by Jackie D.
Harlow walked to the lounge chair and grabbed her clothes, looking for all the world like she walked around in front of strangers in her wet underwear all the time. “I should get going anyway. It’s getting late. I have an early day.”
Audrey didn’t want Harlow to leave, but there was no way to get her to stay without embarrassing herself further.
“Harlow, let me grab you some sweats to drive home in. I’m sure Audrey has something for you to wear.” Her mom hurried into the house.
Her mother was in mom mode now, and there would be no deterring her. It was better to let her run free and do as she felt compelled.
Audrey sighed as she watched her mother go inside. “I’m really sorry about that. I thought they were coming home tomorrow.”
Harlow wrapped her towel around them both and kissed the side of her head. “There’s nothing to apologize for, honestly. Your mom seems really sweet.”
Audrey chuckled into Harlow’s shoulder. She enjoyed the easiness she felt around her. “She is many things, and you’re right, sweet is one of them.”
The mortification that had initially gripped Audrey upon her mother’s abrupt arrival had melted away. Harlow didn’t seem at all bothered by the intrusion, and that made her like her even more. Often, people in this business were tightly wound and overwhelmingly entitled. Harlow didn’t appear to encompass either of those things. She took the interruption in stride, and Audrey appreciated that immensely.
“What’s your shooting schedule like?” Harlow had taken a step back and was drying her hair with the towel.
“Sixteen-hour days for the next six weeks.” Audrey tried to sound upbeat, but she knew her schedule was brutal and no one wanted any part of that.
“Any days off?”
“Yeah, actually. I have a four-day stretch in three weeks.” Audrey tried not to sound too hopeful.
Harlow walked toward the door where her mother was just emerging. “Perfect. Save them for me?”
“All four?”
Harlow turned, walking backward, and shrugged. “Unless you get a better offer.”
A better offer? Was she serious? She hurried to catch up to her.
Harlow took the clothes from her mom without elaborating. “Is it okay if I use the pool house to change? I don’t want to track water into the house.”
Audrey nodded, still slightly dumbstruck at the thought that Harlow wanted to spend more time with her. “Yeah, of course. It’s open.” She pulled on the clothes her mother gave her. “Thanks.”
“Honey, I’m sorry I interrupted. But I’m glad to see you getting back out there.”
Audrey ran the towel over her hair. “We aren’t—it wasn’t—”
“Okay, I just think it’s nice.” She pushed her glasses up her nose while staring at the pool house. “She’s gorgeous. Do you know her from work?”
“No, she’s a singer.”
Her mom thought for a second, and then her mouth fell open. “Oh, my goodness. When she said her name, I didn’t even put it together. I didn’t recognize her because she was all wet. But, honey, that’s Harlow Thorne.”
Audrey sighed and headed for her kitchen. “I know, Mom.”
Her mom was hot on her heels. “Were you two on a date?”
Audrey pulled a water bottle from the fridge. “No. Well, I don’t think so.” She took a long sip. “I honestly don’t know, and you showed up before I could find out for sure.”
“I really like her music,” she said as she continued to stare at the pool house.
“Mom, you don’t listen to Harlow.”
Her mom waved her hand, dismissing her. “I most certainly do listen to her. You aren’t with me every second of every day.” She started singing Harlow’s newest release.
Panic and embarrassment engulfed Audrey. “Mom, stop. Seriously, if she walks in while you’re doing that, I’ll never talk to you again.”
“Doing what?” Harlow asked from the door.
Harlow looked impossibly sexy in Audrey’s sweats and T-shirt. She wasn’t wearing a bra, and Audrey could make out the gentle swell of her breasts against the fabric.
“I was singing your latest ditty.” Her mom beamed.
Ditty? Oh, for fuck’s sake.
Harlow smiled widely. “Are you any good? I need a new backup singer for the tour.”
Her mom blushed. “You think you’re being nice, but I’ll end up following you onto that bus.” Her mom waved her hand as if she was dismissing her, but Audrey knew she was enjoying every second.
Audrey needed this to stop. She pointed to the door. “Mom, Harlow has an early day. I’ll walk her out.”
“It was nice meeting you, Harlow,” her mom called after them, still waving like an excited kid.
“You too,” Harlow called back. “She’s great.” She stuck her thumb toward the kitchen.
“Yeah, she’s one of a kind.”
“I had fun tonight.” Harlow stepped closer. “Thanks for hanging out with me.”
The butterflies Harlow incited trumped Audrey’s annoyance with her mother. “I had a great time.” She kissed Harlow on the cheek. “See you soon.”
“I hope so.”
Audrey closed the door and felt a strange sensation of missing her. She didn’t understand why she was feeling that for someone she’d just met. It made even less sense because it wasn’t all that long ago that she was moping around the house feeling heartbroken. Is Harlow some kind of rebound? She didn’t think rebounds incited these feelings. It felt like all the other beginnings. It felt like this had the potential to be something more.
Chapter Seven
I don’t pay you to kill me.” Harlow gasped between words.
Tony, her trainer looked over the top of the treadmill and hit the incline button again. “No, you pay me to keep you in shape and ready for the tour.”
Casper put down the weights he’d been lifting. “You have to be able to sing your entire set list while on the treadmill. It’s the only way you’ll be able to keep up with all the dancing and feel good about whatever you’re wearing.”
She tossed her towel at him. “I know the drill. This isn’t my first rodeo.”
Casper dodged the towel and squirted water into her mouth. “I met with Shauna and Dominic. I think we should let her open for you.”
She gave him a thumbs-up, and tried not to look at the remaining time. “Sounds good.”
He laid back down on the weight bench. He trained with her for fun and because he liked the stress relief. “Rehearsals start in a few weeks.”
Her trainer finally slowed the spinning wheel of death, and she closed her eyes as she slowed to a walking speed. “Anything else I need to know? It seems like you have something else you need to say.”
Casper wasn’t telling her anything they hadn’t already discussed a million times before. There was something going on, and she’d preferred he just spit it out instead of playing the long game.
His weights clanked. “Why would you say that?”
She put her hands on her hips, still trying to catch her breath. “None of this information is earth-shattering. You usually don’t come to my training sessions unless you have something vital to tell me.”
Her trainer grabbed his bag. “Sorry I have to bail early, but I promised my wife I’d make it to our OB appointment. We get to hear the baby’s heartbeat today.” He headed for the door. “You know the rest of the drill. Stretch for fifteen minutes, and tomorrow is back and shoulder day.”
“Can’t wait,” she said flatly. Tony had been with her for almost five years and was used to her attitude regarding arms and shoulders. “Tell your wife I said hi.”
“Will do,” Tony said as the door closed behind him.
“Mom is here.” He let the weight drop onto the bar, the clang echoing through the small workout space.
Mom is here. He didn’t say she was coming. He didn’t say she was making plans. She’s here. Harlow hadn’t seen her mother in over a decade. She hadn’t bothered looking fo
r them until Harlow’s first album had been released. Casper had told her of the phone calls and letters asking for money, but never anything more. Harlow wasn’t sure what her mother had to say. She’d let Casper handle all of it. She couldn’t manage the emotions that went along with managing her mother, and now was no different.
“What does she want?” Harlow braced herself on the treadmill, waiting for the answer.
“I don’t know.” Casper was typing on his phone.
He was so calm. Casper had the ability to shoulder difficult information with an ease she never possessed. He could handle any situation. Nothing ever rocked his boat or threw him off-kilter. She’d always admired that about him. He’d always been her lighthouse in the storm. She could always find the horizon because of Casper.
“I can’t deal with her and get ready for the tour.” She rubbed her arms because she needed something to do with her hands that didn’t involve throwing inanimate objects.
“I know. I’ll find out what she wants and handle it.” He came over and rested his hands on her shoulders. “I’ll take care of it.”
The relief at his words was overwhelming. She hugged him and closed her eyes. Her mother wasn’t a door she wanted to open. Not now, not ever. That door led to nothing but sad memories and lost innocence. Casper had been her buffer, keeping her safe and letting her focus on the now. She didn’t understand how he was able to compartmentalize that part of their lives, but she was grateful he did it for her. The less she had to deal with it, the better. In the beginning, she’d wondered if that was fair, but over time, it became a habit. Neither of them seemed in a hurry to shake up practiced patterns.
There had been times over the years where she’d considered reaching out to her. Granted, those times had usually followed a night of heavy drinking and other poor decisions, but she had considered it, if for no other reason than to understand what they’d done to provoke such a break in their familial ties. But those brief lapses in judgment were just that—brief. She didn’t owe her mother anything, especially the real estate in her mind.
The best course of action was the same one they’d been taking—pay her when she popped up like some deranged Whac-A-Mole, and continue on with their lives.
* * *
Audrey’s trailers had improved over the years, but this was the best yet. It came with a shower, full vanity, couch, bed, refrigerator, and a television. The more famous she’d become, the more luxurious her accommodations, but right now, she didn’t care. She’d showered and fallen onto the bed after a sixteen-hour day of shooting. She was debating whether to go home or stay here for the night. She was exhausted, and her brain was fried.
“Knock, knock,” Kylie said as she opened the door to her trailer.
Audrey grunted, words eluding her.
“I have the script changes for tomorrow.” She set the stapled packet on her back. “Do you want me to email them to you too?”
“How many changes?” Audrey barely lifted her head from the pillow.
“Only four.”
“I’ll look at them tomorrow.” Audrey stared at her bag next to the door, still weighing her options. “I’m so damn tired. I’m thinking about just sleeping here.”
“Don’t do that. Go home. Get a good night’s sleep and leave work at work.” Kylie picked up her bag. “Seriously.”
Kylie was right. She didn’t want to sleep in her trailer, no matter how nice it was. She wanted her bed, her pillows, her coffee.
Audrey forced herself up and grabbed her bag. “Come on. I’ll drive you home.”
“Actually, I meant to ask you, is it okay if I stay with you tonight?” Kylie looked embarrassed. “Luke has a bunch of friends over, and I just can’t deal.”
Audrey hated that Kylie even had to ask. Their friendship was vital to her. They’d been friends since high school. They’d had countless sleepovers, vacationed together, and had keys to each other’s houses. Working together had slightly shifted their dynamic, but it didn’t erase their history.
“Of course, you can. You don’t even have to ask, and you know that.”
Kylie shrugged. “I didn’t want to assume. This shooting schedule is rough.”
Audrey tossed her bag in the trunk of her car. “Is everything okay with you and Luke? I thought you liked his friends?”
“Yeah, we’re fine. Everything is fine. It’s completely normal to date for seven years and not be engaged. People do that all the time.”
Even if Audrey hadn’t known Kylie for over half her life, she would’ve picked up on the sarcasm. Kylie wanted to be married, and she wanted kids. Neither of which seemed included in Luke’s long-term plan.
“I mean, we’re thirty. It’s normal to stay up drinking with your buddies four nights a week. It’s normal to go eight months without a job. It’s normal to still say comic books are your favorite literary works. Everything is good.” Kylie looked like she was going to start crying.
Audrey hadn’t realized she was so unhappy, and she hated herself for not paying attention. Kylie noticed everything. Kylie scheduled her dental cleanings, made sure her dry cleaning was picked up, she even reminded her to eat. Audrey had been so caught up in her own world, she hadn’t been what Kylie so clearly needed—a friend.
“You know you can stay with me if you need a break. Seriously, as long as you want.”
Kylie stared out the window. “Maybe.” She rested her head against the pane. “Seven years, and I may have nothing to show for it.”
Audrey pulled into her driveway. “That’s not true. You finished school. You started a career. You’ve bought your parents a new car. You’ve made a name for yourself.”
“All thanks to you,” Kylie whispered.
Audrey rubbed her shoulder. “We both know that isn’t true. You made all of it come true. Besides, if the roles were reversed, you would’ve done the same for me.”
Audrey wanted nothing more than to crawl into her bed, but Kylie was pulling a wine glass down from the cabinet. She could spare one more hour.
“You don’t have to stay up with me,” Kylie said as she headed out the back door.
“It’s a beautiful night, may as well enjoy it.”
“What am I supposed to do now?” Kylie looked toward the sky, seeking answers from whatever spiritual being would answer.
“You don’t have to have it all figured out now. Take your time and decide what you really want. Plus, you’re almost done with that screenplay you’ve been working on for a year. It’s a hit, I know it.”
“Thanks, it’s one of the few things I’m proud of right now.” Kylie sighed. “I want to be with someone who shares the same dreams as me. Someone who cares about how I feel. I want someone who cares, period. That’s not Luke. It hasn’t been for a long time.” She sipped her wine. “He hasn’t even texted me to see when I’m coming home.”
“Then you stay here until you figure it out, no rush.”
“I’m going to ask him to move out.”
That sounded like the best idea, but Audrey didn’t want to push her in any direction. “I’m here to support you no matter what you decide. I hope you know that.”
“I know.” Kylie’s grin was faint, but it was there.
Sharing silence was one of the unspoken gems of true friendship. She loved that they were able to share space without having to fill it with words and noise. Audrey had always appreciated that about Kylie. They could sit together and share moments of quiet.
Audrey’s phone buzzed next to her, and she smiled when she saw the text from Harlow.
I know it’s late. I just wanted you to know I was thinking about you. Sleep well, and good luck on set tomorrow.
Audrey stared at her phone and tried to tamp down the smile she could feel forming on her face. I saw your billboard on Sunset when I drove to work today. It made me miss you. Have a good night.
“Why do you look like a girl who was just asked to prom?” Kylie teased her.
“I didn’t even go to prom
.” Audrey leaned back in her chair. She didn’t want to look at Kylie and give her feelings away.
“Was that Harlow?” Kylie positioned herself on the edge of her chair.
“Tonight is about you. I want to talk about what you’re going through.”
“Psht! I don’t. Let me live vicariously through you. Please, I need this.”
Audrey searched Kylie’s face and saw she was telling the truth. “It was Harlow, but she was just saying hello.”
“Do you blush like that when I text you hello?”
Audrey laughed. “You never text me hello. You text me instructions. Sometimes you text me reminders, and occasionally you throw in a few threats. But it’s never just hello.”
Kylie ignored her comment and pressed forward with her inquisition. “Is she as charming after three hours as she is after three minutes?”
Audrey finished her wine. “Even more so.” Audrey didn’t add that it was the ease of Harlow’s charm that had her a bit uneasy.
Kylie fell back on her chair. “I need a Harlow.”
“You need a woman with a reputation for hot flings and never settling down? I’m not sure that’s good for anyone.” Audrey said good night and climbed the stairs to her room. She had to get up in four hours, and it was going to come much faster than she wanted. She reread her text messages and thought again about what Kylie had said. Was that what Audrey had been missing? Did she need a Harlow too? Or was it that she needed a reminder of what it felt like to have someone’s complete attention? Harlow was easy to be around, and she looked forward to spending time with her, but was Harlow capable of anything more than a few fun nights? She’d said it herself. Her longest relationship hadn’t broken the barrier of a few months. Audrey wasn’t wired for flings.
But what she’d done in the past hadn’t worked. Maybe it was time to try something different. Perhaps she could see how things progressed without getting attached. Maybe she could trick herself into believing that would be enough.
Chapter Eight
Harlow stared at the dozens of costume designs on the wall. They were stunning. She hadn’t thought it possible to top her last tour, and yet, these undoubtedly would. People had no idea of the intricacies that went into planning such a large-scale production. Even the sequins were strategic. Each detail would highlight another. The lighting, stage design, costumes, intensity of the bass—everything was intentional. It wasn’t just some person on stage singing; it was a show meant to bring an audience to its feet.