Hollywood & Vine

by Olivia Evans

  “Fuck.” Josie sniffed. Her pulse thrummed in her ears as she willed her shaking body away from the table and out into the hall. She ignored the curious stares of a couple of young kids she’d never seen before and made her way toward the bathroom.

  As soon as the stall door closed behind her, she cradled her face and let the tears she’d kept at bay fall. Their entire conversation had spun out of control. They’d fought about something she had no right to be angry about. The issue was it didn’t make a difference how many times he explained his job or tried to make her understand, she never would. Her job, like most, didn’t involve touching or kissing. It didn’t involve undressing other people and pretending to make love to them.

  She was wrong to take her anger and jealousy out on him. She wished he hadn’t followed her, had given her a chance to clear her mind. She wasn’t sure if time would have helped, but to have him not smell and taste like Aubrey would have been a start. She needed to apologize, and she would, but she had to get her emotions under control first. After the way he stormed out, she figured it would be best to let him do the same.

  In his trailer, Anders pushed his arms through the sleeves of his button-down shirt and sighed. Flattening his palms on the counter of the vanity, he dropped his head and tried to clear his head. He hated leaving Josie like that, knowing how upset she was, but there was no point in staying. She was acting ridiculous, and until she calmed down, there was no reasoning with her.

  “Damn, you make brooding look good.”

  Anders lifted his gaze to the mirror and saw Aubrey standing a few feet behind him. Turning to face her, he leaned against the vanity and folded his arms over his chest. “Did you need something?”

  “I wanted to know what time I should expect you tonight.”

  Anders’ brows knitted together in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

  Aubrey tried to hide her annoyance that he didn’t remember. “Our date, silly. We’re going to that new club tonight.”

  “Motherfucker,” Anders exhaled. Between switching the scenes and his fight with Josie, he’d completely forgotten. He would have to go out with Aubrey and be photographed as a couple while Josie sat at home pissed off and hurt.

  “I’m going to pretend you’re distracted because of our scene earlier and not because you really forgot about tonight. Now, what time will you be picking me up? Shall we have dinner first?”

  “Fuck no,” Anders answered immediately.

  Aubrey lifted her brows, her gaze intense. “Is there a reason why the thought of having dinner with me would warrant that kind of reaction?”

  Anders could think of several reasons, but he couldn’t tell her the most important one. Running his hand over his face, he sighed. “I have shit to do when I leave here. By the time I’m done, it’ll be time to go to the club. Plus I have no interest in being hounded by the paps any more than necessary.” He pushed off the vanity and buttoned his shirt. “I’ll pick you up at ten.” Without waiting for a rebuttal, he left a fuming Aubrey standing in the middle of his trailer.

  Over the next few hours, Anders lost himself in his head. As soon as he got home, he changed into his running clothes and took off for the hills behind his house. His lungs burned and his muscles ached as he tried to push past the bullshit clouding his mind. His relationship with Josie was splitting at the seams and he didn’t know how to stop it or even if he should.

  He knew she was different than Eva. Josie didn’t have an ulterior motive or inside knowledge about his life to use against him. That didn’t mean she wasn’t just as capable as Eva of tearing down everything he’d built over the last few years.

  After his run and a shower, he called Owen to make sure everyone was still coming. As much as he wasn’t looking forward to dealing with Aubrey, he was ready to go out. He wanted to relax, have a few drinks, and hang out with his friend. After Owen reassured Anders he’d meet him there, he hung up and stared at his phone for a moment before tossing it on the bed.

  He pulled on his shirt and pants and looked himself over in the mirror. He dressed as he always did when he went to a club: wealthy and available. The same as always, except it wasn’t. Something felt off, and he knew it had everything to do with Josie. Looking at his clock, he sighed. It was show time.

  He scooped up his phone, shoved it in his pocket, and headed to his SUV. He was determined not to call Josie, but every turn, stop sign, and red light that brought him closer to Aubrey’s weakened his resolve. As pissed as he was―and he was pissed―he didn’t want to go out without at least trying to call her first. With a frustrated grunt he pulled to the side of the road, grabbed his phone, and dialed her number. It rang several times before her voice mail picked up. Pressing his finger over the end call button with a little more force than necessary, he debated what to do next.

  Part of him wanted to say forget it, but the other part that decided to call her in the first place wouldn’t let him. He’d call her one more time, and if she didn’t pick up, he’d leave her a message. Only, when he dialed her number again, it went straight to voice mail. She’d turned her phone off. His lip curled up in a sneer and he huffed out a disbelieving laugh as he tossed his phone in the cup holder. He wasn’t calling again.

  He pulled onto the road and drove to Aubrey’s. She was walking out her front door as he drove up her driveway. Her cream colored dress hugged her curves like a second skin. Her hair was loose and falling over her shoulders, and her shoes put at least five inches on her legs.

  She slid into the passenger seat with a smile and closed the door. “Hi.”

  “You ready?” Anders asked, already shifting the vehicle into drive.

  “God, yes. I need a drink. This afternoon was a nightmare. I’m ready to relax and have a little fun.” Aubrey looked away from Anders’ curious stare and started rummaging around in her clutch. Her afternoon had been fine, but just before leaving the studio earlier, she’d come across a couple of kids regaling their friends with a story about how they’d seen Anders lose his shit, how he’d gotten into a yelling match with an employee at the studio and stormed down the hall mad as hell.

  She wanted to ask him about it, but she refrained. She was going to find a common ground, and nothing seemed like a better start than pretending her afternoon had been as shitty as his.

  The camera flashes were blinding as they stepped out of Anders’ SUV. Fans and paps alike shouted their names. Aubrey smiled and wound her hand around Anders’ bicep as he dropped his head and tried to push their way through the crowd. He didn’t care about the paps’ questions or the fans’ pleas for autographs. The only person he cared about had turned her phone off when he tried to call.

  Two bouncers stepped away from the entrance and met Anders and Aubrey about halfway to help them into the club. Anders couldn’t help the small grin that tugged at the corner of his mouth once they were inside. He’d been to more clubs than he could count, but none like this.

  Veins of lights infused the walls and large metal pieces of art hung from the ceiling. On the second floor, several oval balconies jutted out from the walls, overlooking the dance floor. The bar was massive, the music was excellent, and there were beautiful people everywhere.

  The club manager met them at the entrance with two complimentary drinks before leading them to a side door with stairs to their private balcony. “Your party is waiting for you. If there’s anything else you need, your personal server, Amy, will take care of it.”

  Aubrey grabbed Anders’ arm and tugged him to a stop. “The rest of our party? What is she talking about?”

  Anders pulled his arm free. “I thought it’d be more fun if we hung out with a group of people. I’m not sure if you’ve met them all, but you’ll know who they are.”

  Aubrey pulled in a deep breath and tried to keep her temper in check. “That sounds great. Had I known, I would’ve invited a couple of my friends, but no matter. I’m sure we’ll have fun.”

  Anders’ eyes widened at her easy resp
onse. He’d expected her to be pissed and spend most of the evening pouting. Maybe Aubrey wasn’t as bad as he’d thought. Maybe this night might turn out to be fun after all. “Yeah. Um, come on, let’s go get another drink.”

  Owen, Walker, Molly, and Whitney were all downing shots when Anders and Aubrey walked around the curtain and onto the balcony. “Hey, fuckers, you couldn’t wait for us?”

  “Sorry, man.” Owen laughed. “Walker’s been in rehab for months. He doesn’t have a lot of patience.”

  “It’s true. For some reason they frown upon adding tequila to your orange juice in rehab,” Walker added with a lazy grin.

  After introductions, everyone settled on the plush couches surrounding the table. A new round of drinks were poured. And then another. Aubrey joked with Molly and Whitney while Anders listened to Owen and Walker debate about which lucky woman would be joining them later.

  It was the most relaxed he’d been in a while. He wasn’t sure if it was the excitement of the atmosphere, the numbness of the alcohol, or the easy feeling of the group. He wondered if this was how things were for Josie when she went out dancing with friends. He shook his head and slammed back another drink. He wasn’t going to think about her when she wouldn’t even answer the phone.

  “Come on, we’re going downstairs.”

  Anders jerked in surprise when Walker tapped his shoulder. Everyone was standing and looking at him expectantly. “Nah, I’m good.”

  Aubrey smiled. “Me too. I think I need a couple more drinks to wash off the remains of this day.” She looked at Anders. “Is that okay with you?”

  Anders nodded, but the idea of being alone with Aubrey caused the familiar feeling of guilt to settle in his chest. But so far Aubrey had behaved, so he slid over on the sofa and patted the seat beside him. “Let’s knock back a few more.”

  With every shot, Aubrey’s confidence grew and Anders’ inhibitions lowered. Unfortunately for Aubrey, the drunker Anders became, the more his thoughts drifted to Josie. When Aubrey’s hand slid over the top of Anders’ thigh, he knew things were getting out of control.

  “Let’s go dance,” he suggested, rising from the couch and stepping toward the curtain.

  Aubrey, who had faked drinking her last couple of shots, grinned and stood on much steadier feet. “Hell yeah.”

  Anders hadn’t considered what dancing with Aubrey would entail when he’d made the suggestion. The moment they stepped onto the dance floor, they were pressed together from head to toe. Her hands rested over his shoulders as she swayed and rocked against him.

  Aubrey turned her back to Anders and grabbed his hands, sliding them along the curve of her waist before settling them on her hips. Lifting her arms, she wound them around his neck and let her head fall back against his shoulder.

  Anders flexed his fingers and blinked, trying to clear his vision against the flashing lights. He couldn’t dance with her like this. She felt good against him, and she smelled amazing, but she wasn’t the girl he wanted. Drawing attention by bolting from the dance floor wasn’t an option, though, so he danced and gave the people snapping pictures on their phones what the studio wanted.

  When he noticed some of the group had returned to the balcony, he grabbed Aubrey’s arm and motioned with his head for her to follow. She smiled and laced their fingers as he led them through the crowd. As soon as they were off to the side, he dropped her hand.

  He wasn’t sure if it was alcohol or guilt, but he began to question if Aubrey had just switched tactics. When they reached the balcony and Aubrey fell onto the sofa across from him, though, he was certain it was all in his head. Letting his head rest on the back of the sofa, he looked around the group and smiled. Walker had returned with a random girl from the dance floor, but Owen had yet to settle on whom he planned to take home.

  “So are you gonna fuck her tonight?” Owen asked as he leaned back and mimicked Anders’ position.

  “Nope. Been there done that. You know my rule.”

  “You mean the rule you haven’t followed in months?” Owen smirked and held up his hands when Anders sent him a nasty glare. “Calm down. I’m just saying you’re a fucking idiot. It’s a waste to leave a woman that fine unfucked.”

  Anders rolled his eyes. “Well, you’re more than welcome to her.”

  It was almost midnight when Anders’ phone vibrated in his pocket. He fished it out and blinked a couple of times until he saw Ivy on the display. He frowned, his thumb hovering over the answer button before moving to the ignore button and pressing down. He couldn’t talk to her with so many people around, and if he was being honest, he didn’t want to. He wasn’t in the mood to fight. For the first time in a long while, he was out having fun with his friends. He’d also made a decision. He didn’t care what Clarence, Aubrey, or anyone else said. He was done. This was his last date with Aubrey. It just wasn’t worth it. Shoving his phone into his pocket, he returned his attention to Owen, unaware of Aubrey’s burning gaze.

  By two in the morning, Aubrey was the only one sober. Planting a seed in Walker’s ear that she had something a little stronger than alcohol at her place, it didn’t take much to make him convince everyone to come to her house for an after-party. Anders was the only one who protested, but once reminded he’d driven and someone had to get him home, he agreed. He just needed to sober up then he could drive himself home.

  When they made it to Aubrey’s, the drinking started again. Everyone was loud and obnoxious, and Anders was no exception. When Aubrey found her place next to him on the loveseat and slid her hand over his leg, he didn’t hesitate to knock her hand away.

  “You’re fucking relentless,” he chuckled, his voice tinged with annoyance.

  “Then maybe you should just relent.”

  “Or maybe you should move on.”

  “You don’t mean that.” Aubrey swung her leg over Anders’ and straddled his lap. “You can’t tell me you don’t want to fuck me again. There was hard evidence today that showed how much the idea of fucking me appeals to you.”

  Curling his fingers around her waist, Anders lifted her and tossed her back on the couch beside him. He was certain Aubrey mentioned their sex scene from earlier to make him think about how they’d been, how she’d looked. The only thing it reminded him of, however, was his fight with Josie. “I’ve tried to be nice. I’ve tried to let you down easy, but you just don’t fucking get it. I have zero interest in fucking you again.” The feel of her hand stung as it made contact with the side of his face.

  “You’re a fucking asshole, Anders Ellis.” Aubrey pushed up from the couch and stormed out of the room as Anders dropped his head back and laughed.

  “Why do you sound so surprised? I’ve always been an asshole.” He let his eyes fall shut and willed the room to stop spinning. If he couldn’t sober up, he’d have to call a cab. Pulling out his phone, he clutched it in his hand and pulled in a deep breath. He just needed a few minutes. Then he’d call a cab.

  It was almost an hour later when the last of the group filed out of Aubrey’s house and into the back of a waiting cab. Locking the front door, Aubrey walked back into her living room and sat on the coffee table in front of a sleeping Anders.

  She considered waking him, sending him home with the rest of the group, and washing her hands of the entire situation. Aubrey’s pride was a vicious thing, however; her ego wouldn’t let her admit defeat, not yet.

  She moved to stand when the sight of Anders’ phone caught her eye. Without a second thought she plucked the device from his hand and unlocked the screen. An alert notification popped up, and she pressed the screen to view the message.

  Sorry I couldn’t answer earlier. I was with my brother and his realtor. Actually, I’m sorry about a lot of things. I was wrong, but you deserve to hear that in person. Call me when you get this.

  Aubrey’s brows pulled together, and her mouth formed a frown as she looked at the name. Ivy. Scrolling through his messages, it became obvious who Ivy was. She was the reason Anders kept sh
ooting Aubrey down. She was the obstacle, and she would have to be eliminated.

  When Anders stirred, Aubrey slipped his phone back in his hand and continued to her bedroom. She didn’t want him to wake. She needed him at her house when the sun rose.

  Picking up her phone, she waited for Levi to answer. On the fifth ring his groggy, sleep-filled voice rang out in her ear.

  “Hello?”

  “I was right. He has a girlfriend.”

  After several seconds of silence Levi spoke again. This time his voice sounded much more alert. “How do you know? Did you see her?”

  “No. Anders is passed out on my couch. I looked through his phone. I’m not sure how far they go back, but she’s the one Anders has been hiding.”

  “What’s her name?”

  “Ivy,” Aubrey spat, disdain evident in her voice. “She’s probably a stripper.”

  “That would explain why he’s kept her a secret. So what’s the plan?”

  Aubrey contemplated her next move. “I don’t want to leak the story about the girl. I don’t want to look like a fool by having the man I’m dating cheating on me with a stripper. I’d rather end them. Get dressed and get over here. I think some nice shots of Anders leaving my house in the morning should do the trick.”

  “You got it. The codes to get in still the same?”

  “Yes. Now I’m going to get some rest. Go take lots of pretty pictures for me.” Aubrey ended the call and crawled into bed. Things hadn’t turned out how she wanted, but at least now she understood why. Once she dealt with this Ivy person, there would be nothing standing in her way.