Hollywood & Vine

by Olivia Evans

  “I got your texts,” Josie interrupted. “It still doesn’t change anything.”

  Anders cupped her jaw, his grip firm as he tilted her head. His gaze swept over her face, searching for a crack in her resolve. There wasn’t one. His shoulders slumped in defeat as he nodded. “You’re really done with us aren’t you?”

  Josie’s heart screamed a silent cry when she nodded. “I really am.”

  Anders released her and dragged a hand over his face. “All right.” He turned for the door. He couldn’t stand being alone with her for another second. His stomach bottomed out when he pushed the door open, and without a second thought, he turned back into the room and slammed it shut.

  Before Josie could blink, Anders spun her around. She gasped when her back hit the door. Anders wasted no time covering her mouth with his, twisting his fingers in her hair and pinning her body. The kiss wasn’t sweet and tender, nor was it angry or hard. It was longing and desperate, every gasping breath and sweep of his tongue bound in sadness and regret.

  He pulled back a little before touching his kiss-swollen lips to hers once more. This time his lips were soft, resigned. He stepped away, fighting the memories of the times he’d seen the same swept away, lust-filled look in her eyes. “For the record,” he said, his voice thick and his tone rough, “I didn’t fuck her.” Without another word he pulled her away from the door and disappeared into the lot.

  Josie’s lips stung from the lingering traces of his kiss. He left her breathless and broken, angry and indignant. She snatched the box from the floor and stormed off in the opposite direction, hell-bent on pretending her heart wasn’t aching and torn to pieces.

  Both trapped in their stubborn logic, Anders flew to Arizona and Josie carried on like she wasn’t unraveling at the seams. She tried her best to ignore the chatter, but even she faltered when Aubrey passed in the hall.

  She wanted to see if she could spot some sort of clue, a telltale sign that Aubrey was behind the article, but there was nothing. Aubrey was the same as always. Josie’s only consolation was that when the day was over, the last day of filming, she wouldn’t have to see Aubrey’s smug face ever again.

  That thought carried Josie through the remainder of the day and into the next. When she walked into the studio Friday morning, the atmosphere felt both lighter and heavier. The usual throngs of people bustling in the halls during filming were absent.

  After putting away her things, she walked to Aubrey’s trailer to pack the last remnants of the wardrobe. Pushing open the door, Josie couldn’t stop from choking on the laugh lodged in her throat. “What are you doing?”

  Madison spun around, a huge smile on her face. She waved the canary yellow feathers of the boa wrapped around her neck and laughed. “I found this in a side closet. I have no idea what it’s from or how long it’s been in here, but it’s fabulous and it’s mine.”

  “Why on earth would you want that thing? I’m not even sure it’s sanitary.” Josie stepped closer and flicked one of the feathers before shuddering and taking a step back.

  Madison shrugged. “To mess with Holden. You know how much he loves Big Bird.”

  “If by love, you mean irrational hate, then yes, Holden adores Big Bird.”

  Madison gave her a roguish smile as she slid the feathers from around her neck and dropped them to the floor. “Exactly. Plus it makes me laugh when he gets all freaked out at just the sight of yellow feathers.”

  Josie rolled her eyes but couldn’t help but chuckle. “You’ll get video if you come up with something good, right?”

  “You betcha.” Madison giggled before propping her hands on her hips and looking around the room. “Are you ready to get this packed then have a few drinks?”

  “It’s not even ten in the morning.”

  “Who cares? We’re done with the movie and rid of that vile bitch.”

  “Are we talking about a wine bar or a tequila bar?”

  Madison shrugged and grabbed a box. “We’ll play it by ear.”

  While Josie and Madison set to work packing up the clothes, Aubrey sat fuming in Clarence’s office. He breathed out a tired sigh, propped his elbows on the desk between them, and tented his hands. “Aubrey, the decision is made. I don’t understand what more you want from me.”

  “I want”—she said her jaw clenched in anger—“to know why you’re doing this.”

  Clarence shook his head in annoyance. “Anders wants out. It’s as simple as that.”

  “And what Anders wants, Anders gets, right?” she sneered, her cool veneer slipping more with every second.

  Clarence sat back in his chair, a humorless chuckle bubbling from his chest. “That’s exactly it. In all honesty, this has been more trouble than it’s worth.”

  “How can you even say that?” Aubrey gasped. “Our relationship increased the interest in this film far more than any other marketing attempts.”

  Clarence nodded. “It did. But at this point, your relationship with Anders is unnecessary. Anders has an enormous fan base. His marketability alone is all we need.”

  “This is ridiculous.”

  Clarence’s eyes hardened and his polite smile disappeared. “Listen, Aubrey. I agreed to your idea of a fake relationship because I saw the benefit for the movie. But from the moment Anders agreed, he’s been insufferable. He’s my moneymaker. If he wants to be done with this charade, then that’s what will happen. Now”—he exhaled, waving his hand toward the door—“if you’ll excuse me, I have some business to attend to. It’s been a pleasure.”

  Aubrey pulled in several deep breaths before rising from the chair and plastering a fake smile on her face. “Of course. Thank you for the opportunity, Clarence. I look forward to working with you again.” After several silent seconds she turned and left the room, her fists clenched as rage pulsed through her. Pulling in another deep breath, Aubrey headed to her trailer where Josie worked to heave the final boxes to the door so they could load them on the dolly just outside.

  “How is there so much stuff in here?”

  “Hell if I know.” Madison exhaled, wiping her forehead. “But we’re almost done. Then it’s the Josie and Maddie drunk show.”

  Just as Josie was about to make a smart-ass comment, the door to the trailer flew open, and Kate and Amelia stumbled in. Josie raised a brow at their giggles, both of them holding a cup in each hand.

  “It looks like we’ll get the Amelia and Kate drunk show first,” Josie surmised. She crossed her arms over her chest and tried to keep her face stern when the girls looked at her with matching horrified expressions.

  “What? No! We’re not drunk. It’s just that one of the guys in production―”

  Amelia elbowed Kate and shot her a withering glare that cut off Kate’s words.

  “We grabbed a couple of Cokes and thought you guys might be thirsty, so we brought extras.” Amelia pushed past Kate and extended her hand to Josie.

  “Is there rum in this?” Josie sniffed over the straw as she pulled the drink from Amelia’s hand.

  “I swear it’s just Coke,” Amelia promised.

  “Pity,” Madison mumbled, pulling the cup from Kate’s extended hand.

  “Do you guys need any help? We’re all done with the list you gave us.”

  “Um…” Josie looked at the few things lying around on the floor. “Go over to that stack and pack it up.”

  Amelia nodded and dropped to the floor. She gasped when she picked up the piece of clothing closest to her. It was the lingerie Aubrey wore the day of her sex scene with Anders. “I don’t get it,” she exhaled, stretching the material between her hands. “How could Anders want anyone else when he has Aubrey Nash begging for his cock?”

  Josie choked on her soda at the exact moment the underwear stretched between Amelia’s hands flew like a slingshot from her fingertips and hit Josie square in the face.

  “What the hell?” Josie screeched. The cup slipped, the contents spilling down the front of her shirt and pants as she batted the underwea
r from her face.

  “Oh my God! Josie, I’m so sorry!”

  “Oh, shit! Josie, is that the new outfit you bought last week?” Madison’s face paled as she watched the sugary, caramel-colored liquid seep into the material of Josie’s expensive shirt and pants.

  Josie sat frozen as she stared at her clothes. Madison snapped out of her daze first. “Go to the bathroom and strip, Josie.” She turned to Kate. “Grab some club soda from the mini fridge.”

  Kate scrambled for the mini fridge as Josie stripped out of her clothes. Amelia looked abashed while Madison grabbed a towel to clean up the mess. As the four girls moved to the back of the trailer, Aubrey twisted the knob of the door. She froze when she heard voices. Peeking around the door, she listened to the women inside.

  “Madison, I’m so sorry,” Amelia choked. “I didn’t mean to do that. I just…I watched the sex scene with Aubrey and Anders. I can’t imagine him finding anyone more attractive than her.”

  Madison bit her tongue and smiled. “It’s okay. It was an accident.”

  Clueless to Madison’s mounting tension, Amelia continued. “Like, the chemistry between them was insane. I can’t imagine how some stripper could compete with Aubrey. And what kind of name is Ivy…” Her voice died in her throat when Josie stepped out of the bathroom.

  “I need the club soda. My shirt looks okay, but if I don’t put something on my pants now, I might as well use them for dusting.”

  Everyone froze at the sight of Josie in nothing but her bra and panties. The bottle of club soda slipped from Kate’s hand and Amelia gasped while Madison’s eyes widened with panic. Josie looked between the three of them in confusion until Amelia spoke.

  “Oh my God. Your tattoo.” She extended her hand and pointed at the ivy peeking out from Josie’s panties and curving over her hip.

  Josie’s eyebrows dipped in confusion as she looked down at her abdomen. “What about it?”

  “It’s ivy. You have an ivy tattoo. You’re Ivy!” Kate exclaimed, her face bright red. “I knew he wasn’t seeing a stripper. I told Amelia that didn’t make any sense.”

  Josie’s eyes snapped to Kate, then Amelia, before settling on Madison. “No,” she protested, backing toward the bathroom.

  “You were right, Kate. It makes so much sense now,” Amelia exhaled, her expression colored with shock. “The reason he demanded you dress him every day. The weird tension between you two whenever any of us were around―”

  “Not to mention,” Kate interrupted, “the way he always stared at you.”

  “That’s ridiculous.” Josie tried to wave them off, but she saw the resolve in their faces. “What makes you think he stares at me?” she asked pointlessly. They would not be swayed.

  “Um, he’s Anders Ellis. If he was in the room, we were looking at him. And if you were in the room, he was looking at you. We didn’t understand at first, but it makes perfect sense now. You guys were together. Oh my God, are you the one who released the article? Did he lie to you? Josie, you knew he and Aubrey were dating.” The slight accusation in Amelia’s voice caused Madison to snap.

  “He was never dating Aubrey. That was nothing more than a publicity stunt for the film.” The anger behind Madison’s words left no room for argument. Everyone knew she was telling the truth.

  Josie swore under her breath as she yanked the wet shirt over her head. She had to convince Amelia and Kate to keep their mouths shut, and she couldn’t do that half naked.

  Aubrey shook her head in disbelief as she covered her mouth. The person Anders had been seeing was right under her nose the entire time. Her face heated with anger and embarrassment when she remembered the day she’d asked Josie to adjust her lingerie.

  She thought she’d feel better after discovering Ivy’s identity, but that was when she believed Ivy was a stripper. The knowledge that Ivy was associated with the industry and someone she knew made her blood boil with jealousy.

  Turning away from the door, she pulled out her phone and walked to her car. She dialed Levi’s number as soon as she was inside and wasted no time telling him who Ivy was and what she expected him to do with the information. She wasn’t prepared for Levi’s reluctance.

  “I’m sick of you questioning me, Levi,” she seethed.

  Levi pinched his eyes shut. “I’m just looking out for you, Aubrey,” he replied, his voice smooth, not betraying the anger he felt.

  “I look out for me, Levi. Did you forget why we entered into this arrangement in the first place? Or have you found another way to repay the huge loan you had to take out to pay restitution to Anders?”

  “You know I haven’t,” he answered quietly.

  “Well, if you’re not willing to run with this, I’ll find someone who will.”

  After several seconds of silence, Levi breathed out a resigned sigh. “I’ll do it.”

  “Of course you will.” Aubrey smiled.

  Hours after Aubrey’s conversation with Levi, Josie and Madison sat at a bar, each holding a shot of tequila.

  “Do you think they’ll keep their mouths shut?” Madison asked, already knowing the chances were slim to none.

  Josie gave her a grim smile and shrugged before knocking back her shot. “Not even a little. I’m fucked, Maddie.”

  Anders stumbled through the front door of his cottage, groaning as he stretched the sore muscles in his back. As soon as he’d arrived in Arizona, they’d gone straight to work. The director wanted the scenes done and the crew back in LA as soon as possible to keep expenses low. After two long days, the director and crew were en route back home. Everyone except Anders.

  Grabbing the bottle of scotch Nathan had delivered to his room earlier in the day, he poured a generous shot. He winced from the slight burn as the warm liquid slid down his throat. After a second shot, he carried the bottle and his glass into the living room and turned on the lamp.

  Setting the bottle on the coffee table, he moved behind the couch and lightly dragged his fingertips over the soft material. The memory of Josie’s laugh suddenly hit him like a punch to the gut. He pinched his eyes shut to block the sound. He wasn’t sure what possessed him to request the same cottage as before or why he decided to stay a few extra days.

  Now that he had a chance slow down from his busy schedule, he saw her everywhere. The pain that wrapped around his chest was unexpected and unforgiving. His throat constricted and for a moment he wondered if it was possible to suffocate from it.

  “Shit.” He lifted his glass to his mouth and emptied the contents. Steadying himself, he moved in front of the couch and eased onto the cushions. With his elbows on his knees, he leaned forward, his hands hanging between his parted thighs. He tried to make sense of the emotions surging through him. How could just the memory of her laugh cause his knees to buckle? When he thought about them, how they’d fallen apart, he didn’t feel anger like he had for Eva. He felt frustrated. It was stomach-dropping and chest-aching, but the barely-contained rage and hate that had simmered under the surface for Eva, was missing. There was only loss. Emptiness. Incompleteness.

  Reaching for the remote, he flipped on the television, half expecting Honey Boo Boo to flash across the screen to torture him once more. He gritted his teeth at his disappointment when it didn’t. Tossing the remote, he grabbed the bottle. His skin itched and his stomach twisted as more memories of Josie played through his mind. He should stop drinking before he did something stupid, but the thought of enduring how he felt a second longer made him want to set himself on fire.

  His vision began to swim, the edges softening and blurring. His lips tingled as he dragged his tongue over them. They were full and soft, reminding him of the last time he’d kissed Josie. He groaned and dropped his head to the back of the couch as her image appeared once more.

  Convinced his mind and body were telling him to sleep, he pushed off the couch and walked to the bedroom. Stripping down to his boxers, he didn’t bother to shower before falling face first on the bed. He wrapped his arms around the pi
llow and inhaled. It was ridiculous to think it might smell of her. Her scent had long faded from his home back in LA. His hands would never again smell like her hair after gripping it as he pushed into her.

  “Can I have you?”

  “No,” he whispered into the empty room as the vivid image of her pinned beneath him burned behind closed lids.

  “You can have me.”

  “Stop.” His plea was choked, and he could have sworn he felt the heat from her skin searing into his.

  “Stay?”

  “Fuck.” Salty liquid leaked from the corners of his eyes as he buried his face into the pillow and clenched his jaw.

  “Okay.”

  “You lied.” His words were thick and broken, barely intelligible as his body succumbed to the sleep he craved.

  For the next few days, Anders spent every second trying to convince himself that his breakdown was nothing more than a momentary lapse. He reasoned that alcohol and fatigue had played tricks on his mind. He refused to accept that Josie had that sort of power over him.

  Slipping on his running shoes, he left his cottage and started for the trail to the falls as the sun ascended into the sky. He planned to prove once and for all that he didn’t feel what his heart claimed. By the time he reached the trailhead, sweat beaded along his temples and dripped down his back. His lungs burned as he sucked in hot, gasping breaths of air.

  He ripped off his sunglasses, letting them hang from his fingertips as he rested his hands on his knees. Blinking against the harsh glare, he waited for his eyes to adjust to his surroundings. When everything around him became clear, he didn’t bother bracing himself as he fell to his knees.

  Everything clicked into place and split at the seams. His eyes stung as flashes of pink cheeks, sun-kissed light brown hair, and blue eyes crashed down every wall he’d erected. Feelings he’d fought picked him apart piece by piece. All at once, nothing made sense, yet everything became crystal clear.