by Jackie D.
Harlow swallowed the rest of her whiskey in one smooth gulp and set the glass down. “I like making new friends.”
The redhead smiled and leaned back closer to her. “You’re in luck then, I’m very friendly.”
Harlow watched the redhead’s lips move, knowing for certain she’d have them on her skin in a few short hours. She never had trouble attracting attention from both men and women. It had taken her years to learn how to harness her power of seduction, but she was an expert now. A few hours spent in the bed of a stranger was how she managed to keep the demons at bay. Demons she’d spent a lifetime running from, and always would.
Chapter Three
I’m not going.” Audrey pulled the blanket over her head.
“You are going.” Kylie removed the blanket and pushed Audrey’s legs off the side of the bed. “It’s been two months, and you committed to this party six months ago. You can’t sulk here forever.”
“Tia will be there.” She hadn’t meant to whisper, but the dread choked her words, lodging them in her throat.
“I know.” Kylie sounded remorseful.
“So, you understand why I can’t.”
Kylie sighed and tapped the space between her eyes. “It’s part of the promo for the movie. You’re contractually obligated.”
Audrey pushed herself up and ran her hands over her face. “What does some album release have to do with the movie?”
It was a rhetorical question. She knew two songs from the album were featured in the movie. She understood how the business worked, but it didn’t mean she had to like it.
Kylie pushed her toward the shower. “The real question is, how did Tia get invited? She must’ve pulled some strings.”
Audrey turned the shower on, giving in to her fate. “To torment me.” She pulled off her clothes. “You’ve heard everything she’s been saying about me. I still don’t understand why. She’s acting like I wronged her. She left me.”
She could hear Kylie talking but couldn’t make out the words under the spray of the water. It didn’t really matter. Not only did Tia embarrass her by breaking up with her at work, but she also continued to embarrass her by talking about their relationship to anyone who would listen. Tia called her any number of things: prude, clingy, whiney, controlling. All of it was news to Audrey. During the year they’d spent together, Tia never mentioned being miserable or disliking so many things about her. Audrey had breakups before, but none of them had attacked her from all sides like this.
Audrey stepped out of the shower, wishing the pain could be scrubbed away with the rest of the grime. She pulled her robe tightly around her body and stared in the mirror. It’s just a party. You can do this. You will not let her see you cry. Nonsense, all of it. She wasn’t sure if she could do this, and she certainly wasn’t sure if she could see Tia without crying.
“I’ll be with you the entire time.” Kylie was leaning against the bathroom door.
“Thank you. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate everything you’ve done.” Audrey let her wet hair fall around her shoulders. “I guess there’s no getting out of this.”
Kylie walked up beside her and handed her a small black cocktail dress. “You should wear this. Of everything you own, nothing looks better on you than this.”
Audrey took the dress and held it in front of her, admiring it. “You’re right about that.”
“I’m right about a lot of things.” Kylie stood behind her and straightened Audrey’s shoulders. “Like when I say that you can do this. I’m not just saying it—I mean it. You’re stronger than you think and more beautiful than Tia ever deserved.”
Audrey closed her eyes. “I don’t know about that. Have you seen some of the women she’s been running around with? They’re flawless.”
Kylie kissed her cheek. “I wasn’t talking about physical beauty. Although, you have that in spades.” She rested her chin on Audrey’s shoulder. “I meant you’re too beautiful on the inside for someone like Tia. She’s shown her true colors, and she doesn’t deserve you. She never did.”
Audrey nodded because she was afraid that if she spoke, the tears would begin to fall again.
Kylie pulled the chair from under the vanity and forced her onto it. “Now, sit. Hair and makeup are here.”
❖
Harlow closed her eyes as her fingers glided along the piano keys. People moved around her—faces she wouldn’t remember tomorrow. Carts full of dinner and glassware clanged together as they passed by. Voices of men and women shouted out orders over noisy employees who prepared for the coming event. Harlow didn’t hear any of it. All she could hear was the melody that had started to take shape in her mind. She wasn’t sure what it would transform into, but she loved it already. That’s how it usually happened. A thought would become a lyric. A sound would become a beat, and inspiration would become a tone. It would usually occur when she least expected it, and because of that, she never turned it off. Music was as much a part of her as her eye color. It coursed through her veins and hid in every strand of DNA.
Casper sat down next to her. “New song?”
“Hmmm.” She let her head sway. “The beginning of one.”
She opened her eyes and looked at him. Casper looked handsome in his suit jacket and white V-neck shirt. His blond, messy hair was intentionally casual. His blue eyes sparkled with excitement, and she couldn’t help but put her head on his shoulder.
“You look very dashing tonight.” She elbowed him in the side.
He squeezed her. “You can’t be the only heartbreaker in the family.” He leaned back, his expression serious. “Have you decided on a second night in Dallas? I sent you over the information three days ago.”
“Casper, you know I don’t care. Just tell me where to show up, and I’ll be there.” Harlow put her fingers back on the piano keys.
“Okay, I’ll get it all worked out.”
“I know.” She smiled.
Casper handled the details, and he always had. It would be too much to manage on her own, and he was the only person she trusted. He knew her likes and dislikes. He knew how much she could handle regarding turnaround times, and he was cognizant of making sure she had ample rest. Hell, sometimes she wondered if he knew her better than she knew herself. It was entirely possible.
He glanced at his watch. “The party starts in an hour. I need you to do some press before.”
Harlow tilted her head, trying to decide if G-flat or G-sharp worked better. “I’ll be there. Five more minutes.”
Casper walked away without argument because he knew she wouldn’t be late. She might be unpredictable at times, but she was always a professional. She hit the keys a few more times and smiled. G-sharp.
Press questions were always the same. Harlow spent an hour rambling off the same answers in one hundred different ways. Yes, she was thrilled about the album. Yes, the tour was going to feature her new and old songs. No, she wasn’t dating anyone. Yes, having her songs in a summer blockbuster was thrilling. Although, to be fair, this was the first time her songs had ever graced the silver screen. So she let the annoyance over that one slide.
She was on the verge of losing her mind when Casper thanked the press and promised them more soon. “Time for pictures with the cast.”
“Took you long enough.” She elbowed him on the way down from the small press stage.
“You know I like watching your eyes glaze over with boredom.”
She was in the process of formulating a response when she caught a glimpse of Audrey Knox entering the room. Audrey wasn’t just beautiful. No, that word wouldn’t do her justice. She was elegant, poised, and had an aura about her that made her seem just out of Harlow’s grasp. When people in the industry talked about someone having the “it factor,” they meant Audrey Knox.
“Don’t even think about it,” Casper whispered against her ear.
Think about it? Hell, she’d been dreaming about it since she was sixteen years old. Harlow wasn’t one for crushes. That was
n’t her style. But she’d always made an exception for Audrey Knox.
“Relax, Casper. You’re always telling me I need friends.” She gave him a wicked smile.
“Friends, yes. People to watch movies with. People to drink cosmos with and laugh at failed relationships. People who—”
“Could literally stop traffic in that dress. She could probably do it in jeans, too.” She tried to say it in a joking tone, but Casper knew her better than that.
Casper sighed, but she stopped listening to anything he had to say. She couldn’t take her eyes off Audrey, who moved from person to person, kissing their cheeks, hugging them hello. When she spoke to them, she seemed solely focused. It appeared she possessed that rare quality of making people feel like they were the only ones in her orbit for that passing moment.
Audrey stepped in front of her and put her hand out. “I’m Audrey Knox, It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
Harlow may have been in a daze of lust, but she was far too smooth to let it show. “Harlow Thorne, and I assure you, the pleasure is entirely mine.”
Audrey tilted her head slightly to the side. She seemed as though she were making her mind up about something, and Harlow wished she possessed the power of telepathy. “I loved the songs you made for the movie. You seemed to have really connected with the characters.”
“I truly enjoyed doing it.” Harlow took a step closer. “If you’d like, we can get together later, and I can show you which songs didn’t make it to the final cut.”
Audrey stared at her with so much intensity it could only mean she’d take her up on her offer—or place her on a mental list of absolute fucking weirdos. Audrey parted her lips to answer, and Harlow felt her pulse quicken. She was close enough to smell the light perfume Audrey wore. Her golden hair sat on her shoulders as if it knew the exact part it needed to play to accentuate her features. Audrey’s eyes left hers for the first time since they started speaking. The flecks of gold seemed more pronounced against the blue once she shifted her head.
“I have to go. I’m sorry,” Audrey said as she turned and headed the other direction.
Harlow looked around, wondering what could have possibly caused the sudden shift, but nothing seemed out of place. She looked back, trying to see where Audrey had gone, but she’d already disappeared into the sea of people.
“Shit,” she mumbled under her breath.
A music producer grabbed her arm and flung Harlow back into an evening of small talk and fake smiles. Harlow tried to force herself to listen to what he was saying. Granted, it was nothing of consequence. Even in the best of circumstances, this type of conversation would send her screaming for the hills. But she couldn’t shake the feeling she had when Audrey made eye contact. The slight glimmer in her eyes had given away an inkling of interest. Harlow was well aware of when people found her attractive, and she’d seen it when Audrey looked at her. Even if it had only been for a split second, it was there.
* * *
“Hello, Tia,” Audrey said as she waited for her ex-girlfriend to introduce the woman who stood next to her.
“Audrey, I wasn’t sure if you’d be here.” Tia slipped her arm around the short brunette.
Kylie had positioned herself between Audrey and Tia. “Why are you here? That’s the real question. You’re not a big enough name to have gotten an invite.”
It wasn’t like Kylie to direct that much bite toward anyone, but she’d apparently made an exception for Tia. Audrey sent her a mental thank you and tried to compose herself again.
“I know Casper Thorne. Not that it’s any of your business.” Tia squinted, a sign Kylie had gotten to her.
Audrey wanted out of the situation as quickly as possible, but running full speed to the closest exit wasn’t in the cards. “It was really nice running into you, Tia. I’m afraid I have to go, you know, press and all that.”
Tia grunted and rolled her eyes. “You never did have time for me.”
Audrey wanted to point out how unequivocally false that statement was. She wanted to remind her how she rearranged every shooting schedule she’d had to accommodate Tia. She wanted to remind her of all the places she’d flown her so they could spend a few days together. She wanted to remind her of the hours spent on video chat, of the flowers and cards she sent for no reason. She wanted to remind her that despite all of that—it was Tia who had ended things while dozens of eyes watched. But she said nothing and walked away, praying she could find a place where prying eyes wouldn’t find her.
“You okay?” Kylie hugged her after they ducked into the nearest restroom.
Audrey stared at herself in the mirror. “I don’t remember her being so cruel.” She patted away the tears that had started to well in her eyes. The last thing she needed was for her waterproof mascara to fail.
Kylie snorted. “Believe it or not, this isn’t a new thing.”
Audrey didn’t respond. She knew how Kylie felt about Tia, and the only thing her lamenting seemed to do was annoy Kylie.
Kylie put her hand on her hip. She was determined to change the subject. “What was going on with you and Harlow Thorne, by the way?” She fanned herself. “I could feel the heat from ten feet away.”
Harlow Thorne. Audrey had always heard she was magnetic, but it didn’t really make sense until she was standing in close proximity to her. Harlow wore a black Gucci jumpsuit, with black fern lace covering her arms and cleavage. She had heels on, which made her already tall frame seem that much more alluring. She’d worn her long blond hair down, and it had framed her face perfectly. She’d always thought Harlow was gorgeous, but being near her had elicited a whole different set of reactions. She’d been compelled to touch her, and Audrey had never had that kind of reaction to anyone she’d just met. Harlow was more than she’d expected.
“There was nothing to see.” Audrey pulled her lipstick from her purse and reapplied it. “She invited me to listen to some of the songs she wrote that didn’t make it into the movie.”
“You said yes, right?” Kylie’s eyes grew larger with excitement.
“No.”
“No?”
Audrey dabbed her lips with a tissue. “I didn’t say anything. I saw Tia and walked away before I had a chance to answer.”
“Are you fucking with me?” Kylie was practically on top of her now. “You should absolutely take her up on her offer.”
“No, I shouldn’t.” Audrey turned and leaned against the sink. “She’s too…I don’t know…smooth.”
Kylie groaned. “What does that even mean?”
“It means she thinks I’m going to take advantage of her,” a voice on the other side of the bathroom stall said before a toilet flushed.
Audrey was sure she was going to have a heart attack right then and there. She shot Kylie the oh my God look, turned back to the mirror, and tried to make herself look busy.
Harlow walked to the sink and washed her hands. “You know, even smooth people need friends.” She reached past Audrey for a towel. “Excuse me.”
“I didn’t mean to offend you or imply—” Audrey leaned out of the way.
“That I was trying to get in your pants?” Harlow’s smirk was one of victory.
“I’m sorry?” Audrey couldn’t tell if her voice reflected her confusion or annoyance. She wasn’t sure which she preferred.
“You can make it up to me with dinner.” Harlow placed the towel in the basket.
“Dinner?” Audrey fidgeted with her lipstick.
“You know, sustenance. You do eat, right?”
“Yes, I eat.” Audrey zipped her purse. “I can’t have dinner with you.”
“Why?” Kylie asked at the same time as Harlow. She scrolled through her tablet. “You’re free Wednesday at seven. I’ll send Audrey’s address over to Casper. She’s a great cook, by the way.”
“I’ll see you then.” Harlow winked as she walked out the door.
“I hate you,” Audrey said to Kylie, who seemed all too pleased with herself.
>
“No, you don’t.”
“Yes. I do.”
“No. You don’t. You need me to push you sometimes.” Kylie motioned to the door. “Let’s get you back out there.”
Kylie was right, she did need to be pushed sometimes, but she didn’t want to be pushed into the arms of some pop star goddess. She didn’t want to be pushed when her last failed relationship had just started to be forgotten by hungry paparazzi. She didn’t want to be pushed when she didn’t feel like she had anything left to give.
Chapter Four
Harlow rechecked her cell phone. Ten minutes to seven. She was sitting two blocks from Audrey’s house but didn’t want to seem too eager by showing up early. She tapped her hands on the steering wheel, still playing with the melody she’d been working on last week. She checked her reflection in the mirror again and looked down at her clothes. It would be hard to convince anyone she’d changed her outfit a dozen times, trying to find the perfect combination of casual and sexy. What is wrong with you? She’s just a woman. This is your thing. Pull it together.
When she finally arrived at Audrey’s house, one minute before seven, she gave herself a moment to examine the outside. The old Tudor style home had vines growing up the front, adding to its charm. The massive windows gave off a warm glow, making her feel welcome. The staircase that led to the front door was cobblestone and absolutely charming. It reminded her of Audrey, and she decided it was a perfect fit.
Audrey opened the front door before she had a chance to knock. She was wearing jeans and a green, silk, V-neck shirt. Her hair was pulled back, and she was wiping her hands on a towel. For a split second, Harlow wondered what it would be like to come home to this every night.
“Hi. I wasn’t standing at the window waiting for you. I was walking through the living room and saw your headlights,” Audrey said nervously.
Harlow smiled. Audrey was adorable. “Don’t worry. I didn’t think you were anxiously awaiting my arrival.”
Audrey stuck her hand out to shake and seemed to change her mind, leaning in for an awkward hug instead. “Come on in.”
