by Lily Zante
“Your dress is pretty.”
“Thanks.”
I glance casually around the room, tracking a server who is nearby, and that’s when I see him.
Callum Sandersby, with my brother.
My heart lurches,
“What’s he doing here?” I’m annoyed to see him, even though my chest feels light and fluttery. Why does he seem to be everywhere I go?
“Eli invited him.”
They are both surrounded by a group of women. Elias has begrudgingly gotten used to the attention of his female fans, and he has plenty of them. I imagine someone like Callum thrives on that type of adulation. That’s exactly the type of thing I expect from someone like him and the sight of it makes me sick.
I stare at Harper, and I smell something. “Did you have something to do with this?” I remember that she was adamant that I came, even though I told her that I wasn’t in the mood.
“Me?” she asks, smoothing back her hair, and her tone implying complete ignorance.
“Yes, you.” Elias wouldn’t care about Callum Sandersby being here. But Harper would. She refuses to meet my gaze and instead reaches for another drink. I have a sneaky suspicion that she’s playing matchmaker.
I can’t see Elias being too bothered about whether some actor guy comes to this event or not. I’ll venture a guess that Elias probably didn’t want to come tonight either, but he had to. I’ve met his promoter, he’s a big show-offy type. He and Callum would get on fine.
“Why do you hate Callum so much? He’s a nice guy.”
“As if you know.”
“The way you met, it’s so romantic,” says Harper, with a sigh.
I stare at her in disbelief. “He got mugged. I happened to walk by.”
“But still. You go and deliver his lunch every day.”
“He likes the food at Frankie’s,” I counter.
“He likes you.”
“Shhh.” I hiss, and put my finger to my lips. “Not so loud.”
“Why? Are you afraid he might hear me? The poor guy’s trying every trick in the book to get near you.”
“It’s not like that,” I insist.
I flex my jaw and reach for the first glass of champagne from the server’s tray. I take a big swig of it. I’m going to need it. I wasn’t expecting to see Callum Sandersby tonight of all nights, and it’s only been a few days since that episode with Rhys. I’ve not been in a good place lately.
I wish people would leave me alone. It’s bad enough Frankie worrying about me, and Joni trying to fix me up with Scott.
“Come over and say ‘hi’,” Harper grabs me by my wrist, making me wince. I manage to stop myself from crying out. I cut deeper than I intended, and it still bleeds a little.
“What’s wrong?” Harper asks, catching me in pain.
“Period pain,” I lie.
“I have some tablets if you want.”
I shake my head. “I’d rather not take anything.”
“Come on.” I dutifully follow her before she grabs my wrist again.
Callum is by himself now, though still surrounded by a harem of women. Elias has disappeared. I won’t be surprised if he goes home at the first chance. He doesn’t care for such events, and his focus is on the fight. It’s been billed as a huge event. Posters are going up everywhere in Chicago, only because Elias is from here. The fight will be in New York, at The Garden like last time. Harper keeps asking me if I’ll come with them to New York to watch it, but I keep turning her down.
“Where did Elias go?” I ask Harper, as she waits for Callum’s harem to finish taking pictures. He’s having a photo taken with a woman who’s squashed up so close against him that they could almost be Siamese twins. Then he sees us and his eyes flit from Harper to me before settling on me. His smile widens. I expect him to look at Harper again, but he doesn’t. He excuses himself from everyone and walks over to us. “Hey.”
“I didn’t expect to see you here,” I say stiffly.
“And it’s nice to see you, too,” he tosses back, casually. He’s grinning again, brightening up the room with that mega-watt Hollywood smile. When he and Harper exchange looks, I suddenly don’t trust them. I think back to the phonecall the other day.
“Did you give him my number?” I ask her.
“Uh...no, she didn’t,” Callum interjects.
“What are you talking about?” Harper wants to know.
“I called Nina to ask if she was going to be here tonight, but she didn’t pick up,” Callum explains.
“I was busy,” I answer.
He turns to me. “Would have been nice to get a text at least.”
“You didn’t leave much of a message.”
He smiles and his tasteless grin irritates the heck out of me. “My mistake. I’ll make sure I leave a longer one next time.”
Harper excuses herself and leaves me with Callum.
“Why didn’t you call back?” he asks.
“I was busy.” Cutting myself.
“You’re here now. I’m pleased you are,” he tells me, as if it somehow matters to me.
“Why?”
He angles his head, as if he’s unsure what I’m asking.
Knowing what I heard him say to Dottie, I decide to have some fun. “Why is someone like you trying so hard to be with someone like me?”
“What do you mean by ‘someone like you?’”
I’m won’t dignify that with a reply. He wants me to shower him with compliments, and I’m not going to. He’s a Hollywood star, and I’m … no one. I know what I see when I look in the mirror. I know how ugly I am inside, how tainted and messed up I am, but he doesn’t need to know of the things which keep me up at night.
“You don’t need to pretend to be nice to me anymore. I see you’ve gotten what you wanted.”
He laughs uncomfortably. “Who’s pretending? I’m happy to see you here tonight.”
“Why are you here? Don’t you have some scenes to shoot?”
“I’ve finished for the day. We don’t shoot all day and night.”
“Don’t you have lines to learn?”
He cocks his head at my frostiness. “Don’t you have an assignment to hand in?”
“I’ve finished it.”
“At work? Like last time?”
“Frankie doesn’t mind. She knows I come in early and cover when anyone’s off sick. So I get to finish my assignments at the diner. So what?”
“Next time you’re doing that, give me a call. I’ll sit by you and keep you company while you do.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Don’t you find this fun? This constant love-hate thing we’ve got going on.” He gives me another one of his grins. “You like ripping into me, with your clever little digs, and your subtle little put downs.”
“They were never meant to be subtle.”
“What’s wrong? Why are you like this?” he asks. He’s noticed that I’m not friendly, and yet it doesn’t stop him. It doesn’t stop Rhys either, but that guy creeps me out. He and Callum are different. I finish my champagne and swap my glass for another one when a server goes by. A sip of champagne makes me brave. “At least now you don’t have to fake interest in me to get to Elias.”
He looks genuinely surprised, then wipes his hand across his chin. “How could you say such a thing?”
“Because I overheard you saying it to your assistant.”
His mouth falls open. It looks like his cheeks are burning, because I’ve never seen his face turn so red so fast. I enjoy watching him squirm. Does he feel guilty, or is he that good of an actor? Is someone like Callum even capable of feeling guilty, or does he move on from one conquest to the next? He stares at me in silence and I can almost hear his brain ticking, trying to work out when this happened. I decide not to put him out of his misery yet, and I continue watching his face, and seeing him squirm in discomfort. “Overheard what? When?”
“You really don’t remember?”
He peers at me, and h
is beautiful green eyes narrow to raisin size. It’s so satisfying, watching his discomfort. “You said you were only getting me to deliver your lunch to you because I’m Elias’s sister.”
“You heard that?”
“Loud and clear.”
“No wonder you’re so aggressive tonight. I don’t blame you for hating me.”
“I don’t hate you Callum. I’m just not interested in you the way you thought I’d be. I’m not like most of the women you meet.”
“I can see that, and please believe me when I say I didn’t mean it, what I said to Dottie.”
I shrug. I know what I heard and he can make out like the didn’t say it or mean it. No amount of him trying to back peddle his way out of this is going to make me think I heard wrong. I’m done with this conversation
“I said it to deflect her attention. I had to cover up the real reason.”
“And what’s the real reason? Spin me another lie.”
“Nina…” He lets out a sound deep in his throat; the sound of defeat, of someone getting caught red-handed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“You didn’t mean to get caught, is what you really mean.” I shrug. “You don’t have to try to worm your way out of this situation. I don’t care what you think of me, Callum. I’ve seen you for who you really are. And my suspicions were spot on from the beginning.”
“Okay,” he lifts his hands as if to signal surrender. “I admit, in the beginning, yes. Wanting to get to know Elias might have been my motive for pursuing you.”
I knew it. I take a huge sip of champagne. The bubbles dance down my throat.
As he starts to say something, the promoter takes the mic and addresses the guests. He cracks jokes and thanks everyone for coming, then he talks about Elias and the fight. He calls Elias over, and my brother goes up to him. There’s a back and forth between them, and someone from the crowd asks a question. It’s all light hearted stuff.
We watch, and listen, and I look around and see that everyone is completely wrapped up in what Elias has to say. I’m so proud of him. I’m so happy for him, and I’m glad I came here tonight.
“Come outside,” Callum whispers in my ear. “We need to talk.” I flinch, but not before I get the subtlest hint of his aftershave. It’s zingy and fresh, and it startles me. I pull back, and stare at him. I don’t want to be mesmerised by Callum Sandersby, but against my better judgment, I am.
“I’ve got nothing to say to you.”
I don’t want to go anywhere with him. I don’t want to be someplace where it’s me and him. I don’t want to give him the chance to explain himself, or say something to make himself feel better.
I don’t want him to feel better.
“I need to explain. Can we go outside and talk, please?” There is a hint of pleading in his voice. Another woman comes up and asks for his autograph, and then some more photos.
I stand back and watch. “Please,” he says again, when the woman leaves. “I don’t bite, Nina.”
Can this really be happening to me, that one of the biggest movie stars in the world wants me to come outside with him?
News about the janitor and what he did to Elias broke me. I have spent the past few months trying to build myself back up again, and I was almost there. I managed to keep guys at bay, guys like Rhys the creep, and nice-but-boring Scott. Then along comes Callum Sandersby, the man with a smile that could melt the clothes off a woman. He takes an interest in me. Despite my gut instinct, I sometimes allowed myself to believe that his interest might be real. Until I heard him say it, loud and clear. What am I even doing talking to him, allowing him to follow me around?
I don’t want to give him that chance. He hurt me, and I can’t forget it. I need to get better again. I need to build myself back up again, and this man is only going to get in the way.
I don’t need Callum to take me someplace quiet so that he can entice me into believing that he didn’t say what he meant. He meant it, he didn’t intend for me to overhear him.
I shake my head and walk away silently, heading towards the front of the stage, next to Harper who’s standing there looking up at Elias with her face full of pride.
Chapter Twenty-Four
CALLUM
* * *
I had no idea she heard me say that.
I watch her walk away, while some woman hands me a pen and a notepad and asks me to sign it. Her husband, or boyfriend or whatever, gets ready to take a selfie of her with me. I find that odd. I smile and make meaningless small talk but my mind is on Nina. I hate that she heard me say what I did to Dottie.
She wants to know why someone like me would be interested in someone like her. I can’t give her an answer because I don’t know myself. I did start out using her, thinking that she was my ticket to Elias, but something happened along the way.
Now I see her talking to a couple of guys who I vaguely remember from Elias’s gym. I watch her laugh and talk to them and I don’t like it.
“Why don’t you go and talk to her?”
Harper’s standing next to me with a glass of champagne in her hand. Before I can say anything else, she says, “Nina’s quite shy, even if she gives off the vibe that she’s feisty.”
I see it all so clearly now, Harper working behind the scenes to get us together.
“Do one of those guys like her?”
“Jake and Santos?” Harper laughs, as if the idea is a crazy one. “They’re Eli’s sparring guys from the gym. They’d be too scared to start anything with Nina.”
I take heed of her warning. Having Elias Cardoza as an enemy is the last thing I need. “I’ve noticed he can be quite protective of Nina.”
“He’s always been like that ever since I’ve known him, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go and talk to her. Jake and Santos are more like her brothers. You’re not.”
I continue to watch Nina while I try to work things out. This isn’t right. This isn’t how things go for me. I don’t have to work this hard to get someone’s attention. “Where’s she going now?” The three of them leave the room and slip out through a side door.
“They’re going outside. Come on. I’ll show you.”
I follow Harper, and soon we are outside the hall. There’s a man-made garden area at the back, and a few people are milling around. Nina and the two guys are sitting over on a bench. One of the guys stands up and starts to smoke.
“You’re going over to them?” I hiss, when Harper starts heading their way.
“Are you planning to shout to her from here?” I don’t miss the eye roll Nina gives us as soon as she sees us approaching.
“You left Eli all alone in there?” one of the guy’s asks.
“He can take care of himself.” Harper introduces me to Jake and Santos. They start asking me all sorts of questions, about the film, about Hollywood, about some actresses. I answer, but even though I avoid looking in Nina’s direction, I can sense she’s mad at me for coming out here.
“It’s ‘Legend’ something or other, right?” one of the guys asks.
“The film? It’s ‘Death of a Legend’.” I can’t remember if it’s Jake or Santos, because most of my concentration is on Nina. At the same time, I find myself in a position that is completely new to me. How is it that I feel like a gangly teen, instead of the self-assured and confident guy I usually am around people. Wanting to impress, I make a suggestion. “I can hit you guys up with tickets to the premiere if you want.”
“You’d do that?” Harper asks, beating Jake and Santos to it.
“Sure. It will be in LA.” I can do that, for sure.
“Red carpet and everything?” Harper seems the most excited, while the guys barely make a comment. Nina is too engrossed in her cell phone and makes it clear that she’s not impressed or interested.
“The whole enchilada.”
“Cool, thanks, man,” one of the guys says.
“Let me know how many you need.” I make it a point to stare at Nina.
; “Thanks.” Harper squeezes my arm. “Oh, shoot. Eli wanted me to send some tickets for the fight to some guys who crashed into him a few days ago.”
One of the guys perks up. “I heard about that. It was in the limo, right? When he was going for an interview?”
“Did he tell you to send the tickets?” Harper asks.
The guys look at one another. “He didn’t ask me.”
“Or me.”
“Come on. Let’s go and get this sorted out now.” She beckons for the two of them to follow her.
Nina sips her drink, then gets up, ready to follow them.
“You’re going back inside already?” This cat-and-mouse game is seriously doing my head in.
“Why? Are you going to follow me back inside?”
“We never got to finishing off our conversation earlier. You left me with those women.”
“Your fans. They’re everywhere. It must be a nightmare living like that.”
“It is.”
“‘I’m sure you thrive on it.”
“I don’t. It’s just a by product of what I do. I can’t have my career and not the fame.” She sits back down, which surprises me because it seemed as if she was ready to bolt along with the other guys. I cannot for the love of god work this woman out.
Does she like me?
Does she hate me?
I want to believe that she likes me, but she’s fighting it real hard, almost as if she doesn’t trust herself. What she overheard doesn’t help either.
I want to level with her. I see Ben’s image flash before my mind, and I feel as if I can tell her the stuff I’ve kept from her. “You asked me once why I didn’t give up my wallet as soon as I got mugged.”
She throws me a what’s-that-got-to-do-with-anything look. “And?”
“Is that blood?” I ask, pointing to her wrist. Her champagne glass is lifted in the air, and she pulls her sleeve cuff down but I have already seen the trickle of blood that slid down.
“I cut myself in the kitchen. Those pesky potatoes,” she murmurs, pulling her cuff down even more.
“Nina,” I reach out to touch her, but she pulls her hand away, tucking it behind her back. In my mind I’m trying to figure out how she can cut that high up on her arm. Cutting potatoes? I don’t believe her.