Did the ass ever shut up?
He watched her wince as Larry grew particularly loud. Then she appeared to pale as he said something about calling her parents. Although why that would bother her, he didn’t know. According to his info on her, she was twenty-six. Old enough to make her own decisions. Without her parents or this dickhead’s permission.
Still, irritation filled him at her obvious discomfit.
“A bodyguard could be a good move if we spin it right. Not this one, obviously.” He pointed at Dominic. “But I guess the other one will do until we can find someone with more of a following.”
A following? Did bodyguards have followings?
Larry turned to him. “Are you on Instagram? Are you known? Is there anything I can use to get some media attention for Arianna?”
Bain just glared at him. He wasn’t even going to dignify those fucking questions with an answer. What the fuck? An Instagram following? Was he fucking insane? He was a security operative.
“Come on? What’s your problem? Don’t you talk? Doesn’t he talk? Arianna, how am I meant to work with him when he doesn’t fucking talk? It’s bad enough dealing with your shit.”
Her shit? What did that mean? That she was a problem to deal with?
Arianna’s eyes widened at those words and she actually took a few steps towards Bain, standing between him and Larry. Bain glanced over at Dominic; whose eyes had widened in surprise.
Surely, she wasn’t. . .was she trying to protect him? From Larry the dickhead? Did she not understand how the whole bodyguard thing worked?
Dominic watched Arianna with interest, but Bain couldn’t see her face from this angle. He moved forward so he was standing just a few feet back and to her right. Just in case Larry made some dickhead move on her.
“Larry,” she said in a low, warning voice.
“Look, darling,” Larry wheedled. “I didn’t mean it like that. Arianna, you know I love working with you. It’s so refreshing. I think you’re so courageous the way you deal with all your problems.”
Problems? What the fuck? What was up with this guy? First, he
yelled at her now he was trying to sweet-talk her, except his tone was condescending as fuck. And if the tension in Arianna’s body was any indication, she thought so as well.
“It’s just, you can’t make decisions like this on your own. We’ve talked about this. Anything to do with your career has to go through me. I’m your agent. I get paid to handle this shit, so you don’t have to worry your pretty head about it.”
Could the guy be more of an ass?
Then he ran his hand down her arm. Yep, seemed he could.
Arianna shook off his hand immediately, moving backward. Bain quickly reacted, stepping forward to place a hand on her back and steady her. She stiffened and stepped hastily away from him.
Right. He got it. She didn’t want the help touching her.
Larry waved a hand around. “Obviously this isn’t going to work, babe. Just give me a couple of days, I’ll find you a bodyguard that’s far more suitable to your situation than these two. I just wished you’d told me you were feeling so unsafe. You know I’d do anything for you.”
Jesus, could this guy lay it on any thicker.
“I did tell you,” she said in a low voice. “You brushed me off. How did you even know they were here?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Obviously, you dreamed that. The two of you can run along now. I have this all figured out.” Larry gave them both a dismissive look. Bain couldn’t work out what Larry’s issue was. Was it the fact that they weren’t famous enough for him? Or that he hadn’t chosen them himself and therefore didn’t get to control them?
A bit of both he was guessing.
“Well, Larry, we can’t do that, I’m afraid,” Dominic told him, watching the other man with that grin still on his face. Bain bet he was the only one who could see the irritation in his eyes. “Arianna hired us. We only go where she tells us to. And I don’t think she wants us to leave.”
Larry sighed. “You’ve met her for two minutes and you think you know her? Look, I get that you’re after your two seconds of fame, no doubt being seen with Arianna will bring all sorts of jobs coming your way. But it’s my job to look after Arianna’s interests. She listens to my advice. Don’t you, darling?”
Larry grabbed her arm again. Bain stepped up beside her, scowling down at him. He didn’t like how handsy the agent was with her.
“Let her go. Now.”