“You still look great, Mom,” Annie reassured her, but Lena just sniffed and shrugged.
Finally, they were all ready, and Lee gave them some basic instructions before telling the cameras to roll. An hour later, Annie opened the door for what seemed like the one hundredth time, and again faked screaming and jumping up and down as she pretended to see Kyle standing on the front porch for the very first time.
It was late in the afternoon by the time they finished filming, and everyone’s patience was wearing thin. After Annie closed the door behind the last crew member, she exchanged a glance with her parents, and then they all three visibly sagged and let out a deep sigh of relief.
“That sucked,” Annie said first. Her parents exchanged a look and then started laughing.
“Well, hopefully we won’t have to do that again too soon,” her father said hopefully.
Annie laughed and shook her head. “Hopefully not. I guess we’ll see how well I do.”
“Don’t let this hold you back from giving it all you’ve got. Besides, they probably wouldn’t be filming in our home again, would they?”
“Probably not. Thanks, guys, for doing this. I’m sorry it was so last minute and so crazy here today. It means a lot to me that you toughed it out for me. Mom, you look really beautiful. I’m sure your friends are going to be green with envy.”
Lena crossed the room to Annie, kissing each cheek and then embracing her tightly. “I love you, darling, you know that? You are your father’s and my pride and joy. I know you are going to knock their stockings off.”
“Socks, Mom,” Annie corrected with a grin. Her mother’s English was almost perfect, but once in a while, she still got American sayings a little skewed.
“Socks, stockings. Same thing,” Lena replied with a sniff.
Annie giggled. “I love you, too, Mom.” Alexander crossed over to join his wife and eldest daughter and wrapped his long arms around them both in a group hug.
“I’m both a blessed and cursed man,” he said, kissing the top of his wife’s head and then his daughter’s forehead, “and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Her family had its share of issues and drama, but in the end, they were always there for each other no matter what. Feeling the love and support of her parents as she stood there, hugging them both, Annie felt strengthened in her resolve to pursue her dream. This was the first day of a new life, and she was going to give it everything she had and more. She wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip between her fingers by being careless and taking anything for granted.
Friday sped along pretty quickly to Annie’s amazement and delight; she couldn’t wait to be on the plane to San Francisco. It felt like she’d been at work for only a few hours when she looked at the clock to see that it was already five.
As she left her office building and headed for the parking lot, Annie pressed the Uber app on her phone to request a car. It was a new service Katie had told her about, and she finally had an opportunity to try them out. Carry-on in hand, she headed down the street so it would be easy for the driver to spot her. A few minutes later, her phone rang.
“Hi, this is Oscar from Uber. You ordered a car?”
“Yes, where are you?” Annie asked, but just then she spotted a black Camry driving slowly down the street towards her. “Oh, I think I see you,” she said as she waved. The driver waved back to her, and she hung up the phone. After pulling up to the curb, he hopped out of the car to help her with her carry-on and put it in the trunk, then opened the back passenger door for her.
When he climbed back into the driver’s seat, Annie told him she was headed to LAX. About fifteen minutes later, they pulled up in front of the passenger drop-off area. Oscar handed the carry-on to her after retrieving it from the trunk. She said thank you and promised to leave him a good review before turning to head inside the airport. Having already printed her boarding pass the day before, she headed straight for security.
People were already starting to board the plane when Annie finally reached her gate. Upon boarding, she was thrilled to snag a window spot towards the center of the plane. She quickly stowed her carry-on in the overhead bin, then sat down and plugged in her earphones. Scrolling through her iPhone, she found her favorite playlist and sat back to take a short nap. The flight to San Francisco was about an hour long. They would be there before she knew it.
Annie thought she had barely closed her eyes when she felt the plane touch down. She gathered her belongings and waited for her turn to stand up and start the slow exodus from the plane. Turning her phone off airplane mode, she waited a few moments for her phone to connect to service again. Once it did, she saw that she had three text messages waiting. One was from Katie asking her how the filming went, the second was from Casey telling her he couldn’t wait to see her in a few hours, and the third was from Gabe… asking her if she’d had any time to think about what he’d asked her.
Oh God, Annie hadn’t really given too much thought to Gabe during the week. She’d been too busy to take the time and think about it, and she really didn’t know what she was going to do about it, so she had avoided it. As she walked down the terminal hallway towards Baggage Claim, pulling her carry-on behind her, she texted back two words.
Annie: Still thinking…
A few moments later, Gabe texted her back.
Gabe: Okay… just checking. Have a great weekend.
Annie: Thanks, you too.
Annie sighed as she headed for the Taxi area. She joined the short taxi line, and a few short minutes later, she was on her way to the Westin St. Francis. Before she knew it, they were pulling up in front of the hotel. After paying the driver, Annie turned to head inside. She gave her name at the front registration desk, and then handed over her driver’s license so they could check her ID. A minute later, she was walking towards the elevator with a room key card in hand. Taking the elevator up to the twentieth floor, Annie then walked down the hallway a short ways to reach Casey’s room. She let herself in and saw that he’d left the lights on for her.
The room looked pretty untouched except for his suitcase which was sitting on one side of the bed. Annie set her carry-on down on the empty side of the bed and opened it to retrieve her toiletries. She headed straight for the bathroom so she could shower and get ready.
She didn’t linger too long in the shower, wanting to have plenty of time to dry and curl her hair and do her make-up before Casey was due back. Finishing the last curl, Annie had just picked up her make-up bag when she heard her phone beep with a text. It was from Casey.
Casey: Hey babe. On my way back to the hotel. Hope you brought something you can shake your ass in… we’re going out dancing for a bit with some of the other dancers.
Annie: Lol, okay, I can do that. I brought a little somethin’ somethin’ that should work.
Casey: Awesome. Be there in about twenty.
Annie: K, see you soon.
Annie took special care getting ready for the evening. She was wearing a new scent from Victoria’s Secret that she absolutely loved, Very Sexy for Her, and she couldn’t wait to see what Casey thought of it.
Dressing first in her white skinny jeans and a black silk tank top that was beaded with little black crystals along the neck, Annie then pulled on a comfortable yet stylish pair of black Madden Girl heels and tucked a few things into a small, black clutch. Checking her reflection in the bathroom mirror, she finally nodded her approval. She was ready to rock.
Casey was true to his word, and about twenty minutes later, he walked into their room, looking better than ought to be legal. Annie stood up from where she’d been sitting on the couch waiting for him and moved to greet him with a hug and kiss. He smiled widely as he met her halfway, returning her hug and kiss with enthusiasm.
“Hi princess,” he said softly as he looked down into her eyes, gently brushing his thumb against her cheek to wipe away a stray eyelash. He put the eyelash carefully on the back of his hand and then offered it to her. “Make a
wish.”
Annie giggled and thought for a moment before shutting her eyes, blowing gently on his hand, and making her wish. Silently, she wished that she could always feel as happy as she did whenever he was near. And it was in that same moment that everything became clear to Annie; she was ready to make her decision about Gabe. No matter what he said and how good of a time they’d had together, the fact remained that when it had come down to making a tough decision, he’d chosen someone else. Regardless of the reason, the bottom line was that she didn’t feel like she could trust him.
As soon as she acknowledged this, Annie felt a huge wave of relief wash over her. In the back of her mind, she’d known her answer all along. And what better timing? Now she could enjoy her weekend with Casey with a clear conscience.
“What’d you wish for?” he asked curiously.
“Can’t tell you that. Then it won’t come true.”
“Tell me anyway.” He caught her chin in his hand and brought her lips to his, but Annie quickly broke the kiss.
“Nuh uh. And you can’t kiss it out of me, although you’re definitely welcome to try.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
Annie grinned and kissed him again. Tonight was the night. At least, she hoped it was tonight. “So where are we going?”
“Ruby Skye. It’s just around the corner from here.”
“Sounds groovy. You been there before?”
“Yeah, it’s cool. You’ll have fun, and you’ll be with me.”
“True.”
“Alright, I just need to change and freshen up. Give me ten.” He kissed her one more time and then playfully swatted her on the backside before heading into the bathroom.
Sitting back down on the couch to wait, Annie thought about how she was really looking forward to dancing with Casey. Having never danced with a professional dancer before, she only hoped she didn’t make a complete fool out of herself. She had rhythm, but she knew her skills couldn’t compare to someone who made their living dancing.
Since she still had a few minutes until Casey would be ready, Annie decided to text Gabe and let him know her decision. She liked him too much as a person to keep him hanging any longer than necessary. But after she finished typing the words out, even though she knew she was making the right decision, her finger still hovered hesitantly over the Send button. She finally pressed it, and sighed as the text went through.
Annie: So about what you said… I’m not saying what we had together meant nothing to me, but when you chose Genevieve over me when you could have stayed with me and still just been a father to your baby, that changed everything. How can I ever trust you again after that? I’m sorry, but the answer is no.
Gabe: I understand. I’m so sorry again, for everything. I hope that guy makes you happy.
Annie: Well, he has yet to make me cry.
Gabe: Ouch. Well, I hope he never does. I might have to come kick his ass if he does.
Annie: Hehe, funny. Take care of yourself.
Gabe: You too, Annie.
“Have you seen my duffel bag?” Casey asked as he returned to the living room, now wearing a black, long-sleeved button-down with a pair of vintage designer jeans. He was stuffing his wallet into his back pocket as he walked around the room, looking for his bag.
Annie glanced behind the couch she was sitting on and saw a blue duffel bag on the floor. “Here it is,” she said, gesturing behind the couch.
He crossed over to retrieve the bag and dug through it for a moment before straightening. “Come here,” he told her, beckoning for her to stand up and join him behind the couch.
With a curious smile, Annie did as he asked, finally seeing a small box in his hands. “What’s that?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.
“A present for you,” he said. “Open it.”
“Aw, you didn’t have to.”
Casey rolled his eyes and jiggled the box at her. “I know I didn’t have to. Shush and just open the damn thing already, will you?”
Annie giggled and took the box from him. “Okay, okay.” Gingerly, she opened it and oohed out loud as she saw the most beautiful pair of abalone earrings along with a matching necklace. The necklace pendant and earrings were both teardrop-shaped, and she loved how the greens ran into the blues and had that overall rainbow hue. “Oh, they’re so pretty!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around Casey’s neck and kissing him with a loud smack. “Thank you, I love them.”
“Want to put them on now?” he asked.
Nodding, she removed her silver hoop earrings and put the abalone earrings on. “I’ll save the necklace for another time, though. You won’t be able to see it with what I’m wearing tonight anyway,” she said, gesturing towards the neckline of her top. “How do I look?”
“Good enough to eat.” He leaned down and gave her a long, slow, lingering kiss. When Annie opened her eyes again, she saw that he was smiling smugly down at her. She smacked his chest playfully and pushed him away.
“Is it cold outside?” she asked, picking up a black leather jacket she’d brought with her.
“Yeah, it’s chilly. You can leave it with coat check when you get there.”
Annie nodded and pulled on the jacket, and then took his hand as he offered it to her. He opened the door with one hand and pulled her through the door by the other, letting her go as she passed him, and then followed immediately behind her. As they walked down the hallway to the elevators, she felt like she was only sixteen again, totally head over heels in love with her first crush. She wanted to doodle her future name on notepads: Annie Jackson. Annie Ella Jackson. Mrs. Annie Jackson. Mrs. Casey Jackson. A. Jackson. AJ. CJ and AJ in love forever.
Okay, I really need to stop it. And maybe get my head checked.
Stepping into the elevator, Annie thought about how they hadn’t even slept together, yet. He could totally suck in the bedroom department. Or worse, he could have a really tiny penis. She might be doodling the name of a hunky, sensitive, genuine guy… who had the world’s tiniest penis.
She’d seen a tiny penis once. It was so small when it was flaccid that she had literally laughed and asked out loud where it went, and then of course immediately regretted it when she saw the hurt look on the guy’s face. But it was like a turtle when it withdraws its head into its shell. That could be Casey for all she knew. Casey could be tiny turtle penis man. Fuck. She really hoped they finally sealed the deal tonight. Then she’d know for sure.
Outside, Annie was tucked snugly under Casey’s arm when he suggested that they walk to the club. Seeing the horrified look on her face, he glanced down. “Uh, or maybe we’ll just grab a cab,” he said with a grin. She smiled gratefully at him and climbed into the taxi first, scooting over to the other side so he could get in after her. “Ruby Skye,” Casey told the driver. “It’s just around the corner.” The driver grunted, and Casey apologized. “I know it’s just around the corner, but she’s wearing these mega heels, buddy. I’ll give you a good tip.” The driver just grunted again, but he finally pulled away from the curb.
When they pulled up in front of the club a few minutes later, Casey gave the driver a twenty and then got out of the car, turning to help Annie. She groaned when she saw that there was a line wrapped around the block, but Casey just patted her hand and laughed. Then he stepped right up to the bouncer at the head of the line, a big, burly, black dude who nodded at him and stepped forward to do one of those guy handshakes with the exploding fists.
“What up, CJ?” the bouncer asked, his eyes lighting up as he finally saw Annie standing there. “And who is this fine-ass, sweet thing, and why the fuck is she with you?”
Annie blushed as Casey reached over to gather her to his side again. “Annie, this ill-mannered gentleman is Lucius. Lucius, this beautiful woman is Annie, and you know, I’ve been asking myself the same thing. Guess I’m just lucky.”
“Fuck lucky.” After Lucius let them in past the red velvet rope, Casey turned to thank him. However, Lucius took the opportunity to gr
ab Annie’s hand as she and Casey turned to face him and raised it to his lips for a kiss. In a deep, bass voice that reminded her of Michael Clarke Duncan, he looked her deep in the eyes and said, “Honey, whenever you get tired of this asshole and you’re ready for a real man, you just call Lucius.” Her cheeks were on fire as she laughed nervously, but he finally let go of her hand as Casey snorted with laughter and tugged her away into the club.
“Keep dreaming, Lucius,” he called behind him. “Nice try, though.”
As they walked further into the club, the music got louder and louder, the floor vibrating with the thudding bass. Shrugging off her jacket, Annie handed it over to the coat check girl and waited for her ticket stub.
Casey led the way to a bar and asked what she wanted to drink, then leaned over to the bartender to give their order. While they waited for the bartender to make their drinks, Casey pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and started texting.
“Everyone’s probably already on the dance floor, but I’m just letting them know we’re at the bar.”
Annie nodded and picked up the shot glass that the bartender had just set down in front of her and waited for Casey to pick up his as well. Clinking their glasses together, they both smiled and then tossed their shots back. As the alcohol hit her tongue, Annie made a face and slammed the shot glass down. “Another?” he yelled over the music, lifting an eyebrow at her. She nodded and held up two fingers to the bartender.
A minute later, Casey looked down as his phone vibrated. After reading the new text, he shoved his phone back in his pocket and leaned closer to her, not quite shouting, but still speaking loudly. “They’re going to come up here for a round of drinks. So we’ll wait here for them, and then we’ll all head back down to the dance floor together.”
“Okay!” she said, giving him a thumbs up. The bartender set down their next round of shots, and they again clinked glasses. “Banzai!” she yelled and then threw back her shot.
All the Right Things (Love in LA) Page 11
