by Lynn, Janice
Jessie opened the card, read the message about a sister’s love, and squalled. Squalled long and hard and until tears soaked her pillow and mascara ran down her face. Squalled until her sides hurt from her sobs.
Alone.
Alone.
Alone.
How was she going to do this when she hated to be alone?
* * *
Monday morning couldn’t come soon enough for Jessie and for once she arrived early for work. Just as an excuse to be with other people and out of her empty house.
Maybe she’d sell it and move into an apartment.
After all, the commute into L.A. ate up a lot of her time.
Time that she’d otherwise be in an empty house.
But if she moved into an apartment, maybe one shared with a few girls, then she wouldn’t be alone. Wouldn’t be tempted to find a man just for the company and to have someone to hold her.
At some point during the long, lonely night hours she’d decided that was her main fascination with Colin. He was a total hunk. She was constantly in contact with that total hunkness. Nature dictated that any healthy female would want to experience that hunkness. Healthy female was her middle name.
She knew herself well enough to know she’d never manage to hold out, remain true to her vow of not hooking up with a man just to keep from being alone if she didn’t get out of the house she’d grown up in. First with her parents and then with just her and Jilly. Too many ghosts that infringed upon her mind.
Jill had a new life. It was time Jessie did, too.
First with her career, which was looking brighter although not the one she dreamed of. Now with her home life.
She didn’t need a man. She needed a new house. One in the city, right in the middle of the hustle and bustle.
She’d start looking for a new apartment today.
She punched the elevator button and waited for it to arrive, hoping she didn’t have to take the lift alone. She glanced around the lobby and saw Southern Sweetness herself headed toward the elevator. What had been her name? Other than Petunia Peaches, that is.
“Hey, you,” she said, when she caught the brunette’s eye.
“Jessie Davidson,” the Redneck Rousers part stealing girl drawled out in her heavy Alabaman accent. “How the heck are you?”
“Good.” She wished it were true. “You?”
“Could be better. I walked on the raunchy Redneck Rousers part.” The girl made a totally disgusted look. “Let’s just say that I don’t want to start my acting career with no clothes on and my only lines being imitations of Sunday morning prayer service.”
Eww. Losing the part sounded like a good thing. She didn’t do porns.
“Good for you. On walking, not the crappy part in Redneck Rousers.”
“Yeah, but if something doesn’t give soon I’m going to be on a bus home with my righteous tail tucked between my legs.” She gave a rueful smile. “My rent is through the roof and, although I’ve done a few modeling jobs, it ain’t paying the bills now that my roommate has moved in with her boyfriend.”
The girl went on, but Jessie’s mind stuck at the roommate moving out part.
“Back up. Did you say you were looking for a roommate?”
“Sure, but the problem is that I’m so darn picky. I want a non-smoker and…” Again, she went on and Jessie stayed behind.
Southern Sweetness needed a roommate. Jessie needed to get out of her family home and move on with her life.
“What’s the address?” she interrupted.
“Huh?”
“Your apartment address.” Jessie wiggled excitedly. “Where is it?”
Confused, the girl named a decent apartment complex. Jessie knew the place. She’d dated a wannabe rock-and-roll star who lived there for a brief time.
“The rent?” Money wasn’t the problem it had once been thanks to the generous salary Wolf paid. For the first time in her life she had more money than desire for shoes. Kind of scary.
The girl mentioned a reasonable amount.
Jessie grabbed her hands and, grinning, jumped up and down. “I’ll take it.”
“Huh?”
“Me.” Okay, so ‘Bama girl hadn’t kept up with the conversation. “I’ll move in with you. I need something in the city. You need a flatmate. It’s the perfect arrangement.”
The girl stared, not speaking for a few seconds. “Do you smoke?”
“No.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Have any pets?”
“No.”
Southern Sweetness smiled. “Oh my gosh. I think you just saved my life. Now, if my business here goes as planned everything will be perfect, and I can make my half of the rent.”
Jessie dug in her purse and handed a card. “When you’re finished, come to the eleventh floor and ask for Beverly. Give her this, and she’ll find me. We’ll go for lunch and get me moved in.”
The girl glanced at the card. “Sure thing. Oh, and the name’s Tamara Harrison.” She grinned. “Just in case you’d forgotten.”
* * *
Colin’s Jessie alarm sounded the moment she stepped into the studio. He hadn’t seen her since Thursday morning when they’d shot two shows. She’d taken Friday off to spend the day with her sister beautifying themselves for her wedding.
All weekend he’d thought about her. Which was a pain. He didn’t have time to think about her. Nor did he have the inclination. She was a pain in his ass and the sooner his body caught on, the better.
Still, it was his mind that created the problem Saturday. He’d picked up the phone to call her a dozen times only to put the phone back down. She wouldn’t have been home. No, Jessie was the kind of girl who would be out partying on a Saturday night. Not to mention her sister’s early afternoon wedding. But if Jessie had been home, what would he have said if he called?
They had a working relationship. That was it. Not even a great working relationship. If he called, it would be saying he wanted more. He didn’t. All he wanted was to figure out a way to get his well-controlled life back.
For two years he’d kept his life neat and perfectly in order. Since Jessie Davidson entered his life nothing seemed to be going according to plan. She’d caused a commotion in his life, all right.
He didn’t like it.
He wanted his life back. To make that happen he had to get Jessie off his show and away from Wolf.
As long as she was around, he’d never have peace.
Jessie plopped down in the seat next to him.
“Hello, darling,” she cooed, shocking him with the endearment. Shocking him even more when she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “Miss me?”
Like hell.
Where had that thought come from? He had not missed her. He barely knew her. Didn’t want to know what he did. He wanted away from her. Far away.
“Not particularly.”
“Right.” She winked at him. “Oh, I have it on high authority that you shouldn’t frown because it causes premature aging—-which I suppose is better than premature other things.”
Colin stared and wondered if she’d gone prematurely insane. She’d kissed him. On the cheek, but she’d kissed him.
Which made things in his pants prematurely excited. He had no business being excited.
“You’re in a good mood.”
“It’s good to be back at work.” She gave him a saucy smile. “And I’m moving.”
“Moving?”
“Yes. I’m moving in with someone.”
His stomach plummeted and he hated that he had to know. But he had to know. “A man?”
He shouldn’t care. Had no business asking
“No, silly.” She patted his hand with the patience of an adult dealing with a half-wit. When she touched him, he felt half-witted. “Haven’t you heard the news? I don’t need a man in my life. I’m moving in with Tamara Harrison.”
Colin gave her a blank expression, the name holding no meaning to him.
“I lost a role in an almost porn
flick to her, and, honestly, I didn’t think I even liked her, but as fate would have it, I think we’re going to be the bestest of friends. Fate’s a funny thing like that.”
Colin blinked, not sure he followed Jessie’s conversation or logic. Perhaps his mind still stuck on one bit in particular. A bit that made his tongue thick and his head fuzzy. “You were in a porn?”
“An almost porn, and no, I lost the part to Tamara.”
“You new roommate was in a porn flick?”
“No, silly, weren’t you paying attention? She walked out on the part, because she didn’t know it was a porn role and, for that matter, neither did I when I auditioned. The original version was borderline, but apparently the remake is going the full monty.” She gave a disgusted shudder. “So, neither of us is Petunia Peaches.”
“Petunia Peaches?” Colin felt like he spun in some type of vortex. A Jessie vortex.
She wiggled her brows. “Makes you want to ask for cream, does it?”
She hadn’t just asked that.
She winked. Hell yeah, she had.
Cream, his ass.
Colin picked up his coffee mug and took a sip, grateful he drank the stuff black and full octane.
They recorded the show without any mishaps. Cheers went up when Jessie read her favorite Sex Tip of the Day email and reminded the audience to keep them coming. After their earlier conversation, Colin had to cough to cover the choking sound he made. Petunia Peaches indeed.
After the ritual mingling with the audience and signing autographs, they headed back stage to the set.
A pretty brunette bounced excitedly when she spotted Jessie. “Oh my gosh, you were fabulous.”
The girl’s accent was thicker than any he’d ever heard. Slower, too, but her eyes shined with bright intelligence.
“Thanks.” Jessie beamed. “Did you land the part?”
The girl shrugged. “You know how it is. They’ll let me know in a few days, weeks, months, or years.”
Jessie nodded in commiseration. “Isn’t it just the way?”
Colin watched the two women, deep in conversation, head off toward Jessie’s dressing room.
“You two fight?”
Colin didn’t look at J.P., just watched Jessie and the brunette. “Not any more than usual.”
“She pissed at you about something?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“Must be that she’s gotten over her fascination with you, then.” J.P. scratched his Einstein head, his hair sticking out in wild, white array. “Wonder what his name is.”
Colin jerked his head around. “His name? She’s dating someone?”
Of course she was. One of the things he’d immediately learned about Jessie was she never went without a man.
“Only time Jessie ignores a man is when he’s a has-been and she’s moved on to a new quarry.” He patted Colin’s back and gave a hardy laugh. “Welcome to the land of has-beens.”
Colin turned in time to see the two giggling women disappear into Jessie’s dressing room.
Has-been?
Hell, they’d never been. How could he be a has-been?
Chapter Seven
Moving in with Tamara equated to a stroke of pure brilliance. The tiny apartment didn’t offer many amenities, but it was clean, and Jessie had her own bedroom.
Plus, Tamara cooked. Loved cooking and was the casserole queen. Which was a plus and minus. Good in the sense of taste buds. Bad in the sense of expanding thighs.
Jessie hadn’t done anything with the house. She’d talk to Jill first since they owned it together, inherited from their parents.
For now, she’d simply moved her clothes, sweet-talked a couple of brawny Wolf employees to move her bedroom furniture and set it up in the new place. In exchange, Tamara cooked them a down-home meal of chicken and dumplings, green beans, fried potatoes, and peach cobbler. The men thought they were in heaven.
Jessie swore she’d do an extra thirty minutes of cardio in the mornings. Otherwise, her rocking new wardrobe wouldn’t fit for long. Now that she wasn’t spending over an hour on the road commuting each way, she’d have time for more exercise. Maybe she could join a local spa. Or use the Wolf employee facility.
Early the next day, Jessie auditioned for the lead in a romantic comedy. She didn’t have high hopes as she’d gotten the old, “We’ll call you.” But she vowed to herself that she was going to start auditioning on a regular basis. She’d find her dream, grab hold, and not let go.
Later at Wolf, J.P. fell into step with her. “You’re looking mighty chipper.”
“I am.”
“Any particular reason?”
“I auditioned for a part.”
He frowned. “You know how I feel about that.”
Jessie stopped, looked at him. “Yes, but from the beginning you’ve known that’s my dream. To star in films. I’ve just been a bit lax on going after that dream the past couple of months.”
“Colin have anything to do with this sudden need to audition again?”
“He’s my co-host. Nothing more.”
“That’s good to hear. Wouldn’t want anything to interfere with the show.”
“Of course not. The show must go on.”
“Wish you’d reconsider these auditions. What are you going to do when you get picked for a part? You’re too talented for it not to eventually happen.”
“Well, it’s not happened yet.”
“Are you sure that’s what you want?”
“Positive.” They arrived at the studio. Jessie glanced at Colin’s seat. Empty.
For once she’d beaten him to the studio. Which was a bit odd. She couldn’t recall ever having done so in the past.
J.P. chatted with her while she sat down and fiddled with her microphone. “Testing.”
The sound check man, she never could recall what his technical name was, shook his head. “I’m not getting anything.”
She wiggled the piece. She’d never had to do this. Colin always had it taken care of by the time she arrived. Where was he? “Anything?”
“Nothing.”
She bent to look at where several wires were plugged into the floor. Maybe one of them worked itself loose.
She pushed one, then another into the unit, making sure of a snug fit. A jolt of electricity knocked her back. Way back.
Her life flashed before her in blindingly bright colors.
“Oh!” She jumped, wondering if her hair stood on ends or if smoke shot from her ears. Possibly both.
“Jessie? Are you okay?” Colin must have entered the studio while she’d been checking the plugs because he ran to her side, placed his hand on her wrist above her pulse.
Other than the racing of her heart, she felt fine.
Colin’s touch resonated through her like a striking repeat of the zapping current.
“Jessie?” J.P. shook her shoulders.
“Fine.” How had she gotten electrocuted with all the techies running around this place?
“What happened?” Colin demanded, his voice almost unrecognizable. Perhaps her ears were fried.
“My mic wasn’t working so I checked the connections.”
“And?”
“I got shocked.” Why did he sound mad? She’d been shocked, not him.
“You touched metal?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Then how did you get shocked?” His face was stern, red. Angry.
“Excuse me, Mr. Electrician, but I don’t know. I wiggled those connections and zap! It got me.” She eyed him curiously. “Where were you, anyway?”
“I ran late.”
“Apparently.” Shrugging free of his hold, she put her hands on her hips. “You picked a mighty fine time to run late and leave the checks to me, dude.”
J.P. glanced back and forth between them. “Do I need to call for an ambulance?”
“Only if Colin doesn’t quit jumping down my throat.” Jessie glared. “Hello, you’d think a girl could get a little sym
pathy for having just gotten barbecued.”
Colin shook his head, silently eyeing Jessie. He’d almost had a heart attack when he saw her jerk back. Instinctively he’d known what must have happened. He didn’t remember crossing the room. Didn’t remember anything except laying his hand on her to be sure she breathed. That her heart beat strong within her chest.
“Good.” J.P. turned to two techies and instructed them to check out the electrical wiring and to make sure this never happened again.
Colin watched their every move while they did a complete check on the electrical board. His own heart thudded with a tenacity that suggested he’d been the one electrocuted. He might buy an argument that he had. When he’d placed his fingertips over Jessie’s pulse. Something powerful sure moved through him. Something hot and dangerous.
“Frayed wire,” one of them said, pointing to a rough spot on one of the cords.
Needing to clear his mind of his irrational thoughts of Jessie, Colin stooped to inspect the wire. “It’s been tampered with.”