle in his eye.
Ashley made a quiet little peep sound as she recognized the actor.
The gentleman recognized a fan when he saw one. He saw an opportunity to be introduced to their group and took it. “Delighted to meet you, my dear,” he said, bowing over her hand. “Sir Ryan McKann, at your service.”
“I’m Ashley Beaumont. You were incredible in Fortune’s Passing! Such an emotive performance. You brought me to tears! You deserved an Oscar for that role!”
She surprised the senior by referring to an older picture he’d done. “Oh! You’re one of the few who ever mention that film. I’m delighted you enjoyed it. Yes, I did deserve the Oscar,” he said with a coy smile.
Ashley nodded, then came back to herself. “This is my friend and neighbor, Ben Shepherd, and his Security Specialist, Liliya Sokolov.”
“Hello,” the actor said with a smile. After a quick nod to the beautiful blonde, his attention locked on Ben with laser focus. “So, you’re of the opinion that actors are riffraff?”
Ben smiled and shook his head. “Phil’s words, not mine. I just don’t put them on pedestals.”
“It’s true, though. Actors are a bunch of hooligans and ne’re-do-wells.”
“No!” Ashley immediately responded.
“Don’t fall for it, Ashley,” Phil chimed in. “He’s just fishing for complements. They’re what keeps actors acting. The attention.”
“Bah. You’ve lost the romance of the craft!” McKann accused.
Ramsey was being flagged down by someone across the room and looked a little frustrated. He caught Ben’s attention. “I would love to speak with you some more about your Executive Producer role. I must step away, but I will try to find you later, yes?”
Ben just nodded as he had no desire to discuss money tonight. The man rushed away.
“Couldn’t I have remained a silent partner?” Ben asked Phil.
“Sorry, but your name has helped the production so much. One day I was going through the production notes, and I saw you’d been given that title, and from that day onward, the production has been smoother than expected. I don’t have to fight to get permits, the unions are friendlier, and dealing with the city bureaucrats has become smoother,” Phil explained.
Ryan was watching them with interest. “Money is the ultimate lubricant.”
“Eww!” Phil said, then nodded. “But true.”
“Good luck with your production,” the older man said and patted Phil’s shoulder as he moved on with a nod and a wink for Ashley, which delighted her.
Phil noted a group of his peers who’d been part of the recent superhero series of movies. They were clustered by one of the windows, drinking, chatting, and keeping Ben in the corner of their eye. When they saw Phil looking in their direction, their defacto leader smiled as if just noticing him and waved him over.
Phil nodded, then turned his face to Ben. “We’re being summoned by the super group.”
They began moving toward the window as Ben looked at Phil. “The what?”
Phil smiled. “They’re currently the hottest ticket in Hollywood as they’ve all been part of a very successful movie series about superheroes.”
“My girls probably know those movies,” Ashley remarked mildly.
Phil’s smile widened. Ben wasn’t star-struck by anyone. Ashley’s taste in movies didn’t include this genre. He was going to enjoy this.
-=-
Ben and Liliya stood by the window watching Ashley holding court with three members of the super group in a cluster of chairs. Apparently, they found her genuine innocence delightful.
Liliya leaned closer to whisper in Ben’s ear. “They spend their days within a brutally competitive and hostile environment. Ashley must feel like a breath of fresh air. I can hear the redhead trying out Ashley’s speech patterns.”
Ben smiled and nodded slightly. The other members of the group had drifted away when Ben didn’t rise to their baiting him about his Hong Kong interlude or any of his other personally embarrassing events. They claimed it was all in good fun, but he was familiar with this form of bullying and ignored them.
They especially didn’t enjoy being called out on their bad behavior by Ashley, who came to his defense with her charmingly sweet scolding as if they were naughty children. This quickly made the lead instigators head for juicier targets as Phil struggled not to laugh. Ben gave Ashley a kiss on the temple for her surprisingly bold behavior.
Sometime later, Phil returned from speaking with a director he’d worked with and smiled at Ben. “Ramsey hasn’t come back to grill you on your finances, has he?”
“I gave Liliya orders to cut his Achilles tendons if he tries to chase us,” Ben said quietly, so only the three of them would hear.
Phil chuckled, then saw Liliya was watching him without expression. A chill went down his spine then she smiled. Phil huffed at her teasing.
“What time do you want us to come by tomorrow?” Ben asked.
“The Community Center is open from nine onward, but we expect Renata and Sarena to be in at ten. If you want to show up shortly after that, you can meet them and watch the production. This segment is the last scene we’re filming, so we’ll be moving into post-production next.”
“Sounds good,” Ben said.
“We’re still on for dinner tomorrow night?” Phil asked.
“Yes, will Eric be there?” Ben asked.
“Unfortunately, no. He’s working with the post-production team at the moment. Getting that set up for us. He sends his regards, though,” Phil explained.
Ben nodded to him. “I think we’ll head back to the hotel then. Sounds like a busy day tomorrow.”
Ashley must have heard him as she said her goodbyes to her audience and endured their cheek kisses before moving to his side.
“Ready to go?” he asked.
“Stars, yes! Such talkers!” she exclaimed softly.
Ben smiled, and his group said their goodbyes to Phil, who was staying a little longer.
Liliya guided them to get their coats, then out of the condo, where they spotted Evelyn with a knee on the back of one of the Supers, who was flat out on the carpet.
“Trouble, Sergeant?”
“Just a drunk who tried to touch inappropriately,” she sighed.
Ben knelt down and looked at Liliya. “What was this one’s name?”
“Charles, I believe,” she responded.
He looked the man in the eye and scowled, which made his scar flare. “Chuck. Do you have children?”
The man blinked. “No.”
“Do you plan on having any?” Ben asked.
Eyes looked up at Ben cautiously. “Yes?”
“Then hold very still until we leave or kiss that plan goodbye. Am I understood?”
“Yes,” the man choked out.
Ben stood and nodded to Evelyn, who released Charles and joined them at the elevator.
It took a minute for the car to arrive, but the prone actor didn’t budge under the careful watch of Liliya.
They rode down to the lobby, where they picked up the men waiting there. When they stepped outside, the vehicles rolled up to the curb as the security men from behind the building joined them, and everyone got into their SUVs.