by Virna DePaul
I can see Marissa growing nervous. I lean down and murmur in her ear, “You look amazing. Thank you again for doing this.”
She looks up at me. “Us fake girlfriends have to keep up appearances,” she says, wrinkling her nose as she smiles.
I wish it was already time for dancing, because there’s nothing I’d enjoy more than twirling Marissa out on the dance floor.
“Dale!” Spires walks up with Tilly on his arm. He’s wearing a tux that’s probably two sizes too small and was purchased years ago, but Tilly looks glamorous in a peach gown with diamonds dripping from her ears and neck. “Look at this place!” Spires adds in his booming voice.
“It’s a lovely event. I hope you two enjoy yourselves,” I reply.
“Mrs. Spires, you look lovely.” Marissa nods at Tilly, who giggles and blushes.
Spires gives me a look, and I know he’s thinking about the role and how domestic I look with Marissa. “Hope you enjoyed coming to the lake house,” he says, eyeing the two of us. “You both seemed to have a good time.”
I almost laugh, mostly because I know Marissa is blushing. Yes, we definitely had a good time. Just thinking about what we did outside, me sliding inside of her and making her cry out my name…
Marissa pinches my arm, and I can’t help but pinch her back.
“We did have a great time. Thank you again for inviting us.”
Spires nods, and then his eyes light up when he spots someone behind me. “Excuse us,” he says.
We run into Noble and his wife, and other friends of the two of them. Noble looks serious-as-ever and out of his depth at a party like this, but his wife is surprisingly bubbly and never stops talking. I have no idea how they ever paired up. She’s like a golden retriever married to a bulldog.
Declan shows up at my side. “Nice party,” he says, holding out champagne glasses for us. “Here’s to sinking or swimming. I really don’t want to have our asses handed to us after all the shit we’ve pulled to get you this role.”
“You’re always such an optimist.” I take the glass of champagne and hand it to Marissa. “Besides, like I told you, the evening at the lake house went well. Better than I expected. You should’ve been there.”
The thing is, the reason it went better than expected was all because of Marissa. Being with her made the experience fun. Everything else was just dry, boring, Hollywood pretense.
“You know I was otherwise engaged.”
I nod. Yes, Declan had told me he had some urgent matter to attend to and couldn’t make the lake house event. Something to do with a potential client, but other than that, he hadn’t given me any details.
Declan’s gaze lands on a slinky blonde across from us. “Excuse me,” he murmurs. We watch as Declan introduces himself to the blonde, who responds eagerly to his attention.
“There are plenty of women around,” Marissa murmurs. “Do you want to…mingle?”
“With other women? Not at all, darling. I’m in a fulfilled committed relationship, after all.”
“Ah, yes,” she says softly. “Must keep up pretenses.”
I shoot her a look. “Has all of what we’ve been doing been pretense? It felt damn real last night and earlier today. Wasn’t I enthusiastic enough?”
She shivers. “No, you were very enthusiastic, as well you know.”
“And if I recall correctly, you were as well. ‘Simon, Simon, Simon.’ You couldn’t stop saying my name.”
She rolls her eyes, blushing. “Behave yourself.”
Looking back at her ass and her bare back, I say, “With you in that dress? Not a chance.”
I hear the music starting up, and I’m about to ask her to dance when I catch sight of a redheaded woman in the corner of my eye. I freeze. It can’t be…
When she spots me, she’s all smiles. “Simon!” Janelle waltzes up to me, her bright red hair piled on top of her head, wearing an emerald green gown that doesn’t hide a thing. Janelle perfected the femme fatale look probably before she said her first word. She’s wearing red lipstick and some kind of eyeliner that makes her look like a cat. Seeing her bright nails, I know she’s way more dangerous than your run-of-the-mill house cat. More like a puma, and one that will tear out your jugular without hesitation.
She holds out her hand to me, and even though I want to tell her to go to hell I also refuse to fall for her bait. I press her hand, silently warning her to behave.
“Janelle. What are you doing here?”
She smiles. I notice that she has two very small wrinkles near her eyes, which gratifies me to no end. “I was invited,” she says in that smooth, silky voice of hers. “Noble and Spires are dear friends of mine. Didn’t you know? Well, ever since I auditioned for their newest movie. I didn’t realize you’d become so cozy with them, though.”
I snap my head around to look at her. She’s serious. And if she knows that, then she probably knows…
“But then I heard the rumors of the actors being considered for the main roles.” She bats her false eyelashes at me. “My part is nothing, really. A scene or two. But you! Congratulations, Simon, that’s just wonderful. You’ve come so very far since…” She rakes her eyes over Marissa “…the old days.”
I glance at Marissa, who’s staring at us both. She’s calm, though, probably realizing that Janelle can sense weakness a mile away.
“Janelle, have you met my girlfriend, Marissa Woodcrest? Marissa, this is Janelle Williams.”
“His former girlfriend,” Janelle adds, that spiteful little smile on her face. She shakes Marissa’s hand. “I’ve heard so much about you, dear.”
Marissa raises her eyebrows. “Really? Because I’ve heard so little about you.”
I cough to cover my laugh. Janelle looks murderous, but she hides it well. “How funny you are,” she says. “Obviously you don’t watch Lone Star Hospital.”
I can feel the hackles rising between them, and I’m certain bloodshed will result if I’m not careful. “Marissa, darling, let’s go meet the rest of the guests. We wouldn’t want to detain Janelle any longer.”
Janelle just smiles.
I guide Marissa away, and just when we’re out of earshot, she hisses, “I can’t believe Elvira Hampton of Lone Star Hospital is actually jealous of me. Me!”
I take in her starry-eyed expression, amused. “Lone Star Hospital fan, are you?”
She nods, embarrassed. I suppose I didn’t have to ask.
“We dated for a while. She wasn’t quite so awful when we first started dating, but luckily I learned of her true colors quickly enough. We met auditioning for Alien Love, although she was pissed I got the starring role and she didn’t even get a call back.”
She snorts. “Is that so? Well, she’s doing pretty well, now.”
“I suppose. But just know that I’m completely over her.”
Marissa gives me a look, and I realize what I’m saying. It doesn’t matter if I’m over Janelle because it’s not like Marissa and I are actually dating. I clear my throat, feeling awkward.
“Let me get you another glass of champagne.”
She smiles. “That’s all right. I need to go to the restroom. I’ll be right back.” She heads off, leaving me alone.
Looking around, I see Spires and Noble drinking and gazing at me. I bite my cheek to keep from groaning. Did they witness that little scene with Janelle? I can’t have things ruined because she felt like getting her petty revenge.
Janelle finds me again, now holding her own glass of champagne. We watch as couples dance, silent in our assessment.
“So you really are using her to clean up your image,” she says, sipping her champagne. “But you obviously haven’t yet been straight with her family. Because the Woodcrests would never let you near her if they knew who you really are.” She turns to me, her voice becoming a purr. She touches my arm. “And even if they did accept you, how long would your interest last? One month more? She’s pretty, I grant you, but we all know of your…appetites. And when you hurt her, y
our career will be over. The Woodcrests would make certain of that.” Her fingers glide up my arm, and it’s like watching a spider.
I can feel Spires and Noble looking at us. I step away from her. “And as I told you before, it’s none of your business, Janelle.”
She smiles that red-lipped mocking smile of hers. “I know, darling. That doesn’t mean I can’t have a little fun, though.”
My heart pounds. Janelle’s kind of fun never ends well for anyone else.
“Leave it alone.” I take her wrist, and when she realizes I’m not letting go, she follows me into a private alcove. When we’re alone, I growl, “If you try anything, I’ll have your head.”
She laughs. “So barbaric, Simon! I could almost believe it, except that we all know how your threats are. Hollow.”
“I mean it. If you try anything, you’ll be very, very sorry.”
She just sips her champagne. Then, finishing it, she sets it on a nearby table before coming toward me. “I know you don’t mean that. I know you. You’ll get bored of that little girl, and then you’ll do something stupid, like you always do. And when you do, it’ll be all over the news, and Raul Woodcrest will ensure your career will be finished.”
She presses her breasts against my chest, running her hands down my body. Before I can grab hold of her, I see movement out of the corner of my eye. I turn, but whoever was there is gone now.
I curse. “I’m done here.” I push her away from me and stalk out. When I go into the ballroom, I look for whoever may have seen us. I catch Spires’s gaze, and his eyes are narrowed at me. My heart sinks into my toes. What did he see?
Then I see Marissa off to the side, her arms wrapped around herself. I go to her. “I was looking for you,” I say, trying to act like nothing happened.
She looks up. “I couldn’t find you. Where did you go?” She doesn’t sound suspicious, just resigned.
I refuse to see her upset. Janelle doesn’t deserve the satisfaction. “Let’s dance, shall we?”
Before she can say no, I take her to the dance floor. The music starts up, and we begin waltzing. I’m not the greatest dancer, but I know enough to keep us from embarrassing ourselves.
“I’m sorry about Janelle. I had no idea she’d be here tonight.” I rub Marissa’s back.
“No, of course you couldn’t have known. So she’s going to be in Perfect Union, huh?”
“It appears so.” I frown. “God knows who she seduced to get that part.”
Marissa smiles up at me. “Does it matter? It’s just a small part. She doesn’t have one tenth of the star quality or talent you have. She’s not even in your league. Maybe sleeping with people is the only way she can get ahead in this town.”
I cringe. Isn’t that kind of what I’m doing with Marissa? No, I hadn’t known her family had these connections, but even so, I’ve been using her to make myself look better. And that isn’t much different than what Janelle is doing. I think about the tell-all interview she gave, where she detailed our relationship and how I walked out on her. Simon Dale doesn’t do relationships, she’d told the journalist, he does flings. There’s not a committed bone in his body.
That hadn’t been the worst of it. She’d gone on to describe how I always fought with her, how I told her how to dress and where to go, making me out to be the worst kind of ogre just because I was the one who was making the money. All of it was false. If anything, she was the one who tried to control me. She’d wanted me to spend all of my money on her when I wanted to save it for a rainy day. She’d never had a fucking rainy day in her life. Anytime I pushed back, she’d throw a tantrum, like a little child.
But for some strange reason, I had cared for her. I’m not sure it was love—sometimes I don’t think I’m capable of that emotion—but I’d wanted us to work out. I’d wanted to do the right thing and be stable. I’d wanted to not be that actor whose social life was such a mess that it spilled over into his career. But Janelle’s jealousy when my career took that leap forward when Alien Love grew so popular made that impossible. That’s when I left, and I have never regretted that decision.
Janelle, of course, saw my newfound fame as a way to get a little fame of her own.
I don’t want to be another person who uses others in order to get ahead. And holding Marissa close as we glide across the dance floor, I realize that the person I want to hurt least of all is the woman in my arms.
Noble and Spires are standing together at the edge of the dance floor, motioning in my general direction and talking conspiratorially. I’m suddenly sure it’s about me and Janelle and how I have one too many skeletons in my closet to make an adequate leading man.
Marissa notices me tensing. “Relax,” she whispers in my ear. “What are you so worried about?”
This has been exhausting, frankly. I want to spend the rest of the night in Marissa’s arms, twirling her around the dance floor. I don’t want to have to put on airs anymore. I whisper, “Janelle suspects something is going on. She thinks we’re not really dating and I’m using you to get that role.”
She shrugs. “So? It’s her word against ours. If she tries anything, we just tell her she’s wrong.”
“She doesn’t think we’re believable, frankly,” I continue. “She doesn’t think someone like you would seriously date a person like me.”
She stops dancing, her eyes firing up, and plants her hands on her hips. “Well, did you tell her to go to hell? Part of me just wants to get married and have a dozen babies with you just to prove her wrong.”
I nod, amused at the spark in her eyes. She’s right. Janelle can’t see inside our heads; it’s only what we show that matters. Still, those heated exchanges with my ex girlfriend are a little too much drama than I’d like this responsible, devoted family man to display tonight. I thrust my chin in the direction of Noble and Spires. “I need to go smooth things over with those two,” I say to Marissa, who nods.
“Of course.”
“Be right back.” I notice Declan standing at the edge of the dance floor and call him over. “Will you watch over Marissa for a moment?”
Declan grins. “With pleasure.” He takes her elbow and they begin dancing.
I walk toward Spires and Noble, hoping against hope that Janelle hasn’t already ruined all of our hard work by coming here tonight.
14
Marissa
After dancing with Declan, I tell him I need a break. Mostly, though, I want to make sure Janelle hasn’t gotten her claws back into Simon. I saw the look in her eyes, like she was plotting something.
But what? There is nothing she can do to touch him. I laugh to myself, thinking of how worried he was that the world would think he was unworthy of the part. He thinks that I am such a big part of this, but the truth is, Liam doesn’t stand a chance at the role in Perfect Union. Simon could get this part with his eyes closed. He’s right; actors do have fragile egos, and he is worst of all.
I grab a glass of water, drinking it quickly. I didn’t realize how thirsty I got after dancing so much. I’m tempted to get another glass when I hear a voice beside me.
“Thirsty?”
I turn. I’ve only met her tonight, but I’d recognize that voice anywhere. Janelle’s holding out a glass, and to be honest, I’m hesitant to take it. For all I know, she’s poisoned it, like she’s the Evil Queen to my Snow White. Except it’s water instead of an apple.
I take the glass from her, sipping it. It doesn’t taste poisoned, I reason.
“I love your dress,” she says. “It’s quite daring—and for someone like you, especially.”
I restrain myself from pulling her hair like we’re in elementary school. I already hate this woman. Not only because she got to date Simon—for real—but because she seems so fake and petty. What attracted him to her in the first place? I hope it wasn’t just because she has nice breasts.
“You know, when I heard that Simon was dating you, I couldn’t believe it. Simon Dale, dating a Woodcrest?” Janelle laughs. I think s
he’s trying to laugh lightly, but it comes off more like a cackle. Evil witch, indeed.
“Well, he is. Dating me, that is. Maybe he got tired of his usual kind of woman.”
She eyes me. I sip more of the potentially poisonous water.
“You surprise me,” she says, actually sounding genuinely surprised.
“Oh really? How?”
“I thought you’d be a sad, pathetic kind of thing, quivering in the corner. But you give as good as you get. Maybe in another life we could have been friends.”
I snort so loudly that people turn to look at us. “We could never be friends.” I’m about to tell her that Simon is looking for me when she stops me with a touch on the arm.
“I know we didn’t have a great meeting, but I wanted to warn you.” She widens her blue eyes, which are probably blue from wearing contacts. Everything about Janelle screams fake: from her hair (definitely not a natural red), to her breasts (totally silicone), to her eye color (nobody has eyes that blue). Her tone is just as fake.
“I know Simon seems attentive right now, but don’t be fooled.” She picks up a glass of champagne from a waiter. “He was very attentive to me, too. Took me everywhere, bought me the nicest things, and the sex!” Sighing, she puts a hand over her heart. “Let me tell you, it was explosive. The best I’ve ever had.”
I’m clenching my glass so hard that I’m afraid I’ll break it. I hand it to the waiter, who gives me a sympathetic look before scuttling off, like he knows something’s about to go down between us. Then I lean toward Janelle and say, “He’s the best I’ve ever had, too. The difference is, I’m going to continue having the best. You, on the other hand, will not.”
As her eyes widen, I turn and walk away, and I swear the waiter who’d just taken my glass is looking at me with admiration in his eyes. I wink as I pass him.
I look around for Simon and see him talking to Spires and Noble. Suddenly, my pride at not letting Janelle get to me disappears and I’m reminded that what I’d told her had been completely untrue. I would not continue to have the best. I would not continue to have Simon. Because our relationship is not, and has never been, real.
