by Anna Lewis
That afternoon, and as the party grew closer, Abbie tried to get herself in the mood, but she couldn’t stop herself from dreading it like crazy…
***
“Woah,” even Abbie couldn’t help but be impressed as she stared at herself in the mirror. The dress that Lauren had sent over was truly amazing. It was full-length and a gorgeous red, and it clung to every curve in a way that made her toned dancer body look amazing.
It was such a great dress that it meant she didn’t even need to do much else to get ready. She could easily get away with natural-looking make up and her hair hanging down her back. She still looked terrific.
In fact, it might have been the best that she’d ever looked in her entire life; a thought that was enough to actually have her feeling some more confidence inside of her. Enough to actually make her smile, something she had not done in a very long time.
“Okay Abbie,” she told herself. “Let’s do this for Lauren – who knows, it might even be fun!”
Even though she still didn’t believe herself completely, she found herself agreeing, a little bit. Yes, it might really be fun.
Abbie crept down the stairs, not wanting to bump into her parents on her way out. She’d been doing her best to avoid them ever since being home, and this felt like another night for that. She didn’t like being back with them, and although she was eternally grateful for their support, she couldn’t wait to get back out on the road again.
“Bye sweetie!” her mom called out, spotting her. “Have fun.”
“Thanks,” Abbie grumbled, feeling more like her teenage self than she had done in a very long time. “Bye.”
When the cab finally pulled up outside the hall where the party was being held, she couldn’t help but be blown away. Abbie had known that her friend was important these days, but she hadn’t realized quite how much. It was hardly surprising – Lauren had always been a go-getter – but she still felt a massive sense of pride for everything that Lauren had managed to achieve.
A few cameras flashed as she walked down the red carpet, but of course the journalists were much more interested in the big name celebrities that were coming. Abbie was a backing dancer, not someone that was ever noticed, which was actually just how she liked it. Especially now when she wasn’t looking for any kind of focus on herself.
As she entered the room, it all but took her breath away. “Wow, Lauren this is amazing,” she said to her friend. “I can’t believe you did this!”
“Well I can’t believe that you’re a world class dancer,” she replied in awe. “That’s amazing to me. I just can’t believe how much has changed since we were in school.”
“I know,” Abbie replied wistfully, suddenly wishing that she’d never left the city. Never mind, she could more than make up for lost time now.
The party quickly got into full swing. Abbie, still feeling not 100% about this party, wanted to cling to Lauren. But as her friend kept getting called off to do various tasks to keep the night running smoothly, Abbie found herself drinking more than she probably should have – just to get herself through it.
She wasn’t exactly drunk, but the buzz she had coursing through her made her feel far more confident than she normally would feel. It was a nice tipsy, the sort that had her feeling warm inside.
“Hey,” a voice murmured into her ear, making her jump. She spun around quickly to find a very tall, very gorgeous man standing in front of her. His face was friendly enough, and she certainly appreciated those twinkling green eyes and sexy dimples, but it wasn’t someone that she recognized, and that threw her.
“Oh erm… hi.” She could feel her face heat up and she started to shift awkwardly on her feet in embarrassment.
“Travis,” he said. He held her hand and shook it, sending an undeniable flurry of butterflies racing right through her. “And you?”
“Abbie,” she practically whispered as a reply. “I’m Abbie.”
For a brief, horrible second, she feared that he was going to ask her more about herself; a subject that she really didn’t want to tackle tonight. She wasn’t quite ready to confront it with a stranger, and she feared that she would fall apart.
But instead, he grabbed her hand and he led her onto the dance floor in a surprise move that she actually liked.
At first she awkwardly moved her body feeling like she wanted to be anywhere else in the entire world, but as she saw him lose himself in a way that displayed no self-doubt, she allowed the music to flow through her too and she really started to shake her hips in time with the beat, enjoying herself too.
Why the hell not – hadn’t she been through enough recently? Didn’t she deserve a little fun?
“Wow,” he leaned in and spoke to her quietly. “You’re a really good dancer… you should do it as a job.”
“Actually, I do,” she laughed loudly. “But thank you.”
“Oh really?” He pulled out a business card and handed it to her. “Well I’m a music producer and I am actually looking for a dancer with your look to have on my books.”
“Really?” She rebuffed the temptation to roll her eyes because it was a line that she’d heard a million times before, but then she noticed the name on the card.
Travis Bunney.
Holy crap! Everyone knew Travis Bunney – he was big league. If he had a job for her, it could be the thing that would take her to the next level. It could move her from the lower rungs up to the top level in the entertainment industry.
This was something else!
As she glanced up into his eyes in shock, she thought that she could spot something else too; a sparkle that suggested he might like her in another way as well. And that reminded her of another thing she knew about Travis – he was a playboy billionaire that could not be trusted around women.
“Wow thanks,” she gasped, unsure of how she could vocalize her gratitude for him even noticing her, never mind offering her an opportunity that she really hoped was real.
“Make sure you call me,” he warned. “It’ll be good for you, I promise.”
Well that sounded good… didn’t it?
***
It took Abbie a few days to work up the courage to call Travis. She kept feeling really uncertain about the whole thing, convincing herself that it was all just a dream or that he hadn’t actually meant it. What if he had only contacted her because he wanted something from her? What if his reputation was accurate and he didn’t care about her career at all?
Then again, what if he did?
Travis Bunney was the sort of man that could take a dancer from the background to a big stage show, to the foreground of a music video. Once a dancer secured that sort of exposure, her career would go from strength to strength. With all the bad stuff that had happened to her recently, this felt like the big break that she really needed.
It was that thought alone that had her picking up the phone.
He answered in a businesslike tone of voice.
“Travis Bunney.”
“Oh hi… hi…” Abbie stammered, sounding like an idiot. “It’s Abbie Jones… we met at that Elite Party the other night?” She felt her face heat up as it hit her that she might have left it too long, and that he might not even remember who she was. “I erm… you gave me your business card and you asked me to call you about…”
“Of course,” he replied with a warmth to his tone. “I remember, how could I forget you?”
His words sent a flutter of excitement racing right through her. She wanted to be able to hold herself back and to remain professional, but she wasn’t sure how she could when he was so damn sexy.
He’s a player, she reminded herself angrily. Don’t think about him in any other way.
“Can you come to my office this afternoon? I do have something for you and I would love to see you about it.”
There was definitely a flirty lilt in his tone, but she did her best to brush past that and to focus on the awesome job opportunity instead.
“Of course, that would be great thank you.”
As they hung up the phone she instantly started to race about the room getting herself ready. She wanted to keep to her typical casual wear, because she needed loose-fitting clothing in case he asked for a demonstration of her abilities, but she also found herself making herself up too. More than she would normally.
It’s just for the job, she tried to convince herself. I’m only going the extra mile to secure this position.
She might have known deep down that she was lying to herself, but she was nowhere near ready to admit that. Travis Bunney was sexy, hot and dangerous… nothing like what she was used to, and that scared and excited her in equal measures.
It led her to think back to what she’d had with Greg, and how wrong it turned out to be. Sure he had been a massive jerk, and he really shouldn’t have fucked every girl that looked his way, but in reality he had probably done her a favor. Looking back now it would have been bad for her to be stuck in such a miserable relationship that was never going anywhere. She hated him still, with a burning passion, but at least he was gone now and she would never be tempted to look back.
As she drove her car over to Travis’s office, she tried to forget everything else and focus just on what this could mean for her. She needed to get her professional head on if she was ever going to survive this, which meant no nerves, no anxiety, and certainly no thinking about him in any kind of sexual manner…
Of course, that all flew out the window as soon as she found herself across his desk from him, looking into his eye. There was just something about him – something charismatic and exciting that drew her in like a magnet.
“So Abbie…” he began, as he leaned back in his chair and shot her a smile. “Thank you for coming over to see me.”
“Thank you for having me.” She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, acutely aware of the butterflies floating around inside of her. “I really do appreciate it.”
He didn’t speak for a few seconds; he simply grinned in her direction, making her heart melt in a way that it hadn’t ever done. Even in the beginning with Greg it had always been more about feeling safe and secure around him. Now she was the total opposite – but it wasn’t as terrifying a thought as she’d once assumed.
“So,” he said. “Let’s talk about the opportunity I have for you – it’s a really exciting one that I think you’ll be perfect for. The director of this music video…”
Music video! This was just what she wanted – a new adventure that could lead her anywhere.
“…wants a girl upfront that looks just like you, and from the moves I saw you pulling off the other night, I know that you have the talent too.”
“Wow,” she replied breathlessly. “Thank you… that’s amazing.”
“Now, it will mean travelling to Hawaii because that’s where the shoot is happening, so first off I’d best check that this is something that you’re available for.”
Oh my God, could this be any better? With every word, Travis was making it even more attractive an offer.
“Of course, that would be great,” she exclaimed. “I’m definitely available for that.”
“Okay, so I’m going to tell you now that this a hot property type of celebrity, a very famous rock star.”
She gulped and nodded, her mind trying to work out who, but she didn’t think that it would be professional to ask. Often due to confidentiality, people weren’t allowed to know any kind of details until the very last second anyway, so she did her best to remain totally casual about the whole thing.
“Sounds great…” she stammered. “I’m up for anything.”
Her mind should have focused more upon who this cool rock star would be, but the more that she looked at Travis, the more distracted she became. It was easy to see why he had so many women at his feet… he was incredible.
“Also, I will be attending an industry awards ceremony tonight, and I know that this is very last minute, but my date dropped out… so would you like to come with me? There will be so many people there that you should meet – people that will be amazing connections for you.” He looked a little embarrassed as he spoke, and that allowed her to view something of a different side to him – one that she found incredibly intriguing.
“Wow,” she gasped, unable to believe her luck. Her career was about to explode, she was sure of it. “Of course, that would be amazing, thank you.”
“Great! Well, I will see you then.” He stood up, indicating that the meeting was over, which caused her to do the same. “If you leave me your address, I’ll send over a car to pick you up at seven.”
It wasn’t until she was on the way home that she realized she was just as excited to spend more time with Travis, as she was to further her career. A concept that she had no idea what to do with…
***
As she stared at her appearance for one last time in the mirror, Abbie thanked the gods that Lauren was in her life once more. If she wasn’t, Abbie might have had to pull out of what could have been the most important night of her life, just because she had nothing to wear.
“Do I look okay mom?” she asked, actually needing her mother’s opinion this time.
“You look beautiful.” Her mom smiled at her. “You will wow everyone tonight. This will be amazing for you.”
For a brief second, she felt such a connection with her mom that she almost spilled the beans about how she was feeling with regards to Travis. She had been keeping it all inside ever since she’d met him at the party, and it would have been nice to get the opinions of an outsider.
But then she started to hear all of the arguments in her head:
It’s much too soon – you aren’t over Greg yet.
He’s a playboy – you’ll only get your heart broken.
You need to focus on yourself first.
And that was enough to have her keeping it all inside. She didn’t want people to know, just in case it all went wrong. She wanted to keep that humiliation to herself. She couldn’t go through all the fake sympathy all over again, it was horrible.
“Thanks mom,” she simple said. She glanced at her phone and saw the time. “Well I’d better go and wait outside because the car will be here at any moment…”
Beep, beep!
“Or maybe it’s here already,” her mom laughed. She glanced out the window. “Ooh it’s a limo! How exciting!”
“Oh my God,” Abbie gasped, suddenly feeling overwhelmed.
As she stepped outside, she quickly took a few deep gasps of fresh air, wanting to calm herself down, but then she spotted a face pressing up against the window, giving her that heart-melting smile all over again.
She was shocked to see that Travis had come along to pick her up too – she assumed that she was going to meet him there. This was more like a first date than she’d initially realized!
“Hi,” she said shyly as she climbed into the car. “How are you?”
“Much better now,” he said with a grin, his eyes dancing all over her body. “You look amazing!”
That was enough to have her heart flapping wildly. She didn’t want to feel so attracted to him, but every time she was around him she couldn’t quite help it.
As the car drove along, and they returned to some very basic small talk, she couldn’t help but wonder if that sort of behavior was normal. Was that the sort of thing a man said to a girl he was just taking out for convenience? Or did he have more feelings for her? Where was this night headed?
Oh God, that was not the sort of thing she could be thinking tonight. Not if she wanted to get through it with her shoes on!
***
The first hour passed in a haze of champagne and new faces. Abbie found herself with dozens of new business cards to stick into her clutch bag, and scores of promises for work. Even though she knew that not all of them would play out, she felt very excited for what the future held. Something would come of it, and that was amazing.
It made her realize that she never should have moved in with Greg – the city was definitely the p
lace to be for a woman like her. If things carried on in this direction, she would be able to afford her own place soon enough, solving all of her problems!
“Shall we go and get some fresh air?” Travis asked her at exactly the right moment. He had been the perfect gentleman all night – never leaving her side, introducing her to all the right people, and now even spotting when she needed a time out.
It was a little shocking to have someone be able to read her moods better than she could herself!
But as soon as they got outside, she started to realize that maybe his escape had more to do with him than it did her. His face was tense, frayed and weary, and she was sure that there might even be a tear there, hiding behind his eyes.
“Are… are you okay?” she asked nervously. They’d played their part well in front of other people, but when they were alone, there was no denying that they didn’t really know each other, and that their relationship was a professional one. Abbie was absolutely terrified of over stepping the mark, but at the same time she couldn’t just do nothing either.
He sighed deeply, refusing to make eye contact with her, before taking a big swig of his champagne. They were both a little tipsy by this point, which meant that they could be a little freer with their words. But Abbie still wasn’t expecting the words that came out of his mouth.
“The reason I didn’t want to come alone to this event is because I knew for a fact that my ex-wife was going to be here.”
He had been married? Abbie was certain that she’d never heard about that before.
“We broke up over six years ago, but I still struggle with what she did to me. She cheated on me with my best friend, and it really did tear my life up. I just saw her in there with him, and it still winds me up like crazy. I know that it’s stupid, after six years. It isn’t like I still have feelings for her or anything. It’s the betrayal that I can’t seem to recover from.”
Woah. Abbie had no idea what to say to the man that was opening up to her for some unknown reason, but she couldn’t deny that she felt an affinity with him. She knew exactly how badly betrayal could hurt.