by Anna Paige
When asked, Skylar had gladly offered a huge sum and we’d spent over an hour catching up like old friends which I suppose we were. Since leaving Savages, she’d moved on and found her place with a hot new show that was holding steady at number one in its time slot. Even I tuned in for it—and made sure my DVR was set so I didn’t miss an episode.
Standing there on the red carpet, she made it clear that she still watched our show when she leaned in close to me and said, “At the beginning of the new season, the big scene where Meadow and Tyler hook up for the first time…” Her hand came to rest on my shoulder and she smiled as she lowered her voice. “I know that was probably hard for you, but I want you to know that it was phenomenal. You were perfect.”
“Thanks, Sky. It required more takes than I care to remember, but I have a great director who gave me the time and encouragement I needed. And it helped that he was under the sheets with me at the time.”
Skylar nodded as we both giggled.
“What’s so funny over here?” Gavin asked as he dropped an arm around my shoulders. Skylar’s date raised a curious brow too.
“Nothing,” we said simultaneously, which made us laugh even harder.
“Women.” Gavin shook his head and Sky’s date joined in, both smiling.
Skylar just shook her head. “Okay, I’ve been dying to know what the deal is with that beach photo of you two.”
Gavin and I both grinned, knowing exactly which one she meant. He and I on the beach in Cali. The photo wasn’t all that unusual, but one element had caught the attention of the media. In the photo, Gavin and I wore similar ball caps. His had the initials KFO and mine said GFL. They were a gift from Evie, who thought it was hilarious when we called each other Gavin-fucking-Lane and Kaiti-fucking-Oliver on-set.
I explained this to Sky. “I guess the media thought it was cute that we had each other’s initials on our hats. Then someone realized neither of our middle names starts with an F. It’s been hilarious hearing the speculation.”
We all laughed and Gavin turned to her date, listing some of his favorite wrong guesses, most of which were extremely perverted. And hilarious.
I nudged Sky’s arm and told her in a hushed voice, “In a few weeks, Gavin’s will have to be replaced with one that says KFL. I’ve ordered it and I’m planning to present it to him at the reception. Hope you’re still planning on attending.”
She gave me a warm smile. “Wouldn’t miss it.” Her gaze strayed to her handsome escort and she sighed happily. “I’ll be bringing a plus-one. Hope that’s okay.”
“Absolutely. The more the merrier. And speaking of the guest list, anyone seen Bryce? I thought he’d be here, and I want to make sure he plans to attend. I emailed last week to remind him but he hasn’t gotten back to me.” I looked around with my newly-patented there’s-a-million-cameras-around-here smile.
He’d been scarce since leaving the show, though he still emailed me and Gavin every so often to check in and tell Gavin how proud he was to see him thriving as a director.
Gavin’s new on-set policy—that douchebags and divas would not be tolerated—had actually proved quite effective and camaraderie between cast and crew was at an all-time high. It made shooting more productive and ended up saving the studio loads of money. Gavin had made a name for himself as a director almost as quickly as he’d risen to stardom in the first place. I loved how involved he was and how happy his new role made him.
Skylar shook her head, her eyes widening. “You didn’t hear? Bryce’s crazy ass eloped last month. He and his wife took off on his yacht for an extended honeymoon. He should be back in time for the wedding, though.”
I gave her a sideways look. “Eloped? Bryce? Where’d you read that? Some tabloid or a gossip site?”
She laughed. “No. I steer clear of those these days. I actually talked to him myself. I called to ask his opinion on a movie script my agent sent me and he was packing for his trip. You should have heard him, Kaiti. He was almost giddy. It was so unlike him I couldn’t help laughing.” She and I both chuckled. “He asked me not to say anything publicly, so I haven’t told anyone until now. I’m sure it’s okay to tell the two of you. He’d want you to know how great he’s doing.”
It made me incredibly happy to know he was off enjoying his life, even if I did kind of miss seeing him. He was a pain in the ass, rude and arrogant, but he was the reason for all of this.
Because of him, I’d found my calling and the love of my life.
Because of him, I’d soon be Kaiti-fucking-Lane.
Because of him, things were better for Gavin and the rest of the cast and crew of Savages.
And when I won the award for Best New Actress an hour later, I dedicated it to him.
To Bryce and Gavin.
And my little, purple taser.
The End
Do you want more of Kaiti and Gavin’s story? Sign up here to get a bonus scene and be added to HEA Press’s and Anna Paige’s email list.
Other Titles by Anna Paige
The Broken Series:
Broken Ground
Flawlessly Broken
All the Broken Pieces
The Thrill of the Chase Series:
Chasing Kade
You can also follow Anna on these platforms:
FacebookTwitter
Instagram
Bookbub
AmazonWebsite
Email:
[email protected]
Prefer snail mail? No problem.
Send to:
Anna Paige
PO Box 82
Sunbury, NC 27979
Acknowledgments
I’m so fortunate to have an amazing support system, without which I would have never finished a single book, let alone five (and counting).
Shaun, my husband and best friend: You’re the reason for all of this. You encouraged me to pursue my dream and stood by me no matter how crazy the process got along the way. Thank you for helping me do what I love and for being the love of my life. You and me, babe. Always.
Trenda, my content editor and friend: You’ve been amazing through all of my books, every single one, but with this one—you made a huge impact. You make my books better and you make me better. I love you, woman.
Rebecca, my publisher: You’ll never know how much it meant to work with you on this. Thank you for taking a chance on me, for seeing potential where sometimes even I can’t find it, and for allowing my voice to show through in every aspect of this project. I can’t wait for our next adventure together.
My betas; Heidi, Monique, Jacinda, Shasta, Saleena, Jennie, and Sandy: Thank you so much for your help polishing this book and making it shine. You ladies are amazing! I couldn’t do this without any of you.
Ella, my friend and favorite “cheerleader”: Your friendship has made all the difference. You build me up and talk me down, you make me laugh and make me think. You’re amazing and I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done. This book exists in large part because of you, because you believed in me. I adore you.
Martha and Dannielle, my incredibly supportive friends: You two always have my back no matter what, and I know exactly how rare that is. I love you both from the bottom of my heart.
A special thank you to all the bloggers and readers who take the time to read, share, and/or review my work. You give these stories life and you give us authors a reason to keep writing them. Book people are the best people.
