“Riley, darling, we need to?—”
Nearly screaming, Riley told her, “Do you know who the fuck I am? I don’t have to do anything! I’m a rich movie star! Who the hell are you? Nobody without me!”
She surprised a satisfied grin. It was a pretty good performance, if she did say so herself.
“Riley. Where is this coming from?”
She stepped closer and answered, “I’m a fucking star, Rita. I’m tired of not getting my dues. Do you know how much money my movies made for the studio last year? You better check the figures.”
The other Littles cheered.
“That’s right,” Iris yelled. “Riley Fucking Hartwell, bitch. You better put some respect on her name!”
They all kept cheering as they jumped into the pool, the party suddenly becoming a free-for-all.
In the commotion, Rita stepped back, probably not wanting to fall in again, Riley figured.
With the group being so loud and the music back on, Rita had to shout to be heard.
“I’m going to email you the details. It’s an event. Two days from now. You need to be there,” she hollered.
Riley didn’t even acknowledge what was said, instead dancing in the pool up against Cami and Annika to the thumping electronica that blared from the giant speakers nearby.
But Riley would be at that event.
She’d show up in a really big way.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“You should have seen it. It was hilarious!” Riley told Briggs.
He was laughing along with the others who’d gathered at Auntie Athena’s.
“I’m proud of you,” he said. “Of course, it sounds strange for a Daddy to tell his Little that he’s proud of her for being extra bratty.”
Athena took a sip of her wine and said, “I think in this case it’s appropriate. Just don’t go getting any ideas about acting that way here at the nursery.”
“Don’t worry, Auntie. I’m not a brat,” Riley said.
“I know that, honey.”
“This is a real nice place you have here, Auntie Athena,” Eli said.
“Thank you, sweetie. It’s probably not anything close to what you have in Mountainville, but we’re proud of it.”
“I think it’s perfect,” Penny said.
“Agreed,” Chelsea said.
Penny was a pretty, full-figured woman with silky brown hair. Sitting next to her, her best friend Chelsea had short blonde hair and a runner’s build.
“Thank you. You two are the attorneys, huh?” Athena asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” Chelsea said. “We’re the Office of General Counsel for Mountainville.”
“And,” Penny added, “we are Littles, of course. Though not in court.”
Everyone laughed.