The Last Hunt in Los Angeles

The SEC has set views on procedures for raising money from the public. I'm hazy on the

rules but there are exceptions, including crowd funding and one for getting money from investors

who would be expected to know what they're doing but I doubt I'd qualify. In any case, I don't

have half a million to drop on this but thanks for the thought."

This conversation resulted in another sharp exchange between Hawk and Meghan who had

become tired of the whole issue, although just as determined to avoid putting money into the NFT

consortium.

"You take investment advice from the coffee guy?" said Hawk. "I thought you'd fired him."

"He was fired for a while," said Meghan, carefully. "But he came back because he's useful.

He handles all my social media and PR, all at a fraction of the amount I was paying in fees before

and does it better, as far as I'm concerned. The coffee thing is just a bonus."

"How does handling social media extend to being in the pool with you?" Robin asked.

"My regular trainer sprained his ankle and Will is former national swimming team. He was

standing in."

"Yeah?" said Hawk remembering, with alarm, the way Will had towered over him. "I don't

like this baby. He's too close to you; he'll take advantage of you. You're so beautiful you have to

be careful."

"I can look after myself," retorted Meghan. "Will doesn't have access to my money and has

never asked for anything, not even for a raise."

"Does he touch you? Talk dirty to you?"

Hawk thought that if Will had done anything like that he could get bodyguard Henry to

confront the writer, but Meg laughed softly over the thought of Will 'talking dirty'.

"He's never laid a finger on me and he's never said anything inappropriate," she said.

Meghan almost added something like 'darn it' but stopped herself in time. "He's been fine. I can

handle my staff."

"I'm just looking out for you, baby," said Hawk, "I worry about you. Let's come back to it."

Meghan wondered why they had to 'come back to it' when she had made herself clear that

she wasn't going to invest but did not say anything.

"The good news," continued Hawk, "is I can be in New York with you."

The star was due to film on location for a romance/murder mystery December in New York,

and her status meant she stayed in a suite at a swanky hotel, along with anyone she wanted. This

mostly meant Mia in another bedroom but boyfriends as well.

"That's great," she said, although she did not feel that it was great, especially if she was to

be hassled about the NFT consortium again, "how long are you going to stay with me?"

"Couple of weeks," he said. "I've got meetings and a commercial to shoot. Can you get the

producers to arrange an extra room for Henry?"

"I'll get Mia onto it," she said.

Later, Meghan called Mia into her study to pass on the request and to laugh with her over

the thought of Will 'talking dirty'.

"I don't even get compliments," complained Meghan. "He tells you and Emma you're

'looking fine' or comments on what you're wearing or has that line he's used on Misty about how

she's looking too fabulous and it's distracting him. But I don't get that at all. He never tells me I'm

'looking fine'."

"Since when do you need to be told you're looking fine?" retorted Mia. "You make the top

of any list of desirable women going and you warned him off pretty hard when you hired him he

told me, so he probably thinks that any remark would be out of line. Sometimes, when he puts pics

of you online, he says stuff like 'that should get them in', or 'that should have them drooling'. That

might count as 'talking dirty' now that I think about it, but he never says it when you're around."

"He shows those pics to me," said Meghan, "and he doesn't say anything then."

"What can he say about those shots of you sitting up in a bed with a sheet around you that

wouldn't sound greasy?" said Mia wrapping an arm around her at breast level to demonstrate. "Of

course, they're sexy. If Will knows what to say he probably doesn't dare say it."

"He could say something. I get a lot of compliments from men I don't know and don't care

about. It would be nice to get them from someone I actually care about."

"Do you care about Will?" said Mia quickly. She had begun to suspect that her boss liked

the writer and was glad of a chance to question her.

"We all care about Will," said Meghan, carefully. "I'm with Robin."

"We all do," agreed Mia although she was not fully convinced by the answer. "Do you want

me to say anything to him about comments on the photos? I have to say, it's weird, as most men

would have to be told to shut up."

"He can say things like 'getting them in' when I'm around. It's what I do, I guess."

"Should I tell him he can say things like that?"

Meghan thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Whatever."

Later that same day, Will came into her study as she was reviewing the social media

comments. Will selected comments from the different channels, those that were complimentary or

interesting, and either sent them to her or left printouts on her desk. As Meghan was not one to put

her life online, or broadcast opinions on X, it was the only interaction she had with her professional

profile media.

"Boss, I won't be around for a couple of weeks from next week.," he said.

"Don't call me boss, and why not, Will Moreland? I'll be paying you to be here."

"You don't pay me while I'm doing other stuff. That was our deal, remember?" said Will.

"That slasher script I re-wrote is going to the storyboard phase and the producer – you remember

Hap – is arranging a workshop with me and the director at some country shack he's got. We're

going to hang out there for a week and more, hashing out the story. Hap is paying me, not very

much but some, to be there. As per our deal, you don't pay me for that time away."

"Who's going to be looking after all the things you do, Will?" she said, annoyed at the

thought of the writer not being around for her to hassle. "What about the social media? What about

my PR? What about investment advice? What about this benefit?"

"I can set up stuff for online before I go, for Emma to release. She'll be here by herself,

won't she? You and Mia will be in New York. The benefit is arranged – it's set for when Connie

comes off touring. Your investments are as you want them; we can discuss any shifts in your

portfolio when you return. As for the PR, you're doing a radio interview and one of the TV shows,

and both of them will be light. Tell a funny story for the radio program – I'll leave you a couple of

pointers – and wear something short and fabulous for the TV show and it won't matter what you

say. Mia can run interference otherwise. Any serious calls refer to me – I'll handle them free of

charge."

"I still want you to be there," said Meghan becoming exasperated. "It's part of your job. I

wanted you to come to New York and advise me."

"You did fine before I came on staff, and this was part of the deal remember?"

"A slasher movie script with a director who makes zombie Nazi films?"

"Evan's career to date has not been distinguished, that's true," said Will judiciously, "but

neither has mine, as you've pointed out, and we've all got to start somewhere. Hitchcock started as

a title card designer for silent films. James Cameron worked for Roger Corman, the king of low

budget shlock…"

"This is not helping William Moreland. I still need you in New York."

"You don't need me in New York and this was part of the deal. If I'm not doing your work

you don't pay me."

"How about I not pay you, ever? How about I fire you?"

"Fire me, then," said Will. "I'm still going to this workshop."

"Fine, you're fired."

"Okay, fine," said Will. "It was a pleasure to work for you, for that time."

He left. A few minutes later, Mia came in to ask about payments that had to be made.

"I hate Will Moreland," said Meghan.

"Uh-huh," said Mia.