by Kate Dunbar
Trevor nods at me and waves a hand in my direction. “Go. Do your thing. I’ll save your seat.” He winks at me.
“I’ll just be a minute. Stay away from the kiddies.” I stand and head toward the door, sticking my tongue out at him. “Hello, Eleanor?”
“Hello, darling,” she replies.
I step into the crisp air, feeling the cold seep through my sweater.
“I have news.”
“Okay. Is it good news? Do I need to sit?” I head toward a bench placed along the sidewalk just in case. I should sit. Today’s been a day. No telling what she’s about to throw at me.
“No.” She laughs. “This is good news. I spoke to the casting director.”
Those six words make all the air whoosh out of me. I’ve been waiting for this call, wanting and willing it to go my way. A hint of good to come during the crazy. And here’s Eleanor, telling me she has good news after she spoke to the casting director. This could be it.
“I’m listening. What did she have to say?” I plop my rear on the bench and wait for the other shoe to drop.
“She wants to see you again. And this time, the director is in town to be there too.”
Silence falls across the line, and I wait for her to say more, but nothing comes. I withdraw the phone from my ear and give it a quick once-over to make sure we didn’t get disconnected. Nope, still there.
“She wants to see me again with the director? What does that mean, Eleanor?”
“Exactly what I said, love. They want you to come back to LA for a second audition. This time, more people than just the casting director will be in the room. About five to six people from what I understand, including the director and an actor they’re looking at for your romantic counterpart. They’ve narrowed it down to you and two others.”
“There’s only three of us now?” I squeak out. I was sure I’d blown it that day. I mean, I thought I’d done fine in the actual audition, but I was almost positive the only reason she was seeing me was as a favor to Eleanor.
“I told you she was impressed with you in La Jolla and interested, Sabra.”
“I know you did, but I thought I’d blown it.” I slide my fingers through my hair and twirl the ends of a chunk over and over. “This is huge news. Thank you so much, Eleanor. I’m thrilled.” I stand and do a little spin next to the bench, trying to hold in the excitement and stay professional on the phone.
“Don’t thank me yet. You still have a second audition to go,” she replies. The sound of traffic and honking rings out in the background of our call.
“Are you in LA? Who’s honking at you?” I pace up and down the sidewalk.
“I’m in New York for the week, but I spoke to Christine, and she’s going to meet you at your audition. I’ll send you all the details in an email this evening, but the audition is Monday at ten a.m. If you have class or work, you’ll have to skip it again.”
“That’s fine. I’ll work it all out. They’ll understand.” I walk back to the bench but can’t sit. Nervous energy pours out of me. “And Christine will be there too? That’s great.”
“Of course. I’m sure she’ll be calling you later today. She’s not going to have you go into one of your biggest auditions without her there. And this one is huge, Sabra. You’ll need to pay special attention to the instructions laid out in the email, darling.”
“Yes, I understand.” I look through the windows of the Coffee Haus to where Trevor’s sitting. He’s looking straight at me, his eyes questioning, but a smile on his face.
“I have to run. I’m late for a meeting, and I can’t find the damn car that’s supposed to pick me up. If you have questions before Monday, call or email me. Do you understand?” Her voice goes in and out as the hustle and bustle of the New York City streets muffle her words.
“I’ve got it. I’ll make sure I’m ready.” I walk toward the Coffee Haus again. “I’ll let you know how it goes on Monday,” I squeal into the phone. So much for professionalism.
“Talk soon, darling.” She chuckles. “Have a good day.”
My hand lands on the door to push it open when it swings inward and I go soaring forward, planting my face into something warm and solid. Arms fly around me to keep me upright, and my hands land on two globes that are both soft and firm at the same time.
“Hello again to you too,” Trevor mutters into my ear. His strong hands steady me and brush my hair back behind my ears.
I let go of his butt, throwing my arms out to the sides and pushing my breasts harder into his chest. Did I just grab his ass? I take a few steps back to give myself and his delectable, chiseled body some breathing room and stammer, “Sorry about that.” My eyes stay on the ground. There’s no way I can look him in the face now that I felt him up.
“Sabra.” His voice closes in, and the heat coming off him wraps around me.
“Yes?” I slide back a baby step and let the hair fall in my face again, but Trevor puts one finger beneath my chin and gently lifts my head. He bends until we’re eye to eye.
“Nothing to be sorry about.” He slides his fingers around my neck and tunnels them in my hair. A shiver dances down my spine with the touch of his hand at the base of my neck.
Traitor.
“Did Eleanor have good news?” He glides his hand down my arm to grab my fingers again. This is the second time we’ve ended up holding hands.
I forget about my embarrassment as the elation rockets back through my body. My cheeks feel like they’re going to split from the smile on my face. “Yes. I have a callback, a second audition for the movie I told you about. It’s on Monday. And my talent manager is going to be there with me. I’m so nervous. And excited.” I laugh at his wide eyes. “I’m a lot of things, I guess.”
Trevor moves closer to me, crowding my space as we stand in the doorway. “There’s my girl. I do love that smile.”
I pull my head back farther to see his eyes. The view of his strong jaw and beautiful lips from where I’m standing are a temptation I have to remind myself I can’t have.
“Excuse me?” We turn to see Martha and her friends standing behind us. The sweet redhead has morphed into a fire-breathing dragon, rolling her eyes and motioning to the door we’re still blocking. “We’d like to get out of here?”
“Sorry, Martha.” Trevor flashes his panty-dropping smile and spins us out of the way without releasing me. “We got lost in the moment.”
Martha and her cronies flounce out the door with their noses in the air.
“Wow.” I lean my forehead against his shoulder to hide my laughter.
“So, we should go celebrate,” he declares with a light in his eyes.
“Celebrate what? I haven’t gotten the job yet, Trevor.” I take a step back, but he grabs my hand and hauls me against his chest.
“No, but you will. I know it. So, what do you want to do? Anything you want. It’s on me.” He smiles wickedly. “I’ll even let you grab my ass again.”
“Trevor.” I move away and try to act mad while not-so-secretly enjoying his attention. “I said I was sorry about that.” I pout in his direction.
“I’m kidding.” He yanks on my hand to tug me closer and slides his arm around my shoulders, walking us out the door of the Coffee Haus. “What’s your pleasure?” He points us in the direction of the parking lot.
I glance at him and say in a singsong voice, “Okay. I could use a mani-pedi.”
Trevor’s head swivels in my direction with wide eyes, but he doesn’t miss a beat. “Then a mani-pedi it is.”
“You would go do that with me?” I chuckle at the look of determination on his face. “I was kidding. I didn’t think you’d actually go for it.”
“Sabra, I told you I’d do anything for you, and I meant it. I’ll even get my toes pedi’d for you.” He shrugs as we walk to his car. “Now lead the way, superstar. Tell me where to go.”
“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.” Trevor shakes his head and stares at his toes. His feet are stuffed int
o hot pink, flimsy flip-flops, and I can’t help laughing at the dark blue nail polish glittering at me as I sit with my fingers under the UV light. He’s sitting next to me with his head in his hands covering his face.
“First, you didn’t have to go along with it,” I say, tapping my own magenta toes under the table. “And second, I don’t know why you said yes when she asked you if you wanted to choose a color.” Laughter bubbles out of me. It’s been this way all afternoon. I’d forgotten how much I laughed when I was with Trevor.
“I didn’t know what to say when she led me over to the wall of nail polishes and told me to pick one. Also, she was hard to understand,” he huffs under his breath and slaps his knees with his hands. “I thought it was something I had to do.”
I clear my throat and try to catch my breath. “You didn’t think it was weird someone would make you choose a color? And out of all the colors on the wall, you didn’t think to choose something the same color as your skin tone if you had to choose one? Like a nude? You went with glittered navy blue?” I gently tap my fingernails to make sure they’re dry before standing and staring at him.
“What are you doing,” he asks me, panic filling his eyes. “Where are you going?”
“My nails are dry. We can go now.” I walk toward the door with a wave at my nail technician. “Thank you, Alicia. See you next time.”
“Oh, honey, yes,” Alicia replies in her thick Southern drawl, pointing at Trevor who is now standing beside me. “And make sure to bring that hunk of gorgeous with you next time too.”
I look over at Trevor and see red creeping up his neck. “I sure will. Maybe you can talk him into pink next time,” I holler at her, snickering.
Alicia laughs at me and waves back.
I put my hand on the door and smirk. “Are you ready, or would you like to stay here longer? I’m sure Alicia would be happy to discuss waxing your eyebrows.”
His hand lands on mine before I can push through to go outside. “Wait. I can’t go outside like this,” he grumbles, waving his right foot in the air. “What will people think when they see me in pink flip-flops?”
“That’s what you’re worried about, Trevor? Your toes have blue glittery nail polish on them. I think that ship has sailed.” I snort and push past him into the clean air and beautiful blue skies.
Trevor looks in both directions before darting through the door and running to his truck, pink flip-flops flapping all the way to the driver’s side. And I can’t help it. I sit on the curb and slump over laughing. My breath sticks in my throat, and I bend forward to put my head between my knees. I should pull myself together, but I can’t. I’m going to pass out.
“Get in the truck, Sabra.” Trevor has pulled the car out of the parking spot and moved closer to where I’m sitting on the ground.
“I can’t get up. Or move. Or do anything but laugh.” I cackle. “Seriously, Trev, you may have to leave me here. It’s okay, though. I can die happy with the vision of you running in those things dancing in my head.”
“You know you’re not funny, right?” he asks through his window.
“Oh, I’m a little funny.” I beam at him and hold my fingers an inch apart. “You know what I think?”
“What?” He’s wary, and he should be.
I’m still snickering, but I try to cover it behind my hand. “I think you may need to get out of the car and carry me. I don’t think my legs will hold me up now.” I slump over to the side. “I’m weak from all the laughing.” I burst out in more giggles and practically lie on the concrete.
“Oh, yeah?” Trevor’s smile turns mischievous, which shuts the giggles right up. I see the gleam in his eye and sit up straight. I’ve seen that one before. The one right before he’s about to do something naughty.
“Nope. Never mind.” I stand and take a step toward the car, but Trevor is faster than I am. He opens the door and stalks toward me. Those pink flip-flops don’t slow him down.
“Oh no, Say. I promised you whatever you wanted today, and that’s exactly what I meant.” He takes another step forward. “You want to be carried? So be it.”
I take a step backward and fall as I trip on the curb behind me, but Trevor grabs me and yanks me toward him with one hand while lifting me over his shoulder with the other.
“It’s your day, after all.”
“Trevor,” I shriek at him. “Put me down.” He saunters around his car in those fuchsia shoes with me tossed over him like a sack of potatoes as if I weigh nothing. And my ass is in the air for all to see. Awesome.
“Sure, I’ll put you down,” Trevor replies as he hoists me even higher onto his shoulder, causing me to squirm when he puts his hand behind my knee. I look around and see a few people stop on the sidewalk, watching us and whispering to each other. “On one condition.”
I grunt. “What’s that?” His hand creeps up the back of my thigh and smacks one of my cheeks enough to sting. “Hey!” I peek at the onlookers. They’re all laughing at the scene we’re causing.
He chuckles and rubs his hand back and forth where he spanked me. “I’ll put you down when you agree to have dinner with me. Tomorrow night.”
“Tomorrow? But my audition is tomorrow. It could be late in the evening when I get back.” I hit his back with my palm. “Seriously, Trevor, put me down and let me walk.”
“Nope.” He turns in a circle, laughing and waving at everyone who is now openly gawking. Then he leans his hip on his truck with me still on his shoulder and raises his voice. “You have dinner with me tomorrow night or we stay here like this. I could do this all day and all night.” He drops his voice. “I don’t mind having your parts this close to my face.”
Is he flirting with me?
“Oh my gosh, Trevor.” I half-heartedly hit him in the rear this time.
“Go to dinner with him,” some brunette hollers at me. “I’d get me some of that for sure.” She high-fives her friend, and they continue into the little boutique next to the salon.
“What will it be, Say? Dinner with me, or do I need to start walking down the road in these ridiculous shoes while you ride my shoulder?”
His laughter makes me bounce up and down on him, and my body clearly doesn’t mind this in the least. Warmth spreads through my limbs and chest, pooling in the places I shouldn’t be thinking about right now. I’m going to have to have a talk with my body. The turncoat.
“Fine. Dinner. Tomorrow night,” I gasp out at him. He pulls me backward, and I do a slow slide down his body. When we’re lined up perfectly, and I can feel how much this has affected him too, he lets go of me and opens the car door.
“Awesome. I’m glad we could come to an agreement.” He gestures at the open door and passenger seat with a lopsided grin. “After you, beautiful.”
“You are incorrigible. You know that, right?” I fall into the seat and yank my legs in while I glower at him. “What am I going to do with you?”
Trevor leans into the car and crowds my space through the open door. He grabs the seat belt, bends over to buckle me in, and gazes into my eyes. “I can think of a few things.”
He straightens himself, gives me an eyeful of the one location I shouldn’t be looking, and shuts the door. But not before I notice the prominent bulge in his jeans. And I can’t keep the smile off my face.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“Sabra, are you prepared to put your master’s work on hold for a year if you get the part? Does that bother you?” The casting director peers at me over her red cat-eyed glasses. She has dark hair with a white stripe down one side, and it’s pulled back in a loose chignon. She’s gorgeous in a “she could be the perfect evil villain in a movie” kind of way, and she has a kind smile. It’s a knowing smile like she has a secret. Her name is Wendy, but I can’t stop myself from calling her Cruella in my head.
I smile back at her. “Yes, I’m prepared for that. School will always be here to come back to when I’m ready, but this opportunity is only here once. I mean, well, you know what I mean.”
Perfect, Say. Way to wow them with your words.
“Great. In the directions we sent, we asked you to not only be ready to do a reading with Joe …” She nods her head in the direction of the extremely good-looking guy sitting across the room from me. His muscles have muscles. “But to also be prepared to do some physical interactions with him. Are you comfortable with that?”
I glance at Joe again and work hard to keep my features blank and neutral. Because Joe is hot—the melt your butter kind of hot—but his eyes have been raking me up and down since I walked through the door. There’s no doubt I’m naked in his mind, and who knows what these interactions are going to be. The movie is a romantic comedy, so I’m expecting a kissing scene and maybe more. He seems like a sleaze ball. An intensely good-looking sleaze ball, but a job is a job—sleaze ball or no.
“Sure. None of it bothers me,” I lie through my teeth.
“Perfect.” The director stands and walks around the table. He’s been leaning against the wall behind Cruella watching our conversation with shrewd eyes. “Joe, can you come meet Sabra, please?”
Joe stands, strolls over to me, and extends his gigantic hand. He’s much bigger than I thought he was, and even though I’m tall, I feel tiny next to him. I place my hand in his to shake only to have him lean down and kiss my knuckles.
“Ma Cherie, it is a pleasure to meet you.”
Gross. That was wet.
He looks at me with squinting eyes, still bending over my hand, and I intuitively know he doesn’t think I’m up for this task. I tug my fingers out of his hold, and instead of wiping the slobber on the back of my jeans like I want to, I do what I do best. I act.
I cup his cheek in one swift movement, rubbing my thumb along his cheekbone. “You do know how to charm a girl, don’t you?”
I run my hand along his neck and let my fingers play with the hair curling at the back. His eyes light up in surprise as he watches me play the game he started. My eyes shine back at him with a challenge. One I intend to win, even if he thinks I can’t meet him toe to toe.