***
This time Trista was met by Tom Elder himself. He escorted her back to the same room and introduced her to Brandy Thibault, the other casting director, and David Browman, who had already been cast as the male lead in the play.
“I have to say I was surprised to hear that I was going to be reading with the beautiful Trista Carmichael. I thought you were still doing television,” David said. She wasn’t sure if that was a dig or if he was just being nice. She took it as the former.
“You know I started on Broadway. I was Ali in Rent back in 2005.”
The door clicked shut. “That was a small part, a long time ago. You had what? Three lines in the whole play?” a woman’s voice asked.
Trista turned to find Leigha Epler entering the room.
“Leigha! How are you?” Trista asked, forcing a tight smile on her face.
Leigha was well known around Broadway, having several plum roles, before her brief stint in rehab. But Trista wasn’t going to stoop to her level and bring that up.
Leigha tossed her trademark blonde mane over her shoulders. “I’m doing terrific!” She was gorgeous, thin, and had a voice that Broadway producers loved. The voice of an angel, some people thought. Trista heard that Leigha’s mother had spent a fortune on voice lessons, acting coaches, and who knows what else when Leigha was growing up. And Leigha graduated from one of the best performing arts schools in New York. Trista had a right to be worried about this role.
Trista felt her stomach tightened. She put on a fake smile. “Nice seeing you again.”
Leigha sat down on one of the chairs and crossed her long legs at the ankle. “Always good to see you, dear.”
“Okay, girls. Let’s get started.” Tom took his seat. “Trista, why don’t you read first?” He thrust a sheaf of papers at her. “This is the new script. We made some changes.”
A cold read. Trista looked over the script. A cold read was exactly that—an actor/actress was to read a part that he/she had never seen before. She didn’t have time to prepare. But she knew the character. She could do this. Taking a deep breath to mentally prepare, she read the lines.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Trista let the top down on her Mercedes and felt the warmth of the fresh Florida sunshine as it hit her face. It felt good to be back in Florida, but she was already missing the vibe of the city. She decided to drive straight to Riker’s place. He had sent her a text earlier asking her to stop by if she had time. She had been putting him off while she was in New York, explaining that she was busy with work.
Trista parked her Mercedes in the driveway and turned off the ignition. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out some mint flavored Chapstick and applied it to her lips. Riding in a plane always made her skin and lips dry, and she didn’t have a lot of time to freshen up in the airplane’s lavatory. Squeezing into a little box of a bathroom to change clothes and apply makeup on an airplane experiencing slight turbulence wasn’t the most ideal situation. She spritzed some of her favorite perfume, Flowerbomb, on her neck and wrists and then got out of the car.
Before she could knock, the front door swung open. Riker was standing there, shirtless, with a goofy smile on his face. He was horny. Trista could tell. She was too.
Riker grabbed Trista by the hand and pulled her inside his apartment without saying a word. As soon as the door was closed and bolted, he picked her up and carried her to his bedroom. Gently laying her across the bed, he straddled her and leaned over, covering her mouth with his. His tongue tangled with hers as she ran her hands over his body, feeling the muscular bulge of his biceps, the hardness of his chest, and each ripple of his abs. Riker pulled back and started to unbutton her shirt. He lifted her bra, freeing her breasts from their black, lacy cups. Putting his mouth over one nipple, he gave it a hard tug. Trista moaned in pleasure.
Riker moved on to the other breast and licked her nipple, swirling his tongue round and round. She could feel his hardness against her thigh. With one hand, he pushed up her skirt, finding that Trista wasn’t wearing any underwear.
“Oh my God, you are so hot right now.”
Trista arched her back as Riker settled between her legs. He ran his tongue over her swollen clit. “You taste so sweet.” He pulled her clit into his mouth and sucked, causing her to slip into complete ecstasy. Just when she thought she couldn’t take anymore, he slipped his finger inside while licking her up and down, tasting every inch of her, sending her world into an explosion of vibrant colors.
“I’ve missed you.” He stripped off his jeans in record time and lowered himself back over her. She could feel the tip of his shaft penetrate her as he pushed up against her. Trista opened her legs even more as Riker slipped easily inside. She cried out in ecstasy as he plunged deeper.
Grabbing a handful of his hair, she held on as he continued to pump with long, steady strokes. He threw his head back, letting out a groan as he began to pick up the pace, moving faster and faster. She picked up her hips and ground against him, meeting his every thrust.
“You’re so fucking incredible. I love the way you feel, Trista,” Riker said as he moved inside of her.
“I can’t hold back any longer,” she answered, as a crashing wave of pleasure swept over her. She cried out his name as she came.
He let out a roar as he plunged inside of her one last time, and then fell on top of her.
“I’ve missed you,” she whispered in his ear. She stroked his hair while he was still on top of her, breathing heavily.
“You have no idea how much I’ve missed you,” he finally said, catching his breath. He kissed her on the neck before easing out. He rolled over and tucked his arms behind his head on the pillow. “Are you done with work?”
Trista nodded, swallowing her guilty conscience. “For now. I’m hoping to get some more projects.”
“Sounds like a perfect time for a little vacation.”
“Oh yeah? Where did you have in mind?”
“Key West.”
Trista scooched over, and nuzzled her head against Riker’s arm. “What’s in the Keys?”
“The Bar.”
Trista laughed. “What bar?”
“Not just any bar. The Bar. That’s the name of it.”
“You want to go all the way to the Keys to visit a bar? We have plenty of them here in Blue Mountain.”
“My friend, Stan Hayes, owns The Bar. He called me last night and asked me if I wanted to buy it. He recently got married and is moving back to Panama City.”
Trista lifted her head and stared at Riker. “You’re serious?”
“Cross my heart.” He made the motion with his fingers over his chest. “I’ve always loved the Keys. And it’s a great opportunity. He’s selling it dirt cheap.”
“Maybe there’s something wrong with it?”
“I doubt it. The Bar is the most popular hangout in the area.” Riker kissed her on top of her nose. “So what do you say? Want to go check it out with me?”
“Wait a minute. You’re serious. You want to buy a bar in the Keys? Like, move down there permanently?”
He nodded. “I’d love for you to come with me.”
“Riker. I don’t know if I can do that.” She thought about the job in New York. Long distance relationships almost never worked. “I have my career to think about.”
“Miami isn’t that far away. I’ve been doing my research. They do a lot of filming down there. There’s a ton of studios for your voice-over work. Plus with the international airport, you can pretty much fly anywhere you need to be at a moment’s notice.”
Trista knew this was as good a time as any to tell him about New York. He didn’t understand the way her business worked. She couldn’t just up and move to Miami or the Keys. She had to go where the work was, and right now, there was nothing in South Florida that was appealing to her.
On the other hand, she was falling in love with Riker and that scared her. It scared her a lot. Her last relationship hadn’t ended so well. Not that she thought
Riker was anything like Blake. Plus, she still had to deal with the emotional fall-out from Nicolette once she learned of her and Riker’s relationship. No, now was not the time to deal with all this. She hadn’t heard anything back from her agent, anyway. She shook all the thoughts from her head.
Riker took her chin in his hand and gently turned her to face him. “What’s wrong, Trista? I can see those wheels turning in that pretty little head of yours.”
She put on a smile. “Since when can you see inside of my head?” she teased him. “When do you want to go?”
“We can fly down there after rehearsals on Saturday. Come back Monday or Tuesday night. I already have Big Dave covering my shifts at the Liar’s Club.”
Trista thought about getting the call regarding the job on Broadway. When she left New York, they still hadn’t made a final decision on casting. Kate told her it may take a few days before they heard anything. As far as she knew, they could be looking at other actresses. What if she had to leave again at a moment’s notice? She could always call her agent and let her know that she was going on a quick trip. Worst-case scenario, she could make an excuse to fly home early and catch a flight from Miami.
“It’ll be fun.” Riker pulled Trista closer to him. “Besides we can have some alone time without worrying about Nicolette or anyone else seeing us. I know of this little island down there that we can stay at a night or two. It’s totally secluded. Adults only.”
Trista couldn’t say no to Riker. Getting away from Blue Mountain Beach and the drama with her sister would be refreshing. Besides it would give her the perfect chance to tell him about her plans for moving to New York. Whether she got the job or not, she thought the move would be the best thing for her if she still wanted a career in acting. If he loved her, they could make it work.
Trista stretched out. “Are you going to help me pack?”
Riker said, “Just throw a couple bikinis in your bag. And a toothbrush. That’s all you need.” He glanced at the clock on the nightstand. “We need to get going if we are going to make rehearsals tonight.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
After rehearsal was over, Trista drove home. When she pulled up to the house, she saw a familiar car in the driveway. An old, dark-green Ford F-150 pickup truck that needed a good wash and detail job. She smiled to herself. What a surprise to come home to. The front door was unlocked, and she let herself inside.
“Trista? Is that you?”
A plump gentleman with thick grey hair and an olive complexion came walking toward her.
“Dad! What a surprise!” Trista gave her father a hug. “I thought you were gone until the end of the month.”
“When I heard my little girl had moved back home, I decided to cut my trip short.” He returned her hug and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “It is so good to see you.”
“You too, Dad.”
“Where’s your sister? I’ve been trying to call her all day.”
“She didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“She moved out.”
“What? When?”
“A few days ago. She’s buying a new house.”
“I knew that. But I thought she was doing renovations first.”
“Well…” Trista shrugged.
“You two had another falling out?”
She pushed her index finger and thumb close together. “A little one.”
“All I ever wanted was for you girls to get along…”
“Sam?” A woman’s voice called out. “Where are you?”
Trista looked around, startled. “Who’s that?”
“Madeline! I’m in the living room. Come here and meet Trista.”
“Dad?” Trista asked again.
“A very nice lady who I met while on vacation in Greece.”
“She came home with you?” Trista whispered.
Madeline came into view. She was an attractive lady in her late sixties with rich auburn hair and hazel eyes. The first thing Trista noticed was that Madeline wore hot-pink lipstick, which matched her hot-pink pantsuit and shoes. Instead of clashing with her reddish-blonde hair, she somehow made it work. Lots of gold bangles jingled on both of her arms when she hugged Trista.
“Your dad has told me so much about you and your sister…I feel like I already know you.”
“I wish I could say the same about you,” Trista said, laughing.
Her dad shot her a warning look. “Words cannot describe this beautiful lady, Trista. I thought you girls should meet her in person.”
An awkward silence ensued for a moment. Trista stared between Madeline and her father. Even though she hadn’t seen her father in a while, it was not like him to bring home a woman he had just met. However, it was his life—who was she to interfere? She had enough problems going on without adding her dad and his new fling to it.
Her father cleared his throat. “I thought we could all have dinner together.”
It was just then that Trista noted the smell of garlic and tomatoes wafting through the house.
“I hope you haven’t eaten yet.”
“No, actually I’m starving.”
“I’m calling your sister again. I want her to come meet Madeline as well.”
Good luck with that. She wondered if Nicolette had come by and cleaned out her closet yet. She watched as her father dialed the number.
“Why don’t we go have a glass of wine? Sit outside on the deck and talk?” Madeline said.
Something about Madeline rubbed Trista the wrong way. This was her house. Shouldn’t she be offering Madeline a glass of wine? “Okay,” Trista answered. “I’m just going to freshen up. I’ll meet you outside.”
As she ran up the stairs, she heard her father talking to Nicolette. Arguing with her was more like it. She didn’t need to hear the outcome of the conversation. She knew her dad would give Nicolette no choice but to come over and eat dinner. Nicolette couldn’t say no to her father any more than Trista could.
Trista stopped on the second floor and peeked into Nicolette’s room. Everything looked the same. She opened the closet door. It was empty. So she had officially moved out.
What would Nicolette’s reaction be when she told her about Riker? Now that she wasn’t living here, it was probably as good a time as any to tell her. There was also a good possibility they would never speak again after having that conversation. Was that a chance she was willing to take?
“Everything okay?” A voice behind her startled Trista. She turned to find her father standing in the doorway.
Trista quickly shut the closet door. “Um, yeah. Everything is fine.”
“Are you doing okay?”
Trista shook her head. Tears welled up in her eyes. Her father walked over and gave her a hug.
“I know things haven’t been easy on you, baby girl.” He continued to hold her in his arms. “I don’t have to tell you that it’s going to take some time with Nicolette.” He pulled back and took her face in his hands. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not really.”
“Why don’t you go freshen up? Have that glass of wine with Madeline while I get dinner on the table. We’ll talk about everything in the morning.”
“Okay.” She looked up at her father, and he planted a kiss on her forehead.
***
Trista was getting to know Madeline. They were working on their third glass of wine when she heard voices coming from inside.
“It sounds like your sister is here,” Madeline said.
They both stood up from the couch. Trista took one last view of the gulf. The waves were growing as storm clouds threatened the horizon. Angry black clouds were gathering with quickening speed. The wind was picking up and blew the unlatched screen door shut with a loud thud. Trista secured the latch as they walked by.
“Even with the storm approaching, the gulf is still beautiful. There’s something about its quiet strength and determination to thrive under all kinds of conditions. Have you ever noticed how go
rgeous the beach is after a tropical storm? There’s a kind of peace and serenity,” Madeline observed.
Trista took one last look at the beach and nodded. She wasn’t sure what message Madeline was trying to convey to her. “Let’s take this inside. Smells like dinner’s ready.” Hearing Nicolette’s voice, she wondered what kind of mood her sister was in tonight.
When she arrived inside, she found another surprise guest in the living room with her father. Riker. He was standing next to Nicolette.
What the hell is going on?
“We have another guest for dinner,” her father said. “Trista, have you meet Nicolette’s boyfriend yet?”
Trista stopped dead in her tracks. What the hell was Riker doing here? After rehearsal was over, he said he was going home to pack for their trip. His last words were, “See ya in the morning, babe.” So what the hell was he doing in her kitchen? With her sister?
Nicolette pulled Riker closer to her. “Dad, they’ve met before. Remember I told you about James’s surprise birthday party? The night that Trista arrived in town?”
“Right. I just forgot. Your old man is getting old. Well, Madeline hasn’t met him yet.”
Trista watched as Madeline’s eyes lit up. She was staring Riker up and down like he was going to be the meal tonight.
“Nice to meet you, James.” She glanced at Nicolette. “What a catch, dear.”
Trista could feel her blood boiling. Her sister didn’t even try to explain that Riker wasn’t her boyfriend anymore. And Riker didn’t even bother to correct her. It also grated her nerves that Nicolette called Riker by his first name. It sounded so formal…not at all like the person he was. Nicolette gave Trista a smirkish grin. Just what the fuck was happening here? She waited for Riker to say something. Anything. He definitely looked uncomfortable.
“Well, let’s eat.” Her dad pointed to the spread on the dining room table. It was covered with all kinds of delectable Italian dishes. Spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, Italian pork sausages, garlic bread, and salad. Normally a nice home-cooked meal like this would whet Trista’s appetite. Her dad was known for his legendary Italian dishes. But instead her stomach was tied in knots. She felt sick. All the wine she had just drunk was going straight to her head—muddling her thoughts and fueling her desire to beat the shit out of her sister and give Riker a good ass-kicking as well.
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