Accidental Surprises

by Tia Wylder

  One of the men nodded, and I took that to mean I should begin.

  “Carter, you can’t talk to me like that,” I said passionately. After a brief glance at the audition sides in my hand, I realized that I was supposed to cry. The men at the table were staring at me like I’d suddenly grown another head, and I knew right then and there that unless I did something drastic, I’d never get the part. Think, Gianna, think! I ordered myself. Think of something sad!

  Stepping closer to the table, I clutched the audition sides to my chest and thought of the saddest thing I could think of: me, at home with my parents, aged forty-five, and single. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I sniffled, dropping down to my knees.

  “Oh, Carter,” I improvised. “I love you so much! How can you possibly think of leaving me for Jennifer?!” By now, I was wailing. I sobbed and cried, covering my face with my hands and spitting out every trite, lovelorn line I could think of.

  When I heard one of the men clapping, I looked up sharply. To my surprise, the men behind the table were standing and smiling.

  “I think we found our Marybeth,” one of them said. He grinned at me. “I’m Eric, the executive producer. Nice to meet you, what did you say your name was?”

  “Gianna,” I said, grinning widely and wiping the tears from my cheeks. “My name is Gianna.”

  --

  For the next two days, I waited on pins and needles to hear from the production crew of Heaven Cove. While Eric hadn’t given me anything in writing, I was sure that I’d landed the job. But after hours of silence, I wasn’t so sure. There had been a ton of girls behind me in line – what if one of them had somehow outdone my crazy performance?

  By the end of the week, I was a nervous wreck. I kept going to auditions, but none of them went half as well as Heaven Cove, and I was starting to think that I was a complete failure as an actress. I should just move back home and marry old Barnaby, I thought sadly to myself one rare rainy afternoon. My life is pretty much over.

  On Saturday morning, just as I was getting ready to go out for a run, the hotel phone rang. Flopping across my bed, I grabbed the receiver and held it up to my ear.

  “Hello, this is Gianna.”

  “Gianna, this is Eric, from Heaven Cove. Remember me?”

  “Oh my god, yes,” I said quickly. My heart began to thud in my chest, and I felt my face grow hot and tingly like it always did when I was excited about something.

  “Congratulations,” Eric said. His voice was more sarcastic than warm, but I didn’t care. “You’re our new Marybeth!”

  “Oh my god,” I repeated. Covering the receiver of the phone, I squealed loudly and kicked my legs into the air. “Thank you! Thank you so much!”

  Eric chuckled, and I got the sense he was used to be flattered by pretty girls. “Well, you’re the one who landed the part,” he replied. “Now Marybeth is a new character – she’s moving to Heaven Cove to live with her sister. There’s going to be a love triangle between Marybeth, her sister, and a mysterious old flame who keeps popping up.”

  I grinned. “Sounds great,” I said. “When do I start?”

  “We just hired a new writer, so we’re going to work with him for a week and then we can start shooting the following Monday,” Eric replied. “Does that work for you?”

  I pretended to consider it as if I had something else to do. “Yes,” I said. “That should be fine.”

  I could barely contain my excitement. When I hung up the phone, I leapt off the bed and danced around the room, waving my arms in the air and shaking my butt. I shrieked and screeched and hopped around like mad, twirling and spinning through the air until my lungs ached and my muscles were sore.

  Take that, Mom and Dad, I thought smugly as I looked out the window. I’m making something of myself after all…and without your help!

  The next week seemed to crawl by. After calling Diane and gushing about my new role as Marybeth on Heaven Cove, I got an email full of scripts from Eric. There weren’t too many lines in the first set, but I was really pleased to see that the second week gave me four big scenes in one show – that was a lot! I spent the weekend relaxing by the Crown Jewel outdoor spa and pool, reading my scripts and sipping fruity cocktails and feeling like a true Los Angeles superstar. Now that I had a job, I figured it was probably time for me to start looking for a more permanent home, but part of me liked the idea of living at a posh hotel. It seemed appropriate for a wealthy young starlet like myself.

  On Monday, I got up early and took a long shower. I took extra time blowing my hair dry and curling the ends, and I picked out a flattering black dress even though I knew costumes would put me in something else…probably something ridiculous that made me look fat, or frumpy, but I didn’t even care. The studio was bustling when I arrived, and it took me a moment to figure out where I was going. Before I had a chance to go into hair and makeup, Eric saw me and beckoned me over.

  “Gianna, I want you to meet some of our writers,” he said. He leaned in close and winked. I tried not to shudder – I was not about to become one of those girls who sleep with her producer.

  “You’re going to want to impress them,” he added in a low voice. “Because if they don’t like you, they won’t give you scenes. So, it’s very important for you to get along.”

  I nodded nervously and flashed a big, bright smile. “I’m sure everything will be fine,” I said. Eric gave a wolfish smile, and again, I felt an unpleasant chill down my spine. As much as I wanted to believe I’d gotten this job based on my acting talent, I was starting to wonder if it wasn’t just because Eric wanted to sleep with me.

  Eric took my elbow and guided me into a small room with bright florescent lights and two long tables. When I saw who was sitting at the head of the table, my jaw dropped, and I gasped.

  “What is it?” Eric asked. He frowned. “Is something the matter?”

  “No,” I lied. “I’m fine.”

  “Good,” Eric said. “This is Barnes, our head writer – he’s a new hire, but I think his voice and style are a great fit for this show. He’s going to try his hand at directing, too. I think he’s got a great talent.”

  At the sound of Barnes’s name, his head snapped up. When he saw me, his smile faded and his cheeks went pale. After a second or two, he grinned and winked at me.

  I flushed hotly.

  “We’ve met,” I said curtly, holding out my hand for Barnes to shake.

  “I didn’t get your last name,” Barnes said. He smirked at me, and I felt the faint stirring of desire in my lower belly.

  “It’s DiFaba,” I said, licking my lips. “Gianna DiFaba.”

  Barnes gave me a crooked smile that made me want to throw myself into his arms and kiss him.

  “Pleased,” Barnes said. “To see you again, that is.” When Eric wasn’t looking, Barnes leaned in and winked at me. “You look great,” he whispered. “Can I see you again?”

  I smiled coyly. “Maybe,” I said. “I might like that.”

  When Barnes was looking at me, I felt like we were the only two people left in the world. It was crazy – just standing with him in the bright writer’s room was almost as intimate as making love in my bed had been.

  “Well, Gianna, it’s time to get you into hair and makeup,” Eric said. He narrowed his eyes at me, and I nodded.

  “Yes,” I said. “Nice meeting you again, Barnes.”

  As Eric led me down a long hallway, he gave me a curious look. “How did you meet Barnes? I thought you said you were new here. Barnes hasn’t been in town long, either – my buddy tells me he recently moved here from Boston.”

  “Oh, we just had a few drinks together,” I lied. “He’s a nice guy. I’m glad he’s a good writer.”

  Eric nodded, but he still looked troubled. I wondered if he was jealous – he seemed like the type who wanted the sole attention of an actress. Thankfully, he didn’t say anything. Eric stayed professional as he introduced me to the hair and makeup crew, and then he left.

  As s
oon as I was sitting down in the chair with my hair being pulled in what felt like six different directions, my mind immediately went to Barnes. I couldn’t believe he was here – how on earth did he and I manage to land jobs on the same show? It was insane! LA was huge…and somehow, suddenly, it felt just like Small Town America.

  Makeup took over an hour, and then an assistant helped me into my first costume – a vintage-style dress with bows on each shoulder. As the assistant led me to the set, I began to sweat. What if I was terrible? What if I got fired on the first day?

  That was when I saw him. Barnes, sitting behind a camera with aviator sunglasses perched on top of his head and a smug look on his face. He was looking over a script and nodding as someone chattered in his ear, but I could tell he was focused on what he was doing. He looked so well-suited to the pose that I could hardly believe it was real – it almost looked like a diorama from a museum specializing in American television.

  And that was when I knew – even if I totally screwed up my first day on the set of Heaven Cove, everything would be all right in the end.

  “Gianna, they’re waiting for you,” Eric called. He grinned at me. “Today, we’re going to try something new.”

  “Oh?” I raised an eyebrow. “It’s my first day on set,” I said. “Everything is new to me.”

  Eric laughed in a way that made me feel slightly uncomfortable. “I had an idea, while I saw you chatting with Barnes,” he said. “I’m going to have Barnes direct an episode – what do you think of that?”

  I blinked. “Um—“

  “Just kidding,” Eric said. “Your opinion doesn’t matter.” He put two fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly for attention. “Everyone, listen up! Barnes is going to be directing today’s episode of Heaven Cove!”

  The set fills silent, and I watched as a lazy, slow grin appeared on Barnes’s face. He got up from his chair and sauntered over. Somehow, he was even more gorgeous now than he had been the night we’d met.

  “Sounds great,” Barnes said. He winked at me, and I felt my cheeks grow hot.

  “Good,” Eric said. He clapped his hands together. “Let’s get moving, people!”

  Barnes directed me to stand in the living room portion of the set. He brushed my lower back with his arm, and I shivered, wondering whether we’d sleep together again.

  When the scene began, I was nervous, but I went through my lines with ease. My character, Marybeth, was flirting with another character named Paul. The actor playing Paul had completely ignored me when the cameras weren’t rolling, but now that we were being filmed together, he turned on the charm, and I found myself awed by the charismatic look in his eyes. I could feel that I was really becoming my character – turning into someone I’d never even imagined.

  And while I didn’t have a lot of experience – or any, really – on set, I had a feeling Barnes was doing a great job as director. His voice was strong and commanding, and I could tell he was having a great time. He even had us go off-script for a couple of short scenes, and while I was incredibly nervous, I somehow sensed that everything was going well.

  When the day was over, I was exhausted. It was crazy to think that acting was almost as tiring as doing something more physical, but I took it as a sign that I’d done a good job throwing myself into my role.

  Just before I went back into costumes, Barnes came up and put his hand on my shoulder.

  “So, Gianna,” he said. “You were great today.”

  I flushed. “Thanks. So were you. I mean, it seemed like everyone was really impressed.”

  Barnes chuckled. It was a pleasant sound that sent shivers down my spine. “Yeah, well, I had fun. It’s a nice break. How was your day?”

  “What did you think?” I glanced up at him and batted my eyes. “Were you impressed?”

  “Oh, hell yes,” Barnes said. “So impressed that I’d like you to have dinner with me.”

  I bit my lip.

  “It’s not a work dinner,” Barnes said. He winked at me again. “It’s definitely a date dinner.”

  “Oh, well, in that case,” I said, flushing hotly. “Sounds perfect.”

  “We’re both new in town,” Barnes said. “Anywhere you’ve been dying to check out?”

  “I miss Japanese food,” I said. “Boston always had great sushi.”

  Barnes smirked and nodded. “Yeah, it did,” he said. “Want me to pick you up?”

  “Yes, please,” I said primly. “That would be lovely.”

  When I got back to the Crown Jewel, I took a long, hot shower and washed the day off before getting dressed in a new strapless cocktail dress that I’d bought. Normally, I wouldn’t have accepted a date on the same day…but I couldn’t deny that my attraction to Barnes made it difficult to stay away from him. At eight-thirty on the dot, Barnes showed up in a limo outside of the Crown Jewel.

  I smirked. “This yours?”

  “Not yet,” Barnes said. “Maybe after a few more seasons of Heaven Cove.” He opened the backseat for me, and I crawled inside, crossing my legs at the ankle and leaning against the rich leather seat.

  I laughed. “It’s nice,” I said, running my hand over the paneled interior.

  Barnes pressed a discreet button on the side panel and a little door popped open, revealing two champagne flutes and a chilled bottle.

  “I thought you might care for an aperitif,” Barnes said. He winked at me and my heart leapt into my throat as he took the bottle of champagne and poured two perfect flutes. Handing one to me, we clinked glasses and drank.

  “This is delicious,” I said. “I haven’t had good champagne since my cousin got married, last summer. My father hates it – he never kept it in the house.”

  Barnes snorted. “I have to be honest with you,” he said, raising an eyebrow and staring at me in a way that made me feel vulnerable. “I hate it, too. But I like everything with you.”

  I smiled. “Thanks,” I said softly.

  When the limo pulled up in front of a gorgeous, lavish-looking Japanese steakhouse, Barnes helped me out of the car and offered me his elbow. I stared at him for a second before accepting.

  “This is like something from an old movie,” I commented as we walked into the restaurant.

  “Well, we are in Hollywood,” Barnes said.

  The hostess took us to a private booth in the back, with high walls that made it feel even more secluded. The walls of the restaurant were aquariums, and fish swam calmly back and forth.

  I snickered. “They don’t know they’re on the menu,” I said, watching as a large koi swam by.

  “Poor little guys.”

  Barnes snorted. He looked up at me and cocked his head to the side. “You’re funny, you know that?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, right. I’m not funny – my sister, Diane, she’s the funny one.”

  “Maybe no one ever paid the right amount of attention to you before now,” Barnes said. He leaned closer, and I felt my breath catch in my throat. In the sensual, low lighting of the restaurant, he looked more gorgeous than ever. Just as I was about to close my eyes and lean in for a kiss, the waitress appeared at the side of our table.

  “We’ll take a bottle of sake – it doesn’t matter, just the most expensive – and all the nigiri on the menu, plus an assortment of rolls,” Barnes said. He cleared his throat and turned his attention back to me. “I’m here to impress this woman,” he added.

  The waitress rolled her eyes, but she nodded. “Yes, sir,” she said. “Right away.”

  As soon as she was gone, I burst out laughing. “You’re terrible!” I said, giggling and covering my mouth with both hands. “She’s going to think we’re snobs!”

  Barnes shrugged. There was a devilish, roguish look in his eye that made me wet between the legs.

  “I don’t care what anyone thinks,” Barnes said. “I’m tired of that – I left it in Boston, all behind me.”

  I grinned. “I know exactly what you mean,” I said softly. “I feel like a whole new person
out here.”

  The meal was absolutely delicious. True to Barnes’s order, our table was covered with the most beautiful display of sushi, sashimi, and nigiri that I’d ever seen. I ate and drank until I felt absolutely stuffed.

  “This was one of the best meals I ever had,” I admitted as we were walking out of the restaurant. The hot, sunny day had turned into a brisk, cool evening and I closed my eyes as a slight breeze ruffled my hair.

  Barnes smirked. “The company wasn’t bad, either,” he said. He grinned at me and leaned down for a kiss, but I pouted and playfully pushed him away.

  “You’re going to have to try harder than that,” I teased.