“Layne’s kinda scary alright,” Bianca agreed.
“He wasn’t always that way,” Jessica mumbled.
“Really? That’s probably because I’ve only known him a short while. I didn’t know him before a few months ago.”
“I didn’t know him that long before he went overseas,” Jessica admitted. “But when he came back, he was very different. He changed over there, but regardless of how he changed; the good man I met years ago is still in there. That’s why I trusted him enough to call him. I knew that he could help me.”
“Then why the fuck is he at the shop right now?”
That was the same question that Jessica had but didn’t want to ask.
“We can go see him if you want. I’m taking Jagger lunch here in a few minutes. You’re welcome to ride with me. It’ll get you out of here for a while.”
That thought appealed to her. She hadn’t really seen anything of this town she would be living in, and it would be nice to spend a little time with another woman. “Ya know what? I think I’ll take you up on that offer.”
“Great!” Bianca grinned. “I didn’t want to drive over there by myself, but Meredith and Tyler have a standing appointment. She’s trying to get pregnant. We’ll leave here in a few minutes. You might want to change outta that, it’s hotter than a preacher in a whorehouse outside,” Bianca indicated the long-sleeve shirt and jeans the other woman wore.
“It was hot yesterday at the airport, but I figured it was a fluke.”
“Summers in Kentucky are really hot and really muggy. I was just out there a few minutes ago, and I came back in sweating. Keep in mind that I did nothing. I’m actually going to take off this shirt and put a tank top on.”
The shirt she indicated was a t-shirt, and for the first time, Jessica noticed that it was wet with sweat. “Okay, can I meet you out here in a few minutes?”
“Sure. Are you in Layne’s room? It’s right across from Jagger’s.”
“I am. Does that mean we’re neighbors?” Jessica grinned.
“For the most part, but Jagger and I don’t live here full-time. We have an apartment. We just happened to stay here last night because of Denise going into labor, and they had me a graduation party. It was just easier that way. I keep clothes here, just in case. I’ll see ya in a minute,” she smiled as she exited into Jagger’s room.
Jessica did the same into Layne’s. What would it be like to live in this clubhouse where everyone seemed so nice? They were like a big family, and she had to wonder if things always ran so smoothly. Everyone appeared to contribute to the running of the business and the day-to-day operations of the clubhouse. Jessica wondered if maybe she could ever fit in here. Would she want to do this day in and day out? She had other dreams that didn’t involve Hollywood, but was this for sure? Would she be happy being a teacher like Bianca or a mother like Denise? She didn’t know what Meredith did, but she knew at some point she would find out. In the end she wondered if she could come to enjoy life out of the bright lights of fame. One very large part of her knew that she could; another part—although small in comparison—made her question whether she could or not. Her mind raced as she dug through her luggage and grabbed out a pair of shorts and a tank top. Quickly putting them on, she also shoved her feet into a pair of flip-flops. A ponytail holder and her sunglasses were all she needed to finish everything off before she grabbed her purse and walked out the door. Bianca came out right as she did.
“Awesome, let’s get going. They’re busy today. I’m glad you’re coming with me because Jagger just texted me five orders.”
The two of them walked out of the clubhouse and into the sun. It was then that Jessica realized what Bianca had been talking about. The heat was so stifling it was difficult to breath, and she put her hand to her chest. Already her skin felt sticky, just walking outside.
“Welcome to Kentucky. Where the summers are hot and muggy and the mosquitos will eat you alive.”
“This is miserable.” Jessica frowned as they walked toward a group of garages.
“This is a good day,” Bianca laughed. “You’ll get used to it if you stay here long enough.”
They entered the garage, and Bianca directed them over to her Mustang. “This one is mine. I’m sure you couldn’t tell since it’s the only damn vehicle in this garage that isn’t black. These guys take themselves way too seriously sometimes. They gotta keep that badass persona going no matter what.”
Jessica giggled when Bianca made a face. “Thanks for bringing me with you. You’re right; I really needed to get out of there.”
“You’re welcome!” She put the car into reverse and eased out of the garage and down the gravel drive that lead to the main road. “You don’t get carsick do you? These roads are really winding and I like to drive fast.”
“Not that I’m aware of, but I don’t know that I’ve ever been on roads like that before.”
“Well,” Bianca grinned as she revved the engine. “There’s a first time for everything. You are buckled, right?”
In the passenger seat, Jessica pulled the safety belt out to show that she was indeed fastened in.
Using the controls on her side of the console, Bianca rolled all the windows down. “You might want to put that hair up.”
Jessica did as she was told and pushed her sunglasses onto her face, making sure they sat securely against her nose.
“You got anything against rock music?” Bianca questioned, fiddling with the radio dials.
She wasn’t sure that her brand of rock music and Bianca’s were the same. Could Nickelback be considered rock? It was scary to ask that question to this woman who had taken her so securely under her wing. Instead, she shook her head. “I don’t. Turn it on whatever you want to.”
A loud drumbeat echoed over the speakers in the car, and Bianca yelled at to her to hang on. Jessica had never been so glad that she listened to someone’s instructions in her life. Gravel flew and tires squealed as they pulled out onto Porter Pike. A straight stretch allowed them to pick up speed as the automatic transmission shifted through the gears, Jessica gripped the door handle. A curve popped up out of nowhere, and a warning scream stuck in her throat, dying as Bianca took it with expert precision. As they went over a hill, her stomach did the roller-coaster drop, and after Bianca handled that one, she began to relax, and laughter bubbled up from deep within her. She couldn’t remember the last time she had done something like this. Her laughter caused Bianca to look over at her, and even though they both wore dark sunglasses, Jessica could tell that they both laughed. It was the most fun she’d had in a long time, and she couldn’t wait to tell Layne.
Chapter Six
Meredith was anxious. Her heart thundered and her hands shook. For months they had been coming to their house when her ovulation kit told her that it was time. While she enjoyed what they did here, it was starting to give her serious anxiety. It wasn’t that spending time with her husband was a bad thing—at all, but she wanted this to work so desperately.
“Why are you so quiet?” Tyler asked as he came to stand in front of her.
She glanced up at him, thanking the heaven’s above that he was hers. It could have so easily worked out a different way. “Just nervous,” she admitted. What if it never happened for them? She was so sick of the way people told her it would happen when it was supposed to. She wanted it now, dammit.
“Stop.” He brought his hand up to cup her cheek. “You’ve got to stop being so damn hard on yourself. I can’t take this, and I won’t be a part of it.”
Tears came to her eyes and panic set in. What if he refused to help her? What if he was sick of doing this on a schedule? “You have to be a part of it, Tyler. I won’t do this with anyone but you.”
“Oh, I know you won’t be doing this with anyone but me, but I’ll make it so that you won’t ever have to worry about getting pregnant when we make love,” he told her sharply.
He hadn’t exposed this side of himself to her for a long time. The sid
e that was ruthless and just dirty enough to piss her off. “You wouldn’t.”
“I would, Mer. I can’t take you doing this to yourself all the time. I love you, I love our lives together, I love what we do when there are no clothes in between us. But I can’t take the upset Meredith that I get every month when that pregnancy test doesn’t turn positive.”
She loved this man, loved everything about him, and that’s why she wanted this so badly, she told herself. Twining her arms up around his neck, she pushed herself against his body.
“I’m serious, Meredith. This can’t be all-consuming anymore.”
“When was this not all-consuming?” She smiled at him, a vixen’s smile. Without giving him time to think, she used her arms to pull herself up his body. His hands immediately went out to catch her and lift her legs around his waist.
If she could just get him into it, he wouldn’t have a reason to be angry. Pulling her lips from his mouth, she moved them along his neck and up to his ear, catching the lobe between her teeth, hoping to distract him long enough that he would throw her on the bed and have his way with her.
“I know what you’re doing,” he whispered to her as one of his hands snaked up behind her neck and buried deeply into her hair. He pulled gently at the strands of hair, forcing her to meet his eyes.
“Just let me have this,” she begged him.
“If I let you have this and it doesn’t work this time, you’ve gotta let me decide what we do from here on out,” he told her. His hand came around her neck, and his palm cupped her jaw. “Promise me.” His dark eyes bore into hers.
She knew she shouldn’t promise something that undoubtedly she wouldn’t be able to keep. “I promise, Tyler.” God was going to strike her dead.
That seemed to pacify him, and instead of throwing her down on the bed, he softly sat her there. The look in his eyes was enough to give her pause. To see the complete adoration there made her feel bad, but she couldn’t help it. She was focused on what she wanted and what she needed. It wasn’t selfish, she kept telling herself. It was something that she wanted for the both of them—to give their child the life that Tyler never had. To show him what an amazing father he would make. Within moments, he had them both disrobed, and he stretched out on top of her.
“I love you, Mer, no matter what happens. It’s going to be fine.”
She knew the words he spoke were the truth, and she wanted so badly to believe him, but there was something holding her back. Meredith fought to make him turn her over; she didn’t want to look in his eyes as they did this. It broke her heart.
“No, we’re not doing that,” he told her as he held her with the weight of his body, slipping inside her. “I’m home when I’m with you,” he breathed out next to her ear, allowing his arms to drop so that he could put his hand on her forehead.
The intensity of the emotions that flew through the both of them was almost too much. She wasn’t sure that she could take this. Her hands slid against the sheen of sweat on his back as his hips pumped into her.
“I love you, Ty,” she whispered, bringing her legs higher up around his waist.
No other words were needed as the two of them moved against each other. One of her hands came from his back and threaded through his hair, holding it back from his face. It was red with exertion, and it was almost as if gripping the tendrils there caused something to break apart inside of him. He moved roughly against her, fast, causing the headboard they had just installed to bang against the wall.
“I want this for you.” He gripped the sheets of the bed next to her head. “I want this so badly for you,” he breathed out.
Their breathing became choppy as they struggled to keep pace with one another. Both wanting the same thing, but neither sure about how they were going to make it there. A thought crossed Meredith’s mind. Was she pushing too hard for this? Was she risking her marriage for her dream? She insisted they make love like this all the time; she insisted on him doing all the work, that’s what all the books had said to do.
She hooked her feet around his calf and pushed, flipping them over.
“What the hell?” he breathed out, his stomach pumping up and down with the breaths he took.
“I want something different today,” she whispered, sitting back on her heels.
The heat in his eyes caused moisture to come rushing to where the two of them were joined. Reaching down, she grasped his hands and brought them up to her breasts, crushing his large hands against them.
“You sure?” he asked, a dark eyebrow raised in question. They hadn’t done it like this in a long time.
“Very sure,” she whispered, her voice dark and guttural as she started rocking against him.
This was what they did best. This was what they were meant to do. They were meant to be a couple, a team. If they didn’t do it together, then having a baby would make no difference to her. She couldn’t do any of it without Tyler, and in that moment she realized that without him none of it would even be worth it.
“Why do you think Jessica’s really here?” Tyler asked later on, the two of them lay in each other’s arms. The silence that had taken over them had been amicable, but Tyler couldn’t help the question that came to his mind.
“Easy,” Meredith answered as she turned over in his arms so that she could prop her shoulder up. Modestly she pulled the sheets up over her chest, causing him to laugh when she did so. “She’s in love with Layne.”
“You think so?”
“I know that look,” she nodded, completely sure of herself. “I think he scares her though, kind of like you did with me in the beginning.”
“How the fuck did I scare you?”
She smiled, rolling her eyes. “You’re bigger than life, Tyler. A lot like Layne. Layne might be lean and smaller than the rest of you, but he’s strong and he’s fearless. While that’s a sexy trait to have and women love it, it worries those of us that love you.”
“Layne is pretty damn badass, but you better not tell him I said that. Sometimes I think he wants the praise, other times I think it makes him nervous, so I try not to pile it on thick.”
“Maybe he needs to hear that?” Meredith speculated. “Maybe that’s why it makes him nervous, he’s not used to hearing it.”
“You may have a point there.” He turned so that he faced her. This was more gossiping than he had ever done in his life, but he had to ask just one more question. “Do you think Layne’s in love with her?”
Meredith grinned, her eyes shining. “Oh yeah, but he’s a very long way from admitting that to anyone, including himself.”
Chapter Seven
Jessica tried to tame her hair into some semblance of order as she and Bianca exited the car. “What’s this place?” she asked, walking around the side of the car.
“Welcome to Donna’s Country Store. It’s got gas, convenience items, and the best damn gas station food you’ll ever eat in your life. It’s a favorite of most guys at the shop,” Bianca explained as they walked through the front door.
The smell of home-cooked food assaulted Jessica’s senses, and she was surprised when she saw a hot case as well as a few tables situated around the store. “So you can just walk up and order?”
“Yup, they make a few things ahead of time; other things are made to order.”
“Hey, Bianca,” a woman called from behind the counter.
“Hey Luce,” Bianca greeted back. “I have a list of stuff for the guys at the shop. Can I just leave it with you?”
With her eyes still hidden behind her sunglasses, Jessica watched the exchange between the two women. Luce looked to be an older woman, but Jessica wasn’t sure of how old because she had amazing skin tone and structure. Jessica knew many women in Hollywood who would kill for it.
“Sure, I’ll call you over when it’s ready. Did you want to order something too?”
“You want something, Jessica?” Bianca looked over, pushing her sunglasses up onto her head.
Mimicking her, she l
eaned over to take a look at the menu. “If you’re getting something.”
“I am. Luce, you got an order form that I can fill out to tack on to the end of the guys’ order?”
She watched as Bianca filled out an order pad and then handed it over to her.
“Get whatever you want; it’ll go on the shop’s tab. They settle up every month. Let’s go grab some drinks.”
This was so foreign to Jessica. People still bought stuff on credit here? She wasn’t sure she’d ever seen that done without a piece of plastic in her life. It felt like she’d been transported back to another time where people left their cars running and their front doors unlocked.
“You look a little shell-shocked.”
Jessica laughed. “Let’s just say I’m not used to this at all.”
“The small town feel?”
“Kinda, but really it’s just everything. It’s all so different from what I’m used to.”
Bianca had a hard time believing that she couldn’t remember things before she went Hollywood. “Even before you were an actress?”
“I’ve been an actress so long I’m not sure that I even remember what it was like before.”
“Wait, how old are you?”
It wasn’t unusual for people to lie about their ages in Hollywood, but Jessica had a pretty large gap in between the age she told people she was and her actual age. It was embarrassing to admit that her life was based on one white lie after another. “How old do you think I am?”
“Layne’s twenty-five, so I was thinking you were around the same age as him,” she shrugged.
“I don’t know whether that’s good or bad,” Jessica grinned. “That I’m passing for that old or if I actually look that old. I’m twenty-one, but I tell everyone I’m twenty-six.”
“Why do you tell people you’re older?”
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