Eyes Like Those

by Melissa Brayden

  “Thank you.” She glanced down at the dress, nervous because Taylor’s eyes were on her, but also invigorated, because Taylor’s eyes were on her. “Hadley helped. When it comes to this stuff, I’m out of my depth. But hearing that you like it makes it all worthwhile.” Apparently, it was Taylor’s turn to blush as they stood there, staring at each other. The world around them had gone still, making Isabel feel like she and Taylor were the only two people there. The conversation around them dimmed and the people faded away. Was that weird? She decided it wasn’t. In fact, she relished the effect. With the kind of crackle and pop that was passing between them now, if someone lit a match, the whole place would most certainly go. “I have to confess I was nervous.”

  “For what?” Taylor asked, looking somewhat dazed.

  “First Hollywood party and all.”

  Taylor lit up, pulling them back on track. “That’s right. It is! I should introduce you around. Show you who the important people are, the ones to get to know.”

  She grinned. “I would love that.”

  “Tay, I need you.” Taylor paused and dropped her head at the desperate sound of Aspen’s voice from not too far away. Isabel cringed when she saw her. Why did Aspen have to look so fantastic? Why? Moments later, she appeared, glamorous and perfect, at Taylor’s elbow. Isabel felt herself shrink in her spot, because who was she kidding? She was out of her league with these people. With Taylor. All of it.

  Aspen gave her a once-over. “Oh, hi, Isabel. Don’t you look adorable in that getup. I didn’t realize some people would attend in costume. I love the tenacity.”

  Ohh, war had been declared. But the comment packed a punch whether she wanted it to or not. Maybe Hadley’s retro idea had been too ambitious for someone like Isabel to pull off. She felt meek and silly under Aspen’s gaze, and she hated that she allowed her the satisfaction.

  Aspen didn’t miss a beat and turned to Taylor. “I got out that old cutting board, the one your mom sent from your grandma’s house and wound up with a giant splinter right in the middle of my poor index finger.” She held up the finger in punctuation, her sad little face executed flawlessly. “It’s just killing me, Tay. Do you think you can give me a hand?” She inclined her head in the direction of the house.

  “I’m actually in the middle of a conversation,” Taylor said and then brightened, her tone shifting to one of encouragement. “I’m sure you can handle it. There are tweezers—”

  “On the top shelf of your medicine cabinet in the master bathroom. I know.” She looked to Taylor, with big helpless eyes. “I’m just not sure I can stomach this, and my finger is really starting to throb. Would you mind?”

  “It’s fine. Go ahead,” Isabel said. Her voice sounded normal. She was almost sure.

  “Sorry,” Taylor mouthed before rolling her eyes and following Aspen, who waved all five fingers in victorious farewell.

  Isabel hated herself for the jealousy that crept in and circulated. She squared her shoulders, deciding then and there not to let Aspen Wakefield under her skin. If Taylor wasn’t free to make introductions, she’d set out on her own. She snagged a glass of something pink and bubbly from a passing waiter and took a lap around the yard. She made eye contact with a few of the guests and smiled, but never did find the right moment to strike up a conversation with the people Taylor had pointed out. Everyone was good-looking and intimidating. Another lap and another glass. These glasses were really so very pretty. Shiny and light, and how crazy that she could see the moon through hers. Okay, maybe no more of the pink bubbly wonderfulness. She focused on the music and bopped her head as if having the most fantastic time beneath the gazebo. Still no sign of Taylor, but she probably had hostess duties to attend to…or, you know, some intimate Aspen ones. It was fine, really. It was fine. Taylor owed her nothing. A third lap and oh, look! There was Kathleen, a friendly face, at long last.

  “Well, hello, there!” she said to her friend and producer, feeling more at ease from the alcohol. “I didn’t know you were here.”

  Kathleen smiled. She wore a dignified green dress with a pair of sassy yellow heels. Her gray hair was spiked, making her look extra fun tonight. “Isabel Chase, look at you!” Isabel did a simple twirl for Kathleen and kissed her cheek. “This is my husband, Bruce. He knows all about the new wonder kid at work, so your reputation precedes you.”

  “Bruce, so nice to meet you!” She extended her hand, which he accepted and kissed.

  “Likewise,” he said. “You have a fan in Kathleen.”

  “She’s being generous.”

  “She is not,” Kathleen remarked.

  Isabel and Kathleen had developed a sort of alliance since she’d submitted her episode. It became increasingly clear that they collaborated well together, which was necessary given Taylor’s absence. Kathleen was patient, smart, if not slightly soft when it came to laying down the hammer. She’d hit a few speed bumps in getting the higher-ups to listen to her the way they would have Taylor. She’d also confided in Isabel that maybe the showrunner gig wasn’t for her. She didn’t have the disposition or temperament. Isabel couldn’t imagine anyone feeling that way, but she liked Kathleen and would go out of her way to support her.

  Isabel leaned in and whispered, “This party is too important for me. Any second they’re going to escort me out of here. Mark my words.”

  “All of us together,” Kathleen whispered back. “But it’s very Taylor Andrews. That woman knows what she’s doing and the right people to assemble.”

  Isabel whistled low. “She certainly does. How am I going to make it in this town?”

  “Oh, I suspect you’re going to do just fine.” A thought seemed to occur to her. “You know, while you’re here, let me introduce you to Gerald Hagerman, he’s a very important man at the network. Vice president of programming. You’ll want him to know your name.”

  “Who’s this lady?” Gerald Hagerman asked jovially between puffs of his cigar. So that’s where the syrupy sweet aroma emanated from. In the other hand, he clutched a bourbon, neat. He was a portly guy with a mustache. Didn’t fit the LA exec profile in the slightest, but then again, neither did she.

  Kathleen gestured to her. “Gerald, you need to meet Isabel Chase. She’s new to the writing staff on Water and has an episode airing next week that’s going to knock your socks off. Lots of positive word of mouth already. You’ll be hearing her name more in the future, I assure you.”

  She extended her hand. “Pleasure to meet you.”

  “Isabel Chase, you say?”

  “Yes, sir. That’s me.”

  “I look forward to your work. I read the episode and was heartily impressed. I’ll take any little ratings bump you can give me, too. You deliver me numbers, and I’ll do more than remember your name.”

  Oh, okay. So this was what parties like this were for. It was all coming together.

  “Gerald, I see you’ve met Isabel.” They turned to see Taylor, looking tired but still smiling up a storm. The bubbly seemed to have given Isabel’s eyes a mind of their own as her gaze swept across Taylor’s dress, lingering on the dip of cleavage. She swallowed and looked away. And then back. She preferred looking back.

  “I like her already,” Gerald said. “I’m giving this woman her own show if next week goes well.”

  Taylor held up a hand. “Not so fast. I’m keeping her.”

  Isabel impulsively threw her body between Taylor and Gerald. “Pay no attention to the crazy woman.” It gave them all a good laugh.

  “Taylor,” Kathleen said, once Gerald moved on to a conversation with a nearby starlet. “I’ve adored your gathering tonight, but I promised my doting husband an In-n-Out burger if he was patient enough.”

  Isabel sidled up next to her. “A burger, you say? Can I stow away in your trunk?”

  Taylor smiled. “You’re not going anywhere just yet, I hope.” She and Taylor locked eyes, and the radiant green did things to her. No, she would definitely not be walking away from those eyes.

&n
bsp; “Only joking,” she said quietly.

  Kathleen eyed them for a moment and, with an amused smile, kissed both of their cheeks. “Thank you for a memorable evening. Don’t have too much fun without me.”

  “Never,” Isabel said with a smile. “Eat a burger for me!”

  “Done.” Kathleen winked at them and headed off.

  Isabel spent the next two hours chitchatting with various guests, Taylor staying firmly by her side. Except for that time Aspen couldn’t find the extra glasses or needed Taylor to come tell her friend that joke she’d once told Aspen at a fancy restaurant (“Remember that really romantic one?”) She truly had perfected the art of commanding Taylor’s attention, and Isabel felt her resolve slipping with each passing moment.

  She should have gone out for that burger after all.

  On her own again, Isabel wondered if she’d ever get used to a gathering like this one, packed with celebrities at every turn. The kid in her had been freaking the hell out all night in awe of just about everyone she encountered, while the adult was doing her best to appear calm, cool, and not at all a crazy, wide-eyed newbie. This was the world she’d always longed to work in, write for, and here she was, doing just that. But Isabel’s ambition didn’t stop there. She wanted to learn, absorb, and understand what it took to run her own show. Being here and seeing it all up close had only stoked that fire higher. As long as she worked hard and played her cards right, she might actually have that shot at running her own show someday. She’d put in the time, kill herself to do good work, and play nice with those around her. Whatever it took.

  When the final guests began to trickle out just after one a.m., Isabel waited off to the side as Taylor said her farewells. She’d also looked on as she put an inebriated Aspen into her sober friend’s car. “You don’t want to take me home yourself?” Aspen had purred and run her hand down Taylor’s shoulder. She was about as subtle as Liberace under a strobe light.

  “No, I’ve got stuff to tend to here.” Taylor turned to the friend. “Do me a favor. If there are paparazzi outside her place, take her around the back drive.”

  The girl nodded and offered Taylor the thumbs-up sign. “You got it.”

  Isabel and Taylor stood in the circular drive and watched the car pull away. The image of Aspen waving at Taylor with sultry eyes served as a gentle reminder of what the situation actually was. The reality hit her in the face like a bucket of ice water.

  “I better head out, too,” Isabel said.

  “Wait. Not yet. There’s something I wanted to show you.”

  “Okay.” Intrigued, Isabel followed Taylor to her laptop. She quickly pulled up an email string from several studio execs who had viewed the rough cut of Isabel’s episode.

  “Take a look at these,” Taylor said, and folded her arms.

  One exec had written, You guys hit this one out of the park. Kudos to you and your new writer. Keep that one around.

  Another chimed in, My jaw dropped. Well done, Taylor. Things are heating up. Excited for the rest of the season. There were several more of similar sentiment, and by the end Isabel was beaming.

  “I wanted to congratulate you personally,” Taylor said.

  Isabel scoffed. “I didn’t do much.”

  “You did. You had a great idea and you fought for it. One of the many ways you’ve impressed me.”

  “I don’t know what to say.” The way Taylor was looking at her had Isabel’s toes curling and her mouth dry. She flashed to their kiss on the studio lot. The visual was interrupted when out of nowhere she imagined Aspen running up and tapping Taylor on the shoulder. A total buzzkill. What the hell? She tried to shrug it off, only it wasn’t that easy. “And now I should get out of your hair and let you relax. You must be tired after tonight.” The caterers had long since packed up and restored the place to status quo. It was only the two of them left, and the hour was late.

  “Not really.” Taylor stepped out of her heels and lost a good three inches. She seemed more accessible now. Sexier, too, if that was possible. Isabel wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch her.

  She shrugged and decided to level with Taylor. “Just seemed like you had your hands full with Aspen tonight.”

  “Ah.” Taylor’s head dropped and she rubbed the back of her neck. Isabel wanted to do that for her, but something held her back. Taylor raised her gaze. “So, this is about Aspen. It’s hard to relax with her in the room. That’s true. It’s different with you, though. With us.”

  “She seems to really need you. A lot.”

  Taylor nodded and walked back into her living room. “It’s what she does.”

  “Yeah, but to what end? Can I ask that? Because when will it be enough?”

  That’s when silence hit.

  Taylor closed her eyes briefly. “You know I didn’t want to cater to her tonight. It’s a delicate situation. I thought I explained that already.”

  Isabel couldn’t stop herself. “But you did cater to her, and whether you explained it or not, your giving in only goes to show her that her tactics work.”

  Taylor nodded. “It’s tricky. I just didn’t want her making a scene.”

  “Or maybe things with you two aren’t as squared away as you tell yourself.” Her pathetic side was beginning to show, but she couldn’t seem to hide it.

  “What does that mean? No. Isabel.” They stared at one another for another uncomfortable moment, the kind that felt way longer than it actually was. “She’s my ex, and our relationship was a train wreck on top of a ten-car pile-up of awful, and now it’s over. I’m thrilled about that part.”

  “Are you?” Isabel regretted the veiled accusation. It wasn’t her place to stick her nose into Taylor’s business. She had no claim. She was no one. “This time I really am going. It’s late and getting…awkward. And if there’s one thing I don’t want, it’s anything that’s going to overtake us. Whatever we are, I happen to like it. So, thank you for having me to your party tonight. I had fun.”

  “Iz, don’t go.” The words reverberated in the air all around them. Taylor grabbed her wrist and with a slight tug, pulled her in until their bodies pressed. Taylor’s arms moved to Isabel’s waist and around, holding her there. Isabel’s lips parted at the unexpected contact, and her temperature rose.

  “I don’t want you to go,” Taylor said simply. She searched Isabel’s eyes for some sort of permission, which was silly because Isabel had no willpower where Taylor was concerned. It was a good thing Taylor had hold of her, as she felt her knees wobble.

  “What are we doing?” Isabel whispered, her gaze dipping from Taylor’s eyes to her mouth.

  “I think we both know,” Taylor said simply.

  This time Isabel waited. The move had to be Taylor’s.

  “You are so beautiful,” Taylor said, and traced the neckline of Isabel’s dress with her finger. The air left the room. All sound vanished. She closed her eyes at the surge of need, of desperate want. She swallowed against the acute assault on her body only to have her desire ignite exponentially with each second that ticked by, with each trace of that finger across her heated skin. Her center throbbed and her breasts ached to be touched. Taylor’s hands were so very close. She watched with rapt interest as they inched closer. With the back of her hand, Taylor brushed against the fabric at the front of Isabel’s dress, causing it to rub uncomfortably across her nipples. She did it again more purposefully, meeting Isabel’s gaze, watching her reaction with intense focus. What Isabel wouldn’t give to be done with that fabric, with the dress entirely. Explicit images rained down as she ached for more.

  She knew in that moment that Taylor wasn’t finished. Taylor was going to have her, and Isabel was done trying to resist the pull.

  Oh, this was happening.

  This was definitely going to happen.

  Isabel’s breathing turned shallow as Taylor’s finger traced the dip in her cleavage. She heard herself hiss in a breath. Their eyes held steady, and the lust in Taylor’s was like nothing she’d
ever seen. Combusting, right then and there, beneath her fingertips was a definite possibility. Taylor ran her hands down the length of Isabel’s arms and intertwined their fingers. She crossed their hands behind Isabel’s back and studied her lips as she leaned in, on a mission. The kiss would go down as one of the most memorable Isabel had experienced. There was no buildup, no preamble. Taylor caught her mouth, and instantly she knew she better buckle up, because she was about to be owned. Her knees shook pleasantly at the thought. Their lips moved together in a delicious tangle and Isabel gave back every bit that she was given, pushing her tongue into Taylor’s mouth, tasting her.

  It felt as if everything had been leading up to this moment.

  If the kiss on the studio lot had been sexy, this one brought a promise of torrid things to come. It forced the air from her lungs in a hot rush, and a low sound came from her throat. She’d been dreaming of touching that gorgeous blond hair from the very first day, and she didn’t hold back now. She slid her fingers into thick tresses, pulling Taylor in that much further. Her center throbbed uncomfortably as she grasped that silky hair.

  Isabel was acutely aware that they didn’t have long, and once they arrived at a bed, at a couch, anything sturdy, she would have seconds before Taylor rendered her powerless. Therefore, she needed Taylor wearing significantly less than she wore now.

  A preemptive measure. She was nothing if not a planner.

  Isabel’s fingers searched for the zipper tucked slyly on the side of Taylor’s dress and tugged aggressively. Taylor broke the kiss and watched with careful attention as Isabel slid the dress off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor. The matching yellow lingerie halted her action. She had no choice but to feast on the sensual image. “I’ve never seen anything like you,” Isabel said reverently and took a step into Taylor, taking in her skin, the generous curves of her breasts, her absolute beauty.

  Music, still left over from the party, played from a sound system in the corner of the living room as Taylor took her hand and led her to the stairs. Taylor only made it to the first step before Isabel turned her around, unable to wait another second. With her hands on Taylor’s waist, she kissed just above the yellow lace waistband and higher across her stomach. Taylor’s hands slid into Isabel’s hair, freeing it from the pins that held it back. At the metallic sounds of them falling, Taylor leaned down and crushed her mouth to Isabel’s once again.