everything you told me to do after I got off the phone with you. I took down my website and went straight home. As soon as I got there I went to my laptop to check my email. Before my website went down a film company in California contacted me, so I gave them a call. I'm driving to Los Angeles next week to meet with them. They've offered me a significant sum of money, and once again, I'm desperate."
"What kind of film company, Carrie-Anne?"
"What kind do you think, Alex? It's an adult film company. They've offered me enough to cover your retainer, as well as to pay down some of the balance of my mother's nursing home bill."
The two men looked at one another in stunned disbelief before Alex finally spoke up.
"Not on my watch."
"Look, Alex, I think we've already established the fact that I've fallen from grace, and now my photography business is, for all intents and purposes, shut down. I have bills to pay and no money coming in my door."
"No way." Alex held his ground. "I'm not going to sit back and allow my best friend to turn herself into a prostitute."
"Do you really think I want to do this? I don't have a choice."
"It's still a form of prostitution, Carrie-Anne. You're being paid to have sex with someone, whether it's a man, another woman, or maybe both at the same time. The only difference is that someone is filming you while you're lying on your back so that other people can watch it later on, and somehow that makes it all legal. I'll be damned if I'm going sit back and allow you to do that. You haven't signed a contract have you?"
"Not yet, but I have it with me."
"Let me see it."
Carrie sighed as she pulled it out of her satchel and handed it over. Alex looked it over before turning to Steve.
"I'll let them know, in no uncertain terms, that the deal's off." He placed it into her file. "Just so you understand, Carrie-Anne, even if you had signed this, I still would have tried to break it."
"You know, Alex, it's really easy to be virtuous when you have food in your stomach and a roof over your head, but right now I don't have that option. I just got another letter in the mail. The nursing home was threatening to turn my mother's account over to collections, so I had to use my grocery money get them off my back. Like Old Mother Hubbard, there's nothing in my cupboard."
The room began to spin around her. She grabbed the edge of the table, trying to steady herself as she began to sway in her chair.
"Carrie-Anne, are you all right?"
"I'm okay, I'm just really stressed out, that's all."
"When was the last time you had anything to eat?"
"The day before yesterday."
"What!" Alex looked at Steve.
"I'm on it." He raced out of the room.
"Where's he going?"
"To the break room to get you something to eat. Carrie-Anne, you're in way over your head. You can't handle this on your own anymore. I'm your friend, so please, let me help you."
Steve rushed back in with a couple of bananas, an apple, and a bottle of fruit juice. Carrie eagerly reached for one of the bananas and quickly began to peel it.
"Not too fast," warned Alex. "You don't want shock your system. But while you're eating, please listen to what Steve has to say."
"From time to time, Carrie, we take pro bono cases. Alex and I had a discussion about this before you got here. We can prove your signature was forged and your identity was stolen. If Louise is smart, she'll drop her vendetta against you and work with us to find out who the real culprit is. If not, and she decides to pursue you anyway, then she's a fool, because she can never win. So, if she forces the issue, we'll file a motion requesting that you be awarded attorney fees. If the judge agrees, then it will be on Louise's nickel, not yours."
"We need to find out who set you up," said Alex. "You said Louise promised you'd be anonymous, but obviously someone knows. Did you volunteer any information or tell anyone that the photos were of you?"
"The night at the gallery, when Louise's show
"What kind of film company, Carrie-Anne?"
"What kind do you think, Alex? It's an adult film company. They've offered me enough to cover your retainer, as well as to pay down some of the balance of my mother's nursing home bill."
The two men looked at one another in stunned disbelief before Alex finally spoke up.
"Not on my watch."
"Look, Alex, I think we've already established the fact that I've fallen from grace, and now my photography business is, for all intents and purposes, shut down. I have bills to pay and no money coming in my door."
"No way." Alex held his ground. "I'm not going to sit back and allow my best friend to turn herself into a prostitute."
"Do you really think I want to do this? I don't have a choice."
"It's still a form of prostitution, Carrie-Anne. You're being paid to have sex with someone, whether it's a man, another woman, or maybe both at the same time. The only difference is that someone is filming you while you're lying on your back so that other people can watch it later on, and somehow that makes it all legal. I'll be damned if I'm going sit back and allow you to do that. You haven't signed a contract have you?"
"Not yet, but I have it with me."
"Let me see it."
Carrie sighed as she pulled it out of her satchel and handed it over. Alex looked it over before turning to Steve.
"I'll let them know, in no uncertain terms, that the deal's off." He placed it into her file. "Just so you understand, Carrie-Anne, even if you had signed this, I still would have tried to break it."
"You know, Alex, it's really easy to be virtuous when you have food in your stomach and a roof over your head, but right now I don't have that option. I just got another letter in the mail. The nursing home was threatening to turn my mother's account over to collections, so I had to use my grocery money get them off my back. Like Old Mother Hubbard, there's nothing in my cupboard."
The room began to spin around her. She grabbed the edge of the table, trying to steady herself as she began to sway in her chair.
"Carrie-Anne, are you all right?"
"I'm okay, I'm just really stressed out, that's all."
"When was the last time you had anything to eat?"
"The day before yesterday."
"What!" Alex looked at Steve.
"I'm on it." He raced out of the room.
"Where's he going?"
"To the break room to get you something to eat. Carrie-Anne, you're in way over your head. You can't handle this on your own anymore. I'm your friend, so please, let me help you."
Steve rushed back in with a couple of bananas, an apple, and a bottle of fruit juice. Carrie eagerly reached for one of the bananas and quickly began to peel it.
"Not too fast," warned Alex. "You don't want shock your system. But while you're eating, please listen to what Steve has to say."
"From time to time, Carrie, we take pro bono cases. Alex and I had a discussion about this before you got here. We can prove your signature was forged and your identity was stolen. If Louise is smart, she'll drop her vendetta against you and work with us to find out who the real culprit is. If not, and she decides to pursue you anyway, then she's a fool, because she can never win. So, if she forces the issue, we'll file a motion requesting that you be awarded attorney fees. If the judge agrees, then it will be on Louise's nickel, not yours."
"We need to find out who set you up," said Alex. "You said Louise promised you'd be anonymous, but obviously someone knows. Did you volunteer any information or tell anyone that the photos were of you?"
"The night at the gallery, when Louise's show
Similar Books
![MINE! [New World Book 8]](https://fs.ageofbook.com/503196/thumbs/152x264/mine-new-world-book-8.jpg)
