Sweet Promise (The Grahams Book 1)

by Jennifer Woodhull

  The next scene had me cooking up a sweet chili glaze for salmon. I held up the spoon for Georgia to taste as she stood next to me chopping veg. She made an exaggerated expression of surprise, rounding her full lips into an O shape, and fanning her mouth a little, the red nails of her petite hand flashing back and forth. “Woo, now that’s hot stuff…but I kinda like it!” We looked at each other and laughed. It was for the cameras, but there was something genuine there as well. I was starting to make her more comfortable, and I was relieved that she was beginning to relax. I was beginning to think this could work out after all.

  “Okay, cut!” Ian yelled. “Claudia, can we get them in the jeans and t-shirts? I’d like to put them in the car.”

  “Sure thing, Ian. Georgia, Lucas, could you change into the jeans and t-shirts in the green room? Let’s pick it back up in thirty?”

  Georgia and I walked back to the green room. “Well done you,” I said approvingly as I leaned in close. Her hair grazed her shoulders as she walked, releasing a light, floral scent with undertones of coconut. “Now you’re getting it. Let’s crank it up just a bit, shall we?”

  “Sure thing,” she said, the bounce in her step told me she was feeling better about her performance. “Whatever it takes, right? Should I change first?” She said nodding toward the screen in the corner as we walked into the green room.

  “Do whatever you like,” I said, “you won’t bother me.”

  Georgia stepped behind the screen, cautiously checking first to make sure I wasn’t looking. She continued to slip out of her dress. I couldn’t help but sneak a glance at her silhouette out of the corner of my eye, just for a moment, as I went about changing myself. Her blonde hair was bobbing back and forth as she moved behind the screen. When she stepped back around the screen, the jeans she wore were high-waisted, accentuating her curvy hips and narrow waist. The t-shirt was fitted and short, coming just to the top of the jeans. She stepped into flesh-colored pumps and put on the long red-and-white polka dotted scarf provided for her. As she looked up, she seemed stunned to see me standing there in nothing but a pair of boxer briefs as I perused the clothing items hanging on the rack.

  “What are you doing?!” Georgia exclaimed, staring directly at me, her eyes scanning my body in spite of herself.

  “I’m changing clothes. You were taking too long, and we’re due back on set,” I replied, turning toward her before pulling up the dark jeans I had stepped into. Georgia seemed perturbed by my lack of modesty. Still, I noticed her eyes as they ran down my body and knew she could see what was silhouetted in the front of my shorts. “Pity, though, it looks like you see something you like.” I chuckled as I zipped up the jeans and pulled the t-shirt from the hanger. Her face turned the same shade of red as her scarf, and she stormed out of the room.

  Ian directed us to the convertible as a couple of stagehands turned on some fans at the front of the car, while another turned on something under the car that made it gently rock back and forth as if it were moving. I was behind the wheel with Georgia in the passenger seat, alternating between standing and pointing at imaginary landmarks, and pretending to take photos with a prop camera. We shot several stills with her leaning against the driver’s side door, while I hung over the side. We took turns saying scripted taglines for the filmed segments. Georgia said, “He brings the heat,” and I replied with, “she brings the sweet!” The shots the producers seemed to like best had her leaning in toward the driver’s side with my arm around her. She said, “I’m looking for sweet,” and I replied, “I’m looking for heat,” and we looked at each other and said, “Let’s go!” It was the type of thing they would use for commercial spots or the intro.

  Next, we changed into international-themed costumes. I kept on my jeans and changed into a white shirt with suspenders and arm garters, along with a bowler hat. I decided to give Georgia a break and left her alone in the green room to change. When she stepped out from the green room in a puffy, off-the-shoulder blouse and German barmaid-style dirndl with the pair of tight, jeans and sky-high heels, I almost lost my shit. She was one of those women who made every piece of clothing sexy without even realizing it, but that getup was almost more than I could take. I had to make an adjustment at the sight of her.

  We moved to the ladder and crate vignette to shoot the next segment. Ian asked Georgia to climb up the ladder, and she complied, though the high heels made the process look a bit precarious. I stood beneath her as she plucked imaginary items from above her head and tossed them down to me, smiling and laughing. I acted as if I was catching them and dropping them into a basket. Ian told us they would add in some computer-generated graphics to the clip later, representing foods from different countries we’d be visiting.

  Ian yelled for us to cut, and Georgia started to descend the ladder. As she hit the third step from the top, her heel got caught, and she lost her balance. Her mouth gaped open in a silent scream as she fell. I leaped forward, taking an awkwardly long step and just caught her. As she landed in my arms, her hands gripped my shoulders before sliding around my neck and hanging on for dear life. I froze for a split second with her in my arms and just stared at her. All I could think of was what could have happened if I hadn’t been quick enough. She was so young – so incredibly beautiful, and sweet, and she could easily have broken her neck right then and there. The thought made me feel sick.

  “Alright, I’ve got you.” I smiled down at her as I gained my composure, and she looked up at me, her big eyes soft, and her arms tight around my neck. She felt good – soft and womanly, as I cradled her.

  “Wow,” she said softly. “I-I can’t believe you caught me.”

  “Happy to help, darling,” I replied, “I mean, I could never let you fall.” I smiled, enjoying the feel of her in my hands. The look she was giving me was something else. Sweet, smiling but smoldering at the same time. I had to put her down before I couldn’t control myself. “Would you mind terribly if I put you down, though?” I chuckled.

  “Oh!” She seemed to suddenly remember the large audience around us. “Sorry! Of course!” She giggled nervously, and I set her down gingerly. As I did, my hands lingered on her waist, and hers lingered on my chest. If we had been alone, at that moment, I would never have been able to resist kissing those full, pink lips of hers.

  “Jesus, please tell me somebody got that on film?!” Claudia yelled. “That,” she jumped up from the canvas chair, “That right there is what we want. That sizzle!” She gave a bit of a dirty smile to both Georgia and me. “Let’s get some stills before we break. Laura?” A tall woman with a camera came walking over from somewhere behind the camera.

  “I got it,” she said, looking through her camera. “Okay, Georgia, can I get you in front of Lucas? And Lucas, will you wrap your arms around her waist? Georgia, arms on top of his…, that’s it.” She snapped several images. I was grateful for the direction to take Georgia in my arms for some of the photos. I liked having my hands on her. She was still a little flush from the excitement of the fall, but she seemed relieved the production team seemed happy with us so far, so she was definitely loosening up. Having her body pressed against mine, she seemed comfortable leaning into me. “Okay, Georgia, look up over your shoulder and Lucas, look down at her.” We followed the instructions. I pulled her closer against my body. I could feel the outline of her curves through her jeans and could feel my body responding. As she leaned back against me, she gave a slightly dirty grin, making me smile even more broadly. “That’s it! Perfect!” Laura said. Several more still photos had me sitting, Georgia leaning on my shoulder with her elbow, my arm around her waist.

  They had Georgia climb up on my shoulders. I could feel the heat of her body on mine. It was almost cruel. By that time, I knew I was in trouble. The more time I spent with her, the more I wanted her. I kneeled to put her down, and she hopped off of my shoulders. As she stood back up, I whispered in her ear, “That was fun…more fun if you’d been facing the other way,” and gave her a dirty look. She
tried not to smile, then laughed, and punched me lightly on the shoulder.

  “You really are as bad as they say, aren’t you?” She said playfully.

  “Darling, you’ve no idea,” I replied.

  “Okay, that’s it – you can get changed. We’ll be in after we have a chance to chat,” Claudia said. Georgia and I returned to the green room with John in tow.

  “What’d you think, mate,” I asked John, flipping back into business mode as we walked toward the green room.

  “I think they were really well pleased. You didn’t…you wouldn’t have fallen on purpose, would you, Georgia?” John asked her.

  “No, of course not!” She said, crossing her arms a little defensively. “I’m just clumsy, unfortunately.”

  “Well you couldn’t have timed it more perfectly,” I added. “How’d it look on film?” I asked John.

  “Really good, I think,” John said. Then he added, seeming resigned to what he had witnessed, “I mean, they did ask for chemistry, and you certainly delivered that.”

  We changed quickly back into street clothes once we were in the green room, Georgia using the screen in the corner, and me changing in the open. John sat on the sofa, keeping a close eye on me. A few moments later, Claudia came in.

  “I have great news,” she said cheerily. “Paul and Cate loved what they saw! They want to sign you both. Tasha will have the contracts for you by tomorrow. She will have the filming itinerary and all the arrangements for you. You leave next week!”

  Georgia’s face was a bit pale, and she didn’t say anything, instead, just nodding as Claudia spoke. As soon as Claudia stepped out of the room, she looked at John and me, her eyes wide. “Oh my God, I can’t believe it! We got it!” She squealed and threw her arms around my neck, jumping into my arms. “It wouldn’t have worked without your advice. Thank you!” I buried my face in her hair as I hugged her back, intoxicated by the scent of her, and wrapped my arms so far around her that my fingertips were on the sides of her ribs.

  She hugged John as well, though in a way that wasn’t quite as familiar, and he smiled, her enthusiasm contagious.

  “Congratulations,” John said, “to both of you.”

  “Well, Georgia, it looks like we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other then, doesn’t it? I’m really looking forward to it,” I told her. “Should we go have a drink to celebrate?”

  Georgia smiled. “I can’t drink, remember?” Fuck! I had forgotten you couldn’t drink until twenty-one in the States. “Besides, my flight is this evenin’. I gotta get back home and get ready for next week. Thanks, though. I can’t wait to see where we’ll go first!” The color had returned to her face, the shock replaced with excitement.

  I had become relatively jaded over the past year. Between my wife’s cheating, and the girls who had sold nude photos of me to the British tabloids, it seemed like everyone wanted something from me. As I looked at Georgia’s sweet face, though, I couldn’t help but feel like she was the first person I’d met in a long time who was without guile – without an agenda. It triggered something deep inside me. One part of me wanted to protect her and keep anyone from destroying that innocence. Another part of me wanted to break her down and show her what the world was really like, so she’d be able to survive. All of me was intrigued by her on every level.

  I knew she hadn’t been in the business long, and she came across as extremely sweet and naïve on the surface, but the more I was around her, the more I realized how serious she was about her work. She wasn’t the typical reality TV star. She was maybe five-foot-two or three at the most – at least a foot shorter than me in the flats she had changed into. Her blonde hair fell to just below her narrow shoulders. Her little widow’s peak and small, pointed chin made her face look heart-shaped. What I’d noticed as soon as I walked in, though, was that knockout figure. She had a tiny waist and a curve to her hips that made her incredibly feminine. Her breasts weren’t huge, but they were full and high, giving her an hourglass figure. I wasn’t sure how things would go in the long run, but one thing I did know was that I intended to shake Simone’s memory once and for all, and Georgia Graham might be just the girl to help me do that.

  “Let us at least drop you at your hotel, Georgia, so you don’t have to wait for a car then, yeah?” John offered as we stepped out of the soundstage and into the California sunshine.

  “That’d be great, thanks!” She replied, her voice dripping with that Southern drawl of hers.

  We walked up to the black SUV that was waiting, and I opened the door for her as she climbed into the back. She sat beside me, and John sat across from us as the driver took us to the Marriott. I put an arm around the back of her seat. “I’m really excited to be working with you. That chemistry we had today was pretty incredible, didn’t you think so?”

  “Yeah, I think we’ll work well together. I’m excited too,” Georgia replied. She seemed a little nervous by my proximity, but she didn’t pull away. As she leaned back, into my arm, I couldn’t help but feel hopeful that she might be as interested in me as I was becoming in her.

  “Maybe we’ll have some fun as well. Have you ever been abroad?” I asked, already knowing the answer was probably no.

  “I went to Mexico on a mission trip when I was in junior high, but that’s it. I bet you’ve been everywhere. Maybe you can show me the ropes and keep me from messin’ up too bad. I’d hate to do the wrong thing and embarrass ya’ll.” She smiled sweetly at me. Her accent absolutely wrecked me. Ya’ll. The way she said it was sexy as fuck.

  I squeezed her shoulder, “I’ll definitely do that, Georgia, show you the ropes as it were.” We pulled up to the hotel, and she got out of the car.

  “Thanks again. I’ll see ya’ll soon!” She retrieved her garment bag, waved sweetly and disappeared into the hotel.

  After the door closed, I turned to John. “Did you hear that accent? Ya’ll? She’s fucking killing me!” I lolled my head back against the headrest.

  “Nash, don’t blow this,” John said thoughtfully.

  “Don’t worry, mate. I’m not the one who’ll be blowing anything.” I laughed, and John rolled his eyes.

  “She’s not…,” his tone turned from serious to stern. “She’s not like the women you’re used to, Nash. She is a professional, too – not some cheap tart you’ve picked up down the pub for a laugh.”

  “Give us a break, would you? I’m not a complete asshole, after all! I’m flirting with her a bit – that’s all! The network wanted sizzle, and they got it. If we’re going to deliver a performance like that,” I waved my hand in the direction of the studio from which we had come, “week after week…she has to loosen up a bit – you saw that yourself. Besides, I think…,” I hesitated, not sure if I could sense some sort of extra protectiveness over her from John. “I think you’re right. She is different. But…I don’t know. Maybe different is just what I need.” I shrugged.

  John shook his head and stared out the window. He didn’t say another word – brooding during the rest of the ride back to our hotel.

  CHAPTER 5

  Georgia

  I thought the flight home would never end. Once I got back to Nashville, the drive to our Rutherford County farm still took another forty-five minutes. I could hardly wait to get home and start packing for my adventure. More than that, though, I couldn’t wait to tell my family that I had gotten a job that would ensure our land would stay in the family for at least another generation.

  I got home just a little before five and texted Daddy, who I suspected was out on the property doing some chores. Rome, was at the kitchen table on his laptop when I walked in. He was enrolled in the Bachelor of Music program at Middle Tennessee State. I’d never had any musical ability. Rome, though, was an incredibly talented classical guitarist. He jumped up as soon as I walked in the back door.

  “Hi, Geo,” he said, hugging me.

  “Hey, Ro,” I responded. “You studyin’?” I gestured toward the laptop.

  “Always, seem
s like. How was LA?” He grabbed a small orange from the bowl and then a second, handing it to me. I stood opposite my brother, mirroring his posture. It was one of our twin quirks.

  “It was amazin’! I can’t wait to tell you and Daddy all about it. I will say this much, though – I got the job!” I smiled up at my brother, who beamed back at me.

  “Really?! That’s great news, Geo. Really great!” He hugged me again, then sat back down at the kitchen table. “So, it’s a good job, then? One you’ll like?”

  “Yeah, crazy good,” I shook my head. “Lucas was really great. I’m excited to work with him.”

  “Sounds like it went well,” Daddy was standing in the back doorway of the kitchen, stepping out of his work boots. Mama had been gone for nearly seven years, and ever since she had passed away, he had never walked through the house in his work boots – a habit she abhorred. It was one of the many small ways he honored her and kept the traditions she set when she was still with us.

  “Hi, Daddy,” I tiptoed up to kiss my father on the cheek. “I can hardly believe it myself.”