"But General Motors is considered one of the worst stocks to invest in right now," Patricia said with a small frown. "I may not be as savvy an investor as Richard, but even I know that."
Troy smiled faintly, leaning back in his chair lazily. "Exactly. It's hovering near its all-time low of the last decade. I had a meeting with someone very high up in the government a few days ago and received some information about what's happening behind the scenes, things not yet known to the public. They said that GM is too iconic, too big to fail. If it collapsed, people would lose faith in the government itself. Once their plans come to light, GM's stock price will skyrocket. In a year, you could see returns as high as ten times your investment."
Richard's eyes widened. The greed in them was barely concealed. "Was it President Obama? I read in the papers that you met him recently."
Troy gave a knowing smile but didn't answer. "All I can say is that I have my money riding on GM this year. What you do with that information is entirely up to you."
Patricia exchanged a glance with Richard, but he was already somewhere else in his mind, lost in dreams of impossible profits. That same expression stayed on his face for the rest of the dinner.
"I don't think that's a viable plan for us," Patricia said as soon as they were back in their car. "We came here seeking funds, not investment advice."
Richard kept his eyes on the road, his jaw set. "Do you realize who that man is? And how he made his fortune? I read a book by an investment analyst who broke down every move Troy Armitage has made since he was a kid. He's a billionaire because he made huge, risky bets that paid off. Guess how many of those bets ever failed?"
Patricia sighed. "I don't know. Five percent?"
"Zero," Richard said with conviction. "Not a single one. Every investment he's ever made has turned a profit. So if I act like the sun shines out of his ass, it's because it probably does. I'm investing everything I have into GM, just as he suggested, no matter the cost."
Patricia turned to him, eyes filled with worry. "That was the whole point of this meeting, Richard. We don't have money to invest in anything."
"We still have our house," he said calmly. "We can mortgage it." He hesitated for a bit before saying, "I never told you this, but I have a good safety net prepared for a rainy day. I'll liquidate that amount and put it all in GM. Just think about it. With these type of returns, we'll be free from our investors' pressure, and can repay them a modest return by next year, thus saving us from litigation."
That was their biggest worry at the moment. Richard had taken so many investments that if he failed, he will go jail for sure. If not, someone powerful will lynch him.
Patricia's breath caught at the mere thought of that. "If this fails, we'll have nothing left."
"It won't fail," Richard said confidently, gripping the steering wheel tighter as the streetlights passed over his face.
(Break)
I was watching a rerun of the latest Saturday Night Live episode, with Loki curled up on the couch near my feet. An absurd skit was playing out on the screen, filling the room with continuous laughter from the live audience.
Loki's ears perked up and he barked excitedly when Scarlett walked in through the door. His tail wagged furiously, but his enthusiasm turned into disappointment when she dropped beside me with a boneless sigh.
"You are evil," I said, giving her a disbelieving look before bending down to calm the dismayed Loki, who whined softly, still yearning for her attention. "Don't worry, boy. She didn't mean to upset you. She's just tired."
After a moment, I glanced back at her and teased, "If not Loki, at least give me my daily dose of your perfect kiss." I made a kissy face in her direction.
Scarlett closed her eyes and groaned. "Today was brutal. I'm so fucking tired I'm not moving an inch from this spot. You'll have to carry me to bed when it's time to sleep."
"We still have to eat," I reminded her gently.
"Not hungry."
I frowned. "Are you still on that insane diet?"
"Not anymore," she murmured. "I burn so many calories dancing all day, I have to eat more or I'll probably faint. I had a huge lunch, so I don't want anything right now."
"That's good then," I said, turning my attention back to the screen where Alec Baldwin appeared alongside the Jonas Brothers, launching into a ridiculous skit.
"Since when do you watch SNL?" she asked curiously, her voice still muffled against the cushion.
"Since I got a call from them to host one of the episodes," I replied. "This time I accepted. At worst, I'll just make a fool of myself, which I'm totally fine with."
The moment I said that, Scarlett's fatigue evaporated. She sat up straight, eyes bright with excitement. "Fucking finally! I've hosted it twice, and it's amazing. You'll love it. I still can't believe you turned them down before."
I snorted. It wasn't the first time SNL had reached out to me, but every other time I'd been busy shooting something else.
"I thought you were tired," I said pointedly.
She sighed, the burst of energy fading as quickly as it came, and leaned against my shoulder again. "I am."
I kissed the top of her head softly. "And remember, we're having brunch tomorrow with your siblings."
She groaned. "Fuck! I forgot about that. Can you please go alone while I sleep in on my only day off this week?"
I gave her a deadpan look. "You're coming along." My tone left no room for argument.
It still felt strange that I hadn't officially met Scarlett's other siblings yet. I'd met her mom once, briefly, and his brother Hunter, but that was it. Now that we were in New York, I'd decided to make a proper effort to see more of them in the coming days.
"That reminds me," Scarlett said suddenly, lifting her head slightly. "I met someone on set today. A playwright. He offered me a role in a play once I'm done with my current projects."
"And?" I asked, prompting her to continue.
"Would that be okay with you?" she asked. "I'd have to stay in New York for months after finishing [Iron Man 2]."
"Is that okay with you?" I countered gently. "You're already exhausted from this film, and [Iron Man 2] will have even more action for your character. I thought you wanted a break after all this. Heck, I wasn't even sure if you wanted to play Black Widow anymore."
She shrugged lightly. "I have warmed up to the idea of becoming Black Widow, and don't want to step back now. As for the stage play, I've always wanted to do it. This one's really good, so I thought I'd talk to you first since you've done Broadway before. What do you think?"
"Don't do a musical if you're looking for downtime," I advised seriously. "It's a lot of work—acting, singing, dancing six days a week, sometimes two times a day. But whatever you decide, I'll support you."
"Thank you," she said softly, resting her head on my shoulder again. "I'll talk to my agent about it too. Honestly, all I want right now is a full day at a spa—massages, facials, the whole package. But I don't have the time for it, and it's too late for one anyway."
I gave her a mock look of disbelief. "Did you forget who I am? I could call the best massage therapists in New York right now." Then, an idea lit up in my head. "Or better yet…"
Before she could react, I stood and scooped her into my arms. She let out a startled yelp, half laughing.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm doing exactly what you want," I said in a playful tone. "You're tired, and in desperate need of a massage. Lucky for you, I'm a man of many talents."
Scarlett gave me a skeptical look, a teasing smile tugging at her lips. "Are you sure about that? I like my massages deep-tissue and intense."
"Oh, you'll get it deep and intense for sure," I promised.
"And what about a facial?"
"I can give that to you as well," I said seriously, though I had a feeling that Scarlett and I had very different definitions of the word 'facial'.
The rest of the chapter is posted exclusively on Fablefic(dot)com. Check it out for free. Just so you know, it won't add anything substantial to the story; it's just smut.
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AN: Check out my second story, 'Swimmer to Superstar (A Hollywood SI)', which is now publicly available.
Link: www(dot)fablefic(dot)com