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Velvette sits on the couch next to him and that’s how Vox’s knows he’s fucked up. He’s not proud to say he tenses up for a second. Velvette puts her feet on the couch and gets comfortable, leaning against his side like he is part of the furniture. She doesn’t acknowledge his presence at all. She just sips there, drinking her coffee while scrolling through some pictures on her phone.
Vox is still frozen in place. Then, he glances around, just to be sure it’s just them before choosing a reaction. He sighs and drops his shoulders a little. He’s starting defeat dead in the eyes and he hates it.
“Velvette,” he says, a plea disguised as mere greeting.
“Mm?”
She doesn’t even look at him. Of course, she wouldn’t take pity on him. Vox takes a sip of his own coffee. This is bad.
Vox glances at her. She takes a sip of her coffee. Vox is trying to figure this out, considering every small detail that could have led to this moment. He drums his fingernails into his own mug, deep in thought. He is coming short on answers and possibilities, which is definitely not good.
Vox laughs, casual and charming.
“What seems to be the problem in this hellish morning, Vel?”
Velvette turns her head to fully face him without moving the rest of her body. It’s a little creepy and it makes him want to flinch away. He doesn’t. He has seen this trick before. Vox arches an eyebrow at her, still waiting for an answer. She looks so unimpressed that it actually makes him a little nervous that this is serious.
“Angel Dust. Seriously, V?” she says plainly.
Vox blinks, confused for a moment. It takes a moment for her line to make sense and then it all becomes funny. Vox laughs and takes a sip of his coffee. Velvette stares at him as he does so and that makes him pause. Vox frowns a little, surprised that this is an issue at all.
“Really?”
“Really, bitch,” Velvette says and turns her head back before moving her body and turning to him like an actual person would, thank fuck. “How do you think a certain drama queen is taking your fancy with his little star?”
Vox stares at her, unimpressed.
“You can’t be serious.”
Velvette rolls her eyes and takes a sip from her coffee, looking back at her phone.
“Come on, Vel,” Vox says, but he knows better than to go down that line of reasoning. He sighs again. This is about to become a headache. “What kind of damage are we talking here?”
“So far? Some lost talent, but nothing actually unfortunate.”
Vox nods.
“And?”
Velvette looks back at him.
“This isn’t a business call, love,” she says and then she laughs like he missed the joke completely. “I’m doing you a favor and letting you know you’re in way over your head, V.”
Vox takes another sip of his coffee, considering the warning. Valentino must be terrorizing Velvette’s place if she decided to step into the ring.
“Is he really mad?” he asks quietly.
“Not the word I’d use.”
Vox blinks and slowly lowers his mug. So, Val is sad. He frowns a little at the ache in his heart over that realization. He doesn’t like that.
Vox laughs again.
“Well, tough luck,” he says, trying to play it off as business and laugh it off.
Velvette gives him a look that insults him in several different ways he can’t really put into words. She gives him three exact seconds to rectify his bullshit act before she rolls her eyes and says:
“Bitch, please.”
Vox knows there is no point in pretending when Vel has seen – and heard! – so much by living so close. But he doesn’t want to admit he cares. Not this much. Not this openly.
Even if it’s eating his insides like acid.
Vox drops himself against the couch and throws his head back, groaning in frustration.
“It’s all part of the fucking plan,” Velvette says, “I get it, Val gets it, you don’t have to say shit.”
Vox turns his head to look at her.
“But?”
“Look, babe. You want to nuke your relationship, that’s fine. You do you and all that loser shit,” she says and then she actually puts her phone away before going on, so Vox can really understand that it had just become a business call. “But if you fuck my brand up, I’m going to make you pay with fucking interest, Vox.”
Vox blinks in surprise and then grins at her. This is his language. This is his show.
“Vel,” he says, charming and smooth like he only ever is for business. “Velvette. Babe. Dollface.”
Velvette looks at him like he is wasting her time, so he gets to the point.
“Don’t worry. The ratings are up and this little side,” he pauses and considers what to call it for the time being. “Project will ensure that they never come down.”
Velvette doesn’t seem convinced and Vox can tell she doesn’t want to be. She knows it’s good business, but she is taking sides. Vox rolls his eyes.
“Or do you think I lost my touch?”
Velvette sighs and shrugs.
“Who knows, old man. Just make sure your boytoy won’t take it out on my models and I don’t care how you keep our numbers up as long as they stay up.”
Velvette rolls her shoulders and stands up. She finishes her coffee and sets the mug down on the table before taking her phone out again. Vox smiles at her. She isn’t even trying to fool him. The message is clear and loud: fucking fix things with Val.
“Of course,” he says and takes another sip of his own coffee. It’s cold and awful and it almost makes him shudder. He sets the mug down on the coffee table, too. He looks at Velvette. “Huh.”
Velvette turns to him and arches an eyebrow.
“Yes?”
“Is he… jealous of that whore?”
Velvette stares at him for a moment before pinching the bridge of her own nose. She doesn’t even bother answering him.
“You know what,” she says before she opens her eyes again. Velvette starts walking away from him, but she still says: “I don’t have time for nonsense, Vox. For fuck’s sake.”
Vox stays on the couch a little longer, too stunned to react. He breathes out slowly and pulls himself back together.
“Right.”
Vox stands up. He has to do something about Valentino before this gets out of control. He wonders if this is the sort of situation in which he should get Val some sort of gift. Vox hums. Maybe, he should get him flowers or some shit.