by Katie McCoy
“Are you lost, love?” The rider pulled off his helmet, revealing a TV star’s face.
It was Riley Hamilton, the former star of “Undead Heart,” a soapy vampire teen show that had run for several years before getting canceled after the leading lady quit. Since then, I’d seen Riley in a few different films and shows, but he always seemed to be playing the same version of his “Undead Heart” character—the bad boy.
And he was apparently doing the same thing here. I knew he’d been cast as Wickham, and seeing him in all his leather-and-motorcycle glory, I could see, it was a smart move. I realized then that I was just staring at him, and hadn’t answered the question he had asked.
“No,” I quickly said. “Not lost. Just—” I gestured down at my feet. “Not well equipped for this terrain.”
He looked down at my sandals and chuckled.
“You can say that again.” He reached back and grabbed another helmet from the back of his bike. “Why don’t I save your feet and get you where you’re going?”
I was surprised. I had expected someone like Riley, who had been known in the tabloids for being exactly like the guy he played on TV, to act like a stuck-up movie star and drive right past me. I would have never imagined he would have stopped, let alone offered me a ride.
I would have said no, but my feet were killing me, and the thought of trying to walk the rest of the way made my feet want to cry.
“OK.” I accepted the helmet. “You can actually just take me back to the set, if that’s where you’re going.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Oh?” he asked, his voice getting flirtatious. “Are you one of the actresses?”
I laughed. “Not quite.”
“Are you sure?” he asked, winking. “I was pretty sure that they said the actress playing Lydia was an especially pretty redhead.”
I blushed; I couldn’t help it. I wasn’t used to getting all this attention from bona fide stars. It was weird. And kind of flattering.
“Trust me,” I said. “I don’t have the ability to pull off Lydia Bennet.”
“Oh, I don’t know.” Riley climbed onto his bike and gestured for me to do the same. “All she has to do is flirt with me, and you’re doing that spectacularly.”
I was glad I had put on my helmet, because it hid the extreme red that had come over my face. In a few seconds, I was holding on for dear life as Riley Hamilton zoomed towards the set. It didn’t take long, and my feet were already begging for a long, hot soak in the luxurious hotel tub. We pulled up in front of the mansion, just as Jax and some of the other cast members were exiting.
Immediately Jax came over to help me off the bike.
“What’s going on?” he asked, his voice tinged with jealousy.
“Do you know each other?” Riley asked, pulling off his helmet.
Jax shot Riley a glare. “This is my girlfriend, Penny,” he said, his teeth clenched.
Uh oh. I could already tell that I was in trouble. Some of the crew had even stopped to listen to the exchange.
“Oh, sorry mate.” Riley did not look sorry at all. “I just thought I was rescuing a lovely lost lady.”
“I told you I wasn’t lost,” I interjected, even though I knew that was beside the point. “Riley just offered me a ride back because my shoes were hurting,” I told Jax.
Then, even though it felt a little weird, I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. I could feel him relax a bit as he put his arm around me.
“Next time just give me a call and I’ll come get you,” he said, clearly trying to ignore Riley, who was still standing there.
“I didn’t want to interrupt your work,” I demurred.
“Right,” Riley added. “Don’t want to distract the leading man.”
Uh oh. Immediately the tension ramped up to ten.
Luckily, Morgan was there, and basically threw herself in between the guys, looping her arm through Riley’s.
“I’m starving,” she said dramatically. “Come on, handsome,” she told Riley. “Let’s elbow our way to the front of the line.”
The minute she had dragged him off and our audience was gone, Jax turned to me.
“What was that?” he demanded.
“I told you,” I retorted. “My feet hurt and he offered me a ride.”
“You’re supposed to be my girlfriend,” he hissed, his voice low. “Messing around with Riley doesn’t do much to make people believe that.”
“I wasn’t messing around with him,” I said, annoyed. “Don’t you trust me?”
He stared at me for a moment, and then relaxed. “Yeah, of course I do,” he said. “I just know guys like that, and even if he didn’t know that we were together, he’s going to flirt with you constantly.”
“Just because he flirts doesn’t mean I’m going to fall for his bullshit,” I told Jax. “I can tell when people are being insincere.”
He relaxed further. “Right.”
“Now, if you don’t mind.” I pulled away from him. “I’m going to soak my feet. Unless that’s not something your girlfriend would do.”
Without waiting for a response, I turned on my aching heels and walked away.
9
Penny
I headed back to the hotel and soaked my feet with a whole bottle of lavender bath salts. After that weird confrontation on set, I was feeling a little like I was in over my head. I missed Mia, and wished I could talk to her about what was going on, but doing so would mean telling her the truth, and my NDA forbid that. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with feelings of loneliness.
Just then, my phone buzzed. I had a text from my sister’s friend, Emmy, who had relocated to the UK after falling in love. Paige had offered to connect us on the off chance we’d be able to see each other.
Hey! I’m going to be near you on Thursday, Emmy’s text read. Want to get together for tea and scones?
I felt a wave of relief. Girl time was exactly what I needed right now.
Yes please! I texted back.
Thursday couldn’t come soon enough, and I found the next couple of days passed in a blur. I spent some time on set with Jax, and we managed to keep things cozy for the public, but the minute we got back to the hotel, things were awkward. We hadn’t really spoken about the minor argument we’d had, and I was still a little annoyed about the whole thing, so I was really looking forward to getting some real girl talk in with Emmy.
She had chosen a sweet little tea shop in town, and this time I made sure to wear appropriate shoes when I walked there. The countryside was beautiful, and now that my feet didn’t hurt, I had the chance to really take it all in.
Emmy was waiting when I got to the shop and leapt up with an enthusiastic wave. She was dressed in a bright-print dress—one of her own designs, I was guessing—and had her brown hair pulled up in a ponytail. “Paige!” she squealed, smothering me in a hug.
I hugged her back happily. She and Paige had stayed with me a couple of times when they visited NYC in college, and even though she was a few years younger than me, I was thrilled to see a friendly face. One that wasn’t going to be watching me with an eagle eye while I interacted with Jax.
“It’s so good to see you!” Emmy said once we had each ordered a full cream tea.
“And you,” I told her. “I’m really glad you texted.”
“And I’m really glad you were free,” Emmy responded. “I love going and supporting Charlie at these charity events but sometimes the whole royal circus around it can be completely exhausting.”
Oh, yes: Emmy’s boyfriend was a real-life prince, as well as being a championship tennis star. They’d fallen in love at Wimbledon, and Emmy had moved out to be with him and pursue her love of fashion design.
“It must be really fun being on a film set,” Emmy said once our tea and scones had arrived. “Especially when it’s Pride and Prejudice.”
“It is fun,” I said, but let out a little sigh. “Though, it’s a little overwhelming, too. I often just feel like I’m in everyone’s way.
”
“Tell me about it,” Emmy laughed. “Everyone wants to get to Charlie, and sometimes I get shoved aside. Literally.”
“But Jax is great,” I said quickly, remembering my story. “I’m just crazy about him.”
Emmy gave me a look. “Really? He doesn’t seem your type.”
I coughed. “Well, you know, opposites attract and all.”
She paused, then glanced around. “It’s OK,” she said in a hushed voice. “I know.”
“Know what?”
Emmy looked at me. “The truth, about your relationship with Jax.”
I froze, my teacup halfway to my lips. I lowered it slowly and dabbed my mouth with a napkin.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said lamely.
“I’m sorry.” Emmy reached out and took my hand. “I know Paige wasn’t supposed to say anything, but I swear I won’t tell anyone.”
I looked at her and saw the earnest look in her eyes. I also wanted to talk honestly with someone so badly, that I let out a breath.
“OK,” I confessed. “Jax and I are not really dating.”
Emmy’s eyes widened. “So this is a whole PR stunt? How do you feel about that?” she asked.
“Fine,” I said, a little too quickly. “I mean, it’s a little weird, but I think we’ve figured it out. It’s not so bad when it’s just us hanging out on set, but when the press comes around, we have to perform a little bit more, which I’m not really used to.”
“Yeah, the press can be a curse and a blessing,” Emmy noted. “Mostly a curse.” She gave me a searching look. “Any naked pictures in your past that might cause any problems?”
I was taken aback, but then I remembered that she’d had experience with that exact thing.
“No naked pictures,” I told her. “None of my exes were that interested in seeing me naked, in real life or in pictures.”
It was only partially true. My sex life with Greg, in particular, had been rather uninspiring, and I never got the sense that he thought I was very sexy. Not the way he clearly thought his Instagram boo was. #poetsdoitbetter my ass.
“What about Jax?” Emmy asked.
“He definitely does not have any naked pictures of me,” I said quickly.
Emmy laughed. “I mean, does he want to have naked pictures of you? And if not, do you want him to?”
I felt myself blush.
Emmy hooted. “I guess that answers that question.” She grinned. “Not that I blame you, he’s smoking hot.”
“He is really hot,” I said, allowing myself to admit it. “And I do . . . like him.”
Emmy’s eyes widened. “How much do you like him?”
I put my head in my hands. “My body really, really, really likes him,” I confessed. “But my mind has to keep reminding my body that this is all pretend.”
“Well.” Emmy looked thoughtful. “Does it have to be pretend?”
“He’s a movie star!” I reminded her. “His life is . . . crazy. And I don’t do crazy, remember? Besides . . . my self-esteem is pretty healthy, but even I know I don’t compete when it comes to super-human goddesses like Olivia Summers.”
She waved her hand. “I thought that princes didn’t go for girls like me,” she said. “And look where I am now.” She reached out and patted my hand. “Just relax and have fun,” she advised. “Maybe he’ll surprise you. And maybe you’ll surprise yourself.”
After our lunch, we took a walk around the town, the topic shifting from boys to work. Emmy was working on launching her own fashion line, and asked me for financial advice.
“I’m great when it comes to the creative stuff, I have so many ideas,” she said enthusiastically, “but when it comes to business plans, and budgets . . .” She made a face.
“Those are the best parts!” I exclaimed. “If you’d like to send me your proposal, I’d be happy to look at it while I’m in the UK.”
“Really?” she asked, excited.
“Of course,” I responded. “It would actually be nice to have something to work on. I need to keep busy during Jax’s long shooting days.”
“I would really appreciate it,” Emmy said. “I know it’s important for my business, but I just don’t understand it, it’s like a foreign language.”
“Lucky for you, I’m fluent,” I joked.
Suddenly, a blonde whirlwind came barreling towards us. It took a moment for me to realize it was Lulu, her attention completely fixated on Emmy.
“Oh my God,” she gushed. “I can’t believe it’s you.”
Emmy gave me an awkward shrug of her shoulders as if to say “welcome to my life”.
“It’s me,” she said.
“I’m just a huge fan,” Lulu was saying, really pouring on the charm. “You and the prince are the cutest couple ever. And I think it is so brave that he chose someone like you!”
I winced. It was a backhanded compliment at best, a bitchy one at worst. But Lulu seemed totally oblivious to how obvious she was being. “Do you get to see the Crown Jewels?” she demanded breathlessly. “Do you have, like, a tiara?”
“A small one,” Emmy answered graciously, and they chatted for a little while before she gave me a “help” look.
“Didn’t you have to leave by four?” I asked loudly.
Lulu turned, as if seeing me for the first time. “Polly!” she exclaimed. “Oh my god, hi.”
“It’s Penny,” I corrected her.
“Sure. Right. Anyway, you have to give me your number.” She turned back to Emmy. “We can totally do lunch.”
Emmy blinked. “I . . .” She looked awkward, but Lulu already had her phone out, so Emmy politely put her number in.
“We really have to go,” I said loudly, and Emmy joined me, practically sprinting away.
“Who was that?” Emmy said, laughing, when we were out of sight.
“One of the actresses on the movie,” I sighed. “And she seems like a real bitch.”
“Good thing I gave her the wrong number then.” Emmy grinned.
I laughed. “You didn’t!”
“It’s the number for Charlie’s security team,” she said. “Good luck to her getting through them.”
We laughed together as her car came around.
“Send me your financial information,” I reminded her. “And I’ll see what can be done.”
“Thank you so much.” She gave me a hug. “And have fun while you’re out here. Don’t let your own insecurities get in the way of a good time.” She winked at me. “I didn’t, and it was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
10
Penny
I headed back to the hotel with lots to think about. Maybe Emmy was right, and I was being too hard on myself. Perhaps I could stand to lighten up and have a good time. I was still mulling this over when I stepped into the lobby and found Jax there with Declan and several other members of the cast.
“Hey, babe,” Jax said, coming over. “A bunch of us are headed out to the pub to celebrate a good day of shooting. Want to come?”
He gave me a look, and I realized that this was a perfect opportunity to really show the cast and crew that we were a couple.
“I’d love to,” I told him. “Can I freshen up first?”
“Of course.” He gave me a kiss on the cheek. My heart skipped at the contact, and my body screamed, Yes, please, more of that!
“I’ll meet you there,” I offered, not wanting to hold them up.
“No need.” Jax gave me one of those melting grins. “I’ll wait here and we’ll catch up with everyone else.”
Greg would have left without me. Even though he was a fake boyfriend, Jax was still the best one I’d ever had. I headed up to the room and changed quickly, exchanging my jeans for a little black dress and my favorite pair of sparkly blue heels. The same ones I had worn when I had first run into Jax at the bar. They seemed to give me luck, and I felt like I might need it tonight, when facing his co-stars. Could I really convince a bunch of actors—who pret
ended for a living—that what Jax and I had was real?
“Wow,” Jax said when I met him in the lobby. He gave me a slow once-over. “Have I told you how much I like those shoes?”
I blushed. I couldn’t help it. And my body got all tingly. I really couldn’t help that. He just looked so good, with his dark, messy hair and his tight jeans and his collared shirt unbuttoned just the right amount.
There was a reason he was a Hollywood heartthrob . . . And there was a reason I wasn’t, a little voice whispered, but I tried to push it aside.
Tonight, I was going to give a stellar performance.
The pub was just down the lane: an old, cozy place with low ceilings and wooden beams overhead. Jax took my hand as we headed towards the back room, where Declan and the cast were already throwing back shots of tequila. Morgan ran over, two full shot glasses in her hand, and shoved one at me.
“Come on,” she said. “You’ve got to catch up.” She looped her arm through mine and gave Jax a wink. “Sorry, mate,” she told him. “You get her all night. She’s mine for the evening.”
My entire body got hot at the idea of Jax having me all night, but I managed to smile at him and give him a little wave before I was pulled off towards the pool table.
“Do you play?” Morgan asked. “Because none of these wankers want to play with me.”
“That’s because you’re a pool shark,” Declan laughed. “Don’t let her talk you into betting any money,” he told me, with a warning look.
“I am not a pool shark,” Morgan retorted. “It’s not my fault that you’re so bad that you can’t even beat an amateur.”
Declan rolled his eyes and waved her off.
“Come on.” Morgan thrust a cue into my hands. “Let’s play.”
“But I really don’t know how,” I told her.
“Don’t worry about it.” She tossed back a shot and gestured for me to do the same.
The tequila burned but I took a sip. Emmy was right. I needed to have fun.
“We’ll learn together,” Morgan said, gesturing for another round of shots. “Besides, guys love to watch girls bending over a pool table. I am so going to get laid tonight.” She winked.