Lights, Camera, Omega (Hollywood Omegas #1)

“Is something wrong!?” he scoffs in disbelief—flashing a withering look at Ursula as if to dismiss her.

Bless her, the petite, spunky MUA doesn’t so much as bat an eyelash at Vinny. Instead, she gives me a look as if to ask ‘you want me to leave you alone with this guy or what?’

I give her my best ‘I need back up, thank you!’ imperceptible nod of my head, walking cautiously to the chair in front of her station so that Ursula can start on my next hair and makeup look.

Realizing he’s going to have to ream me out with an audience, Vinny gets his ass off of Ursula’s station and changes his approach—though not much.

“Daph… When were you gonna tell me about this,” he hisses, his anger barely leashed; turning his cellphone around to face me.

It’s the results page of a recent image search—every single thumbnail is a different photo of Cosmo and I on the red carpet for the LaRenta gala the night before.

Suddenly his anger makes sense.

“Oh…” I trail off meekly, Ursula trying to remain inconspicuous as she ogles the phone over my shoulder, teasing my hair for the ‘biker chick’ look I’m to be sporting for the latter half of the music video.

“Do you have any idea how pissed off Johnny and Melody are with me right now!?” he tries to keep his voice low, but he’s so furious that spit foams in the corners of his mouth as he reviles me in a stage whisper.

“I’m sorry that they’re being such assholes to you about my choices,” I sigh, wearily—not actually sorry at all. What the hell is wrong with these people?

“Here I am trying to set up something, a little getaway for you and the Lost Daze boys after the shooting, to cut through all the bullshit of the hustle and bustle and connect for a few days in Cozumel.” He shakes his head like a disapproving father.

“And then I look like a total fucking putz, because all the sudden you and fucking Cosmo Lamont are all over the goddamn internet!” he spits venomously.

“Things just kind of happened Vinny, before I knew it—I was courting Pack—, er the Panopticon Pictures pack,” I try to reason with him. Ursula pretends to look uninterested as she rats my hair.

“You’re already courting officially!?” Vinny shakes his head in disbelief.

My patience is wearing thin, but I’m still doing my best to remain professional where other ears and eyes might be watching or listening.

I smile blankly, giving a few curt nods of my head in the affirmative.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Daph—how long has this been going on?” Vinny starts anxiously pacing, I can see sweat beading at his brow.

I can understand him being a little ticked off with me for not telling him the details of my courtship considering how much bearing it has on my professional life, and by extension Vinny’s continued gainful employment. What I cannot seem to wrap my head around, is why he’s acting like all of his carefully laid plans are going to come crashing down on top of him—when that couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m booking jobs. I have a promising audition for the LaRenta picture on the horizon, and the pack I’m planning on bonding is one of the most prestigious in the business. All of this nonsense about Vinny acting like the world is about to end when he’s just my agent is beginning to wear my patience thin.

“Vinny, you’re right I should have told you,” I apologize as contritely as I can manage, in an attempt to placate his boiling temper from the relative safety of the hair and makeup chair.

“Damn right you should have told me Daph! I’m your goddamn agent,” he snaps.

I can’t help it, this flips my bitch switch.

“You’re absolutely right, Vinny.” I look him right in the eyes. For a split second he looks unreasonably pleased with himself—thinking he’s won.

“You are only my ‘goddamn agent,’ you don’t get any say in who I decide to court.” My words are calm and collected with an icy edge.

The bracing chill of my words seems to snap Vinny from his boiling temper tantrum, his face suddenly slack as he fumbles to course correct himself.

“I should have told you earlier, but I didn’t—so I am telling you now,” I continue, voice level but menacing.

Vinny knits his fingers together, rocking forward toward me as if he’s about to beg my forgiveness—but I bulldoze him.

“I am courting the Panopticon Pictures pack, I plan on bonding them as soon as my first heat has drawn to a close.”

Vinny’s eyes widen, his mouth working as he babbles in confusion.

“After your first—it’s so soon you can’t—Daph, you don’t understand—” he starts and stops fitfully—unable to find the words.

“Vinny, you don’t understand. This isn’t a topic that’s up for discussion.” I cut my hand through the air.