by Cassie Reed
Trayce sighed. “Let me guess.”
“Good Morning Hollywood,” Dean confirmed. “But I thought that might’ve been you the first time I saw the video. We move the same way, you know.”
“Sure,” Trayce said with a good-natured smirk. “Keep telling yourself that.”
Dean grinned. “Olivia Warner, huh? I bet she’s a handful. Well, I guess you know that in the literal sense.”
Trayce gave a nod. “If you want to get literal.”
Dean tapped his lightly in the shoulder with a closed fist. “Well, good job, Bradford. I think you got on Good Morning Hollywood before me this year.”
Trayce watched as he walked away, feeling a growing pit in his stomach. First Layton. Now Dean. Whoever else had called or texted. It was possible this was going to be a bigger story than he bargained for, but if he played his cards right, namely by ignoring everyone for a day or two, his part of the whole thing would surely fizzle out. Olivia could keep doing her publicity tour if she wanted to, but Trayce was done, and if he had to talk about it with one more person today—
His phone buzzed in his hands. Glancing down at it, he let out a groan.
Out of an abundance of caution, he hadn’t yet made her a contact in his phone, even though she called him enough, but he would recognize those last four digits anywhere.
He didn’t want to think about it anymore. He would just answer it, tell her everything was fine, and wish her well. Bringing the phone up to his hear, he did his best to taper his frustrations. “Olivia.”
“Trayce,” she said breathlessly. “You answered.”
“I’m not mad,” he began the stump speech he had promised himself. “Everything is fine—”
“Everything is not fine,” she argued. “You rushed off today without so much as another word.”
“I told you to take care.”
“But you didn’t mean it.”
“What?” he said in disbelief. “Of course I meant it.”
“I just mean,” she continued, her words steadying. “I could tell you were upset. I wish you would have told me what was bothering you. The fact that you won’t tell me bothers me.”
Trayce was quiet. She sounded genuinely concerned, and offended, neither of which were his responsibility, he attempted to reason with himself. “It’s nothing,” he told her finally. “Nothing you need to worry about.”
“Please,” she said. “Can we just, I don’t know, get together and talk? No cameras around. I still owe you the other half of your payment anyway.”
Trayce considered her offer. She was right about that at least, and if he had ever considered not accepting the rest of her money, after today, he could use a little hazard pay. Besides, if he knew anything about Olivia by now, it was that she wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“So what should I do?” he asked her. “Just drop by your house around eight o’clock again?”
“I don’t know if here is the best idea,” she said. “There could be extra press sniffing around and if anyone sees you coming to my place, especially on that noisy bike of yours, well, you won’t want to see those headlines.”
“Who knows,” he murmured. “It could be good for your career.”
“You might be right,” she admitted, her voice rising with interest. “But I don’t think you’d approve of the extra attention.”
“On me, or on you?” he found himself asking.
She laughed, a quiet, husky sound from the back of her throat. “I meant, on you. I like the limelight, remember? But you. . .”
“I prefer to live under a rock,” he said. “No light whatsoever. Especially not limelight.”
She chuckled again, and it didn’t take him long to realize the playful turn their conversation had taken. “Well, don’t tell that to Cindy the makeup artist. She thinks you could be in pictures.”
“I am in pictures and she’s probably seen me a hundred times and not even known it,” Trayce replied.
“Good point.”
“So where can I meet you?”
She was quiet for a moment, leaving Trayce with far too much time on his hands to think about the possibilities for a future rendezvous. “I don’t know,” she finally said. “I never go anywhere there’s not people.”
“That’s actually pretty sad, you know that?” he said. “But admitting it is the first step.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he told her. “And lucky for you, I think I know a place we can go.”
11
Olivia hit the gas, sending her pearl white Mercedes-Benz rocketing down the road. Taking a wide, sloping curve without hitting the brakes, she let out a gasp of exhilaration. As adrenaline surged through her, she couldn’t help but laugh. Who was this new Olivia?
The music on her stereo lowered as her car alerted her to an incoming call. Not taking her eyes off the road, she accepted the call. “This is Olivia.”
“Olivia?” a vaguely familiar voice filled the car and she froze, glancing down at her in-dash screen for the exact contact.
“Meredith,” she nearly exclaimed, reminding herself to remove the shock from her voice. It seemed like ages since she had heard from the seasoned director, even though they had worked on numerous projects together, including Olivia’s own Oscar-winning role. “It’s so nice to hear from you!”
“Well I just had to call,” Meredith said. “How are you doing?”
“I’m. . .” Olivia paused. “Honestly, I’m doing better than ever.”
“Oh?” the director sounded intrigued. “Did your brush with death give you a new outlook on life?”
Olivia wasn’t sure. The whole incident had been heart-poundingly scary, that was for sure. But she wasn’t sure if her newfound positivity was due to that or something, or someone, else.
“Maybe,” Olivia replied simply. “I think I might still be processing the whole thing.”
“Naturally,” Meredith said. “I’m glad to know you’re doing well. I wouldn’t feel right floating a new project by you if it sounded like you were still in shock.”
Olivia glanced down at her dash as though she could see Meredith’s face on the screen. Was this really happening? Was it possible the video of her almost being run over by a train had really brought her back into forefront of people’s minds? Either way, she wasn’t taking any chances. “No, no, are you kidding? I’m more than ready to work with you again, Meredith,” she said, cringing a bit at her own desperation. “I mean, if you think you could use me.”
“Should I forward a script to Celeste to pass on to you?”
“That sounds perfect.”
“Wonderful,” the director cooed. “Be well then, Olivia, until we talk again.”
“You be well, too,” Olivia said, a grin spreading across her face despite the awkwardness of her words. “Take care.”
Ending the call, she let out a hoot of excitement, and nearly missed her turnoff if it hadn’t been for catching sight of Trayce’s bike already parked by the side of the road. Parking her car next to it, she took a calming breath before she stepped out. He was standing near the edge of the hill they were on and turned when he heard her car door shut.
“Hey,” she called out, doing her best to seem casual. As her sneakered feet treaded over the dirt shoulder, she was glad she had thought not to wear heels, let alone the Gucci tennis shoes she had considered before opting for simple white canvas.
“Hey,” he told her, his face filling with interest as he looked at her. “You look different.”
She glanced down at her T-shirt and jeans. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in anything but a dress and high heels.”
She made a face. “I own plenty of types of clothes, thank you very much,” she told him. “And this coming from the guy who tops every outfit off with a leather jacket.”
“I ride a motorcycle. It’s more a practicality than it is a uniform.”
“Whatever you say,” she said
with a nod. If only he knew she liked it more than she was willing to lead on.
“Well,” he said, glancing at her again. “Shall we?”
Olivia knit her brows together in confusion. “Shall we what?”
“Hike up to the spot.”
“Hike?” she repeated. “You didn’t say anything about a hike.”
“Well the only view that’s right here is the side of a mountain,” he said. “Unless you’re into that.”
Olivia observed the darkening terrain opposite of them. “It’s not so bad. Lots of dirt. . .and rocks.”
Trayce smirked. “If you like dirt and rocks, the hike should be right up your alley.”
“Uh,” Olivia began. When was the last time she had hiked? A hike that wasn’t a setting on her elliptical, at least. It didn’t matter, she decided. Now was the time for branching outside of her comfort zone, especially if it was done in the company of Trayce Bradford. “Fine,” she told him. “Lead the way.”
With a nod, he began walking, his boots crunching over the gravel and dirt as he headed toward a small trail that wound its way around the bend of the closest hillside. Goodbye, clean white shoes, Olivia thought lamentably before stepping onto the trail, but in a matter of minutes, and after a few shaky breaths, she found her stride, keeping in step with Trayce as they made their way up the path. It had grown darker now, the sun setting quick on the horizon, and as she strained her eyes to see her next step, she ran straight into Trayce’s back, nearly knocking her off her feet. He reached back, steadying her with his hands, and her skin heated at the feel of his touch.
Relinquishing his grip on her, he turned slightly. “Well, this might be the hardest part,” he said. “But it’s worth it, trust me. Just follow my lead.” With that, he jabbed one boot into the side of the hill, nearly vertical, before stepping up in a slight crouch. Olivia watched with trepidation. There was no way she was going to be able to do that.
“You can do it,” Trayce said, as though reading her mind. He held out a hand to her. “Come on. I’ll help you.”
She took his hand and felt him pull her up, toward him. Stepping where she had watched him step, her body met his as she balanced herself on the next spot on the trail. He kept his grip on her, leading her up the side of the hill at an even pace and supporting her even when both her knees met with dirt. “This is pretty steep,” she gasped.
“We’re almost there,” he told her. “Two more steps.”
Gritting her teeth, Olivia gathered the remaining strength she had left and dug her feet into the rocks underneath. Together with Trayce’s help, she met him at the top of the hill, her free hand reaching up to his shoulder to steady herself. “I’m tired,” she panted.
“But you did it,” he said, smiling at her. With a gentle hand, he turned her slightly. Her eyes were met with a breathtaking view of the glowing city lights below them, the metropolis of LA lit up like a distant planet in the middle of dark space. Just behind it, the last of the sun’s rays had left a shimmering sheet of crystals on the sleeping ocean.
Olivia gasped. “What a view.”
“Beautiful,” she heard Trayce say softly, and she let her gaze trail over to him just in time to catch his eyes on her. He looked away, out toward the horizon. “It’s been a while since I’ve been up here.”
“Well, thanks for entrusting me with your special spot,” Olivia said.
“Worth the hike?” he asked her, taking off his jacket to spread it across the ground just behind them. Taking a seat, he beckoned her to join him.
“I’d sacrifice another pair of shoes for it,” she said, glancing down at her dust covered shoes. There didn’t seem to be a speck of white left. “I guess they’re tan now.”
“A little soap and water would clean those right up,” Trayce said.
Olivia nodded. “I’ll have to ask my housekeeper,” she found herself saying. She winced. Had she really just brought up her housekeeper? Once again, it was a glaring reminder that even though they worked in the same business, they were still from completely different worlds. “I mean, she’s been looking for something to do, so. . . Anyways. Time for that talk. Will you finally tell me why you took off so quick earlier?”
Trayce sighed, but didn’t speak right away. His eyes trailed down to his hands, clasped over the bridge of his knees. “It was the interview,” he said finally.
“Sorry. I should have told you Chelsea gets a little personal sometimes.”
“It wasn’t that.”
Olivia paused. “Oh.”
He met eyes with her for a moment before turning his gaze out toward the city. “My brother was in an accident,” he murmured. “Around a month ago.”
“I—I’m so sorry,” Olivia said. “Did he. . .?”
“He made it,” Trayce confirmed. “But it wasn’t pretty. When stunts go wrong, someone rarely ever walks away unscathed.”
Olivia was quiet, leaving him room to continue.
“When I heard you say all that stuff about your life flashing before your eyes, and how you didn’t think you would have ever been forced into a dangerous situation like that, I don’t know. I guess it rubbed me the wrong way. No one forced you. We planned that entire thing.”
Her mouth parted to speak a second before she was able to find her voice. “I really did lose my balance, though,” she told him. “I hadn’t meant to take it that far, but if you hadn’t been there, there’s a good chance I really would have fallen onto those tracks.”
He was quiet, as though weighing her words. “I told you it was risky.”
“I know, and I should have listened to you,” she said. “I’m starting to realize just how ridiculous the whole thing was. I could have been hurt. Or worse.”
“I should have told you no,” he said with a shake of his head. “I’m the one with the experience, but if it had gone wrong, and something had happened to you, I would have never been able to. . .” his words trailed off, leaving a tender silence between them.
“I’m sorry,” Olivia said again, suddenly wanting to reach over and take his hand one more time. But she denied herself, carrying on instead. “Well, at least everything worked out.”
“Yeah, you get to play up things in your interviews,” Trayce said. “Meanwhile, my brother’s been stuck in bed for six weeks and can barely get a fork up to his mouth to feed himself. You think anyone cares if his life flashed before his eyes?” He gave a shrug. “I don’t know. Sorry. It’s just. . .things have been hard. On both of us.”
“I understand,” Olivia uttered, despite feeling slightly wounded. If she had been feeling argumentative, she would have been tempted to bring up the fact that no one had forced Trayce’s brother to do stunt work, that he had assumed the same liability for risk that she had. Only it had gone wrong for just one of them, and she could practically hear in his voice that there was some part of Trayce that felt guilty about it. “You seem like a good brother,” she told him instead.
“Kinda have to be,” he acknowledged. “Especially when he’s all I got.”
Olivia nodded. “I wish I had a brother or a sister.”
“It’s just you then?” he asked.
“Just me,” she murmured. If only he knew how alone she truly was.
“Hey, being the only child has gotta have its perks,” he said. “You get all the attention.”
“Yeah, for better or worse.”
He looked at her, his eyes searching hers.
“My mother and I didn’t get along,” Olivia confessed. “Try daily screaming matches all through my teens where she told me I’d never be anything. So, the day after my high school graduation, I packed up the car I had bought with the savings from my first job at a pizza place, and I drove all night until I saw the Pacific Ocean.”
“And now you rule this city,” Trayce reminded her.
Olivia couldn’t help but laugh. “Maybe at one point in time,” she said. “I don’t know about anymore.”
“Are you kidding?” he said. “Eve
ry time they introduce you, they preface it with ‘Oscar-winner’. They’ll always say that.”
“Yeah, as long as they’re still willing to talk about me,” she muttered.
“It doesn’t matter. Stay proud of it, because it’s a big deal. And no one can ever take that away from you. Ms. Warner,” he added with a smirk.
She smiled back at him. “Thank you. But I thought I told you to call me Olivia.”
“I know what you told me,” he said, his intense gaze lingering on hers until she felt like she could melt. “Well, Olivia, I’ve just got one question.”
She perked up. “What’s that?”
“Ever ridden on the back of a motorcycle before?”
12
“You ready for this?” Trayce asked, handing Olivia the helmet from off his bike.
She took it from him, eyeing it skeptically. “I don’t know if I can wear this,” she murmured. “It might mess up my hair.”
“Your hair’s gonna be even more of a mess if you don’t wear it,” Trayce said before he recognized the sneaky smirk spreading across her face. “You’re kidding.”
Her smile turned into a toothy grin.
“You’re way too satisfied with fooling me with what could have been a very plausible concern of yours,” he told her.
“Trayce,” she gaped at him. “I’m a new woman. I hike now.”
“True.” He liked this new Olivia, the one with the tan shoes and the silly sense of humor, the girl that didn’t take herself so seriously. He handed her his jacket. “Here, you’re gonna want this too.”
“But what will you wear?”
“I can handle the cold.”
“It doesn’t feel that cold outside anyway,” she noted.
“Put it on,” he instructed. “Trust me, once we get going, you’ll be begging me for it.”
With a curious raise of her eyebrow that said more than she was willing to, she took it from him. He leaned against the bike, watching her don the jacket and helmet. It was a catch-22. On one hand, he wanted to keep her safe, but on the other hand, he might’ve liked the sight of a wind-tousled, wild-haired Olivia. One that got cold and needed warming up. Tossing the wayward thought from his mind, he couldn’t help but smile as she stood in front of him in full motorcycle garb. “You look cute,” he said before he could stop himself. Clearing his throat, he saddled up on the bike, feeling her get into position behind him.