by Rye Hart
Jeffery nodded his head. “I told you it was pink with glitter. I even showed you a photograph. Do you want me to cancel the spinner?”
“Oh, the spinner is pink?” I breathed a sigh of relief. “I thought you meant the mirrors. Yes, scratch that spinner, and we’ll look for something else. I’d like a few touches of black and white in the madness of color, and that spinner might have to be a custom in black and white if we can’t find something else.”
“Okay, scratch the pink glitter nightmare. I’ll look for something in black and white. The mirrors, which are candy apple red, are a go. You’ve had three calls today do you still want me to monitor your phone?”
“Only if it’s my father or that creep from last week.” I got the chills just thinking about that freak. He’d make the perfect prop for this new job.
“You’re dating?” Jefferey’s perfect brows lifted.
“No, you’re slipping. Greg, that man from the last job. He’s trying to ask me out, but there’s no way in hell. I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t have duct tape, garbage bags, and a saw in his trunk.”
“That’s only the characters he writes about. I’m sure he’s a real kitten.” He flashed me a wink.
“If that’s true, then he’s more your type than mine.” I gave him a sweet smile. Jeffrey was not only my assistant, but also one of my best friends.
Jefferey let out a howling laugh. “Bitch.” Jeffery was so low under most people’s gaydar, but he definitely preferred men. He’d actually had better luck with them than me.
I quickly changed the subject from men. “Oh, and I was thinking last night that I want the same artist we used on the last set for our detailed panels. She’s amazing, so see if you can get her again. I know she’s busy.” Jefferey nodded and took down the information.
I went back to making notes and pouring over the ones the producer had passed along from Star Summers, whose video I’d be working on. I found a few inconsistencies with the script that we had to make right. About thirty minutes had passed before my phone buzzed and Jeffery held it under my nose.
“You’ll want to take this one. It’s Shauna.” Jefferey had met my best friend a couple of times over lunch and knew how special she was to me. I quickly answered the phone and leaned back in my chair to give my eyes a rest from the paperwork.
“Shauna? How’s life?
“It’s wonderful. How’s yours?”
“Perfect.” I rubbed my temples and breathed a cleansing breath.
“You sound tired. I hope you’re not working too hard.” She was one to talk. Shauna stayed just as busy as I did, if not busier. Before I could reply, she started again. “Oh, I sent your thanks along to Harris, and he said to think nothing of it, anything for a friend of mine. He’s sure he’ll be able to keep you in work for a while. Oh, and you can expect security on the set daily. Harris said it’s quite customary for his company. You never know when there’s some nut roaming around.”
“I have a feeling I’m working for the nut.”
“Now be nice, I’m sure he’s changed since college and besides, the fact that he knew us both was what landed you this gig. Don’t blow it by telling him off.”
“I’ll be good and try to remember that he’s Harris’s friend.”
“God no, he’s not really his friend, just an acquaintance in the business, but you should still be nice. Brock Reed is a spoiled brat, but he’s not that bad.”
I thought about the last man I’d worked for and she was right, there were worse people in the world. Like creepy Greg.
“Anyway, I’m glad it’s all working out, and I appreciate Harris and you helping me out. Things are taking off full speed now.” My business had been growing by leaps and bounds, and I’d gotten to make some nice connections and wonderful clients who’d wanted me to do sets for them, even personal ones.
“No problem. How’s your father doing? Has he changed his mind about your career path now that you’re a big Hollywood set designer?” Shauna asked.
“He’s barely letting me breathe. He’s got a house here now down in Temecula. Speaking of family. How’s your brother doing?”
“I talked to him yesterday. He’s good. Still single.” Her voice lifted a pitch on the end of her sentence as if she meant it as a suggestion.
“Duncan made it perfectly clear how he felt when he left, and that ship sailed away with him a long time ago. Literally.” He’d left me to go into the Navy, and even though I’d vowed to wait on him, he’d left without so much as a goodbye. My heart had been crushed and stomped on by that man.
“Yet, you still ask about him.” A soft laugh sounded through the phone.
I’m just being polite. You ask about my father and yet, you’ve never tried to date him.” I gave Jefferey a wink when he gave me a wary look.
“How come you haven’t moved on then? Unless you’re dating someone that you haven’t told me about?”
I cringed thinking about creepy Greg. He was the only person I’d been to any sort of meal with aside from her or Jefferey and my father and that hadn’t been business-related. In the first years after high school, I’d tried to go out, but all of the dates had gone badly. Most of the men had tried to sleep with me even though they hadn’t taken the time to know me. I had finally decided to focus on my career and follow my dreams in spite of my father. Dating hadn’t been that important to me, and I could never seem to get past that awkwardness of a first date.
“No, I haven’t seen anyone else. I don’t have time for men.” I glanced up to see Jefferey giving me the lifted brow stare again. I wasn’t about to go into things and have him overhear about my virginity, though Shauna knew damned well I’d never slept with anyone. She’d often remarked that was the oldest virgin in the world, but only when she wanted to pressure me into going out with someone.
“Well, anyway, I wanted to say hi and see how you’re doing. I’m sure we’ll talk soon.”
There was something in her voice that made me feel like she was up to something but I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it could be. Was there something about this job or perhaps the producer that she wasn’t warning me about? I decided to let it go, especially since Jefferey was still giving me the eye.
“Talk soon, friend. Take care.” I hung up the phone and passed it back to Jefferey who took it and put it in the pocket of his loose pants.
“Why don’t you date? I think you need a man and I don’t think I’m the only one making that suggestion,” he said, tapping my phone in his pocket.
“I had my heart broken once, and I’m not ready to move on yet.” I lifted a shoulder casually and then glanced back down to the paper before me.
“How long ago was that? Because if memory serves me, you haven’t been with anyone in the two years I’ve known you.” He straightened the cuff of his sleeve and then tapped his pen.
“So, what? I haven’t dated anyone in years, and you’ve been more men than I have, it’s not the end of the world.” I let out a long breath and decided not to give him a specific answer. He didn’t need one. “I’ve got to get through this list and have everything ready for Brock.”
“Mm, Brock. Speaking of dating, I’m sure that our sexy-ass producer has a crush on you.” Jefferey smiled but never took his eyes off his own work.
“Mind your own business and get back to work.” I tried to act tough but the corners of my mouth played upward and once he peeked he let loose a soft giggle. I’d had enough of the subject, even though I loved my friends for caring.
End of Sneak Peak. Would you like to know how this continues?
Click Here: Hot Bastard Next Door: A Boy Next Door, Second Chance Romance
I wanted to go all the way...
But Duncan left town to become a Navy SEAL.
A cruel text was the last I heard from him.
Now he's back and says he wants what's his:
My V-card.
He was my HOT next door neighbor.
A nightly ritual of him wat
ching me behind the curtains was our dirty little secret...
I wanted to give myself to him - ALL of me.
But then the bastard broke my heart over a text and left town. WTF?
I moved on - but never fully filled the void he left behind.
Now I'm working my dream job as a Hollywood set designer.
Imagine my shock when I discover Duncan is the new bodyguard on set.
He tells me this time he'll have what's his and his alone.
That he’ll give me the best O of my life.
I'm not falling for it again.
So what if he’s the only one who can make me wet with one glance?
So what if I’m still a virgin?
As far as he's concerned, my legs are SEAL'd
Hot Bastard Next Door: A Boy Next Door, Second Chance Romance
Rock Hard Baby Daddy: Sneak Peak
A Billionaire Cowboy Romance
CHAPTER ONE - BELLA
I’ve seen the world through a camera lens from as early as I could remember.
I couldn’t help but be drawn toward the beauty around me. For whatever reason, I felt the need to document it in a timeless photograph that could speak to others, and maybe even spark a moment of serenity in their hearts.
Yes, it all sounds very artsy-fartsy, even hippie-ish . But I couldn’t help myself. I was who I was.
My mother saw it in me before I did. Even with pressure from well-meaning teachers, attempting to dissuade me from what they saw as a simple hobby, Mom always told me to screw what they thought and go after what was in my heart.
“Bella, you have a fire in you,” she’d told me at a young age. “You don’t realize it now, but you will change the lives of others with your talents. Promise me and, more importantly, promise yourself that you’ll always go after your dreams, no matter how hard the journey.”
Yep, she was pretty much the best mom on earth.
And now the best mom in heaven.
She’d done a damn good job raising me all on her own, and I hoped and prayed that someday when I had my own children, I could be half the mom she was.
May her precious heart rest in peace.
Fast forward to present day, and I’m nowhere near where I’d imagined I’d be at my age. On paper one would think I was nuts for even complaining about my situation.
Engaged to a good, beautiful wealthy man.
A big princess wedding only months away.
And an even bigger rock on my left hand.
I’m not one to lack appreciation for the lavish life I was living, but I felt my confidence dwindling day by day in my fiancé Gavin’s presence. Gavin’s constant berating and trivialization of my interests had all but destroyed the passion I had left for my art.
He would never admit to it, but he essentially saw me as his trophy wife. In his eyes, my job was to sit quietly and look pretty. He didn’t mind me having a side hobby or two, but he didn’t like the idea of me pursing my dream of becoming a widely influential artist. He knew how much it would take, and that simply didn’t align well with his plan for life.
He did everything he could to diminish the flames that sparked inside of me. Now, as I look at myself in the mirror, I can barely recognize the girl I once knew. It was the thought of losing that last bit of fire that scared the fuck out of me.
“This place is a dump, Bella.” Gavin had curled his lip at my friend’s place for the second time that evening. The first time was when we drove up and parked outside, and now I’d hoped he’d keep his voice low enough that the other artists present wouldn’t hear. There were writers, painters, and other photographers within earshot.
A friend of mine from my photography class owned the coffee shop, so I hoped he wouldn’t throw his countless insults this direction, but that was a proving to be a major fail at this point. The truth was the coffee shop was one of the best and busiest shops in the city, and the patrons had all built such a camaraderie that they were like a small family. It would take a complete asshole not to appreciate the charm it had to offer. Today Gavin was that asshole.
Kayla finally showed, and I breathed a sigh of relief as she crossed the room. My best friend would be just the lift I needed.
“This is awesome! I’m sure you’ve already sold a ton of copies of the journal, right?” she asked enthusiastically.
“She’s signed five and two of those were for the same woman. She has only sold one print.” Gavin smirked.
Why am I with this dickhead anyway? I asked myself.
“She bought the books for her daughters,” I said, in attempt to sway the direction of the conversation back to something positive.
I smiled remembering the older woman who had seemed way out of her element. She had come across town to buy copies of my photography collection for her daughters, who were avid readers. Both had enjoyed my collections in the past and owned a few prints, so she’d wanted to surprise them.
My book was a passion project. I wanted to do something different and had one of my earlier collections made into a journal that told stories from my childhood with my mother. I had thought about it since her death and finally made the dream into a reality. It meant a lot to me that others would now get to see it.
“I still think giving away too many of your images in one sale is a bad idea. Even if it is one collection.” Gavin had failed to see many of my ideas as practical, and he measured success solely on money.
“I think the journals were a really cool way to showcase those older pieces. It’s a gorgeous book, and it’s not like it’s your entire collection,” Kayla said, rolling her eyes at Gavin. She was always the positive influence in my life. I thanked my lucky stars for her, because her positivity was all I had left to hold on to after my mom’s passing. Kayla, much like my mom, had the ability to see things in me that I couldn’t, or wouldn’t, see in myself.
“Frankly, it wouldn’t matter what you were trying to showcase here. It’d be lost on the tacky setting. I’d ask the owners to turn the lights up, but no telling what kind of crap the bad lighting is hiding in this place,” Gavin said.
About that time, I turned to see the owner and my friend turning to duck out in the other direction. From the looks on their faces and their body language, they’d heard every cheap shot Gavin had taken.
“How long is this thing going to last,” he sneered as I stood there with my cheeks flaming red and tears in my eyes.
Those tears were a mixture of embarrassment and the hurtful comments he’d made, and I’d finally had all I could take.
“You can leave now!” I gritted my teeth so hard that it hurt, but I knew if I didn’t keep a tight jaw I’d make a scene.
“Excuse me?” He lifted a brow and looked down his nose at me.
“You’ve done nothing but criticize and insult, and I’m sick to death of it. If you don’t like it here, then leave, but these people are my friends, and you’re being completely rude and disrespectful!” I said through clenched teeth.
Gavin went to grab my arm, but I pulled away before his fingers could get a tight grip, and I stormed away to the bathroom.
As I took my first few steps away from him, I heard Kayla tell him to let me go, and then she was on my heels. I pushed the bathroom door open so hard that I almost took out the tall blonde on the other side. I apologized and stepped around her to go to the sink and splash cold water on my face. I was two seconds from storming back out and telling him off for good.
“I’m so sick of his shit, Kayla. I swear I’m done!” I leaned against the counter by the sink, and she stood with me as a couple of girls finished drying their hands and walked out.
“Do me a favor and mean it this time, Bella. You’ve said it before, and you always give him another chance.”
She was right, and I hated that I couldn’t even argue with her about it. I had let him back into my life one too many times. I guess I was afraid of being alone.
My mother had been my whole world up until her death from a lost battle
with cancer five years earlier, and though I had gotten used to life without her, I’d never been all on my own. Even through college, I’d had Kayla by my side. She was all I had in the world. Then I met Gavin and things took a turn for the worse. At first he was so charming and sweet, but I later found out that was all a façade to leer me to him. He did the worst thing a guy could do to a girl: he took full advantage of my vulnerability.
“This time I mean it,” I said firmly. “He had come along at a point in my life where I was weak and vulnerable, and I let him in. But I haven’t been happy with Gavin for a long time, and I need to move the fuck on. Otherwise, I’m afraid I’ll lose myself in him. I took care of Mom while she had cancer; I buried my head in my books after she died; and then I became Gavin’s showpiece. I need to focus on me for a while. I’m calling off the wedding. Is that completely selfish?” I asked Kayla, knowing she would tell me the truth no matter what.
“No, you should do what’s right for yourself first. I’ve always told you that. You have so much incredible talent, and he’s smothering you.”
She was right again. Creativity was my driving nature, and he’d done all he could to insult me and belittle my skills.
“I should have never moved in with him; he’s not going to make leaving easy. He’s spent so much money on the wedding venue and everything else. I hope it’s still early enough for him to get refunds, but I know I can’t go through with it. He doesn’t even want children.”
“You mean you got him to have the children talk?” Kayla’s eyes lit with surprise.
“Yeah, and the reason he never wanted to talk to me about it was he knew I wanted a child, that I had even considered having a baby all by myself after mother’s death, but then I’d met him.”
It had been a half-baked idea, but I had always known I wanted children and thought maybe a baby would fill the void my mom’s death had left. I figured she’d done it on her own, why couldn’t I? I’ve always adored children. Maybe it had something to do with me being an only child growing up and having memories of begging my mother to have more babies. Who knows.
