by Pamela Ann
I chose a tight-fitted dress that matched my eyes along with some spanking hot designer nude rivet pumps. My blonde hair hung loose and I teased it to look like tousled beach hair. The tight dress made my C-cups pronounced with ample cleavage and the back of the dress had a big U-shape that stopped right above my butt.
Yes, tonight I planned to rock it with a lot of pizzazz.
“The best kind of revenge is to let him see how strong and beautiful you are, with or without him.”
~Emma Anderson
Chapter Twenty-Eight
When the girls finally saw me, Lindsey and Trista whistled.
“You know, if I were a lesbian, I’d be humping you right now,” Trista declared. Linds and I both laughed.
“Come on, ladies. Let’s go find Trista a super sexy man to get over Harry the asshat,” Lindsey said as she opened the door to let us out.
Once we got to the party, Carter immediately sought me out like a horny teenager. “Em, you’re doing a good job torturing me. I want to hide you from the gawking eyes of all the guys here. Fuck, you look hot as hell.”
Yeah, you can gawk some more if you want. Just gawk, but nothing more.
“You played well tonight. Congratulations.” I avoided his eyes while I took a sip of my mai tai and looked around the throng of people.
Lindsey was in one corner having an argument with Cooper while Brody watched from afar. What was going on with those three? Didn’t she say that she didn’t want to date Brody and she wouldn’t date Cooper because of his fuck up in Tahoe with Cece?
My eyes darted to Trista who was busy dancing with a guy on the dance floor. Seeing her that way made me happy. She definitely deserved more than that douchebag Harry.
However, the burst of happiness suddenly left me when I turned to see Carter still standing next to me. My eyes connected to his; they were devouring me, but he refrained from touching me.
After two hours and a half a dozen mixed drinks, Carter was still stuck to me, tagging along like my bodyguard. When guys wanted to talk or ask me to dance, Carter stepped in like a rabid dog.
“Why don’t you go and celebrate? Why are you stuck to me?” I asked with annoyance.
“I am celebrating, with you.”
I rolled my eyes at that. Could he be any cheesier? I downed the rest of my mojito and spoke, “Well, I’m going to go find a guy to dance with. Laters!”
When I saw a hot blond guy at the bar, I darted towards him. This would be the first time I’ve ever asked a guy to dance, but after all the alcohol I consumed, all of my inhibitions were thrown out the window. I tapped his shoulder and the hot blond spun around. He smiled when he saw me.
“Will you be a dear and be my knight and shining armor tonight? Dance with me?” I asked and playfully bit my lip.
His hazel eyes lit up. “A hot, blonde bombshell asking me to dance? I’m honored.”
I pulled him towards the dance floor and started to dance. The sexy man leaned into my ear and whispered, “I think I’ve seen you before, but I can’t remember where.” Not that stupid magazine again. I opened my mouth to say no, but he kept on going, “Did you happen to be at a club with Bass Cole and a group of his friends recently? I’m Taylor, one of his best friends. I’m almost a hundred percent sure that it was you. You’ve got one of those faces that are hard to forget.”
FUCKING SHIT.
“Oh, right, Taylor.” What the hell? I knew I was drunk with Bass that night, but still… I vaguely remembered meeting him and I did remember Bass telling me they were like brothers and always looked out for each other.
“Emma Anderson, right?” He even knew my last name? Shit.
“Yes, that’s right. How are you?” Taylor then pulled me off the dance floor and found a spot where we could talk.
“Aren’t you going to film with Bass next month? He’s actually here tonight in L.A., but he heads out to London tomorrow.” Why was he telling me this?
Bass Cole, will I ever fucking forget you?
“Yeah, I’ll be seeing him in Greece.” Before Taylor had a chance to respond, Carter stepped in.
“Try another chick, bud. She’s taken.” Carter looked serious as hell. I certainly was not taken. Carter could just shove his blasted jealousy somewhere else.
Taylor just gave him a jovial smile, but stuck his knife quite nicely at Carter. “It’s not like that at all. Emma and I were just catching up since the last time I saw her a few months ago with Bass. I’m heading out to Bass’s house right now. By the way, Emma, I’ll be visiting the set in Greece. I’ll see you then. Take care.” Taylor walked off, leaving me with Carter.
Bass’s house… I loved that house. I missed that stupid house.
“Can we talk in private?” Carter looked at me while I contemplated his question.
I looked at Carter for a minute, deciding if I should go with him or not. Seeing how his mood deflated after I danced with Taylor, I obliged. “Lead the way.”
Safe in the confines of his bedroom, I sat on a chaise lounge that overlooked the ocean.
“Thank you for coming to my game. It meant a lot to me that you showed up.” Carter stood across from me.
“Don’t worry about it. It wasn’t a big deal.” It was and it wasn’t.
“So, you’re leaving in a month?” he asked.
I nodded. “Why?”
What he asked next surprised me. “Are you planning on being with Bass?”
Well… Bass… who knows? Bass touched something inside me and that alone made me hesitant. If I hooked up with Bass, would I come out of it sane? I doubted it. He would consume me. “Right now? No, but will it change once we start spending more time together? I don’t have the answer to that, Carter.”
He sat across from me, too close for my liking, but I didn’t move either. “Emma, thoughts of another guy touching you intimately drives me mental.”
Well, geez. Insert eye roll. “Good, at least you have the luxury of just using your imagination. I, on the other hand, got to watch it in HD, including groaning and moaning in surround sound, with not one, but fucking five women. So, no, you don’t get to complain to me about your tormented thoughts of me fucking Bass.”
“Dammit, Em!” What I spouted off made him mad, but it was the truth.
I should have pushed him away when his lips pressed on mine, but I didn’t. There was only one word to describe Carter’s kiss—desperate. It was like he wanted to erase all the bad things he’d ever done to me. No matter how much he wished it though, it was not going to happen.
“I want you… I want to be inside you. Let me in, Emma.” Was it wrong that I was a wee bit tempted to say yes? Was it wrong that I got wet kissing him?
“No, Carter. You’re not just going to say sorry and slide back home like nothing happened.”
Carter’s forehead touched mine, breathing in agony. “Will you give me another shot when you get back from filming? I will change and wait for you, Em.”
“I don’t think you and I will ever happen again. I honestly don’t think I could handle it.”
“When you get back, I’ll be waiting for you. I don’t care if you’re with Bass by then. I will fight for you, Em, and I won’t stop until you’re mine again. You may believe that we’re over, but you and I will never be over, even if you want us to be.” His words hung in the air.
I looked back at the man who I’d loved, the man that broke my heart. When my eyes met his, his sincerity and tenacity showed through the darken depths… and in that moment, I had an inkling that what he said might be true.
“The secret of success is learning how to use pain and pleasure instead of having pain and pleasure use you. If you do that, you’re in control of your life. If you don’t, life controls you.”
~Tony Tobbins
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Are you ready?” Barbara asked me, eyeing me like I was a little girl.
“Ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.” There was nothing that could soothe my nerves.
Barbara checked me in at the W Hotel to stay for the night before I left for Greece the next day. We were in the living room in my suite, enjoying refreshments as we went over essential last-minute details.
“You have a spa appointment in a few hours. Bass is in Europe doing his rounds of interviews for a movie he filmed before KOC. He should be joining the rest of the cast in a few days. That kid is always jumping from one city to another. I don’t know how he does it.” Barbara Schwartz leaned back and looked at me.
“How is Bass? I haven’t spoken to him in a while.” Okay, it was more like five months, but who cares?
“Not on speaking terms, are we? I knew something was up, but I didn’t want to press you about it. Moving on, I have the ‘scene list’ and your sleeping arrangement.” Barbara cleared her throat as she pulled a sheet of cream paper from a folder and handed it to me.
The ‘scene list’ was actually a list of what type of material I would prefer during the nude scenes with Spiros and Logan. Ha!
“Do you know who will be playing Spiros? You haven’t mentioned him yet.”
“Of course, his name is Dimitris Kosta. He’s Greece’s equivalent to our Bass Cole.”
“Oh.”
“Precisely—the man is a total charmer. Be wise, will you, Emma?” Barbara sounded worried.
“About me and Dimitris?” Christ. I didn’t know if I should be insulted. I was certainly not a loose cannon.
“Oh, don’t look offended. That wasn’t my intention. All I’m saying is that you will be stuck in this place for months! You will be spending a crazy amount of time filming, not to mention the sex scenes that will happen—hormones will be jumping around. The men… they will need to release… and hunt for their chosen meal. We’re only human and there will be times—how do you put it? Hmm… like you will be tempted to just let go and be reckless. All I’m saying is BE safe. And if it does happen… don’t forget to take those birth control pills on a daily basis. I mean it, Emma. No unwanted pregnancies when you’re barely making a dent in your career. I can have my assistant call you on a daily basis to remind you.”
Geez, seriously? “Barbara, both of my parents are doctors. My mom’s a gynecologist and she never failed to drill the safe sex speech into my head. I do love babies, but I’m not ready for that. You have nothing to worry about. I guarantee it, okay?”
“Good. Moving on… read through the scene list and circle what you prefer. Of course, it would be best to discuss that with Bass and Dimitris beforehand. Do you need Shiva to come here and practice running your lines together?” Gosh, I knew I was new, but my memory wasn’t lagging. I think the past months with Shiva would suffice. I needed a break from him—even if it was for only a day or two.
“I’m fine. I want to go shopping before my spa appointment. I need to grab a few things before tomorrow.” I huffed out a sigh and took a sip of my iced water.
“I informed Martin’s assistant, Jack, about your sleeping arrangement. You did say you wanted to stay in a cottage?”
I had the option of staying in one of the twenty cottages around the area or have a room in the villa. The thirty room villa would be too crowded for me and I wanted to be alone. I couldn’t wait to wake up greeted by the breathtaking beauty of the Aegean Sea. “Yes, I’d much rather stay in a cottage.”
Barbara ate a bite-sized cannoli then dabbed a napkin on her pristine red-painted lips. “I did tell Jack that. He said that a lot of the crew chose to stay in the cottages, too. Jack said he would try to secure you your own cottage, but since we submitted the request late he can’t guarantee it.”
“I understand. I apologize it took me a while to get back to you about that. It’s been hectic with finals and all.” Excuses, excuses.
Barbara gave me a curt nod. “Just make sure that doesn’t happen again because in this business, everything changes and shifts in the blink of an eye. Your phone is your salvation. Keep it close to you at all times. Little things like this are essential, Emma. You must understand that.”
I was trying to, but I would try harder. “I will, Barbara. Trust me, I will. I take everything that is related to work very seriously.”
That promise earned me a pretty smile. “That’s more like it. I don’t want to work with a harebrained actress. As long as you stick with that work ethic, you and I will get on just fine, Emma. Bass and I have a brilliant working relationship and I want that with you as well. I see the fire in your eyes—keep that and you will become successful. This movie will make or break you, dear. I don’t underestimate Lombardo’s choice, so I am really aiming for you to become the next ‘it’ in Hollywood. Just as long as you don’t get too caught up with all the trappings of drugs and sex scandals, you’re going to do fine.”
“Huh? Well, I don’t plan to scandalize all of America with my crotch, thank you.” I only want to be recognized as a good actress… not a porn star.
“Splendid, then I suppose I will run along. I will check on you in a week or so. Have a safe trip.” Barbara got up and gave me a quick hug.
Chanel No.5 hit me full blast. Goodness, did the woman bathe herself in it? A spritz or two should suffice, not the entire damn bottle!
“Thank you. I’ll speak to you soon!” I gave her a tight smile and watched her saunter towards the door.
I groaned when the door shut behind her. I went inside my room and hunted down my purse. If there was one thing that would help ease my nerves it was shopping. I guessed I could splurge a little bit. I had been partially paid and that amount was sitting in my bank account. I supposed a dent on the amount wouldn’t destroy me, so why not be fanciful?
Rodeo Drive and Robertson Boulevard here I come!
~E~
After a long eleven hour plane ride from Los Angeles to London, I was beyond ready to fall in my bed and snore the night away once we checked in at The Dorchester Hotel for the night. I was dreading the flight to Greece tomorrow–I was sick of airplanes!
Once inside my room, I pulled out my phone and sent a mass text message to my family and friends.
Me: Just checked in @ the Dorchester H and I’m pooped! I will get in touch once I land in Greece. Love all you peeps!
During the plane ride, I had a lovely chat with Ross Maitland. She had that whole warm, motherly feel to her that reminded me of my own mother. It didn’t take much time for us to start chatting about her kids and what I should expect for my first time being in a movie. She was very reassuring and I was glad when she didn’t question me about Bass.
For the past few months, I’d been keeping track of Bass through gossip magazines and websites. Pathetic, I knew. I didn’t want to, but at the same time, my curiosity was killing me. I wanted to know what he had been up to since I couldn’t bring myself to call or even text him. After all, I didn’t hear from him either, so why make the big gesture? Because… because you’ve been dying to hear from him?
~E~
Once we deplaned and I saw the island of Aspasia, I was in love. My God, this little island was a beautiful piece of heaven with miles and miles of beautiful white sand and the clearest, bluest water I’d ever seen. This island was going to be my home for the next few months…hell yes!
“Welcome to Aspasia,” a young tanned girl, somewhere in her late teens, greeted us. She stood next to a small circular table with iced lemonade.
There were fifteen six-seater, pimped-out golf carts and three Jeeps with matching uniformed drivers in each. I assumed the Jeeps were for the equipment and luggage.
“Will you be staying at the villa?” David Shilling asked me. Some of the people took their drinks and left with their assigned ride.
I shook my head. “Nah, I’m staying in one of the cottages. I want to be close to the beach.”
Ross Maitland laughed. “You young kids! See you during dinnertime then.”
We grabbed our iced beverages and said our thanks to the smiling girl. “See you guys then!”
With a quick wave, I walked towards the cart that said ‘
Ms. Emma Anderson.’ Wow, how cool was that?
“Herete, I’m Anaxos and I will be driving you to your cottage,” a man in his fifties greeted me with superb hospitality.
“Hello. That would be lovely, thank you.” I gave him a bright smile before I slid into the second row of seats.
I took in the breathtaking scenery on the ride to the cottage. They were right on the shore and the wide pathways were lined with beautiful, colorful flowers and boulders. I could see the expanse of the villa, which sat atop a hill from afar. We passed a few of them on the way to mine and it seemed that they were half a mile apart. I had no idea why they called them cottages when they looked like freaking dream houses. They were all white with hot pink bougainvilleas crowding them. They were perfect!
About ten minutes later, Anaxos finally stopped at the end of the pathway in front of a cottage that looked a little bigger than the other ones we passed by. While the smaller ones looked like they had two bedrooms, this one looked like it had four.
Excited, I hopped out of the cart. “Thank you, Anaxos.”
He gave me a toothy smile. “No problem, despoinida. Here is your key and your luggage will be delivered to you very soon. Enjoy the beautiful islands of Greece. Have a good day.” I gave him a quick wave before he jumped back in the cart and drove off.
Bubbles of excitement rushed through me as I used my key to open the cottage. The moment I walked in, a stunning view of the Aegean Sea greeted me from behind floor to ceiling windows. There was a glass door across the room that led to a large, shaded patio with an all-white pergola adorned with the twining hot pink bougainvilleas. I strolled towards it and opened the door to check it out. There was an outdoor rattan canopy bed, a table for six and lounge chairs were scattered around. There was even a pathway to the beach. I moved over to the white cement railing and took a long whiff of the sea air.