Smitten

by Brooks, Gemma

  Anytime things weren’t perfect or something came along to rock our beautiful little world together, I’d start an argument. I’d make an accusation. I’d believe the lies printed in the tabloids and think about throwing in the towel on Hudson.

  “I’m such a fucking asshole,” I said out loud in the car. I needed to hear it with my own ears. “I’m such a fucking asshole.”

  I’d just ruined the best thing that had ever happened to me.

  As I drove back to Alec’s in Hudson’s car, wearing clothes Hudson had bought and paid for, and clutching the cell phone Hudson had given me, I thought about my mom sitting there in that treatment center. I had no idea how much it was costing him to keep her there, but I couldn’t expect him to keep paying for it. Not after what I’d done and not if we weren’t together anymore. He’d given me so much. I wasn’t going to keep taking from him. I wasn’t that kind of person.

  But how was I going to pay for her treatment? She needed at least another month there, maybe longer.

  I pulled up to the stoplight outside of Alec’s condo and something caught my eye. It was the glimmer of my yellow diamond ring, sparkling in the late morning sun.

  ***

  I didn’t want to sell it, but it wasn’t going to do any good sitting in a box, shoved in a drawer somewhere. I had no idea how much it was worth. If I could just sell it and get enough money to pay for the rest of my mom’s treatment, I could save up to pay Hudson back for the ring. I knew he’d understand. And it was going to be a lot easier than asking him to straight up pay for her treatment after the falling out we’d just had.

  It was the only thing that made sense, and it was going to be win-win for everyone.

  The box had the name Lorraine something on it. Lorraine Schultz? Lorraine Smith? No, it was Lorraine Schwartz! That was the name of the jeweler. I typed it into my navigation system and headed there immediately.

  The only thing I was thinking about was getting that money so my mom could stay at Paradiso. I wasn’t thinking about how my hair was sticking up like a crazy person or about how I hadn’t brushed my teeth yet that morning or how my eyeliner was smudged below my eyes.

  In yesterday’s clothes, I marched straight into the jewelry store and up to a sales associate in a navy sport coat with slicked back silver hair. He glanced at me and then did a double take. I was sure to him I looked like a homeless person.

  “I need to return something,” I said as I slid the canary band off my finger and clinked it down on the glass counter.

  He picked it up, looked at it, and then looked at me.

  “This is definitely one of ours,” he said with a sigh, as if he were sad to see it returned. “Are you not happy with this piece?”

  “No, it’s not that,” I said staring longingly at it. It was a gorgeous piece, but it didn’t mean anything anymore. “I got it from a boyfriend. We broke up.”

  “I see,” he said. He didn’t quite believe me. “Let me look up the sale in the system. What was his name?”

  “Hudson Smith,” I mumbled. Keeping my voice down was the best way not to cause a scene. My humble appearance had already caused a scene of its own. I didn’t need another one.

  “I’ll be right back,” the salesman said as he trotted off with the ring and went to a back room.

  As I waited, I glanced around the store. Sparkling baubles under clear glass displays, highly attractive staff, and subtle, elegant music that mewed lightly from the speakers created the perfect storm of simplistic sophistication. This place oozed money and status, and I didn’t belong in there. Not anymore.

  The salesman came back after several long minutes with a pained look on his face. If I could just get a few thousand out of it, I’d have been happy. I had no idea how much anything in that store was, but a few thousand would buy my mom a little more time in the treatment facility.

  “I don’t know if you’re familiar with our return policy,” he began as he handed me a piece of paper with Hudson’s signature. It was the original sales receipt. “We have an 80% restocking and return fee.”

  My eyes scanned the document for a number, and when I finally saw it, it was all I could do not to pass out. Hudson had spent $50,000 on my ring. Some quick math told me I’d be walking out of there with $40,000.

  “So that will be forty thousand going back on the Amex,” the salesman said as he began clicking around on the computer in front of him.

  “Oh,” I said. I hadn’t even thought about him putting it on his credit card. I supposed that was how big purchases were made. I had no idea. I’d never made any big purchases before.

  “Is…there a problem, ma’am?” he asked. I was certain he was trying to catch me in some sort of lie. Maybe he was assuming it was stolen. The way he looked at me with his incredulous, steel blue eyes made me want to get the hell out of there.

  I couldn’t take another second of being stared at. And it wasn’t just him. It was the entire store. Other patrons. Staff. I was clearly out of place.

  By the time I made it to my car, I realized I’d left the ring in the store. I thought about going back in there to retrieve it, but I didn’t have the guts to show my face again after I’d just run out of there like some lunatic. I wanted to forget the whole thing even happened.

  ***

  “Where’s your stuff?” Alec asked as I walked into his condo empty handed.

  “Couldn’t get in. Hudson changed the code on the gate,” I said.

  “Really?” Alec scrunched his nose. “That doesn’t seem very Hudson-like.”

  I shrugged. “No comment.”

  As we stood in the entry way, I noticed he was all dressed up, messenger bag flung over his shoulder and keys in hand.

  “Where are you going?” I asked.

  “It’s Tuesday,” he said. “Work.”

  “Who are you styling today?” I asked as I plopped down on his couch and made myself comfortable.

  “Mia Sterling,” he said, stifling a huge smile. “She’s amazing. I love her. You’ll love her. You’re coming with.”

  “No, not today,” I said as I nuzzled my head into a throw pillow.

  Mia Sterling was an actress who never seemed to snag any leading roles. Her signature round face and infectious smile always seemed to land her supporting actress roles or best friend parts. She was a great actress though and seemed super nice on T.V. But then again, so did Ava. They were all a bunch of phonies as far as I was concerned.

  “As my assistant, you don’t get a choice,” he said. He placed on hand on his hip. “As your boss, I’m telling you you’re going.”

  “I don’t have anything to wear, Alec. You’re forgetting that.”

  “Look who you’re talking to. I’ve got a whole closet full of women’s clothes. Most on loan so don’t you dare spill anything on them. But I’m sure we can find you something,” he said. “Go. Shower. Get dressed. I’m going to load the car. I’m giving you thirty minutes. Don’t wash your hair. You don’t have time.”

  I wasted no time in getting my ass to the shower. I helped myself to Alec’s amazing assortment of high end products that could easily rival Hudson’s, and showered in a flash. I ransacked the closet in his guest room and found a pair of jeans to squeeze myself into and a plain, fitted t-shirt. After readjusting my top knot and finger-brushing my teeth, I was as ready as I was going to be.

  “This good enough?” I asked Alec after emerging from the bathroom.

  His discerning eyes looked me up and down before he glanced at his watch.

  “We’re running late,” he said. In other words, he thought I looked like shit.

  We drove through crazy, congested traffic towards the outskirts of Los Angeles and eventually ended up in a gated community in Calabasas. We pulled up to a home that was probably one of the more modest ones in the neighborhood, but it still held its own.

  “So here we are,” Alec said. He seemed nervous, which was odd because he never got nervous. “I’m not used to having an assistant. I usual
ly do everything on my own. I’m sort of a control freak that way.”

  “I know.” I rolled my eyes. It amazed me that for as long as he’d been in the business, he never had an assistant, but it was starting to make sense. His business was his baby, and for some crazy reason he was trusting me with it. “I won’t embarrass you. I promise.”

  “It’s not that,” he said.

  “Yeah, it is,” I laughed. “You can be honest.”

  “Okay, fine,” he said. “Just don’t act all starstruck.”

  “You’re funny. Let’s go.”

  We climbed out of his car and began unloading his trunk. As he assembled the garment rack, I hung everything up and grabbed containers of accessories and jewelry.

  “Basically you’re just here to be my second set of hands,” he said as we headed toward the front door. “You don’t have to talk or give opinions or anything like that.”

  He was so nervous, it was cute. I would never jeopardize his reputation, and I’d gladly keep my opinions to myself. I still didn’t know the first thing about style or fashion. He’d forgotten, he was the one who styled me. Of course he liked my style. He gave it to me.

  “Hello, hello!” a happy voice greeted us as the front door swung open. Standing with open arms and her signature infectious smile was the gregarious and stunning Mia Sterling. “You’ll have to forgive me. I’ve got a hot date tonight.”

  She patted the huge curlers that covered her head of lush, raven hair.

  “A hot date?” Alec asked. “And who might that be?”

  “No one you’d know,” she laughed as she swatted his arm. “Nosy Rosy here.”

  I smiled. I was mesmerized by her. She was so fresh-faced, happy, and normal. God was she normal. And nice. I was staring. I was going to embarrass Alec.

  “This is my new assistant, Brynn,” Alec said.

  “Hi, Brynn. I’m Mia,” she said with a gracious smile as she extended her right hand.

  “Nice to meet you,” I said. She had the softest hands in the entire world.

  “Shall we?” she asked as she spun on her bare heel. She was in jeans and a simple t-shirt. She was already speaking my language.

  “Do you guys want anything to drink? Soda? Water? Wine?” she offered. She was so sweet.

  “We’re good, doll,” Alec said to her. “We’re just going to get your measurements today and have you try on a few things. We won’t take up too much of your time.”

  Mia looked at her watch. “Eh, my date’s not for another few hours. Take your time.”

  Mia lacked an heir of self-importance, which I loved about her. With every sentence she spoke, I was becoming more and more in awe of her. She was a true anomaly.

  “Brynn, tape measure,” Alec said as he pointed to one of the containers I’d carried in.

  As we stood in Mia’s dressing room, I tried hard not to stare too much. There were so many pretty things hanging from the hangers and posy-peach velvet seating and a sparkly, crystal chandelier hanging from the extra tall ceiling. She had an entire wall of floor to ceiling shoes and another wall with nothing but purses and bags. For someone with all this, she was incredibly down to earth.

  “So tell me about this hot date,” Alec said to Mia.

  “It’s nobody you’d know,” she said again. “Trust me.”

  “What’s his name?” Alec pried.

  An infectious smile spread across her mouth as she thought about this guy.

  “Well, it’s our third date tonight,” she said.

  “So that means you have to sleep with him,” Alec quipped.

  She buried her face in her hands.

  “You already slept with him!” Alec said. “Naughty girl.”

  “He’s really nice,” she said. She practically had stars in her eyes. “His name is Harrison. He’s in law school at UCLA. I met him out one night. He’s just a nice, normal guy.”

  “Aw, how sweet,” Alec said. “Is he hot?”

  “Oh, God, yes,” she replied, her eyes nearly fogging over. “Almost too good looking. But I don’t think he knows it. And that’s a good thing.”

  Mia was like the female version of Hudson, and I was starting to finally realize what Hudson had seen in me all along. I was a break from the usual. I was a nice, normal girl. That’s all he wanted.

  Alec shot me a knowing look. He knew exactly what I was thinking.

  “Brynn here is from Iowa,” Alec said, changing the subject.

  “Iowa? Really? I’m from Nebraska,” she said. “Grew up in Omaha.”

  “Small world,” I said.

  “I knew you seemed like you weren’t from around here,” she said, immediately realizing that she may have come off the wrong way. “I didn’t mean it like that. What I mean is it’s a good thing. It’s okay to be different out here. It’s okay to be yourself.”

  Says the girl living in the mansion and glossing the covers of magazines, I thought. Still, she was sweet. I couldn’t help but like her.

  Alec shot me a look and mouthed the words “love her” all excitedly behind her back. He was right. I did love her.

  “Why do you look so familiar though?” Mia asked as she squinted her eyes at me and pursed her lips. “I feel like I’ve seen you around.”

  My cheeks reddened.

  “I used to date Hudson Smith,” I said. “I’ve been in a few tabloids lately.”

  “Ah,” she said. “That must be it. You know, I really hate those things but they draw me in every time. I knew every word printed in them are pure bullshit, but I still read them anyway. I think of it as fiction. Purely for entertainment.”

  “That’s a good way look at it,” I replied. For once I didn’t feel guilty about my little tabloid infatuation. It was fun and entertaining, at least when I wasn’t the subject of one of their snarky articles.

  “Didn’t he just break up with Ava Fox?” Mia asked. “Not too long ago, right?”

  Alec made a face as if Mia had spoken of the devil and she had.

  “What?” Mia said, confused, as she looked at Alec.

  “I’ll let her tell you about that one,” Alec said. He shook his head. He didn’t want to get involved, I’m sure for professional reasons.

  “What? You have to tell me,” Mia said. She turned to me with the kind of riveted smile I used to see on Piper when I was about to tell her something really salacious. And then she said the sweetest words I’d heard all day. “I can’t stand Ava.”

  To have gone through the things I’d gone through with Ava and then to meet someone else who shared my sentiment was nothing short of miraculous. It’s like it was meant to be, me meeting Mia.

  “She’s made my life hell these last few weeks,” I said. “She broke into Hudson’s house. She and her friends confronted me at a boutique. She sold fake stories about me to the tabloids.”

  Mia placed her hand on her chest and let out a hearty laugh. “Well she hasn’t changed a bit!”

  “What are you talking about?” I asked.

  “She’s the craziest person I think I’ve ever met,” Mia said, her ocean blue eyes wide and serious. “Girl, I can tell you some stories…”

  “How do you know her?” I asked.

  “We used to go up for the same parts,” she said. “A long time ago, when we were first getting into acting. She would always get the parts. Probably because she was crazy enough to do…which was literally anything and everything if you catch my drift.”

  Mia was too polite to go into details, but I could only imagine. I’d only met Ava a handful of times, but I’d witnessed enough to know she was willing to do whatever it took to get what she wanted.

  “We were friends for a while,” Mia added. “A very short while.”

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “She stole my boyfriend,” Mia sighed. “In retrospect it was a good thing. He was an ass. And I think he ended up cheating on her too. What goes around comes around.”

  Alec stood patiently behind Mia with his tape measure in hand
.

  “I’m sorry,” Mia said. “We totally got side tracked.”

  Alec whipped his tape measure out and Mia stood up.

  “Brynn, write these down for me,” he said as he began spouting out Mia’s dimensions. I’d forgotten for a second that I was there to do work.

  As Mia tried on garment after garment and laughed and joked and flitted about like some giggly girlfriend, I was enchanted. In another world, we’d have been best friends.

  “Thanks so much, Alec,” Mia said as she simultaneously walked us to the front door and pulled the giant Velcro curlers from her hair. Each released section bounced perfectly, resting on her lithe shoulders. “Brynn, it was so nice meeting you. I’d love to get together sometime and hang out. Maybe we can reminisce about home? Or talk about how much we can’t stand Ava. Whatever you want.”

  She flashed her infectious smile once again, and I couldn’t help but return it. “I’d love to. Alec has my number if you ever want to get a hold of me.”

  “Sounds great,” she said before waving us off and shutting the door.

  “Oh, my God,” I said to Alec when we got back to the car. “I love her. I’m in love with her. Isn’t she the greatest thing ever?”

  “Yeah, you haven’t stopped smiling for the past hour,” he said. “I knew you’d like her, but sheesh. Didn’t know you’d be that smitten.”

  “I’m a smitten kitten,” I joked. “But in a total girl crush, friend kind of way.”

  Alec winked at me. “Mm, hm.”

  In the car on the way to his condo, Alec’s phone buzzed.

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  “It’s Mia,” he said. “She just texted me and told me to give you her number. She wants to do coffee sometime.”

  “Are you serious?!”

  “Uh, yeah,” he said as he playfully rolled his eyes and handed me his phone.

  “That was fast,” I said. “She must be smitten with me too.”

  I pulled my phone out to start putting her number in, but the last thing I expected was to see that I had a missed call from Hudson. And a voicemail. I promptly added Mia to my contact list then shoved the phone back into my purse.