VIP

by Jackie D.

  “What do you need from me?” Harlow knew the answer before she asked.

  “Let her open for you.” Dominic was serious now. His face took on a certain sternness when he talked business.

  Harlow could feel Casper’s eyes on her. But this was Dominic, and she hated disappointing him.

  “Okay, let’s see what she’s got.” Harlow purposely kept her eyes on Dominic, never looking at Casper. The thought of an additional opening act to the tour would send his stress level through the roof.

  Dominic pointed to the stage. “She’s getting ready to go on now. Get up there with her and see how it feels.”

  Audrey grabbed her hand and pulled her close. Harlow could smell the whiskey on her breath. The liquor had given her cheeks a bit of a blush, and Harlow pushed down the urge to kiss her.

  “Good luck up there,” Audrey whispered against her ear.

  Harlow tilted her head slightly so she could feel Audrey’s skin against her own. “Thank you.”

  Harlow climbed the small set of stairs attached to the stage. She could hear everyone start to cheer, but all she could think about was Audrey standing ten feet away.

  * * *

  Audrey wasn’t sure what had come over her. She wasn’t one to grab women and pull them to her. But she also wasn’t one for parties like these. Harlow had a strange effect on her, and she hadn’t figured out if she liked it or not—although she was leaning toward the liking. She’d been a ball of nerves all day waiting for Harlow to arrive. She’d continuously reminded herself that it wasn’t a date, which had been confirmed when Harlow arrived with Casper in tow. Even after she convinced herself they were friends and nothing more, it didn’t stop her body from reacting to Harlow once she laid eyes on her.

  Harlow, with her effortless swagger. She had so much confidence—it seemed to seep from her pores. Every piece of clothing Harlow owned looked as if it had been made with her specifically in mind. The simple leather bracelets around her wrists forced her eyes to trace the lines of strong defined arms, which were made more pronounced by her tight white tank top. The lengthy silver chains that hung around her neck were ideally situated to draw attention to her long elegant curves and cleavage. Her ocean-blue eyes reminded Audrey of a lazy weekend at the beach, when the sun kissed her skin, and the sand massaged her feet.

  She hadn’t realized she’d been daydreaming and biting her lip until Casper bumped her with his shoulder. “Sorry I crashed your date.”

  Audrey wasn’t sure if he was seeking information or being sincere. “It’s not a date.”

  “Sure, it’s not.” He sipped his whiskey and grinned into the glass.

  His eyes were the same intoxicating color as Harlow’s. In fact, the longer she looked at him, the more similar they seemed.

  “Who’s older, you or Harlow?”

  “Harlow, by three minutes.” Casper’s smile suggested this was something he was rather proud to pronounce.

  So they were twins. Audrey wanted to know more, but before she had the chance to ask, the music started. Audrey had listened to Harlow for years but had never managed to see her in concert. She knew this setup was nothing compared to the shows she usually put on, but it didn’t matter. Harlow, on stage, was magic. The audience drank her in like they’d been starved for water in the desert. The screams were almost loud enough to drown out the words. Harlow moved with purpose and elegance, which wasn’t an easy balance to maintain. She held the microphone as if it was an extension of her body—which in a way it was.

  The young woman singing next to her had introduced herself as Shauna Greer, and Audrey could see she was just as enamored as everyone else. Shauna had a great voice, and there was no doubt she could move, but she had nothing on Harlow.

  “She was born to do this,” Casper said.

  Audrey nodded her agreement. “They love her.”

  “You should come to one of her shows and get the full effect.”

  The slight irritation Audrey had felt toward Casper for crashing her non-date melted away. She slipped her arm through his. “That would be amazing.” She didn’t care if she sounded as enamored as she felt.

  Harlow finished up the third song, thanked Shauna, and came down the stairs. She grabbed the bottle of water Casper offered her and finished it in its entirety. Audrey almost reached out to wipe the hair stuck to Harlow’s face but stopped herself. Harlow made her act strangely, and she needed to get it under control.

  Dominic smacked her back. “What did you think?”

  “I thought she was great, but it’s up to him.” Harlow gestured to Casper.

  Casper rubbed his chin. “Have her come by the office first thing Monday morning. We can talk about it, but I’m not making any promises. I’d like to hear her whole set. Tell her to bring me some headshots too, whatever she has.” He pointed to Dominic. “No promises.”

  Dominic put his hands up in surrender. “I get it, man. She’ll be there at nine in the morning.”

  Harlow hugged Dominic. “Thanks for having us, but we have to get going. I have an early morning.”

  He kissed both her cheeks and said good-bye to Audrey and Casper. It took a little more effort to get out than it did to get in. This time people did stop them to ask for pictures and to have a chat. This aspect of the job never bothered Audrey. She didn’t mind taking selfies or signing autographs. She understood that the few seconds she’d spend with someone would be a story they’d tell for years, and she always kept that in the back of her mind during the interactions. It was also nice to catch up with a few people she hadn’t seen in a while, and it amused her the way Harlow seemed surprised when she stopped to talk to someone they both knew. Harlow seemed eager to leave though, so she kept the conversations short, with promises to talk again soon. When they made it outside, Audrey felt a pang of disappointment. She wanted to spend more time with Harlow.

  “Thanks for coming. Sorry we had to leave so quickly, but that’s just not my scene.” Harlow sounded apologetic.

  “You’re more of a Rainbow chick now.” Casper buckled his seat belt and rolled down the window.

  Audrey had heard of the Rainbow—everyone in celebrity circles had, but she’d never been. She decided not to ask any more questions based on Harlow’s eye roll. It was clearly something she didn’t want to discuss. Audrey followed Casper’s lead and opened her window. It was a beautiful Los Angeles evening. The air was hovering right at the place where it wasn’t warm, but it wasn’t quite cool. The wind on her face felt wonderful. She glanced over at Harlow and caught her looking at her out of the corner of her eye.

  “You were incredible up there tonight,” Audrey said.

  “Thanks. Dominic loves to put me on the spot.”

  “I’m glad he did.”

  Casper leaned forward so he was between them. “Can you drop me at the Viper Room? I need to meet up with Tony.”

  “Sure, no problem.” Harlow turned on her blinker, and Audrey thought she looked as if she was suppressing a smile.

  Audrey felt a sudden rush of adrenaline flood her system. She’d wanted alone time with Harlow all night, and now she was going to get her chance. She was both supremely excited and equally terrified. She forced an expression of indifference. She didn’t want to give away how she was feeling to Harlow yet, much less Casper. It had been a long time since being near someone initiated a wave of pure excitement. She was slightly undone by Harlow’s presence, and it was a feeling she wanted to explore further. Looks like you’re going to get your chance.

  Chapter Six

  Harlow pulled the car to a stop in front of Audrey’s house. “Here we are, safe and sound.”

  Audrey looked up at the house and turned her attention back to Harlow. “Want to come inside and have a drink?”

  There was nothing Harlow wanted more. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. There were lots of things she wanted at that moment—a lot of things her body wanted. She mentally weighed the right move. She genuinely liked Audrey, and she didn’t want
to ruin whatever was happening by moving too fast.

  “I start shooting my new film tomorrow, so I’m pretty tied up for the next few months.” Audrey’s voice held an apology. “It would be fun to hang out for a bit, you know, before reality sets in.”

  It didn’t matter what the right answer was anymore. Harlow wanted to do what Audrey wanted, whatever that entailed, especially if their opportunities to hang out would be cut short.

  “Do you have any whiskey?” Harlow posed the question but was already opening the car door.

  “I think my dad has a bottle tucked away somewhere in the cupboard,” Audrey said as she hurried up the walk to open the door.

  Harlow watched as Audrey opened cupboard after cupboard until she found what she was looking for. “Is Whistle Pig any good?” Audrey pulled it down and pulled off the cap. “Sounds terrible.”

  Harlow held out the glass Audrey had placed in front of her. “Better than good. Your dad has excellent taste.” She followed Audrey out to the lounge chairs by her pool. “Tell me about your parents.”

  Audrey sipped her wine and was quiet for a moment. “They’ve been married for thirty years. My dad is a day trader, and my mom is a retired nurse. My dad thinks he’s the funniest man who has ever lived, and my mom is the smartest person I’ve ever known.” She took another sip of wine. “People have been hoping there was some weird story for years, but they’re very normal. I often disappoint people with how ordinary my childhood was and how close I am to my parents.” She shrugged. “I’m fortunate. I didn’t come to LA to escape anything or anyone. I came because I was given an opportunity to do so.”

  Harlow swirled the whiskey in her glass and inhaled it deeply. Her family life had been a train wreck. She didn’t want to scare her off by delving into the details, so she did what she always did when a question about her family was looming; she changed the subject.

  “You excited about starting the new movie tomorrow?”

  Audrey set her glass down and put her hands behind her head. “Do you really think you can change the subject so you don’t have to answer the same questions? I know this game, remember?” She looked over at her, amusement on her lips. “Are you close to your parents?”

  Harlow listened to the ice clink against the glass as she twirled it. “No. I’m not.” She wanted to tell her more, but there was no right place to start. She wasn’t about to ruin a perfectly good night by lamenting about her childhood.

  “Who was the last person you dated?”

  Audrey seemed determined to peel back her layers and was letting her off the hook when it came to her parents. Still, she was rubbing up against another controversial aspect of Harlow’s life. “Dated is a strong word.” Harlow smiled at her, hoping to lighten the mood.

  “Do you date women? I’ve noticed that you never answer the question outright and the photos of you with women aren’t conclusive.” Audrey sounded serious now as if she’d wanted to ask that specific question for quite some time.

  “Tell you what,” Harlow said as she finished the whiskey in her glass and noticed the play of the light on the pool beside them. “You can ask me whatever you want, and if I don’t want to answer, I’ll take off a piece of clothing. If I do answer, you have to take off something you’re wearing. And vice versa, of course.” So much for taking things slow so she didn’t screw it up. She couldn’t seem to help herself.

  Audrey raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?”

  “Was that one of your questions?”

  Audrey sat up in her seat. “No. That’s not fair.” She swallowed what was left in her wine glass. “Let me think.”

  Harlow tapped her wrist. “You only get twenty seconds.”

  “Who was your first crush?” Audrey winced, seemingly disappointed with her question.

  “Jane Fonda.” Harlow pointed at Audrey. “You should start with the shoes.”

  Audrey sighed but took off one of her high heels. “Jane Fonda? I wouldn’t have thought that.”

  Harlow tapped her finger against her lips. “Where was your first kiss, and who was it with?”

  “Brian Decker during recess in the fifth grade.” Audrey waved her finger. “That was two questions. You owe me two shoes.”

  Harlow pulled off her boots and placed them next to the deck chair.

  Audrey poured more wine into her glass. “What age did you start singing?”

  Harlow downed another finger of whiskey. “Since before I can remember. You owe me another shoe.”

  Audrey pulled it off and twirled it around her finger before putting it next to her. “Why won’t you talk about your parents?”

  Harlow pulled at the hem of her shirt and lifted it over her head. The air was cool, and her skin prickled. She could feel Audrey’s eyes on her, and for a second, it felt like she was being touched. There were dozens of questions bouncing around in her mind. She wanted to know everything about Audrey, but there was time for all that. One question pushed its way to the front based solely on the way Audrey’s eyes traced the outline of her body.

  Harlow pulled her hair down and let it fall to her shoulders. “Do you want to touch me?”

  Audrey’s skin flushed slightly. “Yes.” She licked her bottom lip, and Harlow had to concentrate on not reaching out and running her thumb across it.

  Harlow stood, unbuttoned her jeans, and slid them off. She kept her eyes on Audrey as she tossed them over the chair. She still had on her bra and panties, but she was delightfully exposed in a way that made her skin tingle with desire. She’d been with countless women, but no one had ever looked at her the way Audrey was now. It was both disconcerting and exciting. Audrey looked at her like she wanted to really know her. Harlow had never wanted that from another person until now. In an attempt to push away the frisson of fear that caused, she jumped up, grinned at Audrey, and leaped into the pool.

  * * *

  Audrey wasn’t sure where this conversation or evening was headed. She’d watched Harlow with painful anticipation as she’d taken off her clothes. If Harlow hadn’t jumped into the pool, she wasn’t sure if she would’ve been able to stop herself from reaching out and touching her.

  Audrey had never been in her pool with anything besides a swimsuit on, and certainly not with a woman who looked at her the way Harlow had been all evening. There was a hunger in her eyes that Audrey couldn’t quite identify. It seemed almost primal.

  “Are you going to get in, or are you going to let me swim alone?” Harlow ran her fingers through her wet hair.

  Audrey unzipped her skirt, keenly aware of Harlow watching her every move. She pulled off her shirt and tossed it next to the other abandoned garments. She walked to the pool edge, trying to decipher the look on Harlow’s face as she lowered herself in. The cool pool water should’ve extinguished the heat she felt building, but it didn’t.

  Harlow put her arm up on the pool edge and grabbed Audrey’s hand, pulling her close. Her mascara created a slight darkening under her eyes, and there were droplets of water sliding down her exquisite features. Audrey’s heart was pounding, and she was grateful the water would hide her slightly trembling hands. What was it about this woman that had her so off-kilter?

  “I do date women. I don’t make public comments on my private life to the press, because I like my private life to stay that way, as much as it can in this business. The information is there for people to see if they want. I just don’t make a big deal out of it,” Harlow said as she moved even closer.

  Their bodies were touching, and Audrey found it difficult to form coherent sentences. There were just words bouncing around inside her head that didn’t add up to anything of substance. She couldn’t take her eyes off the way Harlow’s lips moved when she spoke and how they always seemed right on the verge of a smile.

  Audrey ran her thumb across Harlow’s bottom lip before she could talk herself out of it. “You have perfect lips.”

  Harlow turned her head to Audrey’s hand and kissed her palm. “I’d really like to kiss y
ou.”

  “I’ve been waiting for you to all night,” Audrey said.

  Audrey tried to keep her breathing even, a fight she was rapidly losing. Her body seemed to want nothing more than to inhale her. Harlow, with her perfect cheekbones and lazy smile. She always seemed so confident, but Audrey could sense a deep cave of secrets and pain. There was so much more hidden right behind the self-assurance. She was like a priceless piece of art, and Audrey wanted desperately to study and learn every inch and every stroke.

  “Honey, are you back here?” her mother called from the patio.

  Audrey’s thrumming arousal rapidly morphed into mortification. “Mom? What are you doing here?”

  “I told you I’d meet you here as soon as your father and I got back into town. You wanted me to look at some of the script changes.” Her mother was walking closer. “Who’s in the pool with you? I don’t have my glasses.”

  Harlow grinned and raised her eyebrow. “Guess it’s time to meet your mom.”

  Mortification and annoyance at her mother’s timing eclipsed anything she’d been feeling moments before. She made a somewhat serious mental note to change the locks to her house.

  “I’m so sorry.” Audrey squeezed her hand before climbing out of the pool.

  Her mom handed Audrey and Harlow both a towel. “I feel like I interrupted something. Did I interrupt something?”

  Harlow wrapped the towel around herself. “Not at all. We were just going for a swim.” She stuck out her hand. “I’m Harlow Thorne. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Audrey’s said so many lovely things about you.”

  “I’m Kathy Knox. It’s very nice to meet you too.” At least her mom had the decency to look guilty. She turned her attention to Audrey. “I tried to call, but you weren’t picking up.” She looked at Harlow again. “Which I see now, should’ve been an indication not to come over. Oh, honey, I’m so sorry.”