Falling Stars (Starstruck Series Book 2)

by Krys Janae

  “Hey, where were you at 6 p.m., my time? You said you’d call earlier than normal today?”

  He scratched the back of his neck as he stretched, “I was, uh ... having a chat with the director. Going over some of the shots. I’m sorry, babe.”

  He sounded strange, but she shrugged it off. He’d been calling less frequently the last few weeks compared to the months prior. Yet he still managed to keep his 11:00 o’clock call, so she let it slide.

  “Oh! Evie asked about you, by the way.”

  “On TV? Yeah, I saw the broadcast. Good job, sweetheart. You’re a natural.”

  “You think so?” She crinkled her nose.

  “Absolutely.”

  Alisa took a moment to take in Logan’s face. She wished she had opted to travel with him, but she knew she had to stay with the production company, lest Ray go crazy in her absence.

  A voice called in from off screen. “Logan Rider! Quin Stephens! Places!”

  “Quin is there?!” Alisa jumped in her seat. She didn’t quite remember when she sat down on the couch, but she had, and she was now at the edge.

  “Hi, Alisa!” Quin waved, and Logan angled the phone to show him standing behind him. “Gotta borrow him for a bit, if that’s all right?”

  Quinton Stephens was on one of her favorite paranormal dramas on the network, and she was a huge fan. It was a fan girl’s dream to have Quin and Logan in one film. Alisa being one of those fan girls, she could absolutely attest to that dream.

  “Hi!”

  Logan turned the phone and raised his brow at her, “I don’t think I’ve seen you smile that much since we first met.”

  His suspicions, true or not, made her blush.

  “Hush.”

  “Okay, babe, I gotta get going. I’ll call you when I’m off later tonight?”

  “If I’m not in a meeting I’ll answer.”

  He puckered his lips and gave her a virtual kiss. The mocking of everyone on set could be heard. Swatting his hands at them, Logan looked straight into the camera at her and said, “I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  10:30 a.m. was brunch time with the girls. Alisa had gotten messages from Evie and Joann about lunch and since their schedules finally aligned for such a meeting, she agreed to it. Alisa’s two friends, one from her old life and the other a newer acquaintance, were sitting across from her. They’d settled on a new little bistro that opened up a few blocks from the studio. After a bit of idle chit-chat and posing with a few of the fans who noticed them as they came by, the girls finally struck the line of questioning Alisa was hoping to avoid.

  “So who are you taking to the premiere?” Evie asked.

  Alisa narrowed her eyes, “Is this friend Evie asking or journalist Evie asking? Because I’m not fueling your monologues or Twitter banter.”

  Joann laughed.

  “I’m serious,” Evie raised her right hand, “As friend Evie. I’m curious.”

  Alisa shrugged. “I haven’t thought that far yet.”

  Actually, she had given it some thought. A lot of thought. Alisa wanted Logan to tell her he was coming home tonight or tomorrow and that he would be escorting her to their premiere. But he couldn’t give her a straight answer, and she was stressing out about the event entirely.

  “Haven’t thought that far? Isn’t the premiere this coming week? That’s like…five days from now.” Joann spoke up. She rarely had anything to bring to the table conversation-wise when another industry person was present, other than the dirt she dug up on TMZ. Alisa hated that she followed all the gossip, especially gossip that surrounded Logan or Christian, but Joann was a creature of habit.

  Alisa nodded. “Yeah, and?”

  “And? Logan is still overseas, right? They’re going to wonder who your date will be for your guys’ huge debut.”

  This was one red carpet she could not avoid. It would have been appropriate for the author and her screenwriter husband to make their entrances together, but since he was out of town, Alisa dreaded the thought of making the red carpet walk alone.

  “Well, they are going to have to get over it, and who cares if I have to walk it alone.” She took a bite of her salad and reached for her iced tea.

  “Alone?” Joann and Evie chimed in sync.

  “Oh, no, sweetie, you’ll have me draped over your arm before you walk that carpet alone.” Evie took a sip of her wine. “Walk it by yourself and I can guarantee you that other outlets will be chirping, it won’t be me you’ll have to worry about.”

  A chuckle came from Alisa, knowing the truth behind those words. The last thing she wanted was to bring attention to her date-less situation. “Fine. Sounds like a plan.”

  “Good.”

  It was almost 12:30.

  “Look at that. I gotta go. I’ll call you both later.” She blew a kiss at them and left money on the table for her meal. “Thank you for taking time out of your schedules to hang out; it means a lot. I’ll text you later.”

  “Love you.” They each took turns saying as she left.

  She walked to her car, the discussion leaving her with a terrible gut feeling. She had not yet found a proper date for the event. Alisa had to put her feelings aside, however, as her meeting with Ron Suffington was an important one. There was a new director for the sequel to Gateway, and she was going to meet him today. With Logan directing the show and starring in the next summer blockbuster, Alisa knew she was going to need some help focusing on the next movie. Ron had hired on a new director who was a big hit in the indie market.

  “Alisa, I’d like you to meet Evan Gable. Notably, he’s directed Letting Go and Havenhall. Nominated for a few awards at Sundance.”

  “Won best new director at Cannes in 2012.” He interjected. “Few mentions for my films at TIFF, IFA.”

  “A pleasure.” She shook his hand firmly as the two locked eyes. There was something about him that oozed anything but humility. Perhaps the fact that he was less than modest about spitting out the film festival acronyms, as if they held water around here. They did, at least with Ron, but Alisa was still skeptical.

  Evan smiled. His teeth were so white, they were nearly blinding. There was no mistaking it, he was definitely handsome. His features were sharp, but they suited him. “I’ve heard so much about you, Ms. Parson.”

  “Rider, actually.”

  Whether or not she needed the reminder, Alisa had Ron there to establish that fact for her. Her eyes flitted toward Ron with the hint of a glare, but he just smiled in response.

  “Oh?” Evan’s dark eyebrow rose a bit. His eyes were so blue.

  “Yes.” Her face flushed slightly.

  “Interesting.” He mused.

  Alisa narrowed her eyes slightly, but Ron was ready to get the show on the road, which gave her no chance to question his remark.

  The meeting went a lot smoother than the introductions. Alisa couldn’t help but notice that Evan was looking her way whenever Ron began to talk and hide behind his laptop screen for his notes. She wasn’t sure whether or not she should be uncomfortable or flattered, so she stayed focused on the subject matter.

  “If that’s all for today, we can schedule a meeting for tomorrow, and then again after the premiere, to go over marketing and a few other things.” Ron looked between them both.

  “Sounds good,” she replied.

  “Let me get you my number,” Evan held his hand out, gesturing that he take her phone.

  Ron chimed in: “That’s a great idea. Once we get the script locked down, we can begin the first phase of casting. Alisa?”

  Ron and Evan gazed at her, as she froze with her phone in her hand.

  “Earth to Alisa!”

  “I’m sorry ” she cleared her throat, “Sure. What’s your number?”

  “212… here, let me.” Evan’s hands gently caressed hers as he languidly peeled her phone out of her hand. He watched her reaction carefully, and when he was done entering his number, returned the phone to her open hand. “I have it on 2
4/7. I look forward to working with you.” He winked.

  Who the hell does he think he is?

  She wished she could say the same.

  It was time for auditions… yet again. Alisa was honestly grateful that she didn’t have to run from studio to studio between jobs. She and Ray were meeting a few floors above where she was now. Alisa couldn’t wait for the roles to be cast for the new principals in Family Insurance.

  “Eww, he did what?” Ray said loudly, turning his chair to face her. “What a creep!”

  Alisa couldn’t help but laugh. Ray had that way about him; he could cheer her up without much effort. She demonstrated the slow movement and intrusive glances Evan had given her at their meeting and the hand grabbing, as well. Ray shuddered.

  “What else can you say about him? Good? Bad?”

  “Cocky.” She rolled her eyes.

  “The good, the bad, and the cocky,” Ray chuckled as he recited the words to her.

  “Sounds like a terrible name for an adult film.”

  “Or…” Ray’s trademark mischievous eyebrow rose. “An awesome one.”

  “Honestly though, he was just so... slimy. I don’t know that I’m going to like working with him. At. All.” Alisa whined.

  “I can believe it, sounds like a total skeeze.” He used his own terminology to describe his disgust. “Blame Ron though, I had nothing to do with that. But now that that is over with… the fun part is upon us. You ready for round two?”

  Alisa took a deep breath. “How many do we have?”

  “Six for Harvey, three for Theresa, and a couple for Sven. Aaron’s are in line for later this week.”

  The two of them laughed. Sven was their resident foreigner, a Swedish character, the true comic relief, and they’d had several successful reads for him during the last round. It surprised her to know there were still people waiting to read for him.

  “Let’s do this.”

  Several readings in, the pair was having a blast. They offered to read alongside those auditioning, to get a feel for their sense of understanding and character. Amidst the hilarity, Alisa received a message from Dawn that they had reservations for dinner, meaning most of the gang would be back together. She was terribly excited.

  ***

  That night, Alisa decided to meet Ray and David for dinner, and she was so happy that Dawn was actually able to come out. The group met at their favorite Italian place, Salvi’s, for some pasta and wine. She needed this night. With Logan out of town, Alisa figured she needed a distraction. After posing with a couple of fans who had spotted them in the restaurant, Alisa checked the time. It was close to 10:00. She had a meeting scheduled early tomorrow, one she could not miss.

  “Come out with us, babe.” David pleaded. His face was already flushed from the wine they were drinking at the restaurant.

  “We just had dinner, sweetie, and I got that thing tomorrow morning…I probably shouldn’t.” She winced.

  “Aw, let’s go have some fun, Cinderella. Gigi has the kids, and the husband is out of town tonight. I never get time to myself.” Dawn whined.

  The three pouting faces of her friends stared at her and with every shimmering eye, every puckered and trembling lip, the guilt fell on her, hard.

  “I’m going to regret this.”

  “You bet!” Dawn cheered as she linked arms with Alisa.

  The night consisted of visiting nightclubs and ending up at a party in Ray and David’s neighborhood. They lived down the block from B-lister, Cora Rivera, and she was having one killer blowout. The biggest mistake Alisa made was accepting rounds of shots from her friends. She was safe with the wine, and had nursed a couple of beers at the clubs, but the party was a completely different realm. Alisa was put on the spot, in a room full of stars and groupies, so she took every shot offered.

  “Great party, huh?”

  When she looked up, she gasped. The room was spinning out of control, and she wasn’t able to stand properly. Suddenly there was a man there to catch her. Lucky for her, it was someone she knew.

  “Oh, God.” She stumbled, and Evan steadied her. Alisa always told herself not to get too crazy, but with Dawn and Ray both heckling her, the peer pressure was too great. David didn’t help either.

  “You gonna be all right?”

  There was an awful feeling in the pit of her stomach. “I think I…”

  “What, you feeling sick?”

  “No, it’s just… stuffy in here. I just need some air.”

  At her request, Evan escorted her outside. He had extended his arm to her, which she gratefully accepted, and he led the way. She surely would have been lost otherwise. Several faces greeted her, almost blurry as she walked by, and she swore she heard David laughing somewhere in the distance. In a few seconds, they were by the front gate, and she leaned up against the wall. Luckily far enough from the entrance so the incoming and outgoing foot traffic wouldn’t come around to ask questions or cause a scene.

  “My friends…” she whimpered. She’d lost track of Dawn, Ray, and David close to 3 shots ago.

  He offered her a bottle of water and leaned against the gate beside her. “They’re in there somewhere. I’m sure I passed Dawn? … uh, in the hallway.”

  Closing her eyes, Alisa opened the bottle of water and took a drink. The cool night air was refreshing, even in the city, especially after being cooped up in the house with the crowd. She swished the water in her mouth before swallowing it. It was one of the least glamorous things she could do besides vomit in front of this stranger, but she did what she could to keep her cool.

  Evan shook his head at her. “You know you did a brave thing there. I heard you mixed the big three.”

  “Big three?” Alisa echoed.

  “Beer, wine, and liquor? Phew, that’s something.”

  She groaned at the thought of it.

  He just smiled and rest his hand on her back, “You going to be able to get home? Who drove you?”

  “Ray and David actually live down the street.” Alisa pointed but ended up getting turned around. “That way, I think.”

  “Come on, hon, let’s get you home.”

  The walk was slow but necessary. She indulged him with some conversation, finally getting beyond the superficial shell of the man she had met earlier. At first he talked about the weather, being back on the coast after living back east for some time, and how much fun he had at his first movie premiere. If she didn’t know any better, she would actually say that Evan was likeable. He was witty, she’d give him that. Evan’s delivery and the way he spoke made her laugh, which was nice. Alisa was much clearer when they arrived at the front gate of Ray and David’s.

  “You going to stay here tonight? Or should I drive you home?”

  “I’ll be here tonight. Thank you.”

  “Okay, Cinderella.”

  “You know, you’re not the first one to call me that tonight.” She smiled as she opened the gate to walk in.

  “Must mean something then?” He helped her to the door.

  “Thanks for walking me home.”

  “No, thank you. It was nice to have this chance to actually get to know the woman behind the writer… whom I’ve solely learned about from the press.”

  Alisa shook her head and smiled. “Don’t believe it all.”

  For a brief moment, as their eyes met, it was almost as bad as the awkwardness after a date where the guy waits to be invited in, or the girl is expecting a grand, romantic move. Thankfully, it was mostly because she was a writer and that’s what these moments normally called for. Alisa was married, and happily at that. Evan was a man she barely knew…with extremely dreamy blue eyes.

  Cheering from passerby’s came from the street. Alisa assumed they were coming down from Cora’s house.

  “Well, I guess that’s my cue to go then. You have a good night, princess.”

  “Good night.”

  When she went inside, the guest room was already made up for her. Alisa didn’t remember falling onto the bed. T
hough at some point, she obviously passed out.

  Chapter Three

  Her phone rang. Without looking, she tapped on it to answer, not realizing it was a video call she was accepting.

  “Good morning, sunshine.”

  It was Evan, and the camera was right on her. Once she saw the image of herself in the top corner of the video call she realized it was morning and the call she received was not a dream. Pushing the phone away, the video cam on her side only picked up the ceiling in the guest room at David and Ray’s. She could hear Evan laughing on the other end.

  “Uh-oh, did I lose you?” Evan called out.

  Pulling the blanket over her shoulders, she fixed the nest of hair that had formed in her sleep and peeked at her phone. Alisa was still out of sight, and Evan was still waiting there, smiling.

  “Still here,” she replied meekly.

  “Good. Get your butt out of bed, darlin’, we have a meeting today with Ron.”

  “That’s today?” Alisa looked at the clock then over at her planner. As she thumbed through the pages, Meeting with Ron & Evan was penciled in, and it was both circled and underlined. “Ohmygod that is today.”

  “Mmhmm. I guess you’re lucky I called ya?” He sounded way too happy about that. “You’re welcome. So get your royal highness out of that luxurious bed and head on down. Don’t make me come find you.”

  Butterflies suddenly fluttered about in her stomach.

  “Ciao.”

  It took a lot of energy to roll out of bed, but she was up and at ‘em quickly. Ron was always a stickler for punctuality, so she was glad Evan called to give her a head’s up. It was a mission to get from Ray’s place to the studio in such a short amount of time, but she weaved in and out of traffic with ease. After she parked, Alisa walked faster than she had in ages. She kept her eyes on the prize.

  The elevator doors separated, and Evan was standing in the reception area, chatting up the secretary. When he heard the ding, he turned to greet her.

  “Look who decided to grace us with her presence. So glad you could come from your palace.” Evan smiled at her as she walked in. “You clean up nice.”