Carah: Billionaire Ladies Club, #3

By Jo Carey

Carah Muellar is looking for love and not having much luck finding it. She never had trouble finding a date, but it was proving impossible to find someone she felt was worth a second date. When an accident during location shooting for her new sci fi movie propelled Carah from being Hollywood's favorite girl next door to social media calling her a hero and an awesome bot jockey, she wondered if the change would lead her to her own happily ever after.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jo Carey
• Release date: Mar 2, 2019
• ISBN: 9781386986164

Jo Carey

Jo Carey grew up in the Midwest but her curiosity and gypsy-spirit has kept her on the move. She's lived in eight US states and spent three years living in Ireland. She has always loved creature movies, so creatures and bugs often show up in her books. Jo, a former information security compliance guru, writes fast-paced, character-driven stories in a variety of genres from medical thrillers to space operas and cozy mysteries. Her novels are filled with humor, romance, and sometimes creatures or aliens, or maybe even all of the above. She often builds her stories around a strong female lead character surrounded by plenty of hunky male heroes. Jo's been under fire on a golf course and climbed out the roof of an elevator in the Netherlands. Life hasn't been boring. Now residing in Texas, setting often plays a huge role in her stories. Jo was intrigued by the League of Planetary Systems, a world her husband, Frank, created for his science fiction books, and she now writes mysteries and other types of tales sets in that world. Jo was bitten by a cat, a fire ant, and a snake, before succumbing to the bite of the writing bug.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

Absolutely not, Carah said. The role is great, but I won't sign the contract unless you remove that stipulation.

It’s a great role for you, Linda said. Having your name linked romantically to Logan will make people look at you as younger. Younger is always better in Hollywood.

No. He is young enough to be my son. Letting people think I'm involved with Logan isn't who I am. This isn't negotiable, Linda.

Linda had been Carah's agent for more than a decade, and this was the first time Carah could remember them having a serious disagreement about a role. It wasn't easy to keep your image clean in Hollywood. Even if you did nothing wrong, false reports and doctored photos could ruin you.

I'm going to be blunt, Carah. You're closing in on 40. That's a wasteland for women's roles in Hollywood. This picture could set you up for the next phase of your career.

I love the role. I'll do a terrific job, but I won't be coerced into pretending there is some romantic entanglement between me and Logan Francis. That is not happening.

I'll talk to the studio to see if there's any room for negotiation, Linda said. I'll let you know.

After she hung up the phone, Carah, sagged back into the pillows of her overstuffed sofa. She'd been a major movie star in Hollywood her entire adult life, now when she truly felt she was at the top of her game, Linda was telling her the only way she was going to get a major role was to play the PR games that were so popular. Carah had never compromised her principals, and she didn't plan to start now. She invested well and was now a billionaire. She owned several businesses and could give up acting entirely without feeling a financial pinch, but she would feel a professional one. She loved acting. It was the only job she ever had.

She spent the rest of the evening skimming over other proposals that had come her way but found nothing that peaked her interest like the role in a new science fiction movie called Nebulon. Most of her career was built on romantic comedies. She'd done an occasional drama, but never science fiction. The role was for an alien woman about Carah's actual age, who was a famous xenoarchaeologist—think Indiana Jones in space. The woman was strong and intelligent but also loving. There was a nice romantic back story that was definitely in Carah's wheelhouse. The writer, producer, and director on-board for the project were all top notch. She wanted the role, but she wasn't willing to sell out her standards to get it. She knew how these things worked. If she agreed, the studio would turn her fake relationship with her young costar into constant media fodder. There'd be pretend dates, pretend fights, pretend breakups and makeups. She had no intention of playing those games to boost ticket sales. The movie could stand on its own. Carah was confident the film would do well at the box office without these deceptions.

She picked up her phone and sent a text to her two best friends. Urgent: girl's night needed. Does Tuesday work?

CHAPTER TWO

Welcome, Carah, Luca said as he hugged her. She’d known Luca Giordano, owner of the Vista Spettacolare Winery since high school. Your friends are at your usual table. Carah and the other members of the Billionaire Ladies Club were regulars.

Thanks, Luca, she said.

As Luca pulled her chair out for her, he said, As always, I'm honored to have three such successful and beautiful women in my winery. Let me know if there is anything you need tonight.

Sorry, I'm late, Carah said. How are you?

After catching up on each other's lives, Carah explained why she asked them to meet. I just need to bitch and moan, I guess. I'm up for a great role, but they wanted to put a clause in the contract that stipulated my co-star and I would have a PR romance.

Neither of the other ladies said anything for a minute. OK, Brodie said. I'll admit I have no idea what a PR romance is.

Sorry, Carah said. "Sadly, it happens a lot in Hollywood. Somehow the power players seem to think that audiences like it when co-stars