by Pamela Ann
This jerk had been a thorn since the day River had met him. I’d tolerated him, even acted civilized from time to time, but for him to have the nerve to disrupt my vacation and to have the audacity to threaten me and my baby? Who did he think he was, Jesus?
Yeah, Ari and his millions could go take a hike for all I cared.
Gripping the door handle, I cast a menacing look. One that highly stated I wasn’t to be fucked with. Not now. Not ever. “I’ve told you then, and I’m telling you again to kindly go fuck yourself. If you ever try to bother me again or dare to sell this heinous offer one more time, so help me God, I’m going to file a restraining order on your ass! TMZ sure will have a field day with that.” He had laid the bricks on the warpath. I had brought the weapons. “I may look little and weak, but trust me, I can fucking take you on. Pregnant or not, I’ll kick your ass! So, choose. Leave me the fuck alone, or choose to fight a pregnant woman. Take your pick.”
If the guy could froth out of his mouth from outrage, he’d be bubbling on his own vomit by now. The bully had just gotten a taste of his own medicine. He wasn’t used to being treated disrespectfully. People in Hollywood were terrified of him. He had chosen the wrong woman to terrorize. I didn’t grow up prim and proper, leading a lavish lifestyle while going on weekend trips to Paris with my private school buddies. I was born with a crackhead mother then jumped from one foster home to the next, scraping from one dish to another. I’d begged for pennies on the streets before I learned my ABCs. I was white trash; I was just good at hiding it. But if push came to shove, little ghetto me would do anything to survive. And this was survival—fighting for my right to choose. My right to have my own mind, my own decision. No man had any right to dictate what I should or shouldn’t do with my body. As they said, you could take the girl from the ghetto, but you couldn’t take the ghetto out of the girl.
The diabolic man had yet to move. What was he waiting for? A bird to shit on his head? “What are you doing standing there like a tongue-tied idiot, doing his first class presentation?” I grated on, high from the shift of power between us. I was charged with elation and my triumph over this sick bullying, money hungry asswipe. “What, huh? Too angry to talk? You’re contemplating choking me to death or what? Cause if you haven’t noticed, I’m in paradise. I have better things to do with my time than watch an aging, balding, wannabe hipster, who should be wearing pants to suit his age instead of too-tight skinny jeans, have a heart attack in front of me.”
He scoffed, revulsion imprinted on his thin chafed lips as he directed a hostile glare at me. “The offer stands. I suggest you make money while you’re at it. Consider it my goodbye present to you. You know where to find me. You can thank me later when you’re having a tough time getting hired. Good riddance to you, too.” Sending me a hazardous look, he began to take his leave. His angry strides fell heavily as he stomped on the wooden bridge leading toward the shore.
“May you trip and fall into the water on your way off the island. Do the world some good and feed the sharks. They sure love the extra meat!” I hollered after him, dying with laughter.
“Go to Hell!” he barked without looking back.
“I’ll meet you there, fucker!” I shouted back, shrieking with delight as I slammed the door.
Anything threatening the rise of dollar signs in his bank account was one of his weaknesses. All I had to do was mention TMZ, and he immediately backed off. If I could do cartwheels, I so would. But with limited space, I’d settle for a mental image of me doing just that.
It took a whole hour before I began to relax and another hour until I took hold of my phone and called Anton. “Hey, it’s me … just checking in as promised,” I said the second he answered.
“Sheesh! OMG, is it really as beautiful as the pictures?” he drawled, as animated as I was.
“Even better.”
“Ah, I’m so jelly. I wish I was there with you. Instead, I’m stuck here, jogging ideas for our second season’s story arc.”
A massive smile broke across my face. “You’re living your dream, Anton. You’ve poured blood, sweat, and donuts into this dream to make it come true, so don’t be a sourpuss.”
He made a despondent sigh. “You’re right. My ungrateful ass better recognize. Thanks for keeping me in check, sprinkles.”
Damn him for reminding me. “What I’d give for a cupcake right now…”
“Oh, shit, please don’t tell me you’re skipping meals. I know you do that when you’re too lazy to move. You’re in a five-star resort, honey, order up and fluff up. Feed the little booger with anything you can get your hands on.”
The little booger. Anton had made the pet name ‘his’ as if I hadn’t emphasized enough how we shouldn’t get too attached to the baby since I didn’t know what to do with it just yet. But it wasn’t like Anton to listen.
“I’m waiting on room service, so put your worries away. I don’t plan on starving any time soon. Speaking of which…you’ll never guess what just happened.”
“What? What!”
“I’m still in shock—”
“Don’t tell me you’ve met Chris Hemsworth, and he fell madly in love with you?”
This wasn’t the time to start his gushing about his darn crush. “Sure. Har-har. It was love at first sight. His abs are so defined they’re better than 3D.”
“Shut. Up!”
“Like, seriously dude, the man is married! Are we done fawning over Thor, or do you need another minute to describe every shade of blue on Home Depot’s paint swatch to define his starry blue eyes?”
“Don’t hate. You used to love doing it, too.”
I so did. “You’re right … sorry. I swear I wasn’t judging.”
“You’re ditching Thor … This must be serious. Tell me, tell me, before I faint!”
River’s manager’s face flashed before me, irking me some more. “Ari was—well, he’s probably somewhere around here still, but yeah, he dropped by and offered me money to have an abortion.”
“That worthless sack of shit! He did what?” he screamed so loud all of West Hollywood heard him. “Lemme book the next flight out, and I’ll beat his ass!”
My care bear was out of shape. He couldn’t swat a fly if his life depended on it, but I appreciated it all the same. “Aw, sweetie, that’d be nice, but I can fight my own battles.”
“Tell me you sent him with the marching orders?”
Ever better. “I Major Payne’d his ass.” We loved the silly movie.
“That’s my girl!” he cheerfully commended. “I know you haven’t been there for a day, but have you thought about what’s next?”
I wished I shared his enthusiasm. “I’m giving myself two weeks. So, no, I don’t know what’s next, Anton.”
“I understand this is hard for you; I truly, honest to goodness do. But just for a second, I want you to imagine what this baby will be capable of with your sexy ass and River’s impeccable genes. This baby’s going to be the hottest thing since the unveiling of Diet Coke in 1982. All right, I know you don’t care for any of that, but just you know … there are tons of upsides, too. I’ll be the Disneyland uncle, and Kells can be … Well, she can tag along.” He let out a round of riotous laughter. “Babies are hard. They’ll drive you nuts, but they’re worth it. You’ll see. Besides, Kells and I are here to help you whenever we can. You’re not alone in this battle. You have us. We’ve got your back.”
“I don’t say it often, but I love you, Anton.”
He sniffed, but I could hear him smiling. “Aw, now you’re going to make me cry.”
“Please don’t. Your eyes get so red and salty you won’t be able to concentrate ’cause you’ll be too busy rubbing your eyes.”
“Darn it, you’re right. These contacts will stick to my eyeballs like a hungry pussy on a fat dick. Well, I better get back inside, or we’ll be stuck here brainstorming until three in the morning.”
“All right. Have fun. Speak to you soon.”
“I’m send
ing you all my fun points. Go max it out and find yourself a Thor to flirt with!”
I snickered. “It’s my top priority.”
Ending the call with Anton, I’d never been in a better mood. Sure, Ari had tried to dampen my mood, but after speaking to my friend, my spirits immediately lifted.
Anton had been vocal about his opinion since the moment I revealed my big secret. If only it were that easy to make a decision, I was sure I’d have it by now. But instead of stressing the pros and cons, I vowed to give myself two weeks to weigh things out before committing to a decision. As a result, for the time being, I’d simply indulge, relax, and enjoy the sun.
Right then, breakfast arrived. I supposed the sun just had to wait a little longer until after my meal.
Chapter 24
Cara
I was hoping I’d find you here.” DJ, the preppy New Yorker who was attending Yale, came out of nowhere, interrupting me in the middle of my breakfast.
Gazing up, I had to raise my hand over my eyes to shield them from the bright sunshine glaring down on us. “Hello to you, too,” I pleasantly greeted with a wide grin before diverting my attention to the freshly squeezed orange juice.
Without asking permission, DJ pulled a chair out and situated himself, sitting across from me, intently watching me work my way through the massive pile of food on the table.
“Well, you’re welcome to join me, I guess.” My laughter came with a hint of sarcasm. “Have you had breakfast? We can ask for another setting. I can’t finish all of this, anyway. Help me by shouldering some of the calories.”
“I already ate, but I’ll have some fruits and another cup of cappuccino,” he said, grinning at me as I chewed a piece of pancake.
This man was a total stranger to me, but somehow, he seemed so unthreatening I didn’t mind him joining me.
Last night, I had dined at the hotel restaurant. It was my second night, and I’d be damned if I ate alone when the night was too beautiful not to be outside and enjoy the gorgeous sunset while savoring lobsters and steak. Besides, I’d caught up on sleep, so I didn’t really have any excuse for why I shouldn’t be out there enjoying the evening like everyone else.
Most people vacationing were honeymooners and lovers. I was an exception, as was DJ, who happened to be on a family vacation. Unfortunately for him, both of his sisters had brought their boyfriends. Feeling like the third-wheel—well, in his case, I guess he was the seventh—he tried to separate from them whenever possible.
This was how he had found me. Dining all on my lonesome. He was strolling on his way back to his villa, but when he spotted me without a date, a husband, or a lover on the horizon, he took a chance.
Poor guy. He couldn’t catch a break. If only I could reveal the reason I’d declined him yesterday … He seemed nice enough, but he was a little too polished for my taste, even if he was a gentleman, all the same. But as it stood, DJ just had to tolerate a few more days without a female companion.
“What are your plans for the day? Everyone’s going snorkeling.”
Plans … hmmm. Good question.
“Probably a little swimming and sunbathing. I’m still a bit jet-lagged, so I’m taking my time.” Although I wasn’t showing yet, pregnancy had taken a toll on my energy. Doing simple things felt ten times harder, such as getting out of bed. Good God, I could stay and sleep in bed all day long.
“Why don’t you come join us? It’ll be fun. The reef’s totally spectacular. You wouldn’t wanna miss it.”
“I’ve never snorkeled before…” It had always sounded fun, but I had never really gotten the chance to go. We were supposed to go in Bali, but we had such a terrible hungover we had to cancel the outing. “Ah, well, what the hell. Sure, count me in.”
After giving him my room number, he promised to come get me right after lunch. Then we continued chatting—well, it was more him talking as I listened while I finished off my breakfast. It was great and all, up until he casually mentioned how I seemed awfully familiar to him.
“Have we met before?” his brows furrowed, armed with a sly smile as he pondered further. “I feel like we have … Admit it, you live in Manhattan, and this isn’t the first time we’ve seen each other.”
I knew someone who had just moved there. I was definitely not stepping foot anywhere near New York anytime soon.
Still, his curiosity and easy striking smile were charming. “Do I look like I live anywhere near Manhattan?” I chortled. It was a good sign he didn’t recognize me. I preferred to keep it that way. The last thing I needed was to be bombarded by irrelevant questions. It was great to be spoken to as a woman, not as an actress or someone who could bolster their social media following. “I’m from the west. Some small unknown town you’ve never heard of.”
He made a long, sharp whistle before leaning back in his chair. Light blue eyes similar to the very ocean itself gazed at me, assessing. “It all makes sense now.”
“What does?” I pressed, eyeing him peculiarly.
“This was supposed to be your honeymoon, but you walked out on him, and you didn’t want to waste a paid trip…” he paused. “How close am I?”
Oh, God. I died guffawing. Tears literally rolled down the sides of my face as I tried to breathe in between the chortles. To his credit, the man had a great imagination.
But, man, how had this not entered my mind? I mean, here I was, enjoying the company of one and looking downright serious, deep in thought as if I was trying to solve humanity’s greatest mysteries. It was how DJ stated it and the irony of my situation … It was too damn hilarious.
When laughter gradually began to die down sometime later, I could only shake my head as I wiped the moisture off the sides of my face. “Ah, you’re such a blast. Sorry to bust your balls, but nope, there’s no jilted fiancée in the wings. I’m here of my own free will. Purely for personal indulgence and desperation for some R&R.”
He regarded me for a lengthy while before another whistle escaped him. This time, his disarming smile reappeared. “That’s awesome … good … It’s great. It’s fucking amazing, actually!”
DJ’s intention was unmistakably clear. The man only had to gaze across at me for me to see those appreciative eyes linger on my face. It felt amazing to be wanted. River’s rejection in those last weeks with him had dented much of my confidence. Of course, I knew I wasn’t ugly, but still, it was totally different when the compliment came from a decent good-looking man. Was it so wrong to indulge in some harmless flirting a little longer? The dashing New Yorker wasn’t boring, which was a total relief. He wasn’t self-absorbed like most men I encountered. His company was rather refreshing. Besides, he was leaving the island in a few days. He’d never know the truth.
With my mind made up, we stayed for another half an hour before parting with a promise that he’d come by to get me at a specified time. That gave me a few more hours, give or take, to unwind and get ready. I’d seen his parents and his two sisters from afar. They seemed like the fun chatty bunch. If one of them recognized me, this could get very tricky. But since I’d already given him my word, it was too late to back out now.
Back in my villa, I sent Addison a quick update email. I had yet to break the news. She’d arranged my schedule to cater to the Death Dealer franchise.
Pondering about my career, I sunk back on the rattan sofa as I stared toward the ocean, wondering if the franchise would drop me if they had to move filming schedules due to my pregnancy. This wasn’t unheard of. It had been done countless times in my industry. This only worried me because I wasn’t such a huge star. I was easily replaceable. The trilogy rode on Bass Cole’s fame and acting skills.
Ari’s vile parting words rang in my ears. This bastard child will end your career. You can say goodbye to all the movies. Once you have this kid, no one will touch you. You’ll be unmarketable, and your name will be forgotten as a new hotter actress buries your name. Whichever way you look at it, you’re fucked, Cara.
I was fucked. He could be ri
ght, but I’d be damned if I simply gave up, took it lying down, and called it a day. I might not have a set plan yet, but I sure as hell wouldn’t let Ari’s revolting words dictate what I did.
I was in charge of my destiny. Those words could only hurt if I granted them the power to let them. And even if the franchise decided to replace me, there would be more projects later down the road. It all boiled down to keeping faith and not letting this one obstacle take control of my life. Weighing the what ifs and what nots sure would dampen my day, and it was barely started.
Diverting my attention, I strode back indoors and into my bedroom then slipped out of my cotton dress. With fourteen pairs of bikinis to choose from, I decided to go with the electric blue. Sliding into my two-piece swimwear, I strode toward the mirror, observing my abdomen sideways. Several days ago, it was flat and toned. Today, however, there was a teeny tiny bump. One could barely tell. But I could. I knew my body too well. Could it be due to my nonstop appetite or the baby growing? Probably both.
Strolling back toward the back of the villa, toward the open patio with the infinity pool glittering back at me, I situated myself in one of the white cushioned lounge chairs, directly under the sun, before reclining with a sigh. I had applied sunscreen before leaving for breakfast, so I supposed I could go without needing to reapply for another hour or so.
With the sun’s warmth, the solitude, and the soft sounds of waves crashing against the foundation of the villa, my eyes began to feel heavy. I remembered smiling right before dozing off.
It was a loud rap at the door that jolted me awake. “Shit,” I grumbled as I glanced at my phone, yawning. “Shit, shit.” How long had DJ been ringing the doorbell? The poor guy had to use his knuckles, or I wouldn’t have woken up. Scramming back inside, my entire body felt warm as I bolted toward the front door. “I’m so sorry! I hope you didn’t have to wait long,” I rushed out saying, unlocking the lock before jerking it open. “I’m almost ready. Do you mind wait—”