BARE_A Hollywood Romance

by Sarah Robinson

Simone grinned. "Fiiiine, but when you all eventually have babies, name your firstborn daughter after me."

  Oh, shit. A sense of dread rolling through her, Teagan grabbed for her cell phone, quickly pulling the calendar app back up. She scrolled through the past two months, looking for any reminder that she hadn't just made a giant mistake.

  Nothing. There was nothing.

  "Simone…" Teagan's eyes widened as she turned to her sister. "We need to run an errand."

  "It's late," Simone whined, kicking her feet up onto the coffee table.

  "We need to go now, Simmy!" Teagan was already standing and pulling on her jacket as she shouted. "Come on!"

  "What the hell?" Simone jumped up, looking startled. "Christ, what's the matter?"

  Teagan paused at the door and looked at her. "I think I'm pregnant."

  Simone's mouth fell open. "Oh, shit."

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  "Are you back from purgatory officially?" Jason walked right into the Reed's penthouse the moment he'd opened the door.

  "I just came home yesterday," Reed confirmed, closing the door behind him. "How'd you know?"

  Jason shrugged and headed for the bar cart, opening a bottle of scotch. "Paid off your doorman to keep me updated."

  "Of course you did." Reed rolled his eyes. "That's not an invasion of privacy at all."

  "Privacy is a privilege." Jason took a sip and coughed lightly. "Damn, that's good shit. Want a glass?"

  Reed shook his head. While he'd never had a problem with drinking, he'd certainly partaken in enough in his lifetime to warrant a break. With his hiatus, he'd focused on health and mindfulness, getting back to his roots. It had been an amazing two months with his sister and niece, and then welcoming his brother-in-law home from deployment.

  He'd spent the last decade running from normalcy. Running from everything he thought would hold him back, would suffocate his freedom and his dreams. Ironically, living his life like that had only made him more lost than ever before.

  Running back home, back to white picket fences…it was the first time he’d felt found.

  "So, I've got news," Jason began, settling into a leather arm chair in his living room. "The script for Break Down 2 was overhauled."

  Reed took a seat in a chair across from him. "Really? Why?"

  "Elena got a spot on Dancing with the Starlets," he explained. "She doesn't want to do the sequel."

  "Oh, damn. That's a great gig." Reed furrowed his brows. "So, what does this mean for the sequel? The entire first movie was about our love story."

  "They killed her off. The movie starts with you being sad and in mourning, along with her best friend who's also grieving. You two then fall in love through mutual grief or some shit like that. Plus, a crapload of dancing and mushy ass scenes."

  That didn't sound like a terrible plot, actually. "Well, I'm in. Sounds stronger than the first draft of the script, actually."

  Jason nodded his head. "Honestly, it is infinitely better. But, that leaves us with a problem."

  Reed furrowed his brow. "What?"

  "The best friend…" Jason gestured with his hands, as if to try and catch him up.

  Fuck. "Teagan." He suddenly realized what Jason was getting at. "I'm supposed to do an entire love story with my ex-fiancée."

  "I mean, it's actually marketing gold," his agent continued. "Fans know your history and they'll eat that shit up. The producers are hammering for it, because they think it's a fantastic angle."

  Reed could see why the executives behind the camera would think that, but they'd never stood on a mark and had to stare at the woman they still loved.

  Jason continued, "But, can you handle it?"

  "I think so." Reed rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. "I mean, I'm going to have to."

  "Reluctant compliance—that's the spirit!" Jason slapped his shoulder in solidarity. "You two will be great on camera. The chemistry is still there, I'm sure."

  He exhaled loudly. "That's probably true. Does Teagan know about the script change yet?"

  Jason shook his head. "Not yet, but I'm working on negotiating her contract now."

  "I hope you're getting her everything she deserves," Reed warned.

  "First of all, I'm the best fucking agent in town," Jason reminded him. "And, second, your girl is blowing up. Her value has skyrocketed to production companies, so don't worry—she's going to make bank."

  Reed grinned, a sense of pride warming him. It was a new feeling for him—caring so much about someone else's success. He wanted to call her up right now and congratulate her on everything she's accomplished.

  Unfortunately, that wasn't an option. She'd made it very clear that they were over.

  He wasn't sure if he was excited or dreading seeing her at the movie premiere in two days. Every glimpse of her was pure joy, but knowing she wanted nothing to do with him was excruciating. He wondered if he was even capable of handling that roller coaster.

  "I'm glad you're taking care of her," Reed replied.

  "Speaking of you and Teagan," Jason started, refilling his glass of scotch. "I think you two should meet up before the premiere to discuss all of this."

  "What? Why?" There was no way he was doing that.

  "I know you can both be professional, but I still think clearing the air before a shit ton of cameras are pointing at you would be a good idea." Jason knocked back his second glass of scotch, hissing as it went down rough. "Maybe avoid a public relations nightmare or something like that. But what do I know."

  Reed considered his advice, but it still seemed like dangerous territory. She'd made her wishes very clear. "I'll think about it."

  Which was the truth. It was impossible not to think about her. He'd taken the last two months to himself, and really worked on who he was and who he wanted to be. But that didn't mean he wasn't thinking about her or trying to become the man she deserved to be with. Even if she never took him back, he wanted to be the man he saw reflected in her eyes. The way she looked at him with such faith and pride in who he was—he wanted to be the man who deserved that. Not just for her, but for himself.

  "But, um…" Jason swirled the ice in his glass. "It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if you two patched things up."

  Reed's eyes widened and he stared at his agent in surprise. "Are you serious? Wasn't it you who told me to stay away from her a few months ago? Made me promise no women? Didn't you even get her a job across the country to separate us?"

  Jason nodded. "Yeah—that was then. This is now. And now? Teagan's star cred is blowing up, and if you two join forces, this next movie will, too. Plus, the other deals and endorsements we could get for the second-chance-lovers-who-made-it-work-against-all-odds would be an insane amount of cash."

  Of course it was about the money. "I'm not going to date someone for a paycheck."

  "That's not what I'm saying," Jason clarified. "But if it were to organically happen…that'd be great for everyone."

  Reed wished it would organically happen, but he wasn't holding his breath.

  "And imagine if you knocked her up?" Jason laughed, pouring more scotch. "Oh, good Lord, we'd be rolling in millions."

  Reed rolled his eyes. "Maybe you should stop drinking because you sound insane now."

  "Dead serious, Reed. I don't joke about money."

  "I'll talk to her—but that's it. No babies." Reed stood from his chair and went in search of his cell phone. "Like I'm even ready to be a dad. I can't even imagine."

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  "That no-good, goddamn, motherfucking piece of shit!" Teagan's Father, Jack Reynolds, tossed his empty beer can into the trash can in a high arc, landing squarely in the center.

  "Dad!" Teagan chided. "That's a little harsh, don't you think?"

  "Not harsh enough," Teagan's mother, Betty, replied. "If you ask me, I'd slap the beard off his chin."

  Her father angled his wheelchair to face her. After years battling multiple sclerosis, he'd been forced to spend the
rest of his life in an non-ambulatory state. "Baby girl, you've got to see it from our perspective. First, we paid for a wedding he didn't come to."

  "Not that it's about the money," her mother chimed in.

  Her father continued, "Second, we were with you every day during your recovery."

  "Where was he? Huh?" Her mother was basically her father's commentary.

  "And, third, now you're telling me that my beautiful, virginal baby girl…"

  "I mean, virginal is a stretch, Jack," her mother decided to add.

  Teagan rolled her eyes. "Mom. Seriously?"

  Her father was not deterred. "My beautiful baby girl is now pregnant with that man's child?"

  “Gee, Dad. Why don’t you tell me how you really feel?” Teagan ran her hands over her stomach, still absorbing the news herself. It had been two weeks since she'd peed on a stick in front of Simone and seen the positive sign. She'd immediately seen her doctor and started on prenatal vitamins and all that, but the shock was still there.

  One moment of quick goodbye sex on a dressing room couch could really throw a wrench in things.

  "Ooh, this is so exciting!" Her mother clapped her hands with excitement. "My second grandchild. I can't even believe it!"

  "I'm confused," Teagan interrupted, feeling like she was on a roller coaster ride. She'd come home to Los Angeles for the movie premiere and finally told her parents the news. Honestly, she was surprised Simone and Aria had both been able to keep quiet about it, because they had been the first to know but Teagan had insisted on telling their parents in person. "Are you guys happy or angry?"

  Her father grinned. "About having another grandchild? Fucking ecstatic!" He reached forward and rubbed her belly. "Sorry you have a shit dad, little peanut."

  "Jack! Don't say that," her mother scolded him, pushing him away. She got close to Teagan's stomach and placed her hand against her. "Little Peanut, your grandfather is very old and very grumpy and we don't listen to anything he says."

  Teagan laughed, but then pushed everyone off her stomach. "Good Lord, guys. Boundaries. I'm only ten weeks."

  "I can see him already," her mother pointed. "You're going to pop early."

  She smiled and looked down at her stomach, actually excited to see it grow for the first time in her life. As unexpected as this was, and as untimely as it was with her plans, she had fallen in love the moment she saw that tiny little heartbeat on the monitor. It was a new feeling of adoration and obsession and love and protectiveness she'd never even known was possible before.

  "What are you going to do about your show?" Jack asked. "Can your cat be a pregnant cat?"

  "Surprisingly, yes," Teagan replied, remembering the conversation with her director. "Until the point where a doctor says it's unsafe, I can keep dancing. The costume actually covers me pretty well, so it won't be hard to hide."

  "And Break Down 2 will be wrapped within two or three months, so you shouldn't be showing too much by then," her mother added. "We'll try and get them to move up the filming date, but they were already pushing for that, so it shouldn't be an issue."

  "A well-placed plant, or carefully positioned purse, and you won't even see my stomach."

  Her father nodded, clearly still trying to absorb all the information. "And what about the rat bastard?"

  "Dad, I swear to God, if you keep insulting the father of my child…"

  He put his hands up. "Fine. Fine. What about the angelic chorus boy whose child you are cooking up in there?"

  "Gross. I think I liked the cussing better." Teagan sighed as she thought about Reed and what she was going to do about telling him. "I honestly have no idea. We're supposed to meet for lunch tomorrow to—as my agent says—patch things up before the premiere. I guess he's afraid we'll fight on camera or something."

  "Fight, make love—it's really all the same thing." Her mother leaned down and kissed Jack on the top of his head. "But you're going to have to tell him."

  "I will tell him," she assured them. There was no way she'd hide something like this from him. Just because they weren't going to work out as a couple didn't mean he didn't have a right to be in his child's life. Now they were just going to have to figure out what that looked like. "But probably after the premiere. It might be awkward, otherwise."

  Betty shrugged her shoulders. "Honestly, is it ever not awkward to tell your ex-twice-boyfriend that you're accidentally carrying his baby?"

  "Christ. I walked in at a weird moment," Simone said, having just entered the living room of their parent's house where they were sitting. "Oh, you told them!" She clapped her hands, then paused. "Wait…did I miss a ‘rat bastard’? That's my favorite dad-ism."

  Teagan laughed. "It's one of the first things he said."

  Simone high-fives her father. "You never disappoint, Pops."

  "I am pretty impressive," he joked, using a funny voice to mimic a movie quote. "Oh, we also named the baby, Simmy."

  "Uh, if it's a girl, I hope it's named Simone." She struck a pose, pointing to herself. "Actually, if it's a boy, I'm fine with that, too."

  "Peanut," Betty replied. "Little Peanut."

  "What a nutty name," Jack teased then mimicked the sound of a rim shot on drums. "Ba dum shh!"

  They continued to joke and laugh, and Teagan sat back to watch them and take it all in. She ran her hand in small circles over her belly. I love you, little peanut. And I apologize in advance that this is the family you're going to be born into.

  I didn't ask for them either.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Reed picked his napkin up off the table and spread it across his lap. It didn't look right. He picked it up, unfolded it until it was flat, then smoothed it out again across his lap. His foot bounced and he straightened the silverware next to his plate.

  "Hey."

  His gaze lifted, and he took in the beautiful woman who'd just approached his table. She was every bit as gorgeous as she'd always been, and even though they'd been apart a few short months, it suddenly felt like forever. There was something different about her now—lighter, happier.

  Half of him wanted to celebrate for her, thrilled she'd clearly found something—or someone—who made her glow the way she currently was. She deserved that peace and joy. But, there was a darker half of him that wanted her to have missed him, to have not flourished apart from him. All the more reason why she had been right—they weren't good for each other.

  Or, rather, he wasn't good for her.

  Reed stood quickly and pulled out her chair. "Hey, Teag."

  "Thank you," she replied, sitting in the offered seat and tucking her own napkin on her lap.

  He took his seat across from her and tried for a smile. "So…how have you been?"

  She nodded slowly. "I've been really good, actually. The show is…it's amazing. It's everything I ever dreamed of for my career."

  "That's wonderful, Teag," he replied, and he genuinely meant it. "You worked hard for that role."

  Her cheeks reddened slightly at that, a small smile at the corner of her lips. "I did. Thank you." She played with the edge of her plate, fidgeting slightly. "And you? How have you been?"

  Reed leaned back slightly. "I took the last few months off, so the break has been really nice."

  "Mmm, I heard." A nervousness passed over her expression. "Was it…well, the papers were saying it was rehab?"

  He laughed louder than he'd meant to, then calmed himself. "No. Nothing like that. I just stayed with my sister in the suburbs for two months. Took care of Nell. Slept on a couch half my size. It was a great time."

  Teagan's brows furrowed, but she was smiling. "You did? You?"

  "Yes, me." He put his hand to his chest. "I was trying something new. Something…normal."

  "And how did you like the…normal?"

  He grinned. "White picket fences aren't so bad."

  Pain met her eyes for a moment then was gone. "I told you."

  "You did."

  They were both silent for a moment, an
d then the waiter thankfully interrupted them to take their orders.

  "So," Reed began after the waiter had dropped back off his glass of wine and Teagan's soda—which was a bit odd, because he'd never seen her drink soda before. "Have you spoken to Jason lately?"

  "About Break Down 2?" Teagan nodded. "He told me yesterday."

  "Are you going to take the role?" He suddenly realized how badly he wanted her to say yes. It wasn't just that he wanted to film a love story with her, it was that he wanted to spend every day by her side. He wanted to go to work and have her be there.

  Hell, he wanted to come home and have her be there, too.

  "I'm still negotiating terms, trying to move up the filming date, but…yes." She nodded slowly, chewing on the edge of her lip in a way that made him more turned on than he'd like to admit in the middle of a busy lunch hour at a popular restaurant. "I think so. It'll be an amazing career opportunity for me."

  "Move up the filming?" He'd already moved it back when he'd taken his few months off, though he didn't mind it moving up now that he was back. "Why's that? Do you have another gig?"

  Teagan’s face twitched, like she was trying to hide a smile. Finally, it broke free and she grinned. "Yeah. The role of a lifetime. I'm really excited."

  He lifted one brow. "That sounds amazing. Tell me about it."

  "Maybe soon." She went back to chewing on her bottom lip. "Soon."

  The waiter delivered their food, and for another minute or two, they were quiet as they both enjoyed their dishes. Finally, Reed put down his fork and looked at her. "Why is this so awkward?"

  She looked startled at his admission. "I'm…I'm not sure. It doesn't feel like it should be, but we're so forced."

  Reed moved his plate to the side and reached across the table to squeeze her hand. "Teag, I know what you said, and I don't want to push things, but I also can't stop what I'm feeling."

  "Reed, don't do this." She looked away, but she didn't move her hand from his. "We're supposed to just be civil and catch up before the premiere tomorrow."

  "I've never done what I'm supposed to do, and so here we are," Reed replied, this time standing and switching to the chair directly next to hers. He angled his knees to be on either side of hers, pulling her chair closer to him. "These last two months were good for me. I needed them. I needed them apart from you."