Chapter Six

Riley and Emma met at a coffee café to get a cup of coffee. Riley saw Emma coming and scoffed. 

“She is always overdressed. It’s just coffee for fuck’s sake!” Riley thought jealously. 

Emma was a screen goddess, and she always dressed the part. She even worked for some modeling agencies before she ventured into acting fully. At first, they were enemies, especially after Logan dated Riley and dumped her for Emma, but they became allies after both got dumped.

“It’s so hot in here,” Emma said she moment her butt touched her seat.

Riley could not wait to get the meeting over and done with, and she particularly chose that coffee café out of town so that hungry papparazi’s would not see them and take pictures. She was sure the headlines would be screaming about them;

“Logan D’Nores’s surly ex-girlfriends spotted having coffee together.”

“Popular Actresses, Riley and Emma who got dumped by superstar Logan meet up to lick their sore wounds.”

“Are the ex-girlfriends of D’Nores now besties?”

“Will Riley and Emma agree to be Logan’s girlfriends at once? What are they suddenly meeting up for?”

“Logan’s two supposedly dumped women in Hollywood, Riley and Emma meet up to discuss on ways they can win his heart back.”

Those news-thirsty bloody bloggers always have a way of coming up with the most absurd and upsetting news, and Riley was not ready to have to answer questions from her loyal fans who had supported her when she and Logan’s relationship hit the rocks. “You deserve better than D’Nores, Riley!” They had told her.

Yeah, she did deserve better, only that Logan was her own better.

“I can’t believe that Logan is actually going to marry that girl from the slum, even after disgusting show they pulled at the last event. I couldn’t stomach it, ew.” Emma said, her face almost blue with disgust. She took a sip of her coffee, and spat it out. 

Riley said, “You better believe it, girl. The only thing is left is to fix an exact date. I swear I did not believe it myself when Leah told me, but the bitch could not possible be lying, after all…”

Emma’s eyes widened in shock. “Leah? Isn’t that Logan’s sister? You girls talk now?”

Oops! Riley cleared her throat and shifted in her seat uncomfortably; she hadn’t meant to let that slip out. “No…I mean, I heard it from someone really close to Leah. You know me, I wouldn’t roll with her after everything.”

“Yeah, she’s probably on her brother’s side. Silly bitch.” Riley took out her cigarette and started to smoke, puffing the air in Riley’s face. 

Riley swore, but maintained a strained smile. She could not stand Riley for many reasons, but an enemy of Logan is her friend…for now.

“But we cannot let that lowlife girl win above us. The press would have a filled day with it. I heard she’s only 21, can you imagine that?!” Emma said.

“The girl was only a teenager some minutes ago,” Riley said and they both laughed.

“Now to the real deal,” Emma continued, “what do we do with the girl?”

Riley stayed thoughtful for a moment, her cigarette smoke lingering in the air between them. For a moment, Riley felt jealous. Emma was beautiful, talented and well endowed. When Logan had left her for Emma, she had secretly cried and hated herself for months, feeling that Logan saw more beauty in Emma than in her. 

But then, they were here for one goal alone: Alice.

“Maybe we can get a private investigator that would dig up something really ugly about her?” Emma suggested gleefully.

“People already did that, they found nothing. She’s a boring piece of shit.” Riley countered.

“Well, I know Logan loves to protect his image and guard his name, you know his life and career depends on it. What if we fabricate something awfully disgusting about her? I am pretty sure our man will dump her as fast as he picked her.” Emma said.

My man, you mean…Riley thought bitterly.

“We can try that,” she responded.

“Cool!” Emma said gladly. “I will contact a good person I know, and then they can begin the work. I can’t wait for an explosion,” Emma chuckled. “It is going to be worse than a volcano!”

“Yeah right,” Riley was already taking her bag and standing up. She could not wait to get far away from Emma as fast as possible. While they discussed, she already texted her driver and asked him to wait at the parking lot for her.

Emma released another puff, aggravating Riley. “Are you leaving?”

But Riley was already out of the door. 

Emma picked up her phone and dialed a number, and while she waited for the person to pick up, she signaled a serving waiter. 

“Hey, do you think I could get another cigarette? This one is almost out.” Riley threw the guy her best smile.

“Sorry Ma’am,” he replied, “but you shouldn’t even be smoking here in the first place.”

Emma put her hand into her purse and stylishly pushed a dollar tip to him. “Please…I will smoke it outside, I promise.”

The waiter collected the tip, put it in his side pocket and threw her a warm smile as well, “We don’t allow cigarettes in this café, Miss, therefore, we are not in possession of any,” and he walked away.

Emma tsked and swore under her breath, “Stupid son of a bitch.” The person at the other end of her phone picked. Emma drew the last bout of smoke from the cigarette and threw it on the floor. “They will clean up the mess.”

“Hey!” She said to the person on the phone. “Took you long enough to pick. I have a new job for you, man.”

When the waiter returned to his beat, he spoke with his friend who is also a waiter. “Look, I can swear that is Emma, the actress. Her breath stunk of cigarette.”

“Really? I knew it! I kept suspecting her and her guest who left earlier. Hold on, let me check the bill the friend paid…I said it! It’s Riley. What could they possibly be doing at a café like this, and together?”