I borrowed some pants and a shirt from wardrobe for the evening and was just leaving the trailer when Maya appeared again. “Good, you are not trying to sneak away.” She reached out for my hand, grabbing it and dragging me behind her. “Come. You can share my driver.”
I laughed. For someone small she could certainly boss people around and there was strength in those arms.
Catalina’s place was gorgeous with a long sweeping driveway. The front entrance was open, though guarded by security, and light and music poured through onto the stairs leading up to the front entrance.
Catalina air-kissed me briefly as I walked through and then she was gone. Maya also disappeared, leaving me alone in a room full of people I barely knew. I grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and started working the crowd.
Three hours later I was pumped. I had business cards in my wallet from a few industry professionals and the alcohol was sinking in and relaxing me after the last long couple days.
I was ready for home. To see if the guys had heard from Serena and Flynn today, and to hit the sack as we would be back filming again in just a few hours. Christ those in make-up were going to earn their wages.
“Carter!” Catalina yelled, and I looked over surprised to see her standing close by. “Come. I need you for something.” I followed her to an empty corner where Maya stood.
“Okay.” Catalina slurred. “Tomorrow you have a kissing scene with Maya and it’s the first one. I know how this goes. It will be entirely awkward and we will have to reshoot, so I want you to do it now here. Get the awkwardness over so tomorrow we just get it right on the first take.”
“What?” I couldn’t be hearing this right. “I’m sure we’ll be okay.”
“I am a little nervous about it.” Maya confessed. “It's because of my fiancé. He’s not happy about me kissing another man.”
“But it's just fiction.” I’d not thought about whether Serena would be jealous of me kissing co-stars. Surely she’d know it was just make believe and the only person I had eyes for was her?
“Come on, Carter. Let’s get a practice in now. I am the boss remember.” Catalina joked.
Except I wasn’t sure it was a joke.
Oh fuck it. It would help things tomorrow and maybe I’d get to finish earlier if we got this out of the way.
“Okay. Get those lines said, baby. I’m coming in.”
Catalina stepped back as we got into character. In the scene before us, Madison had just flirted with another guy making me angry and I’d stormed out of the party she was holding.
“Hey, Colt. What are you doing all alone here outside? Has Maddie got bored with you already?” Maya acted her lines.
“Something like that.” I brooded. I had to look all upset and fucked up as I was a complex character with lots of family shit.
“Why do you let her do this to you?”
“I don’t know.”
Maya touched my arm.
“Maybe she’s not the right woman for you? Perhaps the right one was in front of you this whole time?”
A beat passed between us and then she raised her face and I lowered mine. A hesitation and then a brush of my lips across her own.
“I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry. I have a girlfriend.”
“I’m not sorry, and where is your girlfriend anyway? She’s not here. Not watching what you are doing. Leaving this most sexy, delicious man all alone. She’s stupid.”
She raised herself on tiptoes and brushed her lips across my own and it was time for me to grab her and kiss her. I followed my script pushing Maya against the wall and kissing her mouth with raw lust.
Then I broke off and stepped back.
“That shouldn’t have happened. I’m sorry. I must go back into the party. See what Maddie is doing.”
“You can’t say it shouldn’t have happened. We have a connection. Can you not feel it?” Maya turned to face me, anguish in her gaze.
“And cut,” Catalina yelled. “Okay, I take back everything I said. You don’t need practice, Carter. Looks like you’re a natural. I think I’ll ask for more kissing scenes to be added to the script between us seeing as I’ve only had pecks and fade to blacks. I’m supposed to be the boss, what am I doing?”
We all laughed. Turning around, we’d had a few party-goers watching us and they applauded. Maya’s fiancé came over to me and whispered in my ear. “You are both superb actors, but I hope I have nothing to worry about here?” I shook my head. “My heart belongs to Serena Saxton.” I told him, patting him on the back. “And now I must go home.”
“What time do you call this?” Jayden said from his seat on the couch where he was watching a game.
“You stayed up to make sure I was home safe?” I teased. “I’m back, Mom. You can go to bed now.”
“Sometimes you’re an asshole, Carter.” He said, and I noticed the tension in his jaw.
“Hey. I’m sorry for what I said the other day. Before this job all I did was surf all day. You are one of my closest friends and one amazing dude. Okay? Forgive me?”
He took a pull on his beer. “What can I say? I’m a sensitive soul. But what you said hit home. What do I do, Carter? What’s my MO? I don’t want to die having achieved nothing in life. Anyway, it got me to thinking, and I decided to set up a charity.”
“A charity?”
“Yeah. Serena was right, I’m the kind caring type and I know enough wealthy people who can keep donating to the cause, so I spoke to my father. He’s going to help me set up a charity for helping people with addictions: alcohol, drugs, sex.”
I stretched as a yawn broke over my face.
“You’d better book me a session because I have the serious horn for our missing girlfriend. It’s been forever.”
“It’s been less than a week since we slept with her.”
“That’s like forever to me. Anyway, I think what you’re doing is fantastic. I’m proud of you, man. I’ll donate a million.”
“Just like that. ‘I’ll donate a million,’.” Jayden mimicked my voice.
“You know I’m good for it and there’ll be plenty more. You need any advertising campaigns to go with it? I’ll work pro-bono. I’ve seen enough of Smith wasted that I know how to get in character.”
“There’s a lot yet to be organized but thanks for the offer.” Jayden laughed. “Now why don’t you grab a beer and come watch the game? You seem in a good mood, work going well?”
“Very well and I would love to sit and chat but it’s another 5am start tomorrow and…” I looked at the clock. “Fuck it’s 2:30am. I should have gone to the trailer and slept there.” I looked around “Where is Smith anyway?”
“Said he had a headache and went to bed. I think he’s missing Serena too.”
“Yeah, we all are. It’s the award thing tomorrow though, right? And then they’re back?”
“Yeah, thank God.” Jayden’s cell beeped.
“Booty call at this time? Someone not got the memo that we’re spoken for?
“Probably some marketing shit. Who in their right mind would interrupt a game?” He ignored his cell.
“Right, I’m off to bed myself. Catch you tomorrow.”
“Night, dude.”
I was out the second my head touched the pillow.
13
Jayden
The game over and feeling pumped my team won, I stretched out on the couch and picked up my cell. I had a message from an unknown number, no doubt some marketing shit. I clicked through and felt the blood drain from my face.
It’s me.
I came back. I know now I made a dreadful mistake. We need to talk before you do the same. Before it’s too late. I’m not leaving without seeing you, J. Not a chance, so don’t think of ignoring me. I won’t go away.
Gabby.
What the fuck did she want? I hadn’t seen her in nine years and now she wanted to talk? Well, I’d meet her all right, but she was in for a shock. Because she’d played with a boy and n
ow she was meeting a man.
We met the next day. She'd chosen a bar in a hotel just out of town. I was glad as I didn’t want anyone seeing us together. When she arrived, I was already nursing a beer at the bar. Looking at her I gasped in shock. Her once beautiful face was pulled too tight in that strange way LA women thought made them look younger. Her hair was still as blonde as when I’d last seen her, her body remained toned and her tits were pumped up like airbags and sitting way too far out of her silk tank. She did nothing for me at all. Not one thing. My cock stayed flaccid.
“Jayden.” She said a little too loudly, air-kissing me on both cheeks.
We made our way over to a table in a quiet looking corner, a bartender following us. He took Gabby’s order for a double vodka on the rocks.
“So, what brings you back to the Bu, Gabby?” I figured I may as well get straight to the point.
“It was brought to my attention that you’d met someone… that it was serious, and,” she took a deep sigh that made me worry for her modesty, “well, I realized that if I was going to apologize to you for what I did, it needed to be now.”
“Gabby. We fucked and we ruined our careers. What else is there to say?” My jaw set. As far as I was concerned she was just wasting my time here.
“We had something, Jayden. Something good.” Her hand reached across the table for mine and she squeezed my fingers. I withdrew my hand to take a drink, severing the connection.
Her eyes narrowed at my action though she carried on smiling. I was transfixed by the fact her forehead stayed smooth as a baby’s butt. It was entirely unnatural.
“You took my virginity. I’d argue I was in lust, not love. In fact, I don’t recall those most important words ever coming out of either of our mouths.”
The bartender returned and laid out Gabby’s drink on a mat. I shook my head at the suggestion of a replacement beer and the bartender walked away.
“Jayden. I was scared by my feelings for you. I was fifteen years older than you. Fifteen. You know what they said about me in the press. I was extremely lucky that Andrew wasn’t interested in my past…”
Andrew Barr. The man she’d met shortly afterward. A property millionaire, he’d stuck by her side and they’d been married within a couple months. I had no idea what had happened past that, not being interested.
“So what happened to Andrew?”
“He passed away of a heart attack a few years ago.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” I uttered my fake condolences.
“Don’t be. Our marriage was a sham. Andrew was gay. We had an arrangement—He had a cover, I had money. It was as simple as that. We both learned to be very discreet with our lovers and it worked well for us both. When he died his money went to me and I made sure his real partner was taken care of.”
“God, you’re a saint.” I said with a snarl.
“I never forgot you, Jayden. Never. When I saw you were dating Serena… well, I just didn’t understand why you’d want to share a woman when you could have the whole of me.” She ran a hand down the side of her neck, over her cleavage and down toward her groin. I felt sorry for her, seeing such desperation.
“Gabby. We had a good thing, but it was over a long time ago. I have no feelings left for you at all.”
She tossed back her vodka. “There’s no need to be such a bastard about it. It’s bad enough if you’re rejecting me. Don’t insult me too.”
I ran a hand over my scalp exasperated. “I don’t know what else to say. Our relationship was in the past but I don’t regret it if that’s something.” I took her hand in mine feeling I needed to let her know I meant my words. “I was very fond of you, Gabby. You were beautiful, hot, and I couldn’t get enough of you.”
She smiled.
I moved my hand away.
“But that was then and the truth is I’m head over heels in love with Serena, and I love what we all have together.”
“But she’s not entirely yours…”
“She is. Look, I don’t expect you to understand but I don’t feel like I have a part of Serena. She gives us everything. She is all that I need. All that we need. I’m sorry, but we were over a long time ago and there’s no going back.”
Gabby nodded. “Well, I tried. I’m happy for you, Jayden, I truly am. But I had to come here. You understand that, don’t you? To see if there was any chance. Any chance at all.”
“There isn’t.”
“I see that now.” Her shoulders slumped in defeat.
I settled the bar tab, and we left the hotel. As I went to kiss her cheek in goodbye, she turned her head and smashed her lips on mine. I pushed her away.
“What are you doing?”
“Trying to show you what you’re missing. Can’t we go back in? There are rooms. We could have one last fuck for old times sake?”
“A desperate woman is not a sexy one.” I told her. “I thought we could leave things civil, but it appears not. Goodbye, Gabby.”
I walked away leaving her behind me and I wiped at my mouth. The taste of her lipstick adding to the bitter taste she’d left on my tongue.
14
Smith
The previous night was a blur. I’d woken in my bed fully dressed. My mother still wasn’t answering her cell. She was always off somewhere. The woman wasn’t really a mother at all. She never had been. But that made it easier to admit my failings to her. There was no disappointment. She did detached better than a high end Realtor. I wasn’t ready to confront my father yet.
I headed for The Dream, where I avoided the bar though it called to me like a mother of a child running toward water. I had to not drown, so I spent hours in the gym and booked treatments in the spa and then when I was all out of ideas, I called Leonie to find she was off that day. She agreed to join me for lunch and I took her to Waves so that I could breathe in the ocean on our walk there and I could be with someone who I would refuse to drink in front of ever again. I put the guilt right in front of me to try to stave off the pain that was threatening to rip me in two.
“Well, this was unexpected.” Leonie walked toward me, her brown hair in a ponytail. It was swishing from side to side as she walked. “So to what do I owe the honor?”
I shrugged. “I thought I should check in with you. See how things were going. If you’d met a suitable guy yet.” I winked.
“That’s the last thing on my mind. I’m all about my career now.”
I pulled a face. “Is this what I did to you? Broke you for love? I’m so very sorry, Leonie. I’m a fuck-up of epic proportions.”
“Hey, the world’s not all about you.” She gave me a friendly jab to the arm. “I’m doing what Serena advised. Living life and seeing what opportunities arise naturally, while also keeping an eye out for lying billionaire assholes of course.”
“I think that’s wise. Well, if anyone makes a move and you’re interested, let me know. I’ll get a private investigator to check them out.”
Leonie clutched at her heart in a dramatic fashion. “Aww, shit, Smith. You’d do that for me? You’re amazing.” She rolled her eyes. “Is it sad that I might actually take you up on that offer because I don’t want to waste any more time? Anyway, come on. I want one of those gorgeous burgers.”
We made our way to Surfrider Beach. “I can see why Carter loves it out there.” She said looking out over the waves.
“You surf?”
“No, but it looks fun.”
“Maybe Carter could teach you sometime? He’s good at it. He’s taught a few people.”
“You?”
I shook my head. “No, I’d probably manage to drown myself. I’ll stick to my pool.”
We walked into Waves and I found us a table.
“This is where I sat with Carter, when he told me his lies.” Leonie announced.
I looked around the cafe looking for other vacant tables. “Would you rather move?”
“No. Let’s put good memories over those less favorable.”
The waitre
ss came over and took our orders for two ‘Hard Hitting Waves’, their burgers with hot chili sauce, and two glasses of ice cold water.
I thought I was sitting still but then Leonie fixed me with a hard stare and I realized I’d been drumming my hand on the table top.
“What’s going on, Smith?”
I stopped, sat back in my seat, forced my body to relax and smiled at her. “Nothing. I was just lost in thought. Sorry about that. It was rude of me.”
“My father was an alcoholic who liked to beat my mother. I know all the excuses, all the lies. How long have you been drinking again?”
I put my head in my hands. “Just yesterday, but when I fail, I do it spectacularly.”
She carried on staring.
“Honest. Though I know my word is kinda worthless. I’ve been struggling with what I did to you.” I laugh mirthlessly at this. “Oh my God. See, I’m sitting here unburdening myself on you when I should be apologizing to you.”
“You already apologized, Smith. I’ve accepted your apology. Okay?” She said the okay firmly. “If you take another drink from today that shit can’t be excused by feeling guilt on what you did to me because I’ve drawn a line under it and my being here is your proof. So, what else?”
“I’ve been told my father’s a drug dealer and shown evidence that when drunk I made a fool of myself with a woman and she took photographic evidence.” I almost said I bit her and then I remembered Leonie didn’t know I was a vampire. “Her brother tried to use the photos as leverage, before he ended up shipped off to rehab.”
“The first thing you have to do Smith is to sort out your addiction. Let’s enjoy our lunch and then let’s find you a meeting, okay?”
I nodded. What choice did I have?
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