by Julia Bright
“Hello, Andrew, I was about to call you.”
“There are photos of you dropping Zach off at rehab.”
His heart stalled for a moment. “Yeah, I had to.”
“Good call. The studio executives saw it and called first thing this morning. They want to talk to you today. The photos of you and Rose moving in to the house together plus you forcing Zach to clean up made you look good enough. We’ll be taking a meeting at one. Be prepared and look good. Don’t bring Rose to this meeting, maybe a dinner later on, but we need her to go through media training before then. So, here’s the schedule. Rose is heading to media training at ten this morning. She’ll be in training all day. You’re coming here at noon and we’ll eat a quick lunch while we talk strategy. I’ll have the clothes I want you to wear here. It looks like it’s happening.”
His heart stalled and his head buzzed. The news was amazing and he had to clench the phone tighter or risk dropping it. “Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
“Thank God. You know, though, I didn’t take Zach in for show.”
“I know. If it had been for show, you would have arranged to have a photographer there. The photo was snapped by some unknown. You did the right thing and got lucky. It could have gone south, but it didn’t. I’ll see you at noon, and be ready to say yes.”
“I will, and thank you. Bye, see you at noon.”
“What’s going on?” Before Rose took a sip of coffee, he noted that her lips were turned down in a frown, and her brows were pinched together, almost as if she were worried.
“You have media training at ten.”
Rose set her coffee cup down, her gaze steady on him. “What?”
“It’s something every actress or model who’ll be in the public eyes needs to go through. When I signed on with Andrew, he made me do his media training class. It’s good. Don’t sweat it. You’ll enjoy the day. I have a meeting with the studio executives who are making decisions about the part I want. I think I might just get it.”
Rose’s lips started to curve up into a smile, and it was the best thing he’d ever seen. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah, I am.”
“Wow, so you might get the part and then all of this will be over.”
He was about to answer, to tell her that he didn’t want it to be over when her phone rang. She picked it up and her brows pinched together.
“Sorry, it’s my mom. I need to get it.”
He would tell her later that he didn’t want her to go. He didn’t want this to all be over. One day of living together wasn’t enough to make a decision, but he really wanted to spend more time with her. She was fun to be around, and he was very attracted to her. His plans of making love all day had been washed away, but tonight, he would make sure she understood how much he wanted her in his life.
Chapter Twenty-One
Rose had been avoiding talking to her mom. If she told her the pregnancy was a lie, she knew her mom well enough to know she’d tell everyone the truth. Her mom just couldn’t hold on to a lie. She always said they were too slippery for her.
“Mom, hey, I was meaning to call you today.”
“Really? You’re pregnant and I have to find out from Betty-Sue’s son’s new wife down at The Pig? You really didn’t think calling me and telling me that my first grandchild was being brought into this world was important?”
Her mother was never going to forgive her if she found out the truth. “I’m sorry I didn’t call earlier. Really, I wasn’t telling anyone.”
“Cam Harris?” her mom screeched. “Isn’t he a little wild?”
“Mom, I’m happy.” And that wasn’t a lie. Being in Cam’s arms last night had been the happiest night of her life. She’d never experienced that type of bliss ever.
“So you’re living together now? When is the wedding?”
Her mother would go for the wedding angle. “We’re taking things slow.”
“Obviously not slow enough. You know they have things to prevent that type of thing. You can buy them at the drug store or supermarket.”
An ache set up behind her eyes. “Yes, ma’am.”
“You aren’t going to go get you one of those abortions, now, are you?”
“No, ma’am.” The ache morphed into a full-blown throbbing mess. She was going to hell. Her mom would be pissed about this deception. She hadn’t understood why Rose had wanted to move to California, much less Hollywood. Her mom didn’t get why she’d stayed so long either, and maybe Rose should have left earlier. The city had sucked Rose in. The people were weird, fun, amazing, and crazy. Growing up in South Carolina, the population had been so small she’d not seen the variety of people out there. Here, she saw it all. And she loved watching people as they gawked at movie stars, saw the sights, and enjoyed the city. One of her favorite activities was to head out to Santa Monica pier and watch it all unfold as the sun set.
When she’d first arrived in town, she’d spent hours people watching. Of course, now she didn’t spend as much time doing that activity since she worked and had to make ends meet. Maybe once this all blew over she’d go back to watching everyone be crazy in downtown Hollywood or out on the beach.
“I don’t understand you, girl. You should have packed up and come home long ago. That place is going to fall off into the ocean soon and where will you be?”
“Mom, I’m fine. I have a meeting this morning so I need to let you go.”
“I hope you send me a note before you get married.”
She hated that she had to lie to her mom. If her mother ever found out the truth, she would be so pissed Rose would never hear the end of it. “I will. I love you.”
“Love you, darling. Be careful. There are a lot of crazy people out there.”
“I promise I’ll be careful. Bye.” Rose hung up and checked the time. She had an hour to shower, dress, and get into town. She went looking for Cam, but he wasn’t in the house. She found a note on the refrigerator saying that he’d gone for a run.
When she’d arrived, she’d unloaded her things in the small bedroom, thinking that she and Cam wouldn’t even be sleeping together, but after last night, she questioned what their status was. She wasn’t going to overthink it though. Cam had been amazing. Maybe they wouldn’t last past a few weeks, or maybe even days, but she was going to enjoy whatever time they had together.
Once at Andrew’s office, she was whisked into a small conference room and told to stay. A woman walked in about ten minutes later and set her bag on the table. She stared at Rose, her eyes narrowed a bit then her lips pursed together.
“First off, you’re sitting all wrong.”
Rose bristled and sucked in a breath. Today was going to suck if this was how it would go. Cam had told her it wouldn’t be bad, but if the first words out of this woman’s mouth were any indication, Rose was screwed.
“Let’s start from the beginning. Come to the door with me, and we’ll begin this meeting properly.”
Rose stood and moved to the door of the conference room, stepping outside when the woman waved her hand to the hall, indicating that she should go outside.
The woman stuck out her hand and smiled. “Hello, I’m Janice Moore. I’m pleased to meet you.” Rose hesitated, unsure what she should say. Janice lifted her brows. “This is where you speak.”
“I’m sorry. You’ve just thrown me off.”
“The media is harsh and unforgiving. They aren’t going to cut you any breaks. They will rip you to shreds. I’m here to toughen you up and give you an edge when dealing with the bastards. Go down the hall about ten feet then turn around and approach me as you would if you and Mr. Harris were heading into a meeting.”
Rose nodded and walked away, turning about ten feet away. She pasted on a bright smile and approached Janice.
“Hello, I’m Janice Moore. I’m pleased to meet you.”
“Thank you, I’m Rose Finley. It’s great to meet you.” Rose’s voice wavered on the last few words. She’d never felt
so insecure and Janice wasn’t helping. Maybe she was too much of a hick to make it in Hollywood and that was why no one had ever picked her for a part.
“Be confident. You’re gorgeous, smart, and you have Cam Harris by your side. Do it again.”
Rose retraced her steps, turning and walking toward Janice. When Janice stuck out her hand, Rose tripped on her own feet, having to reach out and grab onto Janice’s hand to keep from falling. She burst into tears that were big and ugly. After a few seconds, they turned into sobbing hiccups that made her chest hurt.
Janice sighed and led her into the conference room, shutting the door. The woman retrieved a glass of water and pointed to a chair. Rose felt like she’d been demoted. She couldn’t handle the stress of even walking in a door. It would be best for Cam to realize how much of a klutz and a fool she was and leave her before she ruined everything.
“Rose, look at me.”
She lifted her chin, letting one more sob escape her lips before she forced herself to calm. With her hands curled into balls in her lap, she tried desperately to stop the crying.
“I’ve worked with worse. You’re pregnant and hormonal, but out there, with the lights shining on you, you can’t be emotional. You have to be smooth all the time. It’s stressful, but you have to find a way to handle that stress. Cry now, because I’m forgiving. I won’t print stories about how you can’t handle the pressure. In here, we’re going to teach you how to handle everything.”
Rose drew in a quick breath and spoke, hating that her voice was so shaky. “Have you really had to deal with worse than me?”
“Please, I’ve had men in here bawling their eyes out because they couldn’t sit right.”
She blew out a breath and hiccupped again. “Oh.”
“You’re doing fine. Just keep it up.”
“Thank you.”
“Okay, since you’re sitting, let’s deal with how you sit.”
Rose nodded, hoping she could get this all straight and make Cam proud. He was already having to put up with so much from her. He didn’t need more pressure. Being presentable was the least she could do to help Cam.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The knot in Cam’s stomach didn’t lessen at all. It wasn’t the pancakes, though eating heavy wasn’t something he could do every day. He appreciated the fact that Rose had cooked for him, but they would have to have a talk about his nutrition plan going into this movie. Maybe it would be easier once he got the part and they sent a nutritional counselor to his place to talk about his weight and body fat percentage and what foods he had to avoid.
Andrew was in the lobby when he arrived, and if the smile on his face was any indication about what was going on, Cam would walk out of the offices today happy.
“Rose is doing great. Janice said there were a few tears, but Rose is holding her own.”
Cam glanced down the hall, worry filling him. He hated that Janice had made her cry. Maybe he shouldn’t have told Rose media training would be easy. He’d almost shed tears too when Janice had yelled at him, but he’d already had media training with his other agent, though that had been easy compared to what Janice had put him through.
Andrew patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t feel bad. Janice said you cried too.”
His gaze snapped to Andrew. “I did not.”
Andrew rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Don’t lie.”
“Fine, I cried a little bit. She’s a hard woman to please.”
“Rose is tough. She’ll do good. They’re eating lobster and soup along with bruschetta. For dessert, Janice is bringing in dipping chocolate and bananas along with marshmallows and strawberries too.”
Cam shook his head. “All of the hard to eat stuff.”
“Yes, difficult but it’s delicious. Plus, they have cupcakes and ice cream if she does well with the dipping chocolate. It makes up for the pain of having Janice watching your every move.” Andrew tapped Melissa’s desk. “When the food arrives for us, we’re ready.”
“Sure, boss. I think the guy just got here. I received a text that he was leaving the restaurant five minutes ago and someone was just buzzed up.”
“Thank you. You ordered yourself something, right?”
“Of course. I love their food. And your car will be ready twenty minutes before one. I’ll make sure to buzz you five minutes before that. I have my alarms set.”
“Thank you. While we’re gone, make sure to get out and at least walk around the block. You could take the company card and grab a coffee.”
Melissa smiled and lifted to her toes, brushing a kiss over his cheek. “Thank you, you’re the best boss I’ve ever had.”
“You work hard and it’s not fair to keep you from your lunch hour. I appreciate you staying to help us out.”
Cam had never asked, but he wondered if Melissa and Andrew had a thing. It wasn’t obvious, but there were little things, like the small kiss, that made him question. She shooed them toward Andrew’s office, and Cam had the urge to go search for Rose, but he knew what they were doing was important. Just like his meeting with Andrew was important.
Once the door was shut to his office, Andrew punched the air with his fist then tugged Cam into a tight hug. Andrew’s actions were making his emotions swell and his throat close. Air froze in his lungs and he had to bite his lip to keep from freaking out.
“Tell me,” Cam said.
Excitement zinged through him. “They really want you.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I have no doubt that when we walk out of there today, you’ll have a verbal agreement. Tomorrow will be contract negotiation day, and then the work starts. You have to do a dry read today.”
“Oh God, I hate dry run-throughs.”
The door opened and Melissa stepped in with food. She set the bags on the table in the corner of Andrew’s office and left quickly. Cam didn’t know if he could eat and was glad when he opened the to-go box and found a salad with grilled chicken strips.
They sat at the table and Andrew started eating before he looked up and smiled at Cam. “You know you have this.”
He finished chewing his bite before answering. “I’m scared.”
“If you weren’t nervous, I would be worried. You can do this. This is what you’ve been practicing for. You can wow them. You wowed me. Otherwise, I never would have taken you on as a client. You and your brother have talent, but the guy who brought you into the business sold you short. He put you into a role that anybody could have played. We can look on the bright side though and treat that as your training ground.”
Cam nodded and ate more of the salad. Andrew’s phone buzzed and he answered.
“Sure. Thanks.” Andrew glanced up and was practically vibrating with excitement.
“Are we leaving?”
“Yes. You have time to use the restroom and brush your teeth. Melissa has the clothes you’re to wear hanging in the bathroom. It’s show time.”
Cam stood and had to clench his fist to calm himself. “I think you’re more excited by this than I am.”
“You’re nervous. I know you have it.”
Cam nodded and stepped toward the bathroom. “Thanks for everything,” he said before stepping into the bathroom.
The slacks were dark gray and the button-down shirt was a dark blue color. There was also a tie, but no jacket. They wanted him to look professional but not stuffy. He liked what he saw hanging on the back of the door.
He brushed his teeth and used the floss stick Melissa had left out. Once he was dressed, he checked his image in the mirror and shook his head. He seriously looked good, and he prayed he got the film.
The drive to the studio was filled with stress, but Andrew seemed to be relaxing the closer they got. Cam almost couldn’t breathe when the car pulled to a stop outside the studio entrance. He was in the big league, no longer having joke production meetings that were really excuses to look at and touch pretty girls. He’d been an ass when he’d first come to Hollywood, and he prayed hi
s past behavior didn’t sink him.
Security allowed them to drive onto the lot and then they were parked and heading into the main office building. His stomach flipped then his head started pounding. A young woman dressed in a very conservative pantsuit greeted Andrew and him. There was no cleavage showing, no short skirts, no little bitty strips of cloth fighting to cover her. This was a professional studio with professional people.
“Mr. Harris, it’s so nice to meet you. I’m Karla and I’ll be assisting you and Mr. McKellen while you’re here today. If you need anything, please ask. Our first stop will be the restroom and a lounge where you can get a water, or if you’re hungry, we have a few snacks.”
“Thank you, Karla.” Cam followed her up an escalator and into an area that required access with a card. She led them to a public bathroom that was even nicer than the one at Andrew’s office. After using the restroom, Andrew met him at the sink and lifted his brows. Cam washed his hands and then grasped onto the counter. His nerves were too close to the surface to enjoy any of this.
“Relax,” Andrew said.
“Sorry, it’s going to be hard for me to actually relax.”
Andrew patted his shoulder and nodded to the door. “Come on. Let’s go.”
Karla led them to the lounge and offered them a drink. He glanced at the bar, knowing without a doubt he was being tested. After being grouped with his brother for so long, he couldn’t afford to actually drink alcohol during a daytime meeting.
“I’ll take still water,” Cam said.
“Sure.” Karla gave him a smile before turning to the bar and opening a small refrigerator to retrieve a bottle.
“I’ll have the same,” Andrew said.
Karla had just handed them their waters when the door opened and a very tall man with broad shoulders walked in. He was probably a little over six four, maybe six five, and he outweighed Cam by at least forty pounds, but he looked fit. The suit the guy wore fit him perfectly, and Cam didn’t doubt for one second that his clothes had been custom made. He knew without having to be introduced that this was Steven DeContose. The man was the head of the studio and only came in on meetings when they were at the final stages of negotiations.