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by Jackie D.


  She pulled one of the designs off the wall and ran her fingers over the swatch of fabric. “I’ll open in this one.”

  Jasmine, her costume designer, jotted down her selection. “That’s what I’d hoped.”

  “You outdid yourself once again.” Harlow pulled another down and handed it to Jasmine. “You’re brilliant.”

  Jasmine beamed. “I wanted you to pick your opening and closing outfits. I can fill in the rest if you want.”

  Harlow nodded. “They’re all exceptional. I’ll be happy with whatever order you decide.” She glanced at Jasmine’s tablet. “Do you have the set list?”

  “Harlow, Audrey Knox is here,” Rebecca said through the speakerphone that sat in the middle of the desk.

  Harlow looked down, aware that she was still in her sports bra and running pants from her workout. Audrey? Jesus, do I smell? She tried to smell her armpit subtly. Nothing too pungent. She quickly let her hair down and pulled it back up, desperately wanting to look more presentable.

  Jasmine laughed. “Harlow, I’m not sure what you’re trying to do, but if you’re worried about how you look—don’t. You’re gorgeous.”

  “You have to say that. You make me gorgeous for a living.”

  Jasmine raised her left eyebrow. “Yeah, I’m the only one that thinks that. As if there aren’t ten million people fantasizing about you on the daily.” She shook her head.

  Harlow felt herself blush and hoped Jasmine didn’t notice. “I’ll be back.”

  Audrey was sitting at the kitchen table when Harlow came around the corner. She looked nervous and was rubbing the top of her hand like she was trying to make a decision.

  “Hi.” Harlow’s stomach filled with a warm sensation when Audrey turned her head and smiled.

  “I’m sorry to just drop by your house like this. Kylie and Casper had exchanged our information before we had dinner that first night, in true super-assistant style.” She handed her an iced coffee. “Your house is exactly how I pictured it. It’s all modern and sleek. Not necessarily my taste.” She put her hand over her mouth and looked embarrassed. “I didn’t mean that how it sounded. It’s beautiful. It suits you.” She took a deep breath. “I had a three-hour break, and I—” She put her hand on her forehead and shook her head. “I guess I just wanted to see you. Now I realize you’re probably insanely busy, and I definitely should’ve called first. I know better. How totally rude. I’m so sorry.”

  Harlow tried not to smile when she looked at the way Audrey’s leg was bouncing. “I’m glad you did.” She pointed to her casual clothing. “I apologize. I have to work out three times a day right now, so I stay in these all day. I was going over costume designs when you got here.”

  Audrey stood, her face flushing. “I’m sorry, I should leave you to it.”

  Harlow grabbed her hand and pulled her back down. “Please stay. I’ve been thinking about you.”

  “Did you know there’s a billboard of you right next to the lot I’m shooting on right now?” Audrey took a deep breath. “I find it slightly distracting.”

  Harlow thought about the different marketing campaigns she had going at the moment. “Is it the one where I’m wearing a white dress and sunglasses?”

  Audrey nodded. “Short hair, red lipstick, sleeveless white dress.”

  Harlow felt her stomach flutter again. “Very specific.” She clenched her hands in her lap, trying not to touch Audrey. “I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not.”

  Audrey cocked her head. “There’s that thing you do again. The blatant truth.”

  Harlow wanted to explain that she wasn’t telling the whole truth. A million emotions were swirling through her right now, and all of them could be sourced to Audrey. She wanted to let her in, and she didn’t understand why. She barely knew Audrey. She had no reason to feel anything she was feeling, but there was the truth of it. She wanted to know if she cracked the door open, would it be safe?

  * * *

  Audrey wasn’t sure what Harlow was thinking. She was breathing a little more rapidly, and she’d slightly flushed. She had this overwhelming urge to put her at ease. She slid her hand across the wooden tabletop and intertwined her fingers with Harlow’s. The sensation of excitement was immediate. Whenever they touched, Audrey felt it in every part of her body. It was exhilarating and terrifying.

  “I’m not sorry, either. I like thinking about you,” Audrey said before she had the chance to talk herself out of it.

  Harlow picked up their entwined hands and kissed Audrey’s knuckle. “I think about you all day.”

  Audrey was transfixed by Harlow’s lips against her hand. She imagined them against her neck, against her ear, and traveling down her collarbone.

  “You should probably get that.”

  “What?” Audrey had been lost in her thoughts, and she had no idea what they were talking about.

  Harlow pointed to Audrey’s phone buzzing on the table. Audrey grabbed it, still a little fuzzy after her quick rendezvous into dreamland.

  “They need you back on set,” Kylie said before Audrey had a chance to say anything. “They’re going to reshoot the sixth scene, and it has to be done before we can move on because of lighting.”

  Two women had entered the room while she was on the phone and were already hovering over Harlow, showing her different drawings.

  “I’ll be right there. Give me thirty minutes.” Audrey ended the call. “I have to get going.”

  “I’ll walk you to your car.”

  When they arrived at her car, Audrey leaned against her door. She didn’t know when they’d get another uninterrupted minute together, and she wanted to take her in completely. Harlow looked incredibly sexy in her workout clothes and hair pulled back. Her confident smile accentuated her beautiful features, but nothing was more intoxicating than her eyes. Impulsively, Audrey reached forward and pulled Harlow against her.

  Harlow wrapped her arms around her and pressed her lips against her ear. “Go, be brilliant.”

  Audrey pulled her head back so she could see her. “I’m not sure how you do that.”

  “Do what?”

  “Make my whole body tingle with just a few words,” Audrey whispered.

  Harlow stared at her lips. “Everything in me is saying to kiss you.” Her words were clipped, and her voice a little hoarse.

  Audrey’s breathe caught. “Don’t. I don’t want our first kiss to mean good-bye.”

  An emotion flashed across Harlow’s face that Audrey couldn’t place. It looked like a mixture of regret and desire. Audrey wanted nothing more than to touch the skin on her cheek. She wanted to take the time to discover how her body reacted to Harlow’s lips on her skin. She wanted to know if she’d been right or if it was all in her head.

  “I’m sorry, it’s just that I—”

  “Why do you do that?” Harlow asked.

  “Do what?”

  “Apologize for things you want. You don’t owe me or anyone else an apology for doing what is best for you.” Harlow was adamant and sure. “Don’t ever apologize for being you.”

  “I’m not sure how else to be,” Audrey said because it was the truth.

  “Be you. Be all the wonderful things you are. Be your worst, your best, rational, emotional, lost, found. Be whatever you are, because it’s good enough. You are good enough.”

  Audrey had always been the good girl. She never upset people intentionally. She never did what she wanted if it meant upsetting someone else. She never wanted anyone to be mad at her. She wanted people to like her. She wanted people to believe she was sweet and kind. She wanted all those things, even if it meant feeling herself breaking apart on the inside.

  She’d never thought there was another option. It wasn’t until Harlow pointed out the alternative that she considered doing anything else. Harlow hadn’t been the first one to notice the issues, but she was the first person who’d gotten through to her.

  Harlow stepped back, and Audrey missed the weight against her. “Until next
time, Ms. Knox. Thank you for the coffee.”

  Audrey opened her door and got inside before she threw her entire career away and dragged Harlow upstairs. “Any time.”

  Audrey’s body was still on fire as she drove toward the studio. She’d never met anyone quite like Harlow. She’d never been so drawn to or entranced by another person. She needed to keep her wits about her. She’d heard about this kind of thing. The warning of becoming so wholly engulfed in someone that you lost yourself completely. She’d never thought she’d be in danger of something like that happening. Her relationship with Tia had been toxic on many levels, but she’d never felt in danger of losing herself. She remembered the way Harlow had felt pressed against her. The way the words against her ear had almost made her knees buckle. She thought about the way her skin burned every time they touched. If anyone was going to take her down, it could very well be Harlow Thorne.

  Chapter Nine

  Audrey put the cold rag Kylie handed her around her neck and sat on the curb. She’d just finished the seventeenth take of one of the most challenging action scenes she’d ever done. These days, car explosions were done with CGI, but not with this director. He liked the authentic look of real metal burning. That meant lots of takes from a lot of angles. She was hungry, tired, and in desperate need of a cold shower. The last two weeks of filming had been brutal, and she couldn’t wait to finish this film.

  “You killed that last take.” Kylie handed her a bottle of water as the hair and makeup artists tried to fix the effects of the hot sun and burning metal.

  “Thanks.” She wiped the towel down her arms to remove the dirt and sweat. “Any messages?”

  Kylie grinned. “I heard some of the crew talking. Apparently, Harlow Thorne is shooting her new music video on the lot. There was a last-minute change because of a double-booking, and they’re here today instead of Sunday.”

  Cathy continued to brush out Audrey’s hair. “I’m going to try to sneak over and watch after this. Harlow Thorne is perfection in heels. I love her music.”

  “I heard she’s dating the lead singer from that one boy band. You know who I’m talking about.” Megan leaned her head back to think. “Nick Day. I knew I’d think of it.” She blended the foundation under Audrey’s eye.

  Cathy shrugged. “I didn’t think she was dating anyone. Isn’t she into girls?”

  Megan leaned back to assess her work. “I don’t think so.” She put a light layer of lip gloss on Audrey’s lips. “Are you friends with her?”

  “We’ve met.” Audrey wasn’t mentally prepared to deal with any of this information. She tried to keep her face as neutral as possible and reminded herself she was allowed to have friends. “She did a few songs for my last movie. We went to a party together.” Why did you add that, Audrey? They don’t need to know that. Stop talking. Audrey stood. “I may go over and say hi.” Cool. Cool, cool.

  Kylie raised her eyebrows and stared at her. She seemed just as surprised as Audrey felt. “Thanks, ladies, she’s all set.” Cathy and Megan moved on to the next actor. “Are you okay?”

  Audrey put her hands up. “No, clearly, I’m not.” She shifted her hands to her hips. What she really wanted was to pace, but that would draw attention. “I haven’t seen or heard from her in almost two weeks. And now she’s here, and I had no idea she would be. Maybe she isn’t interested anymore. It was just a…a…flirtation.”

  Kylie handed Audrey her phone. “I found out she was shooting here because she texted you to let you know.” She nodded toward Cathy and Megan. “I didn’t think you’d want me to say that in front of them.”

  Audrey opened her text messages. Hey! There was a double-booking, and now we’re shooting on your lot. Come say hi when you’re wrapped. I miss you.

  Audrey handed the phone back to Kylie, relief flooding her. “It’s possible I’m losing my mind.”

  Kylie nodded slowly. “Entirely possible. Or, and hear me out, you’re reacting like someone who really likes another person but doesn’t know where it’s going.”

  Audrey took a step closer. “Keep talking.”

  Kylie led her a few feet in the other direction. “You two have only gotten to see each other a few times. Everything else has been texts and phone calls, and you’ve both been too busy for even that over the last few weeks. You’ve built it up in your head because your four-day break is coming up, the break you’re going to spend with her. You’re worried it’s not going to meet your expectations.”

  Audrey nodded. “Or, I’m terrified it’s going to exceed all my expectations, and I don’t know what to do with that.”

  Kylie chuckled. “Doesn’t seem like a bad spot to find yourself in.” She put her hands on Audrey’s shoulders and shook her slightly. “It is impossible not to love you, Audrey. Jesus, it’s not like you’re some hag that has nothing going for her. You’re one of the most sought-after actresses in Hollywood. You’re also kind, smart, and gorgeous. Give yourself some credit.”

  Audrey ran her hand through her hair. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to make you stroke my ego. I’m not sure why I get all twisted up when it comes to Harlow.”

  “Because you like her. Like I said.”

  “Want to come with me when this is over?” Audrey asked when she heard the director call for them to reposition.

  “Obviously.”

  Audrey walked back over to her mark while she tried to push the thought of seeing Harlow out of her mind. She needed to concentrate. Josh Branch, the male lead, wrapped his arms around her as they took their positions. He was a nice enough guy. He was easy to work with, pleasant, and professional. Josh’s arms were strong, his jaw was prominent, and he was very handsome. She reminded herself that she was playing a woman who was hopelessly in love with the man in front of her.

  “You okay?” Josh whispered while the final boom arrangements were made.

  “Yeah, sorry. My head was somewhere else for a minute.”

  “Hot date later?” He flashed the smile that made women all over the world swoon.

  “Not sure yet.”

  The director yelled from the other side of the camera. “Action.”

  Audrey let herself be pulled into the scene. She focused on her male counterpart and did her best to play the lovestruck woman she had been written to play. A part of her, no matter how much she focused, was fixated on what was waiting at the end of her day. Harlow. She smiled up at Josh and thought this may be the most convincing she’d ever been in a film.

  * * *

  Harlow checked her phone for the twentieth time. She hadn’t heard from Casper, and it wasn’t like him to miss a video shoot. She was starting to get worried.

  “You ready to go again?”

  Harlow nodded, adjusting her black wig. “Yes.”

  “For what it’s worth, this is a great look on you.” She pointed to Harlow’s dark locks.

  “Thanks.” Harlow checked herself in the mirror and caught a glimpse of Audrey coming through the hanger doors.

  Her heart rate increased at Audrey’s presence. Her hair was still damp from a shower, and her sheer white shirt gave the slightest hint of the black bra she was wearing underneath. Jeans and a T-shirt had never made Harlow’s throat go completely dry, but here she was. Audrey did that to her. Without even trying, she could shift Harlow’s internal chemistry.

  Harlow knew she’d missed her but hadn’t realized quite how much until she walked through the doors. She could feel Audrey’s eyes on her, entirely focused. She loved the sensation. It felt like Audrey was touching her, even from twenty feet away.

  She took her position on stage. The wind machines started, and her song “Wildest Imagination” started playing through every speaker on the set. She’d written this song about a woman. Not a specific woman, but one she hoped for in the future. Most people speculated it was about a man, but people heard what they wanted to. That was the great thing about music.

  The dancers moved around her, and she let the music flow through her. She trie
d to focus on what she’d felt when she’d written the song. She’d envisioned a love so strong that you’d feel it for the rest of your life. A love that you may not be able to keep, but one that burned so fiercely that it branded your soul.

  Harlow hopped off the stage as soon as the director indicated the shot was complete. She hurried over to Audrey before anyone had the chance to stop her.

  “You always amaze me,” Audrey said. She reached up and touched Harlow’s wig. “I love this, too, by the way.”

  Harlow knew she was staring, but the look in Audrey’s eyes spoke of desire and passion. Harlow had seen the look a million times from a million different people. This was different. It was like Audrey wanted to see all of her. Her body reacted to Audrey the way it always did, as if there was an invisible force leading her toward her. Her hands ached with the need to touch her. They hadn’t spent nearly enough time together in the last few weeks, and the anticipation had been building. She could hardly wait for their four uninterrupted days together and all the possibilities that held.

  “Hi. Not sure if you remember me. I’m Kylie.” She gave a small wave.

  “Of course, I remember you. You talked Audrey into having dinner with me,” Harlow said. “It’s so nice to see you again. How are you?”

  “I’m well, thank you for asking. Thanks for letting us watch that.” She pointed to the set. “It was incredible.”

  “I’m glad you both could make it. How was shooting today?”

  Audrey held up her arm to show a bruise that stretched from her wrist to her elbow. “Took a pretty nasty hit from one of the prop guns, but other than that, it went great.”

  “Oh, my God.” Harlow touched the bruise carefully but felt her face flush when she saw the goose bumps appear in the wake of her fingers. “Are you sure you didn’t break anything?”

 

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