Maneater

Chapter Five

    Crystal didn't stick around the video shoot for long. She stayed around long enough to witness just how much energy ADG put into his video shoots, and just how charming he was in between takes. He joked around with the video girls and was friendly enough to include the crew in on the jokes. His crew milled around the set with their eyes glued to their cell phones, barely giving the shoot any of their attention.

    She and ADG exchanged a few more curious glances before she left, but that was it. She checked her watch and realized that if she was going to make her appointment on time, she needed to get going. As she walked off the studio with her makeup case in tow, she could feel his eyes on her. Knowing that he was watching gave her a sort of sense of satisfaction, but she didn't dare look back at him.

~~~~~~

    Cecconi's. Many celebrities frequented the upscale LA restaurant, and for good reason. The cuisine was remarkable, the decor and ambiance was top-notch, and the staff treated each guest with care and respect. Crystal breezed into the restaurant and gave her name to the attending maitre'd.

    "Your guest has arrived and is waiting at your table," the tall, lanky gentleman said, moving from behind his stand so he could lead her into the main restaurant area. He led her to a table where a curvy, blonde young woman sat.

    Lowering her designer shades from her eyes, Crystal waited for the maitre'd to pull her chair and lowered into it.

    The blonde looked up at her. She had a young look to her face, but the chic navy blue pantsuit suggested that she could be older than she looked. She gave Crystal a once-over.

    "Hello. I'm Crystal."

    "Hi," the woman said hesitantly.

    "You're Nicole?"

    The blonde nodded, then glanced around the restaurant. "Do you eat here often? This is my first time here."

    "It's one of my favorite restaurants in the city," Crystal said, dropping her sunglasses into her purse.

    A waiter approached, introduced himself as Tony, and presented them with menus.

    Crystal waited for him to depart before asking Nicole, "Let's get into how I can be of service to you."

    "Have you decided to help me?" Nicole asked, sounding hopeful. She eagerly leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table.

    "I'm considering it," Crystal said, even though she knew that deep down she had decided to help the woman. "But I want to make sure that this is something you really want to do."

    Nicole leaned back in her seat. "Why wouldn't I?"

    Crystal shrugged. "From what you've described, he doesn't sound like someone you would want to keep in your life. He sounds like a horrible person. Instead of concocting some sort of revenge plot against him, you should just...move on. Find someone worthy of you."

    Nicole dropped her gaze and stared down at her lap.

    "I mean, look at you," Crystal went on. "You're a beautiful girl, Nicole."

    Nicole looked up at her.

    "Not just cute," Crystal said. "Not just kind of pretty. You're beautiful. What were you doing with a man who sounds like he was a complete dog to you?"

    "He wasn't always like that," Nicole mumbled, wrapping her arms around herself. "When we first started dating, he was so sweet. So charming."

    "What happened?"