Celebrity

by De Ross, Melinda

  “You did great! I could tell Marie was impressed.”

  “You think so?” I asked anxiously, sitting next to him on the sofa.

  “Damn straight. She wouldn’t have parted so quickly with the advance money otherwise.”

  He winked at me, then stood up to open the door when the room service waiter knocked. After he tipped the young man, Danny handed me the two crystal flutes and opened the champagne bottle with a festive pop. Frothy liquid spilled over the expensive carpet, but neither of us cared. He filled the two flutes, placed the bottle on the coffee table, and raised his glass for a toast.

  “To you, Kendra, the most beautiful and talented woman I know.” His deep voice was serious, the words almost solemn.

  “To us,” I said, feeling a pink glow warming my cheeks. They became hotter when I realized how that sounded. “I mean, to our joint effort,” I amended quickly. “This wouldn’t have been possible without you.”

  “To us,” he repeated, his black eyes gleaming wickedly as they bore into mine.

  We sipped away, talking a bit more about the contract. After that subject was exhausted, I started questioning him about life in L.A., especially about property prices.

  “It depends on what you want. Would you like a house or an apartment?”

  I thought about it for a minute.

  “An apartment is easier to care for, but a house gives you more freedom. Imagine sitting in the back yard on a lounge chair, sunbathing, with a cold Martini and a trashy novel. Or, better yet, to have a house on the beach,” I said enthusiastically. Stars were already gathering up in my eyes. “How much would a beach house cost?”

  Danny’s lips pressed together thoughtfully.

  “Well, it depends on various things: the size, the area, the state of the building. If you want me to give you an average price, I’d say around 600k.”

  The stars in front of my eyes blinked off abruptly. “$600, 000?”

  I reached out to refill our glasses, then took a double gulp of champagne. “That’s way over my budget.”

  He patted my hand reassuringly. “We can find you one considerably cheaper than that. I have a friend who’s a real estate agent. I’ll give him a call later if you want, and tell him to put an APB out for a good, cheap house. How about… 300K? Would that suit you?”

  I let out a long breath. “Uh, yeah… That would be much more bearable.”

  With an amused snort, he settled more comfortably. Picking up the TV remote again, he started flicking through channels.

  “Oh, leave it here!” I said quickly as he reached a music channel where Charlie Puth and Meghan Trainor were singing ‘Marvin Gaye’, all ready to ‘get it on’. “I love this song!”

  “Let’s dance then.”

  He got to his feet and smoothly pulled me into his arms, drawing me in a slow, sinuous dance. I stiffened instinctively for a moment, but then let myself relax against him, giggling.

  “Danny, I can’t dance. Besides, I’m already dizzy from the champagne. I’ll step all over your feet.”

  The half-smile he gave me was seduction personified. “I don’t care.”

  I laughed lightly, supporting my cheek against his shoulder. The alcohol had loosened me up considerably. For the first time in a long while I felt happy, full of optimism, maybe even reckless. I must be, to throw myself into this kind of adventure so unexpectedly, and leave my safety zone to move across the country.

  I found myself murmuring the lyrics, feeling lightheaded with the joys of the day.

  “There’s lovin’ in your eyes that pulls me closer,

  It’s so subtle, I’m in trouble…”

  “But I’d love to be in trouble with you,” Danny finished in his deep voice, in tune with the sexy melody.

  I smiled up at him. Unthinkingly, I lifted a hand to stroke the small patch of hair under his full lower lip.

  “I like this spot.”

  “It’s called a soul patch.” His palms tightened almost imperceptibly on my waist, drawing our bodies closer. “Apparently, it was trendy among jazz singers in the fifties.”

  “A soul patch,” I repeated dreamily. “That’s nice.”

  After two sleepless nights, a journey across the ocean and two full glasses of champagne, my brain was slower than usual. My eyelids felt heavy and my entire body was now relaxed. A strange warmth flowed through my veins. I hadn’t realized our faces became so close, and our mouths were just an inch away. But when I looked up, I was startled by the passion in Danny’s eyes. Before I could react—and I had no idea what that reaction would have been—he lowered his head, rubbing his lips against mine, softly, sensuously.

  My lips parted reflexively. I heard myself whisper as though from a distance, “Danny, wait…”

  But even as I said the words, his tongue traced my lower lip slowly, then sneaked smoothly into my mouth like hot velvet. His fingers fanned over my back, pressing me against his hard, toned chest. My body reacted as any woman’s would have to the masterful kiss of a gorgeous guy. In a few seconds though, my mind started working again. I turned my head away, detaching myself from his embrace as gently as I could, not wanting to insult him.

  “Please don’t. I can’t… We can’t do… this.”

  “Why not?” His eyes were intense, his pupils dilated, and he was breathing just a little faster than usual.

  ‘Because I’m a rejected, sex-depraved, drunk woman with temporary self-esteem problems, and you’re a pathological womanizer. The ultimate disaster would be for me to fall in love with a guy like you’.

  I couldn’t very well say what I was thinking. I was unable to meet his gaze as I fidgeted with my hair, clumsily tucking it behind my ears.

  “Because… It’s… Unprofessional,” I said finally, after fumbling for a plausible reason. “Yes. We need to keep our relationship strictly professional, in order to… Maintain our work-related business,” I floundered on.

  The half-smile was back on his face. The smug, indulgent expression in his eyes got on my nerves. It was the sort of look a very cocky man gave to a woman when he thought she was simply playing coy, and he knew he was going to wear her down eventually. I assumed this kind of thing was part of a mating ritual to men like him, men used to women’s adoration.

  Well, he could think whatever he wanted. I wasn’t going to jump into bed with him, no matter how skilled he was in the art of seduction. I straightened my simple white top and lavender skirt, as I took another step farther away from him.

  “There’s nothing wrong in mixing business with pleasure,” he said lazily, but maintained the distance between us.

  “I think there is. Besides, this is really not a good moment to even discuss this. Let’s just forget about it, please, and focus on the matters at hand. Have you booked your flight back to Los Angeles yet?”

  Seeing I was all business again, he began to arrange his tie. “Yes, I did.” He imitated my formal tone. “Tomorrow at 11:45.”

  I scratched the side of my nose absently, as I moved to the desk in the corner to switch on my laptop.

  “Okay. I’ll see if I can book a seat on the same flight. If not, it’s no problem.”

  Actually, right at the moment I hoped I wouldn’t have to fly with him. I cursed myself silently for letting things get too personal, and swore never to drink alcohol again—unless I was alone with a good-sized dildo.

  Hoping I wasn’t blushing, I turned again to face him.

  “Could you recommend a nice, affordable hotel? I’ll need to stay there until I find a place of my own, which I hope will be soon.”

  “Of course.” He thought for a moment. “There’s the Economy Inn on Sunset Boulevard. It’s really cheap, but I’m afraid the amenities are far from this,” he added, gesturing to our luxurious surroundings.

  “It’s okay.” I typed the name of the motel into Google. “My apartment in Chicago wasn’t exactly a palace. I’m used to roughing it.”

  “Well, then...” He stuffed his hands into the pocket
s of his slacks. “Let me know if we’re on the same flight. I could cancel mine if…”

  “No, no, you don’t have to bother,” I said quickly, turning in my chair to look at him. “We’ll end up in the same place anyway.”

  I sent him an overly-bright smile, in a poor attempt to behave normally.

  “Thanks again for everything, Danny. I think I’ll get some more sleep after I finish here. I had another restless night.”

  “Sure.” He picked up his jacket, smiling back at me a bit stiffly. I guess he wasn’t used to being dismissed, even if it was diplomatically. “Sleep well. I’ll see you at breakfast tomorrow.”

  After he left I released a long, long breath and lowered my head on the desk. Why, oh why had I let myself be drawn into the spell of this charming Lothario? Hadn’t I heard him brag about all the women he went out with? I knew there was a different one every week, and he actually took pride in that. An affair with a man like Danny was the last thing I needed.

  The trouble was that now I was afraid I’d ruined our business relationship, as well as our friendship, because I’d rejected his advances. True, it was unprofessional of him to make a move on me, but I suppose I had encouraged him a bit. What was I thinking, petting his soul patch, for Heaven’s sake?

  I pressed a hand to my aching forehead, then shoved away from the desk, grabbed my phone and laptop, and marched into the bedroom. After stripping down to my underwear, I fell face down on the bed, hiding my head under the pillow. I knew very well I couldn’t hide from my problems, but sometimes this childish behavior helped.

  Tired and half-cut as I was, I quickly drifted off to sleep. It seemed only moments later that my cell phone started ringing.

  “Shit.”

  I groped blindly for the noisy object and squinted at the display before answering.

  “Hi, Mom.”

  “Hi, baby,” she said cheerfully. I could hear the sound of the radio in the background. “How are you doing? Have you seen the British Museum yet?”

  “Um, no.” I yawned hugely, turning over on my back. “I don’t think I have time for that. We’ve had lunch with the MBM producer, and now I’m taking a nap.”

  “A nap? At two in the afternoon?” She sounded shocked. “Before you ask, I calculated the time difference. Daddy and I just woke up. Anyway, why aren’t you out on the streets of London, playing tourist? It’s not a chance one gets every day.”

  I covered my eyes with my forearm, blinking against the milky light coming from the windows. “It’s cold and cloudy here. I don’t like it one bit, and the truth is I’m exhausted. I haven’t slept much in the past two days. I only came here to sign the contract, Mom.”

  “And did you?”

  “A couple of hours ago. It’s all official. In less than twenty-four hours I’ll have my money. I’ll transfer some into your account. Don’t argue,” I emphasized, raising my voice over her protests. “It’s my money, my choice. Are you and Daddy okay? I already miss you.”

  “Aww, baby... We miss you too. We’re fine.” There was a brief pause, then she said, “Richard stopped by today, to ask about you.”

  I was speechless for a moment. Richard had met my parents a handful of times when we were dating, and there was never a sign of them bonding in any way. I wondered why he would go there now. Did he want to ask me for another chance, or just to make sure I haven’t slit my wrists on account of him?

  “What did he say?” I asked my mother.

  “Oh, he tried to be very casual about it, said he hadn’t heard from you in a couple of days and wanted to know if you’d changed your phone number. Luckily, your father wasn’t at home, but I took the liberty of telling him a few truths.”

  The satisfaction in her voice made me laugh, as I imagined her in a haughty posture, hands on hips and mouth working like a crushing tornado.

  “Mom,” I said laughing. “I hope you didn’t use any crude language.”

  “Oh, trust me, I can insult someone elegantly and still sound like a lady.”

  I smiled to myself. “I know. I hope you didn’t tell him where I am.”

  “No, I didn’t,” she said on a sigh, “though I had to exert tremendous self control not to rub your success into his scumbag cheating face. I just told him that if you want to contact him, I’m sure you will. And then I slammed the door in his face.”

  A giggle escaped me as I turned onto one side. “Good for you, Mom. Listen, I need to get up and see about my flight to L.A. I have a million things to do. I’ll call you when I can, okay? Love you.”

  “Love you too, honey. Take care.”

  I put the phone on the nightstand and looked at my wristwatch. Almost 2:30. With a groan, I sat up and reached for my laptop.

  I couldn’t find a direct flight from London to Los Angeles for tomorrow, but I found one that left at 7:45 pm today. It was a fifteen hour flight, with a short stop in Philadelphia.

  “God!” I plowed my fingers through my hair. “Fifteen freaking hours!” I looked at my watch again. I could make it to the airport in time, if I hurried.

  I quickly booked the flight on the airline website, then began gathering my things. I was wearing the same wrinkled white top and lavender skirt, but I didn’t take the time to change. After my bags were packed, I called reception and asked them to order me a cab, then I crossed the hall and knocked on Danny’s door.

  When he opened the door, I barely managed not to goggle. He was still wearing his black slacks, but he’d discarded his shirt. I couldn’t fairly say he didn’t look perfect—all that caramel, tanned skin stretched over rounded muscles was mouthwatering. But I found myself wondering if he waxed his chest hair, and if he took steroids to obtain that flawless delineation of his pectorals and six-pack abs.

  Jesus! Any other woman would have jumped his bones by now, and here I was analyzing his epidermis. Maybe I was an iceberg after all. Lucky I was off men at the moment.

  “Um, sorry to disturb you,” I said, talking to the whiskey glass in his hand. “I just wanted to let you know I couldn’t find a seat on the same plane as yours, but I managed to book a flight at 7:45, so I have to rush to the airport.”

  He raised his eyebrows, then looked at his Rolex. “You mean today? It’s a long flight. Are you sure you want to make this trip alone?”

  I gave a little nervous laugh. “There will be other people in the plane. Besides, I want to get there as soon as possible, get to that Cheap Inn...”

  “Economy Inn,” he corrected me, his lips curving.

  “Right, and sleep for two days. Then I’ll get back on track and start hunting for a house.”

  He studied me for a few moments, slowly swirling the amber liquid in his glass. “I guess I’ll see you in Los Angeles then. Have a safe trip.”

  “Thanks. You too. I’ll call you as soon as I can.”

  I lifted my suitcase and walked to the elevator, still feeling his eyes on me. I wondered if he was as eager to help me find a house, now that I’d made it clear our relationship wasn’t going to become personal. I just hoped I wouldn’t be forced to get another agent.

  Chapter Five

  The flight was miserable. The changing of so many time zones in such a short period left me physically and mentally exhausted. I tried to sleep on the plane, but the constant hum of conversation prevented me even from dozing off. The seat seemed more uncomfortable with each hour that passed. By the end of the fifteen hours or so spent in a flying metal box, I thought I was going mad.

  When the landing was announced, I tore myself from my nerve-wracking slumber and pried open my eyes. From my window seat I saw that dawn was breaking, bathing the sky in magnificent tones of pink and gold, against the lingering blue. The lights of Los Angeles came into view, colorful and bright, growing larger with each second we came closer to the ground. In spite of my fatigue, my heart began beating a little faster. My blood pumped with excitement. I glanced at my watch, but realized the time was no longer right. I did a mental calculation and thought it m
ust be around 5 a.m., but I was so tired I no longer trusted my judgment.

  I went through the checkout process like a zombie, barely remembering to collect my luggage. Even though it was extremely early, the airport was crowded. There were people everywhere, heading for the exit, hugging loved ones who’d come to pick them up. My eyes flashed from face to face and I felt a jolt of sadness spearing through me. Nobody was waiting for me. I knew absolutely no one here, in this foreign place. All at once, loneliness seemed to choke me. I felt like a fragile butterfly swallowed by this storm of people.

  I knew I was overly-emotional because of the entire ordeal of the past days, and somehow that knowledge helped calm me down. I began taking long, ample breaths, while I walked toward the exit, dragging my suitcase behind me on its portable wheels. I spotted an ATM and made a detour to check if the deposit from MBM had been transferred into my bank account.

  The relieved breath I let out when I saw my balance was audible. The money had been transferred! It had occurred to me more than once that a delay in this department would be fatal, because it would leave me completely penniless, at Danny’s mercy. But thankfully, I no longer needed to worry about it, since the $1,000,000 was now in my account.

  I withdrew $1,000, knowing I was now on very dangerous grounds and it wasn’t wise to carry so much money on me. Not that Chicago was all that safe, but at least it was my territory. I knew what neighborhoods to avoid, I knew my way around the city. Here, I was completely out of my element. I had to remember it every second.

  When I stepped out into the sunshine and looked around for the parking lot, I couldn’t stifle a cough. The air was humid, kind of smoggy, though the morning coolness still hovered around me. Mostly everyone wore summer clothes, shorts and T-shirts. I felt overdressed in my suit jacket, as I finally managed to find a row of cabs.

  I approached one and climbed into the back seat, after shoving in my suitcase, then asked the middle-aged driver to take me to the Economy Inn on Sunset Boulevard.