by Jackie D.
Harlow chuckled. “You’ve been involved with four women since you were nineteen. Every time it happens, there are a million articles written about you and whoever they are. People set up online polls to discuss if the woman is worthy of your attention. It’s not like your relationships fly under the radar. I just don’t want things to be harder than they’re already going to be.”
Audrey pinched her side. “You’ve kept pretty close tabs on me for someone who cares very little about our world.”
Harlow’s face heated. “I’ve always had a bit of a crush on you.”
“Well, that’s adorable.” Audrey kissed her cheek. “Just worry about us, and we’ll deal with the rest as it comes. We don’t have to confirm or deny anything until you’re ready.”
Harlow squeezed her hand. “I’m not trying to hide you or us away. I just want to give us a chance before everyone weighs in—for now, at least.”
Audrey pulled the blanket off Harlow and got on top of her, straddling her waist. “Deal.” Audrey pulled her shirt off and unclasped her bra. “Now, let me make sure you don’t forget what I feel like while you’re gone.”
Harlow pulled Audrey down to kiss her. She’d do precisely what Audrey asked of her. She wanted to etch herself into Audrey and memorize every inch of her. She wanted to be able to pull on these moments later when the loneliness set in on the road. Audrey was like a tether to everything important and true in the world. She’d need it when they were apart and her mind started playing tricks on her. She needed these last few hours of quiet closeness as much as Audrey.
Chapter Nineteen
The feeling of dread grew more intense the closer they got to Audrey’s house. She wasn’t ready to leave her. Pull yourself together. You sound like a lovesick teenager. She pushed the thoughts down. They had lives to live. Audrey had to be back on set, and Harlow was leaving for her tour. Their time in Monterey had been incredible. She’d hold on to that until they were together again. People did this all the time and under much more difficult circumstances. They had money and privilege that so many others didn’t. Harlow wasn’t being shipped off to war; she was simply going on tour. They’d be fine. Everything would be fine.
Harlow put the car in park at the top of Audrey’s driveway. “I would come in and hang out for a bit, but I have to be at the dance studio in an hour.”
Audrey grinned, remembering why they were running late. “Sorry about that. When I asked you to stop at Big Sur, I didn’t think it would be that much of a detour.”
Harlow laughed. “If you didn’t plan on making us late, why did you haul that blanket down into the woods?”
“Okay, maybe I had some intention.”
“Uh-huh.” Harlow kissed her. “It’s not like I’m complaining.”
Audrey rested her forehead against Harlow’s. “Call me when you get to Portland.”
“I promise, and don’t forget, I’ll see you in two weeks at the People’s Choice Awards.”
Audrey opened the car door and got out before she got caught up and made Harlow even later. She grabbed her bag from the back seat and waved one more time before forcing herself to walk inside the house.
Before she had an opportunity to catch her breath, there were arms around her neck. She practically fell over from the surprise.
“Your mom and Jane are here. I tried to get Jane to leave, but she refused,” Kylie whispered. She grabbed Audrey’s shoulders and intentionally spoke much louder. “I’m so glad you made it back safely. I bet you’re exhausted. You should take a shower and lie down.”
Jane rounded the corner before Audrey had time to formulate a response. “You can rest after we’ve had a chance to chat.”
Audrey dutifully followed her into the kitchen as if it wasn’t her house they were in. She kissed her mom on the cheek and took a seat at the breakfast bar. Jane slid a glass of water in front of her. The silence was awkward, and Audrey shifted under the weight of everyone’s eyes on her.
“So?” Jane leaned on the counter. “Let’s hear it. What are we dealing with?”
Her mom smacked Jane’s arm. “Oh, stop. Honey, how was your trip?”
Audrey drank almost the entire glass of water. She knew there would be questions when she returned, but she hadn’t thought she’d get ambushed the second she walked in.
“It was good.” Audrey put the glass down and folded her hands.
“No, we aren’t going to do this. I have three more meetings today. I need to be prepared for the press. I need you to be honest with me. I need to know exactly what is happening.” Jane tapped her finger on the counter. She had her determined face on, which meant she wasn’t leaving until she got the information she wanted.
Audrey sighed. “Here is what I will tell you.” She held her hand up when she saw Jane was going to interrupt. “This is all you’re getting for now. Harlow and I have decided to explore a romantic relationship together. We will not be issuing a press release. We will be spending time together without putting a label on it. We won’t be denying or confirming. Harlow will be at the People’s Choice Awards, but I will still be going with my mom. I will be attending her San Jose show.” She intentionally left out the other two shows Harlow had mentioned. She didn’t want to give Jane any more than she had to at the moment. “Neither of us will be dating anyone else during this time. So please, stop trying to set me up with women, and don’t make a big deal of this in front of the media. I don’t want it ruined before it even has a real chance to get going.”
Jane smiled and raised her right eyebrow. “This is very good. With your new movie and her being on the soundtrack, the press will be off the charts.”
Audrey knew this was Jane’s job, but it still irritated her that this was how she saw her life. But what could she say? This was exactly what she paid her to do.
“Will you be spending the night after the San Jose show? I need to make sure I have your calendar up to date.” Jane had her iPad out, but Audrey didn’t miss her little smirk.
Audrey lifted her chin. “Yes, but so will Kylie and my mom. I’m taking them with me.”
Her mom clapped. “Oh, yay! I love Harlow’s music.”
Jane grabbed her briefcase from the chair. “I have to get going. I gave Kylie your updated schedule. You have several press junkets over the next few weeks that will be sewed into your shooting schedule. I also need an answer on those scripts I sent over last week. I’ll expect an answer at the end of the week since I’m sure you didn’t do any reading while you were away.” She stopped at the door and sighed. “On a personal note, I’m happy for you.” Jane left quickly, and Audrey was sure it was because she showed even the slightest bit of humanity.
When she got back in the kitchen, her glass of water had been replaced with a glass of wine. Both Kylie and her mother were looking at her anxiously. It was these moments, with the two of them, she was the most normal.
“Okay, tell us everything.” Kylie scooted the barstool closer and leaned on the counter.
Audrey glanced at her mom. “I don’t know about everything.”
Her mom waved her off. “Oh, honey, don’t worry about me. Your father and I have been married for a long time. There’s a reason it’s lasted.”
Audrey scrunched her nose at the implication. “It was incredible. I haven’t been this happy in a long time.”
Kylie motioned for her to continue, and she only hesitated for a split second. The truth was, she wanted to share their trip with them. She wanted to tell them how she was feeling and how fabulous Harlow had been. She wanted to share it all with them, if for no other reason than she could hardly contain her happiness. So she did. She told them every detail—well, almost every detail. It didn’t matter what her mom said; there were some things she was better off not hearing.
When she finally finished detailing her last several days, both Kylie and her mother looked genuinely happy for her.
Her mom rubbed her arm. “I’m so happy for you, honey. And I’m very excited to see he
r in San Jose. Can I bring your father, or is this a girls’ trip?”
Audrey thought about it before she answered. “How about this first time, it’s just us. I don’t want to spook her by bringing both parents. She’s already met you. I don’t want to make it seem like I’m looking for a lifelong commitment, and I’ve brought my parents along for approval.”
Kylie pulled an iPad from her bag. “You know I hate to be the one to cut this short, but there were some script changes while you were gone. I think we should go over them before you’re back on set tomorrow.”
Audrey sighed and motioned to Kylie to give her the tablet. “Anything interesting?” She scrolled through the pages looking at the comments. “So, why does he have to rip my shirt off before we run into a building where people will be firing guns at us?”
Kylie shook her head and shrugged. “My guess would be to sell more tickets to the target audience—males eighteen to thirty-nine.”
Audrey ran her hand through her hair. “Yeah, I know the spiel. These writers and directors do realize that there are women who like action films too, right?”
“I think they assume the women who like action films are the same women who’d like to watch you run into a building without a shirt.” Kylie’s expression was apologetic.
“That’s ridiculous. Some women enjoy action films because they like action films,” Audrey said.
She knew she was preaching to the choir. She’d ranted for years about her frustration with the film industry. Too often, women were used as props to lure in men and make women feel inferior. No one ever considered the work that went into it—strict diets, hours upon hours of exercise, personal trainers, personal chefs, and camera editing. The image they portrayed was virtually unobtainable unless you devoted your life to it. She was so tired of the superficial roles women were forced into. But those roles had also given her a career she loved, for the most part, and there was no denying they paid well.
Her mom sipped her wine. “Maybe it’s time we revisit the topic of creating your own production company. You could pick the scripts, the parts, and the stories. You’re a big enough name now. If you don’t want to do these parts anymore, don’t.”
Audrey turned her mother’s words over in her head. She’d toyed with the idea for some time but always found a reason to procrastinate. She’d always thought she’d take a project like this on later in her career, but why wait? She had the connections, the influence, and the name. She could pull a few other female names in with her—create a formidable force. There would be some pushback. Major production companies didn’t like competition, and forming her own would look like a challenge. It could cause some people not to want to work on her projects, especially those bound by contracts, but it would be worth the energy.
“You know what, Mom?” Audrey came around the counter and kissed her cheek. “You’re absolutely right.”
“Give me a list of where to start,” Kylie said.
Audrey inhaled deeply as she lifted her glass for a toast. “To strong women. May we know them, may we be them, may we raise them.”
Audrey was excited in a way she hadn’t felt in years about her career. The future was looking bright indeed.
* * *
Harlow caught her breath while she waited for the final run-through with her dancers to wrap up. They’d have another few days of rehearsal when they arrived in Portland, but right now they could fix any glaring mistakes prior to being on stage. Everyone looked great, and she was glad she’d left and given them the chance to practice the larger dance numbers while she’d been away.
She looked over and noticed Casper walking toward her. She rolled her shoulders and inhaled, waiting for what she assumed would be questions about her time with Audrey.
Casper handed her another bottle of water. “They look ready.”
“They are ready. We’re lucky to have them.” She tried her best to sound pleasant, not wanting to have any serious conversations while she was trying to work.
“Harlow, about the other night—”
She cut him off before he could say anything else. “It’s okay, Casper. Let’s just focus on the tour now. You know how stressful the first few performances are.”
He nodded. “You know I just want you to be happy, right?”
Something in his tone made her really look at him. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his skin looked blotchy. He looked incredibly stressed, and she felt guilty for having added to his discomfort and concern. She loved her brother and knew that his nagging always came from a good place. He’d always looked out for her, and she needed to give him the benefit of the doubt.
She put her hand on his shoulder. “I know, and thank you. For the record, I am happy. Very.” She shook him a little. “You know I want the same for you, right?”
He smiled, but it didn’t erase the concern in his expression. “I’ll see you on the plane in a few hours.” He kissed the side of her head. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” She rolled her shoulders as she watched him walk away. She usually backed off and let him tell her what was going on in his own time, but maybe she needed to push. He looked rough, and she was worried. The call came to start again, and she pushed the thought aside to concentrate on the moment.
Later, when she walked into her house, the normal hustle and bustle that was constant prior to the tour was absent. Everyone was on their way to Portland now, and she was alone. Her house was rarely empty during the day, as a portion of it doubled as her office. It was one of her tactics of avoiding the paparazzi—the less she went out, the less they had the opportunity to photograph her.
She showered, walked through the house one more time to make sure she’d grabbed everything, and headed to the car waiting in the driveway. The driver placed her bag in the trunk and opened the back passenger door. She stared at her phone, wanting to talk to Audrey. She looked at the man driving her and wondered if he’d pay attention to her phone call. Then she realized that she didn’t care. She pulled up her contact information and hit the call button.
Audrey picked up after the first ring. “Hey, you.” Audrey’s voice was smooth and soft, and Harlow enjoyed the chills that went down her spine.
“Hey. I just wanted to say hi before I got on the plane.”
“I’m glad you did. I was just thinking about you.”
Harlow smiled. “Really, what were you thinking?”
Audrey hummed on the other end of the line, and Harlow felt her stomach tighten at the sound.
“I already miss you.”
Harlow smiled. “I miss you too. Portland would be much more fun with you there.”
Audrey laughed. “Yeah, I’m sure it gets tiresome hearing thousands of people scream your name every night. Such a drag.”
Harlow glanced up at the driver to see if he was watching. “I’d much rather hear you scream my name.”
“I’ll see you in two weeks, and we’ll see what we can do about that.”
“I can’t wait. I hope everything goes well on set. I promise I’ll call when I can.”
“Talk to you soon. Safe travels.”
“Thanks, bye.” Harlow clicked the end call button. She didn’t want to hang up, but there wasn’t really anything more to say. She just liked the reassurance she felt at hearing Audrey talk.
Her heart was still hammering when the car pulled up on the tarmac. Audrey had given her an extra jolt of energy. It was like she was under the influence of something, and maybe she was. Audrey was intoxicating, and she loved every minute of it.
Chapter Twenty
Audrey sipped her drink. “Michelle, you’re one of the biggest producers in Hollywood. You’ve managed to bring great female film roles to the big screen year after year. Let’s work together and make this a more common occurrence. We could change the way the film industry views women.”
Michelle sipped from the small straw that stuck out of her vodka and soda. “Audrey, I love the idea. I’ve been pitching this
to different people over the years, but you know how this town works. A small group of men runs it.”
Audrey leaned forward. “So we bring stories they can’t turn down.” She slid a book across the table. “Read this and let me know where you stand.”
Michelle looked at the cover. “I’ve never heard of this author.” She took another sip of her drink and smiled. “That’s your point, isn’t it?”
Audrey wiggled her eyebrows. “See, you’re already reading my mind, and we haven’t even started working together yet.”
Michelle laughed. “Okay, you have me intrigued. I’ll read it and let you know if I think it would make a good script. I take it if we do this, you’ll be starring in it?”
Audrey shrugged. “If there is someone better, we can use her, but I’d waive my salary for this first one.”
Michelle motioned to the server to bring her another drink. “That’s a hard deal to pass up, and you know it.” She picked at the plate of vegetables. “Let me read the book and talk to a few contacts. I promise I’ll give you an answer by the end of next week.”
Audrey hadn’t realized how nervous she’d been about Michelle’s reaction until she got one. If she could get Michelle on board, it would offer validity to what she was trying to do, and it would help her get even more people invested. It was a great place to start.
Audrey audibly exhaled. “Thank you for taking it seriously and considering the possibility.”
Michelle snapped a piece of celery off and chewed. “It’s not every day Audrey Knox comes to you with an offer like this. I’d be a fool not to think about it.”
Audrey was on the verge of asking Michelle about her two children when she saw Casper come out on the patio. He was with two other men, and he looked frazzled. What was more peculiar was that he was here at all. He was supposed to be on tour. Audrey knew this was the last night of the Seattle show. He shouldn’t be in LA.
