Almost Famous, a Talent Novel by Zoey Dean

like they do now.”
    “Why should I believe you?”
    “What other choice do you have?” Ruby asked seriously.
    Mac pressed her Chanel-glossed lips together in a thin line. First of all, Ruby didn’t have that much power at BAMS. Mac was sure the I.C. downfall had been her own fault. Secondly, Mac never allowed her reputation to be controlled by other people—and certainly not by Ruby Goldman. To demean herself by working for Ruby would be too humiliating and unbearable, even if it could (but it couldn’t!) mean her comeback.
    “Let me think.” Mac paused for a second, twisting her Mintee bracelet. “Um, no.”
    Ruby sighed. “Fine,” she said nonchalantly. “Figured I’d throw you a bone. Don’t say I didn’t try.” Ruby popped on her Mac-alike Gucci aviators and headed back to her Hummer. Mac thought she saw a flicker of worry on Ruby’s face as she hobbled off.
    She closed her front door and made a mental note to donate all seven pairs of her Gucci sunglasses to Goodwill.
     
    Mac had just wandered into the kitchen when her mother barreled in, dropping a pile of scripts with the Initiative logo onto the Sicilian-tiled island.
    “What happened today?” Adrienne asked, slowly cocking an eyebrow at Mac. She stared at Mac in a way that meant she knew something was up. Mac felt sick to her stomach, realizing she’d also disappointed her mother in the Slumbergate disaster. “This morning Elliot’s assistant canceled our meeting. And then he didn’t return my phone call.” Adrienne glanced down at her BlackBerry. “We’re now going on seven hours and twenty-three minutes of radio silence.” No one in Hollywood waited hours, plural , to return a call from Adrienne Little-Armstrong. Not even Elliot Tachman.
    Unless there was drama. Big Drama.
    Just then Maude bounded into the kitchen, her fluffy golden curls bouncing, and taped a new Chess Champion certificate onto the cream-colored Sub-Zero refrigerator, next to last week’s Chess Champion certificate. “I won today, Mommy!” Maude exclaimed, pointing at her new prize. Mac rolled her eyes. Why did she always feel like a no-talent loser around her family?
    Adrienne leaned down to kiss her youngest child on the forehead. “Wonderful, Maudey! Your sister and I are having a private conversation and I want you to tell me all about this after we’re done, okay?” Maude nodded once and immediately walked down the hallway to Adrienne’s office. She looked like an adorable little robot.
    Adrienne turned to Mac, waiting for an explanation. “Well?”
    Mac took a deep breath. “We kind of made fun of Kimmie, but not exactly—Ruby Goldman made it look that way because she taped our iChat conversation, stalker style. Anyway, that’s probably why E-Tach called off the meeting. And now everyone at BAMS sort of hates us, too, ’cause we said some mean stuff. Ruby’s giving us a chance to redeem ourselves, but it’s humiliating, and I’m not lowering myself for anyone,” Mac said in a rush.
    Adrienne’s eyes narrowed, and she became very quiet in a way that Mac knew meant that she was upset. “Are you finished?”
    “Yep, I’m ruined.” Mac lowered her voice. “And Emily’s just destroyed.”
    “No, I meant, are you finished with this pity party?”
    “Mah-um!” Mac said, pushing up the sleeves of her Ron Herman cardigan. “Be serious!” She had expected something along the lines of how pathetic Ruby was. Something that would actually make her feel better.
    “I am being serious,” Adrienne said, cleaning her Tina Fey glasses on her Vince cashmere sweater. “Would you have said these things about these kids to their faces?
    “It was a private conversation!” Mac huffed.
    “Mackenzie, I always assume people are recording my conversations.” Adrienne put on her glasses.
    “But you’re an agent!” Mac cried defensively.
    “And that’s what you want to be, right?” Adrienne pointed out. “Always assume that everything you do on a