Adapted for Film

by Stacey Rourke

  Rational behavior be damned.

  “Aubrey?” Tandy gently rapped on the bathroom door. “I came as soon as I got your text. Are you okay?”

  “Nowhere near it,” I whined to the floor. My head hanging between my knees, I concentrated on my breathing. “I can’t do this!”

  A chorus of aggravated shouts rose up from the hall.

  “Okay, Bree.” Tandy’s voice became more crisp and urgent, as if she was speaking right into the crack around the door. “There are some really ticked off women out here that would really like to relieve themselves. If you’re not deathly ill, you’re going to need to unlock the door before they kick it in and Hansel and Gretel your ass in the pizza oven.”

  Sweeping the hair from the back of my sweat dampened neck, I peered up at the door. Funny how ordinary refinished antique wood could appear as ominous and foreboding as the gates of hell with all its trappings.

  “Hey, Tandy. Girl did you come here just to see me?” Mateo’s muffled voice said from the other side of my sanctuary door.

  “Ugh. Why? Why are you here?” A soft thump rattled the door. If I had to guess, I’d assume it was Tandy’s forehead connecting with it.

  While my own situation hadn’t improved, I couldn’t leave Tandy to marinate in Mateo’s cringe-worthy advances. With a hand on the chilled slate floor, I pushed myself up. The matching wall tiles caught the fabric of my coat as I shook my legs, prickly with needles and pins, awake.

  “My cousin owns this place.” Mateo’s voice dropped to a husky whisper that made the other women in line titter with girlish giggles. “Plus, I’d travel to the ends of the earth to see your fine culo.”

  Flipping the latch, which squeaked beneath my hand as I slid the door across its track, I caught Tandy’s wrist and yanked her inside. Unfortunately, she didn’t come alone. Sebastian and Greyson pushed into the room, slamming the door shut behind them. I gaped from one face to the next, mortified to have a star-studded audience for my hissy fit.

  “I’ll just wait out here,” Mateo awkwardly squawked from the other side of the door.

  Stumbling to regain her footing, Tandy shrugged her wide-necked sheath shirt back into place. “Thank you. This is an improvement. I was shooting to get us both on the other side of the door, but this is progress nonetheless.”

  “It smelled like this when I got here,” I blurted before anyone could question otherwise.

  “Good to know.” Sebastian puckered his lips to stifle the smile that threatened. Flipping his head, he coaxed his long, lavender side-bangs from his eyes. “Next question … why exactly are you in here instead of striding down the sidewalk as Hollywood royalty, like I painstakingly planned out?”

  “Because he breezed in!” I erupted, jabbing a thumb in Greyson’s direction as I paced the length of the bathroom between them. “I’ve written that before, but never actually witnessed the act. Then, Greyson breezed in on this, like, wave of sexual charisma. And you all want him to pretend to be with me? No one is going to buy that! I’m going to be publically ridiculed, turned into a huge joke!” I spun on the three of them, my hands falling against my legs with a slap that echoed off the tile walls. “I have no choice. I have to go live under a bridge.”

  Tandy closed the space between us, her heels clicking against the floor, and seized my shoulders tight enough to dimple the flesh. “Okay, we just took a huge leap from eccentric author to grumpy old troll. How about if we take a step back and just breathe?”

  “And I’m sorry if I … breezed,” Greyson added, his face crumpled with a blend of sincerity and confusion.

  “Don’t ever apologize for being you,” Sebastian corrected him, lathering on the humble reverence.

  “Is that lemongrass and sandalwood?” Squinting in Greyson’s direction, I sniffed the air between us. “How do you manage to smell fancy?”

  Tandy snapped her fingers in front of my face, and then steered my eye line back to hers with the same two fingers. “Aubrey, as your friend you know I am always here to remind you that you are a beautiful, strong woman. And to point out when your crazy level surpasses cuckoo’s nest criteria. This would be one of those times.”

  “He breezed in,” I whimpered in one last plaintive cry.

  “I know he did.” Tandy stroked my hair in the most maternal fashion should muster. “Now, I think you and I both know what is at the root of this little freak out. Do I need to say it?”

  A familiar chill twined down my spine and settled into my gut to slither and spit its venomous reminder of the past. Clearing my throat, I attempted to resemble less of a raving maniac. “I really wish you wouldn’t. We have company.”

  “Danny,” she stated, stabbing one hand onto the curve of her hip.

  “And yet you did it anyway …”

  “Ohhh! Who’s Danny?” Sebastian asked, his eyes flashing with renewed interest.

  “That’s not your husband, is it?” Greyson sucked air through his toothpaste commercial teeth. “Husbands do not like me dating their wives, let me tell ya.”

  “Very much ex-husband,” I clarified before turning a pointed glare in Tandy’s direction. “As much as I would love to have this conversation again, can we not do it in mixed company?”

  “Don’t worry, I bore quickly and probably won’t listen much longer.” Sebastian shrugged, casting a wandering glance down the length of Greyson.

  “You lock yourself in a public bathroom, we’re going to have the talk,” Tandy sniped, her expression daring me to argue. “I gave you my complete support to focus solely on your career after Danny …” she struggled to find the right word and finally settled on, “… happened. Why? Because I am a firm believer that it is a perfectly acceptable life choice not to be defined by a relationship and to remain single. However, that’s only a brave and bold choice if it’s not made out of fear.”

  “I think opening myself up to a publicity stunt might be counterproductive to your bravery pursuit.” Outside another insistent knock shook the door. “Use the men’s room!” I hollered at the wall.

  “But it’s not! You need to view this as the opportunity it is!” Tandy countered, soothing the hair from my face.

  Greyson rocked back on the heels of his expensive shoes and plunged his hands into his pockets. “Never had to watch a girl get talked into hanging out with me. It’s humbling, insulting … and kind of working for me.”

  “Opportunity to what?” Brushing Tandy’s hand aside, I took a much needed step back to think. To breathe. “Mortify myself in public? You know if I’m going to do that I’ll dress up like a taco and dance outside of Puerto Vallarta for the bottomless margaritas. We’ve had this talk!”

  “No! Let Greyson be your relationship training wheels. Embrace these staged moments, because you know the studio will make them good, and let yourself really enjoy the ride. Take this time just to remember how good it can feel to be with someone!”

  My lip curled in disdain. “This is sounding oddly sexual.”

  “Hey, I’m game …” Greyson’s mouthwatering lips curled into a playfully inviting grin.

  The color drained from my face, my mouth forming a shocked O.

  Tandy cocked her head, shaking it slightly. “You know for being the girl that wrote a voyeuristic masturbation scene that made America blush, you’re kind of a prude.”

  “That is the enigma that is me.” I shrugged, brushing my hair behind my ear as my three restroom cohorts chuckled at my expense. “This is all well and good psycho-babble, but I still don’t know how to pull this off to make it even remotely believable.”

  Sebastian pushed his way around Tandy with an eye roll and an exaggerated sigh. He delivered his particular brand of coaching, while fluffing my hair and primping me back into shape. “Okay, let’s speed this up. I would prefer not to change my mailing address to a public restroom. All you have to do is walk down the street hand-in-hand with the mega-stud over there. If you’re feeling self-conscious, stare at the ground as you walk,” he fixed my l
ipgloss by running the tip of his pinkie along the edge of my bottom lip, “most of the starlets do that anyway. It’s a whole big act. ‘Oh-no, Mr. Photographer, don’t shoot my good side that I’m perfectly angling your way.’ It’s tired, but it works. And if you get flustered, you can just follow Greyson’s lead. Everything he does is paparazzi perfection.”

  “In addition to being a movie star, he’s also an expert walker?” I jabbed, instantly regretting it when Sebastian’s face flared bright red. Humor at the expense of the studio’s darling was not well received.

  “Actually, I am.” Greyson raised one finger to interrupt. I swear that boy’s smile could have liquefied my bones and left me a quivering blob of goo if I stared right into it. “I haven’t won any acting awards, but I really think I could medal in basic walking. Not the fast, mall walking—that’s way too intense. Maybe, like, casual strolling.”

  I snorted with laughter, despite my mood. “And you’re funny, too? Admit it. You’re an alien, aren’t you? Or a robot programmed to take over the world after forming an army of willing female love slaves.”

  All traces of emotion erased from Greyson’s face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His head jerked robotically to the side, his voice morphing convincingly mechanical. “Must. Eat. Babies.” Blinking rapidly, he refocused his gaze—in this light the hue of warm maple syrup—my way once more. “I’m sorry, what were we saying?”

  “Ha-ha, look at you using wit to distract me.” I tried to squelch my laughter at his antics, but still found it audible in my tone.

  Gently hooking my elbow, Greyson led me over to the not so private corner. His head tipped toward mine, his tone dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “They cleared the restaurant so we could make an easy exit. Then, it’s just a walk. Simple as that. We could wait for them to move us, like the marionette puppets they think we are. Or, you could take my hand right now and we can own this thing, just you and me.” Offering me his hand, the inviting pools of his stare softly beckoned. “What do you say?”

  For a moment I did the unthinkable and allowed myself to wade into temptation’s waters, seeing nothing before me except an easy smile and an offered hand. Filling my lungs, I let the gravitational pull of Greyson’s allure charter my course and linked my fingers with his.

  Chapter 13

  Flash bulbs exploded from every direction. Staring at the ground became imperative to prevent me from going blind in the frenzy. However unbearable I anticipated this being, it was oodles, gobs, and heaps worse.

  “Greyson! Greyson, look this way!”

  “Who’s your friend, Mr. Meyers?”

  “Is this how you got the lead role? Nailing the author?”

  “Aubrey! Have you and Greyson tried out Aiden and Paige’s tantric passion pretzel position yet?”

  Well, that escalated quickly. I grimaced, shielding my eyes from the incessant flashes.

  Greyson’s hand tightened around mine, gently tugging me to him. “We’re just trying to take a walk, guys. Can you back up a little, please?”

  I didn’t have to glance up to know he’d adopted that charismatic grin that set hearts aflutter and panties dropping from sea to shining sea.

  Unfortunately for both of us, the paparazzi had moved beyond niceties or polite requests. They surged forward, closing in and each angling for the prize photo that would land them that coveted cover spot. Claustrophobia had never been an issue for me … until that very moment.

  The number of bodies seemed to swell around us: pressing, jostling, bumping, pushing in closer. Footsteps slapped against the pavement behind us. Greyson’s bodyguards—who had hung back at a respectable distance—were spurred to action by the chaos. Even they found it hard to maneuver through the pulsing ebb and flow of the crowd.

  One photographer raised his camera, only to mistakenly elbow the man beside him in the chin. A scuffle—in the form of a less than manly slap fight—broke out between the two, mere inches from me. The rising tension riled the crowd into a frenzy that coursed and pitched around us, threatening to drag us down in with its wake.

  Greyson shielded me behind one strapping arm. “Just keep walking,” he directed over his shoulder, his voice gruff with strain.

  He was definitely playing it fast and loose on the use of the word walk. The best I could muster was a lock-kneed shuffle, propelling me forward a millimeter at a time, hopeful to find an end to this hellish nightmare.

  “How long have you two been together?” Flash.

  “Does this mean you and Julianna broke up, Greyson?” Flash. Flash.

  “Are you in love, Aubrey?” Flash.

  Sweat dotted my brow and streaked down my back. More than anything, I wanted to shed the sweltering layer of my coat and shove my way out of the crowd where I could breathe … and think. A twitch formed under my eye, pulsating with each relentless flash. Filling my lungs, I desperately sought one deep, cleansing breath. Even that was unattainable. Panic seized the air in my throat, squeezing it in an unrelenting fist that would not allow a whisper to pass. Tears flooded my eyes, blurring my vision. Unable to force myself forward another inch, I stood—rooted in my nightmare. Desperation setting in, I gulped and gasped. A water-board victim surrounded by that which would sustain her, but unable to claim it.

  Oblivious to my dilemma, Greyson kept walking. His stride came to an abrupt halt when his hand, linked with mine, caught with a jerk. Glancing back, concern sharpened his features with a dangerous edge and spurred him to action. Golden strands fell across his forehead as he whipped his head around, scanning the area. Locked on a target, he seized me by my upper arms and threw his shoulder into the pressing masses. His body became our weapon as he bowled us a trail to safety. The bodyguards slid into position behind us, preventing the paparazzi from sealing us in.

  Greyson dragged me around a short bend to a shop door, the stucco wall beside me catching and snagging the fabric of my coat. Beads of sweat trickled down his temples as he yanked the door open and forced me inside. Following me in, he pulled the door shut and clicked the deadbolt into place. From the other side of the glass door came the deep rumble of the bodyguards barking for everyone to get back.

  My lodged breath escaped in a grateful huff, allowing me to gulp down a lungful of what turned out to be delectable bakery air. Outside, the flash bulbs continued to spark. My body jerked in response to each. He could have pulled away and left me to my freak out, but Greyson chose another path. Planting his hands on the wall on either side of my head, he secured me in the cage of his arms.

  “Don’t look anywhere but at me,” he soothed, his gaze locking with mine. His chest swelled with rhythmic breaths, wordlessly encouraging me to do the same. “And just breathe. Easy enough, right?”

  By some miracle, I managed a nod.

  “There’s my girl.” He smiled. Catching a lock of hair between two fingers, he gave it a gentle tug.

  Lured from the brink by a guy that was basically sex on two legs. There are worse things.

  Greyson tipped his head, his forehead lightly brushing mine. “I meant it when I said we were in this together. I’ll be right here with you, for every step of this crazy ride.” One finger settled under my chin to nudge it up and force my wandering gaze to meet his. “You believe that, don’t you?”

  With his breath warming my cheek at that intimate proximity, he could’ve asked me if I believed elves tap danced out of my ass at midnight and I would’ve nodded in the same brainless fashion.

  “Good,” he sighed. His expression softened, his gaze traveling over the curve of my lips. “Thank you for coming back to me. I was scared you’d gone to the happy place in your mind, never to return.”

  “My happy place is Krispy Kreme,” I admitted, anxiously fiddling with the lapels of my jacket, “I don’t mind leaving it. You have those here in LA.”

  A smile as bright and unexpected as a fresh falling star spread across his striking face. “You’re not at all what I expected,” he chuckled, his rel
ief audible.

  “Let me guess; you anticipated me wearing a leather corset, carrying a riding crop, and demanding you pick a safety word within the first sixty-seconds of meeting you.”

  “After reading your book? Yeah.” He shrugged at the inevitable misconception.

  Curling my finger, I urged him in closer and whispered, “I’ll let you in on the big secret of the literary community: most authors—no matter how outgoing they appear in interviews—are notorious introverts that would break out in hives if we actually tried to embody the characters we write. Sorry if that disappoints you.”

  “Not disappointed at all.” Storm clouds of intensity darkened his gaze. His tongue flicked across his bottom lip, adding an inviting gleam to those glistening rubies of temptation. “Quite the opposite actually.”

  Before I could think to prevent it, a shaky breath escaped my parted lips. This time it had nothing to do with the cameras flashing.

  Chapter 14

  “Look at the way he’s gazing at you, like you’re even more appetizing than that case full of cupcakes in the background.” Tandy rotated the magazine, tilting her head to get a better view.

  The same picture had wound up on the cover of every tabloid; me with my back against the wall, Greyson pinning me in the frame of his arms. The way he leaned in made it appear we were moments from a passionate kiss, and not that he was trying to talk me down from the brink. Ah, the magic of angles.

  “If he looked at me like that for even a second, I’d throw my panties at him hard enough to bruise his forehead,” she marveled, her lips pursed.

  The vigor behind her declaration made it sound like a very real threat I should probably warn Greyson about.

  “What the hell do you keep in your panties?” I asked, slightly fearful of the answer.

  “Nothing but the gateway to happiness.” She grinned, gyrating her hips from the canvas chair she sat in.