by L. L Hunter
“Kate! Wait up.”
I turned and saw Damian walking toward me. I hadn’t noticed what he was wearing before, all I noticed were his delicious brown eyes. But he wore a simple black t-shirt and ripped blue jeans. His sneakers were bright white and new, and he had about a week’s worth of beard growth on his face. His hair was a little shaggy and unkempt, but not in an unstylish way. He didn’t look homeless or anything. He seemed like a guy who didn’t worry about his appearance, letting those things take priority over his work. I admired that.
I smiled. “Damian, hey. Did I forget something?”
He grinned wildly. My tummy dipped. He had the kind of smile that could make any girl’s panties damp. Oh, boy.
“Yes, actually. I was wondering… um… this is probably really inappropriate seeing as we just hired you, but would you like to go out sometime?”
Just as I was thinking all these dirty thoughts about this sexy writer/producer guy, he runs up to me and asks me out. Okay, I must definitely be dreaming now. This didn’t happen to me. I’d only dated one guy in my life, and that was the guy I attended senior prom with. We dated for about a year until he left for college, and I stayed behind to work in my grandmother’s diner so I could save enough money to leave.
“Oh, sure. Yes. I’d love that.”
“Awesome. Just leave your number and address with our secretary, and I’ll be in touch. About the date and about the other screen test.”
“Sure.” And then I stuck my hand out for him to shake. He smirked and then put his hand in mine. Like before, his touch lingered against mine, and I began to feel all tingly and warm. I pulled away so it didn’t get any more awkward or go any further.
“Thanks for your time. It was nice to meet you, Damian.”
“It was my pleasure.” He winked and then turned and strode back down the hall. I was left staring after him wondering what the hell had just happened. I finally managed to function enough to leave my details with the secretary. I then made my way across the studio lot to the sound stage where Bree was shooting her show.
9
Bree had told me to use her name to gain access to the film set. When I was allowed entry, I walked through the sound stage, passing camera and lighting equipment, stunt doubles doing their training, and people generally running to and fro. I finally found where Bree was stationed, in her chair reading a script and awaiting her next scene.
“Hey, there,” I said musically, approaching her from behind. She turned in her seat, and I noticed she had headphones on. She pulled them off and flashed a huge smile.
“Hey! How was it?”
“It was quite good. A little nerve-racking, especially having to read an intense scene with the hot writer.”
“Ooh, hot writer? Tell me more.”
I blushed a deep crimson. “Um… he was nice. He wouldn’t stop watching me.”
“Watching you? Hello, perve alert!”
“No. I don’t think it was like that. He… he kind of asked me out.”
Bree’s eyes widened. “Oh, my God. You must have made an impression then. Good for you, girlfriend.” She shoved my shoulder playfully.
“I guess. I think they were happy with my performance, considering I’d never done anything like that before.”
“Of course, they were. Because the sexy writer asked you out,” Bree teased.
“Stop it.” I found a chair and sat next to Bree. “So, tell me about your job.”
“I’ve already shot one scene this morning. I’m waiting for my next scene. In the meantime, I’m listening to the dialogue through these,” she explained, gesturing to the headphones she was wearing. A young girl, who had to be in her late teens to early twenties ran up and handed me a set of headphones.
“Here. So you can listen too,” she told me, before running away again.
“Ooh, thank you.” I turned to Bree. “Who was that?”
“That’s Allie. She’s our runner. She’s like an unpaid intern who fetches coffee for people on set, or anything they might need.”
“That’s awesome. And she doesn’t mind it?”
“Nah. There are lots of young people who would kill for that job. It’s one of the ways to get your foot in the door of the entertainment industry.”
I nodded and then surveyed what was happening around me on the set.
The person who I assumed was the director called cut, and the actors broke from their marks and their characters and walked either to their chairs or back to their trailers.
“It’s quite busy.”
“Yeah, sometimes, but there’s a lot of down time. That’s one thing you have to get used to if you want to be an actress, Kate. There’s always going to be a lot of waiting. So you have to find ways to occupy your time.”
“Oh. Thanks for the heads up.”
And then it was time for Bree to film her next scene, so I followed her to the set and stood by the camera and watched her in action.
Bree was a natural on camera. I hoped one day I would be just like her. One day that was going to be me standing there in front of the cameras and the lights, getting touched up by the makeup artists and fitted for wardrobe.
Little did I know, it would happen sooner than I thought.
10
The next day, Damian called me. I wasn’t expecting him to call so soon. When my phone rang, I was in the shower, which was a little awkward.
“Hello?” I yelled, quickly drying my hands on my towel and stepping out. I put the phone on loudspeaker so I could continue to dry myself.
“Hey, Kate. It’s Damian from Down to the Wire Productions. How are you?”
“Oh, hey, Damian. I’m good. You?”
“Yeah, I’m not too bad. Anyway, I was just calling to not only see if you’re free for dinner tonight but to see if you can come in for another screen test this week sometime.”
“Oh, yes. Sure. Yes to both.” Oh, my God! What was wrong with me. I wrapped my towel around my body and walked into my room. I hoped he couldn’t tell I was in the bathroom.
“Great. Then I’ll pick you up around six tonight?”
“Yes. That’s perfect.”
“Great. See you then.”
“See you then, Damian.”
When he hung up, I lay back on my bed and sighed loudly. I couldn’t believe I had a date tonight. Then I realised I had a dilemma—what to wear? I got off the bed and ran to my closet. I didn’t have many clothes, apart from the blue floral gown and the black dress Bree had bought me. Should I wear the black dress? Then I remembered the Teen Choice Awards were this weekend, and I was going to wear the black dress then. So, I needed something else for my date. I couldn’t ask Bree right now as she was on set. I could see what she had in her closet, but I didn’t want to take anything without asking. So I sent her a text to ask if it was okay.
“Hey B, SOS! Got a date tonight and have nothing to wear! Could I borrow something from your closet?” I figured she was busy and wouldn’t have her phone on her, but to my surprise, she replied straight away.
“Of course! Take whatever you need. Is it with the sexy writer guy?”
“Yes. Thanks, B xx”
With a smile, I skipped to Bree’s room to see what she had in her closet.
Damian picked me up at six on the dot that night in a shiny black vintage car.
“Hey, Damian, thanks for picking me up.” I kissed his cheek and hugged him.
“It’s not a problem. You look nice, by the way.” He looked me up and down, and with the caress of his eyes, my insides grew warm.
“Thanks. It’s something I borrowed from my roommate. I’m new here, so I don’t have many appropriate clothes yet.”
He nodded and opened the door to his car. “Understandable. Here you go.”
“Oh, thank you. The car is gorgeous.”
“She’s my pride and joy. I bought her with my first paycheck and fixed her up.”
“She’s beautiful.”
Damian closed the door once
I hopped in the car, and then he ran around to the driver’s side. The engine purred to life when he started the engine, and we were soon zooming off to join the busy L.A. traffic.
“So, I hope you like Asian cuisine, Kate. The place I’m taking you has the best dumplings in L.A.”
“I can’t say I’ve really eaten much Asian food. I’m a country gal, and where I’m from, there isn’t much variety.”
“Oh, well, you’re in for a treat. It’s all so fresh and healthy. Trust me, after tonight, you’ll be hooked and craving these dumplings forever.”
I gave him a smile. “I can’t wait.”
11
Damian was right. The dumplings were absolutely delicious. I could have eaten them all night, but of course, I stopped myself after two plates because I still wanted to fit into Bree’s cute red dress. We also drank a whole bottle of wine between us, so by the time we walked out of the restaurant, I was feeling tipsy.
I gripped Damian’s arm as we walked along the boardwalk in Santa Monica so I wouldn’t fall flat on my face and embarrass myself. The night was warm, but not too hot, with a slight breeze to keep things cool.
“It’s so gorgeous here,” I said breathlessly, tipping my face up to look at the sky. I expected to see stars, but due to the lights of the bustling city, the stars were all but gone.
“Yeah. There are things to love and things to hate about L.A. You get used to the lifestyle.”
“Well, I’ve only been here less than a week, so I don’t yet know all there is to know about the real L.A.”
We stopped walking, and he turned to face me.
“I don’t want you to get disillusioned when you find out the truth about Hollywood.”
“What do you mean?”
“Sure, there’s the healthy lifestyle, the beaches and glamour, but it’s mostly smoke and mirrors. There’s a whole other world behind the mirror, behind the makeup and the social media filters. There’s backstabbing and abuse to get to the top, and trust me, people are willing to do anything to get what they want.”
“Oh, I’m sure it’s not that bad.”
“It really is, Kate. I just don’t want you to get your hopes up too much, only to get your dreams ripped apart and stomped on. I don’t want to ruin this perfect night, but I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“That’s very kind, Damian. But I promise you, I’m a big girl. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“Okay, I know. I know you’re new and all, and a country girl, but the city is a lot different, and the bright lights can blind you.”
“Thanks for the warning. I promise I’ll be careful.” I reached up and kissed him on the cheek, but at the last second, he turned his face toward me, and we ended up kissing on the mouth.
The kiss was cautious at first, then more wanting and needier. And with the way he had been watching me today, boy, did I want him. He slipped his tongue between my lips and pulled me closer. I felt a slight bulge through his jeans as he pushed his groin against me. I gasped, but our lips never parted.
“Do you want,” he said in between kisses, “to come back to my place?”
“Yes.” Despite his warnings about not getting hurt, I dove headfirst into being with Damian.
I was a big girl, and this was my life to live.
So we went back to his place, a cute little apartment near the beach. Our kisses didn’t stop on the pier. We only separated long enough so he could drive us to his place, and then our lips were on each other’s once more as soon as we reached his front door. He threw the door open and threw the keys on the nearest table, and after kicking the door closed behind us, we continued.
He pushed me against the wall and kissed my neck. Wow. I had never before been kissed like that. This was a whole new experience. I had been kissed before, but only a small peck at a school dance. I had never been kissed like this. His hands found their way to my waist and then slid up my back to the zipper.
“Is this okay? Tell me to stop if you’re not comfortable.”
“Yes. It’s okay. Don’t stop, please.”
He continued to kiss me as his fingers tugged my zipper down and then my dress found its way to the floor. I reached for the buttons on Damian’s blue linen shirt, and soon, his shirt joined my dress on the floor. My fingers traced the lines of his chiselled body. He was fit. He definitely worked out. He had a smattering of hair on his chest, but not too much. He was sexy, and I wanted to see more of him. I kissed him again, and this time, his fingers found the hook of my bra. I didn’t protest as he undid the clasp and threw it to the floor.
And then he led me down the hall to his bedroom.
12
When I walked back into my apartment the next morning in the same clothes I’d gone out in last night, Bree whistled.
I froze. “What?”
“Girl! Good on you. Walk of shame looks good on you.”
I had never before done anything like this in my life.
“Oh. I… um… it wasn’t my intention. One thing led to another and…”
I was so worried about what people would think of me, I wanted to run to my room and not come out for the rest of the day. But when Bree waved me off flippantly, I was so relieved.
“Don’t worry about it. I do it all the time. That’s how you know it went well. It did go well, didn’t it?”
“Oh, yes. Of course. Damian is so sweet.”
“And…”
“And what?”
“Was he good in bed?”
My cheeks heated, and I nervously played with my hair. “You seriously want to know that?”
“Of course, I do. A guy like that is either one of two things—a virgin or a secret devil in the sack.”
“Well then, I guess he was a secret devil in the sack,” I said, giving Bree a wink and flicking my hair back as I strutted down the hall toward my room.
“Oh, my God! Girl, you’re on your way then!”
“On my way where?” I stuck my head back out the door.
“To gaining some experience, to becoming a real person.”
“I’m not a real person?”
“A good little virgin girl who’s never so much as farted in public is not a real person. Real people do things they’re not proud of then own up to the consequences and learn from them. You’ll thank me later.”
As I gathered a change of clothes to take into the bathroom with me, I thought about Damian, his hands on me, his kisses, and then Bree’s words. She was right. I hadn’t lived yet. Barely. I needed more life experience if I was going to use it in my acting.
As I stepped into the shower, I wondered what else I could do to count as life experience.
My second screen test and group reading were on the following Friday. The rest of the cast were there as well as Harry, and of course, Damian. Our eyes met as soon as he walked in behind Harry and my insides instantly turned to mush.
Throughout the group reading session, Damian and I couldn’t keep our eyes off each other. When it was time for a short break, he found me outside in the hall near the vending machine. I placed my money in the slot of the machine, but the it ate it and didn’t give me my soda.
“Oh no. Crap!”
“Those things always have a mind of their own.” I turned to see Damian walking toward me.
My tummy flipped and danced.
“Oh, yeah. They do.”
“Here. Let me.” I moved out of the way so he could try. He placed more money in the slot and punched in a couple of numbers. “You wanted Coke, right?”
“Yes. Please.”
Less than a minute later, two bottles of Coke fell from their stands, and Damian reached in and pulled them out. As he handed me one, our fingers grazed, causing an electric shock so powerful I gasped.
“There you go. You have to be gentle with it.” He stepped closer. “Caress it,” he whispered the last part, causing me to shiver. I lost my breath and all sense of thought. I was the ocean, and he was a surfer bending me to his will. And I di
d. I bent to his every will.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
Then he leaned forward and kissed me. Just as I went to kiss him back deeper, someone cleared their throat nearby.
“We’re ready for principal photography now.”
I jumped away from Damian like he’d given me a bigger electric shock and came face to face with the star of the show—none other than actor Connor Blake.
He’d worn a cap over his hair earlier, but now he had it off, and I could see why he was as fashionable and as sexy as people thought. He had dirty blond hair that was shaved at the sides and long on top, blond stubble on his chin a few days old, and the most intense, gorgeous sapphire blue eyes I had ever seen.
He also had these super pouty, kissable lips, which were the sexiest I had ever seen on a guy…
Why was I thinking of kissing Connor’s lips when Damian was still standing close to me?
This was the guy who my character was supposed to fall in love with in the movie—my leading man. And he was looking at me in a way that made me think he could see into my soul.
My heart beat wildly, and time seemed to stop as he walked past me on his way back to the room we were in earlier.
I looked back at Damian, and he had a storm brewing behind his eyes. He cleared his throat, and he walked off.
“We’d better get back.”
“Yeah.”
Whoa. That was the most intense, most confusing moment of my life.
What did Damian’s expression mean?
I walked back into the room and got prepared for the next stage of my acting journey.
13
Principal photography was more stressful than I had fathomed. Partly because I was in the room with several hot guys. And because Harry wanted to give me a makeover.
“This isn’t really working. Kate, we’ll need to do yours later if that’s okay? There’s something I want to try.”
“Oh, what do you mean?”
