Once again, he said all the right words. It was as if he were reading off a script. A flicker of hope lit inside my chest cavity, but I couldn’t let him off that easily. Not after yesterday. “Okay, then. If that’s true, why did you act like a total jerk when we ran into each other at the makeup trailer?”
He winced slightly, as if I’d injured him by bringing it up. “Because...because it’s in my contract.”
Silence fell between us as I cocked my head to one side and stared blankly at him. I was pretty sure I’d heard most of the excuses in the High School Player’s Handbook for guys, but that was a new one. The confusion must’ve shown on my face because Zane exhaled and shook his head sadly.
“It’s a clause in my contract. My dad’s my agent. He made me agree to this whole bachelor persona thing while doing the film. No dating. No showing favoritism to any girl. It was the only way he’d agree to let me take the part. It’s supposed to help build me an audience. Make me the newest Hollywood heartthrob.”
He said those last two words with disgust rolling over his face. I stood silent, letting his words sink into me. He’d said he wasn’t allowed to date, but I had no idea how serious that rule was until now. It was in his contract? What kind of dad agreed to that for his son?
“You’re...you’re joking, right?” I huffed softly, stepping away from him. The sudden urge to burst into uncontrollable laughter bubbled up inside me and I had to force it down.
“I wish I was.” He put his hands up behind his head and groaned, his biceps flexing. “Honestly, I thought it would be no big deal. That I could just skate through it. It’s not like I date a lot anyway. I’m usually so focused on work. But then...” He bit his bottom lip as he looked at me in a way that made heat burst in my gut.
“Then...me?” I reclaimed a step toward him, all at once taking back everything nasty I’d ever said about him in my mind. He was winning me over, once again.
“Yeah.” He nodded, his chest inflating. “Then...you. What was I supposed to do?”
The way his heated stare took me in had me flushing from head to toe. I had to tear away my gaze or I was going to melt into a molten pool of lava right there.
What a drastic change of events.
“I guess I understand now,” I said, wrapping my arms back around my torso. “You’re contractually obligated to be a jerk to me.”
He stepped toward me and took my hand in his. The touch of his skin against mine had the nerves in my arm buzzing. He held it tight, leaning down to look in my eyes.
“Not a jerk, but I can’t treat you the way you deserve. I couldn’t buy you the gorgeous bouquet of pink and purple flowers I saw in the store this morning that made me think of you. I couldn’t laugh at the cute way you wrinkled your nose when you put Janelle in her place. I couldn’t growl at Alanis to back off when she upset you. Believe me, I wanted to, but I couldn’t. I figured the least I could do was explain it to you so you didn’t completely hate me. I couldn’t go on like that.”
I took a shaky breath and peered up at him. Zane knew just how to disarm me in every way. I’d never met a guy like him. And I’d definitely never had someone look at me in such an honest way and spill his guts like that. It was as refreshing as it was scary. Looking into his eyes, I knew he was serious about every single word.
“I...I don’t hate you.” My mouth had gone dry. I tried to moisten my lips with my tongue. “I just wish things were different.”
“Me, too.” His grip on my hand tightened. “But we’re only on set for three more weeks. After that, I head back home to LA, which might as well be on the other side of the world.”
I nodded. He was right. Even without the contract standing in our way, there was no way any spark between us would survive that distance. We were doomed from the start.
His eyes darkened as his nostrils flared. “And even after all of that, I’d say screw it and still go after you, but my dad...”
“I get it. Parents suck sometimes.”
He chuckled and ran his thumb softly over my knuckles. “Yeah, and next year when I turn eighteen, I’m officially my own man. I’ll get to decide what goes into my contracts. But until then...my career kind of hinges on me being able to follow the rules.”
A year was forever away, and Zane would be long gone from Rock Valley by then. There was no chance for us. Not in a romantic way, at least. I stared at our hands for a moment, before adjusting my grip and shaking his hand in a business-like manner I’d seen my father do a hundred times with his fellow lawyers.
“Sounds like we’ll have to agree to just be coworkers,” I said firmly.
He shook my hand once more, nodding. “Agreed.”
“And forget that once-in-a-lifetime amazing kiss in the park.”
The left side of his mouth tilted up a little bit as he fought off a smile. “It’s completely forgotten.”
“Deal.”
We both dropped our hands to our sides, and I tried not to show on my face how disappointed our deal had made me feel on the inside. Coworkers were better than nothing, but no one had ever given me butterflies the way this boy had. It was going to be nearly impossible to see him every day and wonder what could’ve been.
Still, I was a realist—especially when it came to relationships. It was something I’d learned from my parents’ split two years ago. I knew when there was no chance of a future. Why stay together and be miserable? Life was way too short for that kind of drama.
It was my philosophy for love. And that was what made it so easy to cut and run. We both knew it wasn’t written in the stars for us. Zane had rules to follow and I had other things to focus on, like surviving Alanis Nori. I’d be strong. I’d move on.
Just like I had with all of those boys I’d dated...and just like my parents had during their divorce.
Zane smiled softly at me before moving aside so I could exit before him. “See you tomorrow on set, coworker?”
“Yes, tomorrow.”
“Goodnight, Lexi.”
With his softly uttered goodbye lingering like the end of a sweet melody in my head, I hurried away from our hiding spot, swallowing down the last of my disappointment. And when I glanced over my shoulder one last time, I saw him standing in the grass, watching me with such a serious expression that my stomach did a little flip.
Everything I’d understood about Zane had been wrong. So wrong. He was the furthest thing from a jerk there was. There was no one else like him.
It really was going to be impossible to just be his coworker.
Chapter Seven
This secret wasn’t going to keep much longer. I tapped my fingers impatiently on the keyboard of my laptop as I waited for the online video chat to go through. Excitement and dread forced their way up my esophagus until I was practically ready to scream. I had to tell someone about what had just happened with Zane behind that bush. My own brain could hardly comprehend it.
Zane Rees liked me. He wanted me.
But he couldn't have me.
It was as romantic as it could be. Like Romeo and Juliet, except without all the horrible killing and depressive double-suicide stuff. I could just see myself standing on a beautiful stone balcony as Zane arrived below—wearing a tux, instead of tights, because we’d upgraded with the times. And as I fluttered around with the pale moonlight lighting up my perfect and fair skin, he would rave about my beauty. That was definitely us. If only we had a better ending planned...
"Earth to Lexi!"
I looked down at my computer screen and grinned guiltily. My bad. Charlotte and Beth had both popped up on the video chat when I hadn't been paying attention and were now watching me with amused expressions.
Beth tapped on her camera. "Are you there, Lexi? What's with this emergency meeting? I’ve got aliens to eliminate in Sector 8 and my team’s waiting on me."
"You guys are going to die when I tell you." I flopped on my bed and pushed the laptop in front of my face. "Zane loves me. He really loves me."
"Wa
it—what?" I could see from the blurry movements of the camera that Charlotte had rushed into her bedroom and closed the door before settling onto her own bed. She held up her phone and squinted at me. "What do you mean? I thought he had turned into a major jerk. I was about ready to send him a very nasty DM on his Twitter account for the way he treated you. I honestly can't believe I started following him."
"No, don't do that." I pushed to my rear and crossed my legs. Despite the fact that I didn’t want Charlotte going anywhere near Zane’s DMs, I couldn’t hold back the shot of pleasure coursing through me at the thought that she’d stick up for me like that. She really was the best. "He caught me after work today to explain. It's part of his contract. He can't date. It'll ruin his image. That's why he acted like such a jerk yesterday. It's all so clear now."
I expected shouts of celebration from my two best friends, or maybe even girly squeals celebrating my new discovery, but the silence that followed my announcement had me thinking my Internet connection had cut out and frozen my screen.
Finally, with a clearing of her throat, Beth frowned and looked deep into the camera. "Lexi, are you sure he's not playing you? That sounds like a majorly bad excuse, if I ever heard one."
I splayed a hand on my chest and gasped. As if I could ever be played. I was the one who left the boys wanting more. Not the other way around.
"I swear, it wasn't like that at all. He was so honest. He said he wished he could treat me how I deserved to be treated. Bring me flowers and stuff like that. I'm serious, guys. He's one of the good ones. He just can’t go against his contract that his dad made him sign."
“Did he really say he wished he could treat you like you deserved to be treated?” Charlotte asked.
I nodded happily. “I’ve never met anyone who talks like that.”
"Sounds like he's an old soul." She sighed dreamily and rested her chin on her hand. "That's so rare."
“So, what happens now?” Beth plopped into her gaming chair and sucked loudly on the straw of the 7-11 plastic cup beside her. “If he’s really an old soul, does he woo you like some ancient vampire in the night? Show up on your windowsill with flowers and promises of an eternity forever? At least tell me he glitters.”
I made a face. Beth really needed a real-life boyfriend if her first go-to dating comparison was a vampire franchise. Zane was real. I’d felt the strong connection between us, even if we’d only met a couple days ago. There was something about him.
"Well, see, there’s bad news too..." I chewed on the inside of my cheek, dreading to say the words out loud. Because once they were out, they would take on a realness of their own. There'd be no more denying it.
"What? He's got a hairy mole that grosses you out?" Beth offered, smiling on the screen.
"Maybe, he's got a cuter and hotter brother?" Charlotte jumped in. "As if that were possible?"
"Guys, no!" It was about to be real. I took a deep breath and plunged ahead. "Because of his contract, we're doomed. He can't date and he's leaving for LA in less than three weeks. The only thing we can do is simply be coworkers from now on. So, I'm going to need your help to get over him. No one can suspect that we had a thing. I need your help to hide my feelings for him. Pluck them out like an unwanted chin hair."
Silence once again followed my proclamation. I checked my Internet connection: full bars.
"Okay, so let me get this straight..." Beth tapped her chin with her forefinger. "You—the girl who's horrible at keeping secrets—is expecting to hide your feelings for a guy who could lose his career forever if someone finds out?"
I cringed. Ouch. When she put it that way, it sounded impossible.
Charlotte smiled sadly at me. "Lexi, I'm sorry girl, but I'm not sure how you're going to pull this off. I really don't."
My throat suddenly felt thick. I massaged it, willing myself to swallow down the disappointment. "It's only for three weeks. You really think I'm that pathetic that I can't hide my feelings for a guy for twenty-one days?"
The quirks in their sympathetic smiles was all the confirmation I needed.
They thought I was a joke.
"Ugh...either way I'm doomed." I laid flat on the bed, hiding my face in the comforter. The scent of my mom's lavender detergent couldn't even calm down this anxiety. "What am I going to do, guys? With my new job, I'm going to see him every day."
"Get botox?" Charlotte suggested with a laugh. "If you can't move your face, maybe you'll hide your feelings better."
I screeched into the comforter. No way were those giant needles coming anywhere near my face.
"You're just going to have to get better at lying," Beth said. I looked up to see her shrugging in the video screen, her blonde curls half-hidden beneath a black skull cap. "Pretend to be someone else. Take it from me, it's easy. Try to picture yourself as someone who isn't affected by Zane. You could be just another actress on set, except no one knows you're acting."
A smile tugged at my lips. That was something I could live with. "Mom has mentioned a time or two that I can be a little dramatic sometimes."
Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Girl, that doesn't even begin to cover it. Remember when you forced me into the rodeo competition? Well, this is payback, baby. Beth’s right. Use those talents of yours for dramatics to hide your feelings for Zane. If you just dig down deep, you can do it."
"You really think so?" My lungs inflated, the air filling them tasting sweeter than just a few moments ago. "Thanks, ladies. Every time I think of him, you need to slap me or something. Give me something to remind me that he's off limits."
"Deal." Beth winked at me. "I've always wanted a legitimate reason to slap you."
"Haha, very funny."
"How about, instead of slapping you, we create a text train?" Charlotte's brow wrinkled in thought. "You can text us every time you think about him and we'll remind you of all the reasons why you have to resist him. For his career. For yours, too. I mean, I don't think they'd let you work with Alanis if you got caught secretly dating their star actor, right?"
Realization hit me like a lightning bolt and my eyes widened. "You're right. They’d totally fire me."
"And you could forget about that recommendation letter from Alanis." Beth nodded. "Good idea, Char. We'll keep her straight. We have to."
I could feel my head bobbing along with their comments, even as my eyes glazed over and I began to think it through. The movie execs weren't going to like it if one of their crew members went behind their backs and ruined their star's reputation. If I let my feelings run away, I could say goodbye to working with Alanis. She hated me enough, already. And no matter how horrible she was, every moment I worked for her was worth it if I could get a recommendation for school.
When I'd skipped home from work this evening all starry-eyed over Zane, I hadn't even paused to consider that stuff. It was a good thing I had my friends to keep me from floating away in the clouds over some boy...even if he was a boy that made my heart pound like a marching band drum.
"Oh my gosh, you guys, I didn't realize how important this was until now." I gripped the sides of the laptop and pulled it closer until my face took up the entire screen. "You have to help me!"
"We will." Charlotte's low voice was calming. "Don't you worry."
Beth nodded. "We've got your back, Lex. This guy and your feelings don't stand a chance."
I sighed in relief. This was foreign territory for me. Flirting had become like an art. It was my favorite past-time. To turn it all off was almost against my nature. But I'd do it. For Zane, for me, and for my friends.
"Thanks, ladies. You're the best. See you tomorrow at school."
They blew kisses at the screen as I ended the call. Snapping the computer shut, I leaned back on my pillow and thought about my future mini career as an actress. I'd played the flirt before. Could I play the cold, distant girl who didn't care about boys? Yes, I could do it. I was the career gal. No longer distracted by pretty eyes or a heated glance.
Or the memories
of a sweet kiss in a picnic shelter.
That was no longer me. Lexi Black was a changed girl. No more thoughts of Zane.
And tomorrow, Alanis Nori was really going to find out why I was the best assistant of her life.
Chapter Eight
Things were heating up on set—literally!
I wiped the back of my hand across my forehead as I followed Alanis from her trailer over the scorching asphalt pathway toward the soccer field. It was as if the end of August had decided to bring the pits of Hades to Rock Valley. The AC at school hadn’t been able to stamp out the wafting BO from the masses of teenagers suffering inside the limestone building. And despite my extra layer of deodorant and spritz of perfume I’d put on after class, instead of starting my second day on set with a cool and collected piece of mind, I was in a sweaty, gross, hair-sticking-to-my-neck kind of mood.
And seeing all the boys playing shirtless on the field only made it hotter.
Maybe it was only for a movie, but it was easy to watch these actors sprinting across the field and get lost in the movement of it—as if I were watching a real soccer game. Half of the boys wore colored jersey vests. Trust me, it still showed off plenty of skin and yummy muscles for the cameras to capture. The other half of the boys had their abdomens fully on show.
It was skins vs. shirts and in my book, everyone was winning.
My eyes slid across the field and landed on the one person I shouldn’t have been looking at. There stood Zane, in the middle of the pack, with all those rows of muscles I had suspected of existing on his solid stomach. Yep, they were real. He was laughing about something Freddy had said to him, his white teeth flashing. I tried not to stare, but it was impossible not to. Alanis’ impatient huffing as she strode ahead knocked me back into reality.
“What’s going on?” I asked her, practically jogging to keep up with her long strides. The plastic tote she’d given me banged against my thighs as I hurried.
Dare You to Chase the Soccer Player (Rock Valley High Book 5) Page 6