I skirted around lighting crew and camera setups as I made my way toward Evan’s trailer. “It’s in Japan.”
“Even better. Nobody in the States will see it.”
“Oh, they’ll see it, all right. His fans will make it viral in no time.” Mike was money hungry, but my best friend wasn’t. Evan wouldn’t do an endorsement for an easy paycheck.
“Just talk to him. And give him the script of that remake I told you about.”
I knocked on Evan’s door and waited for his cue to enter. “Got it. I’ll let him know.”
Evan studied a screenplay as he sat at the dinette table in his luxurious top-of-the-line trailer. The place was a small mansion, complete with everything from two entertainment centers, a kitchen, bedroom, and shower, to his own makeup station and massage chair. For the amount of time he lived on-set, it was nice to stay in comfort, despite the overkill.
“Mike?” Evan asked as I set down his food. I nodded and took a seat across from him as he tossed the script aside. “What’s he want this time?”
“Four-million ad shoot in Japan.”
“For?” Evan dug into his baked chicken and vegetables as I checked emails on my phone.
“Some sports brand spot. It would be a couple days to shoot.” My fingers flew over the phone as I answered an email from a landlord in Atlanta. I was searching for Evan’s next temporary home. “And he has a script from Sophie Cross that she’s directing. He says it’s a good one.”
“Nope,” he countered quickly, dropping the fork and picking off the chicken with his fingers. “I’m running full force with plans for Gracie’s book. The script should be done soon.”
When his production company bought the options for Grace’s memoir, it had caused a stir, making the already acclaimed book even more successful. All Evan’s time would be dedicated to making the film the best it could be, especially since he wanted to direct it as well as produce. “You could still work on Sophie’s movie while in pre-production.”
“No script yet?” Evan asked. I shook my head as he continued to eat. “I need to read a script first.”
“Sophie wants to meet with you already.”
“I need a script.”
That was his typical response. Evan had made mistakes in the past, going into projects without knowing the specifics. Now, he demanded that I read the script first and let him know my feelings, then pass it on to him. He trusted my instincts, sometimes more than he trusted his own. He wouldn’t have landed the biggest gig of his life as Captain Drew Abrams in The Ending Series had I not convinced him to take the job almost ten years ago.
“Fine. I’ll tell Mike.” I went to the fridge and opened it to see stacks of protein drinks inside. “Damn it. Is this Josh’s doing?” His trainer and friend of almost nine years had Evan in tip-top shape.
“Yep. Drink one. Keep on that muscle he helped you gain.” Josh trained me using a regimen that had helped me build a good twenty-five pounds of muscle over the past six months.
I wanted what Evan ate, but the idea of standing out in the tent line in scorching Texas heat changed my mind. I shook the chocolate shake and twisted the cap, gulping the chalky drink and cringing. “Having big muscles is overrated,” I grumbled.
“Not while having sex, dude.” Evan grinned.
“I don’t need to hear about you and Grace doing it, bro.” Nothing shot my mood to hell more than listening to anything having to do with relationships or sex. Especially since I didn’t have either at the moment.
“Whatever. How’s the restaurant stuff coming along?”
I brought my mind back to the present. “Uh, well, I’m in the middle of permit hell. Plus, I’m still looking for a project manager to spruce up the place.”
Evan nodded. “Let me know if you need more cash.”
“I’m sticking with the plan for the projections and costs. I’m making sure this pays off for all of us.” My head was once again buried in emails. This time from my lawyer, who was helping me through the mounds of paperwork and licensing necessities.
Back in December, I had gone on a date to this restaurant downtown where the food was subpar, but the ambiance was quaint, albeit in need of a small pick-me-up.
As the chick—whose name I couldn’t recall—droned on about her cat, I had excused myself. My mind mulled over Thanksgiving. Over her. Hiding in the hall, in need of silence and clarity, I had overheard two waiters in the next room discussing their jobs. The restaurant was closing. It was as if the Universe had manifested my dream and was presenting it directly to me.
I ditched my date that night, opting to stay up to jot down my ideas. I made contact with the owner and offered a price. That was the first step toward the gestation of opening a new restaurant.
Creating a thorough business proposal, Evan and Josh had jumped on board as passive investors. I, however, spent every precious spare moment I had on becoming a restaurateur.
“Did you hear me, Zach?”
Evan’s voice sounded as distant as my mind felt. “Sorry, what?”
“Hilary.”
Shit. What did he know about Hilary? Anytime her name came up, it was like a bullet hitting my stomach. However, when Evan said her name, it felt like a cannonball. “What about Hilary?”
His shoulders fell, and he gave me a look that screamed disappointment. “What’s with you?”
“Nothing’s with me,” I said, gulping down the rest of the muscle shake.
“You’ve got your head all over the place, man. I’d say it was all the restaurant junk you’ve been dealing with, but this goes back farther than that.” Evan went to the kitchenette, cleaned up after himself, and washed his hands. “Got anything to tell me?”
I stayed silent. I’d betrayed him. My best friend. My family. Things had gone from both of us being able to confide in each other about anything, to me not able to face him. I slept with his sister, and any mention of her reminded me of what I wanted but couldn’t have. “No.”
“You’re sure everything’s okay? If you need something, I’m here for you.” I shook my head adamantly. He looked unconvinced, and concerned, but continued. “She’s coming so Grace can have her as the temporary property manager while Gracie finishes her book.” Grace was an author, but before she had begun to write full-time, she was the property manager of six townhomes. It just so happened that we rented the one next door to hers. “Her plane lands at seven. I need you to pick her up.”
My body tensed. “You don’t wanna get her?” The image of Hilary under me had been on a constant loop. It was like one of those memories that was made up, dreamlike, as if it had never happened. Yet her smell, taste, and touch lingered like a hellfire slowly burning me from the inside out, one that I was unable to quench. I started to think of it as penance for all the sins I had committed against the women who attached themselves to me, only to realize they were shit outta luck when I tossed them aside. Damn, I was an asshole.
“Grace and I have that dinner with Charles and his wife tonight.”
“Fuck, I forgot about that.” Evan and Grace were going out with the director of Evan’s movie. I checked out the paperwork on Evan’s kitchen counter, making sure his sides and call sheets were present for the next day. “Yeah, I’ll get her. What flight?”
When Evan didn’t answer, I finally glanced at him. His gaze was fixed on me. Instead of asking him anything, I stared back until he gave a slight shake of his head. “I told you two days ago, then I told you this morning. I emailed all the information.”
“Right.” I smacked his shoulder on my way out in an attempt to make everything seem normal. “I’ll send wardrobe over in a bit.”
Before I left, Evan called out, “You might want to take her to the grocery store. Last I saw, there wasn’t any food at your place.”
My whole body froze, the fire inside me instantly extinguished. “My place? She’s staying with me?”
He shrugged. “Well, yeah. I stay at Gracie’s next door. She’ll stay in the em
pty room that used to be mine.”
I leased a townhome from Grace’s family friend, Stephen Jenkins, for Evan. The place was only meant to be used until the movie was done, but I had extended the lease another six months. Austin was looking to be a permanent situation for us all, yet I hadn’t imagined I’d be sharing the place with Hilary. Why had she even agreed to take on the job for Grace? Why was she visiting? It made no sense to me. I began my trek out.
“Zach?”
“Yeah?” I turned back, waiting for him to ask me for something.
“Take tomorrow off and rest. You look like shit, pal.”
I smiled and shot him the middle finger. He was right. I needed a break. Taking on too much was my way of coping. I had grown accustomed to it. Accomplishing something helped me fill the void inside, despite the fact that it was only temporary. I would be facing the issue head-on. I’d be living with it, with her, and praying for a way to get past the temptation it would undoubtedly create.
Chapter Six
· zach ·
My car circled around the Austin airport arrivals at least seven times before I spotted Hilary walking out the doors, rolling her suitcase behind her. I pulled the rental Jeep Cherokee to the side and attempted to steady my nerves. Her golden hair was piled on top of her head, curls falling. Jean shorts showed off her long legs. Pink toes and strappy sandals caught my eye when I approached. I mumbled a greeting to her as she drew me in for a hug. Her damn scent encased me, and my jeans instantly felt tight.
“God, I knew it would be hot here, but my hair grew about ten feet the moment I stepped off the plane.”
I grabbed her luggage and stuffed it in the back of the Jeep as she entered the passenger side of the SUV. Once I snapped my seatbelt, I took a moment to look at her and exhaled. “Hi.”
“Hi.” Her large smile was incandescent, those brown eyes attentive. She was bursting with an energy that lifted my spirits. “What’s this?” she asked, reaching over. Her hand cupped my cheek, and she rubbed at the hair that covered it.
“It’s a beard.” I turned from her touch, setting the vehicle into motion.
“I know that, but you’re almost unrecognizable,” she said, then dug into her handbag that seemed two sizes bigger than she was.
“Don’t like it?” I laughed nervously. The time away had made her even more beautiful. She snatched her sunglasses out of her purse, only to fumble them. She was also goofy, and that was completely adorable.
“Shit.” Her attempts to pick them up from the floorboard with her feet failed, and she finally gave up the pursuit. I held back my laugh, and she huffed. “Isn’t it too hot for a beard? It feels like a hundred and fifty degrees here.”
I rubbed my chin. “I’m thinking of growing it out past my neck.” I smiled. “Like Gandalf.”
“You’re full of it. You look great, though. I like it.” The small compliment sent me over the moon. “I’m sure it’s a hit with the ladies.” She winked.
Change of subject. “How’s everything in Boston?”
“Same old stuff,” she replied and took in the view from the passenger window. I stared at her tight blouse and the gorgeous tits that filled it. I recalled the way they had perfectly fit in the palms of my hands. My grip on the steering wheel tightened, as did other parts of my body. A car honked behind us, and she glanced at me as I put my eyes back on the road. I needed to get my shit together. Five minutes in the car, and I was already on the way to killing both of us.
“Everyone’s good?” I asked.
“Everyone’s good. All us misfits have lost you and Evan to this city. I had to come see what was so special about it. It’s sure as hell not the weather.”
“Says you,” I disputed. “This place is amazing. The heat isn’t that bad. There’re tons of summer festivals going on. You can go hiking and swimming.”
“When was the last time you went hiking?”
“Um…” I was busted. “Okay, so I haven’t gone yet, but I want to.”
She chuckled. “We should go. Sounds fun.”
“Yeah.” The tension was palpable, you could slice it with a knife, and words were impossibly difficult for me. I was always charming, always on top of my game with girls, but I didn’t know how to start with Hilary. She was one of the few people who could see right through me.
“I made some contacts with a couple of bloggers. We’re meeting for brunch next week at this place called Walton’s.”
Thank Christ she was making conversation. It was easier for me to keep my mind off memories of what she looked like naked. “That place has really great desserts. Save your appetite for a macaroon.”
“Still into your sweets?”
“Not lately. However, if you care even a tiny bit about me, you’ll bring me one and not tell Josh.”
The stoplight allowed me to look at her while she roamed my body with an appreciating gaze. “If not eating sugar had this effect on you, you’re on your own.”
“Meaning?” I fished for more.
“Meaning I won’t enable your sweets habit if you’ve been working hard at building muscle.”
“So, you noticed?” I lifted my arm up and flexed, the sleeve of my plain t-shirt tightening. She laughed. “You wanna feel?”
Her small hand squeezed my biceps. “Very impressive. I don’t know why you’re even wearing a shirt.”
“To save me from getting tackled. I have a difficult time warding off women when I’m not clothed.”
Her chuckle turned into a guffaw. “But all those nights reading Dale Carnegie and Napoleon Hill make you irresistible.”
“You know it. The muscles are just an added bonus.”
“Well, I’m more about your cock, but the muscles will do,” she said offhandedly.
“Hilary!” I slammed on the brakes harder than necessary and felt my dick stir from the comment as she laughed. “Jesus, that mouth.”
“We weren’t going to keep skirting around it, Zach.”
I kept my eyes ahead as the light turned green. “No need to bring up the past.”
She took out some type of lip balm and patted it over her plump lips with her finger. It was as if she were tempting me on purpose. “Well, your awkwardness around me is a little perturbing.”
“I’m not awkward.”
“You’re totally awkward. You didn’t even want to hug me out there. It’s been half a year since we screwed, and everything’s good. So, let’s cut the weirdness, okay?”
I chewed on my lip as I glanced at her and nodded. “Hungry?”
“Starving.”
We kept up casual chatter as I took her to Hut’s Hamburgers, a small but popular diner. I ordered the Buddy Holly while she ordered the Ritchie Valens. She also insisted that we share a chocolate shake, fries, onion rings, and fried pickles. So much for my protein-only diet. I’d work out extra the next few days.
When the food got there, she ripped through hers as though she hadn’t eaten in weeks. She was always passionate about food. Her moans of satisfaction reminded me of the night we spent together, although almost anything with her had me reminiscing. “I’m going to have to write about this place on my blog.”
“In the travel section?” She nodded. “Good. I saw you had more people working on it?”
“I’m up to eight contributors.” She stuffed fries into her mouth. “I’m getting more advertising spots out there, too.”
“Well, if you write enough about Austin, count me in for advertising.”
“Why?”
I wanted to laugh at her attempt to chew and talk with her mouth full of food. “How long since you’ve eaten? You’re inhaling your food.”
“Before my flight,” she said quickly, stuffing more burger past her lips. It was difficult to keep my eyes off her. “Fast metabolism. Anyway, what do you need for advertising?”
“My restaurant,” I said softly, taking a fried pickle and popping it into my mouth.
Hilary stopped mid-chew and pushed her food to the side of
her mouth. “You serious?” I nodded as her smile grew. Before I could say anything, she swallowed quickly and then flung her arms around me and clasped my neck. Her lips landed on my cheek, and she finally sat back in her chair. “Holy shit, Zach! That is amazing! I’m so proud of you.”
A shyness crept over me. “I’m still working on it, it’ll be a while before it opens, but it’s getting there sooner rather than later.”
“Do you have a projected date set? Did you hire a chef? What about licenses?”
“How do you know about all this?”
She sipped on the milkshake and sat back, her burger almost gone. “When you mentioned you were going to open a restaurant, I looked into it.”
“You did? Why?”
She picked at the fries. “Just curious. We need a to-go box for the extras. Can we get some groceries? I need my Pop-Tarts and coffee.”
I rolled my eyes and raised my hand for the waiter. “I bought them for you already, even though that’s the worst thing you could have for breakfast.”
“Are they frosted?”
“Nope. Strawberry, unfrosted, just the way you like.” She was a huge Gilmore Girls fan. Anyone who watched the show knew that those women lived on Pop-Tarts and coffee. One time, she’d made me watch an episode and got defensive when I told her that all they did was talk faster than I cared to keep up with. She’d been trying to make me give it another go ever since. “And as long as you don’t make me watch another episode of that mother/daughter show, I’ll keep buying them for you.”
“You have no idea what you’re missing,” she muttered. “The show’s really good. You should at least watch a few more episodes.”
“No. Because I have a penis and not a vagina.”
“A penis I’m very fond of.” She winked.
I closed my eyes and exhaled. This woman was testing me. “Let’s go, kid.” Evan’s sister. Evan’s sister. She’s Evan’s sister. I repeated it in my head and would continue to remind myself, no matter how badly I wanted her under me and naked again.
The ride home was uneventful. I informed her of my busy week ahead, but she was adamant that she didn’t need to be entertained. Grace would be training her to take over the job as property manager for the six townhomes in our gated community.
A Promise Broken Page 4