by Alexx Andria
#
Miles, breathing hard and a little dizzy from the threat of dehydration after Dani had milked every last drop of fluid from his body, rose unsteadily to grab some bottled waters while Dani lounged, naked and dewy, like a Grecian goddess on the bed. “Do you think she’s going to like me?” she asked when Miles returned and handed her a water. “I mean, what if she believes the stories about me?”
“The stories where you are incredibly talented? I sure as hell hope she believes them.”
She frowned even though Miles was sweet to deflect. “You know that’s not what I mean. The past few months haven’t been kind to my reputation. I don’t want her to think of me that way. I want her to believe in me.”
“She does. Otherwise she wouldn’t be pushing for you on this project.”
“Technically, it’s the director who wants me, right? Not Lindy specifically.”
Ah, that’s true. He couldn’t lie about that. “But Lindy knows you’re talented otherwise she wouldn’t risk her pet project. She just wouldn’t. Lindy would rather sit on the project than agree to hire someone who was going to ruin it.”
Dani nodded, chewing her lip in thought. “I haven’t felt this nervous in a long time. I want her to like me so bad.”
“She will. She already does,” he assured her, smoothing the hair from her eyes. “Stop worrying.”
“What do you know about the character Hattie? You said you’ve read the book? Is there a bookstore here? I want to pick up a copy.”
“Slow down,” he laughed as he took a seat beside her. “I have read the book. She’s young but strong. I think if played right, it could have Oscar potential.”
“Really?” Her eyes widened. “And you think I could pull it off? Why?”
“Hey…what happened to the woman who was going to conquer the world?” he asked softly. “That woman wouldn’t have been scared to grab an opportunity by the balls.”
She swallowed. “I don’t know. She got eaten by missed opportunities, bad press, and parasitic posses.”
He disagreed, brushing a kiss across her lips. “No. She’s still in there. Just waiting for you to bring her back out into the light.”
“What makes you so sure?”
A mischievous grin followed as he said in a husky tone that made her shiver, “Because she leaves behind scratches on my back when I fuck her.”
“Oh, Miles!” she gasped and blushed even as a shy smile curved her lips. “You know how to sweet talk a woman.”
“Not really,” he said, grinning. “Only you.” He pulled her from the bed and sent her toward the bathroom, saying, “Get the water started. We can’t go to dinner with Lindy smelling like sweaty sex and salt water…although…I kinda like that scent on you.”
“You’re impossible,” Dani said over her shoulder with a coy smile knowing he was staring at her ass and loving the view. “But if you’re up for a quickie in the shower…”
Again? His poor cock would never recover. But then, there were worse problems, right? He hustled after her, gathering her in his arms to walk them both into the spray.
#
They entered the private section of the resort and found Lindy and her twin sister chatting while the Lilah’s twins ran around like tan little monkeys. Their laughter was infectious and Dani couldn’t help the smile as she watched them play. Was it completely ludicrous that she wondered how well she and Miles’ DNA would turn out? Yeah, possibly dangerous, too. Why was she torturing herself that way? She couldn’t have babies any time soon, not when a less-than-svelte figure on a woman meant she was persona non grata in Hollywood’s casting circles. But even so…they were pretty cute. “They are so high energy,” she murmured to Miles and he chuckled.
“That’s one way to get your cardio…chase after a rambunctious set of twins all day.”
She laughed and Lindy noticed they’d come in, breaking into a wide, inviting smile and gesturing for them to join them. “Come on in. You’re just in time. We were about to break open the wine.”
“No wine for us,” Miles said, startling Dani when he made the choice for her. Lindy’s gaze flew from Miles to Dani, instantly chagrined for making the offer and Dani wanted to fall through the floor. Miles had just made her feel like a leper in front of Lindy Bell. Off to a fabulous start.
“Well, maybe Miles doesn’t want any wine,” she said, shooting Miles a quelling look “but I’ll certainly have some.”
“Are you sure? I know you’re still recovering,” Lindy said, worried. “You know what? Forget it, we don’t need alcohol. Let’s have pineapple juice. It’s better for us anyway.”
Dani smiled as if she didn’t mind but inside she was cringing. Lindy thought she was an alcoholic or something because of her recent past. “I’m really fine. You shouldn’t believe everything you read in the tabloids,” she added with a bit of censure. Damn you, Miles. If Raina were here she wouldn’t have humiliated her like that. No, in fact, Raina would’ve joined in for a glass or two because she understood how to network. However, she had to make do. “But pineapple juice is fine, too.”
Lindy shrugged and said, “Well, I was going to wait and broach the subject after we’d gotten to know each other a little better but we might as well just offer the elephant in the room some peanuts and get it over with.”
“I suppose we could do that,” Dani said, sagging with disappointment. This wasn’t how she’d envisioned her first meeting with someone of Lindy’s caliber but what could she do but grit her teeth and suffer through it? “What would you like to know?”
“Well, I’m not going to pretend that I haven’t heard the rumors and don’t get me wrong, I know half the time what those tabloids spread is pure fiction but as you know, perception is everything and right now…you’re a risk.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“I know that’s hard to hear but if you’re going to salvage your career, you’re going to have to own your part in what happened.”
“Wow…an intervention and a parenting sesh. How’d I get so lucky?” Dani muttered, really wishing she had some liquor to soften the sting of getting schooled by her idol. This sucked.
“Dani, Lindy is trying to help,” Miles reminded her and she shot him a look that said, shut up, I didn’t ask for your input and he scowled. “Careful…don’t burn the house down just because you don’t like the drapes.”
She wanted to do exactly that and she might’ve three days ago but somehow she reined in her unruly tongue and forced herself to apologize. “It’s hard to be gracious when you’re constantly being reminded that you screwed up,” she said, swallowing the bitterness of her own humiliation. “But I appreciate the opportunity to work with you. Even if it means listening to everyone count down my failures.”
“Nobody is trying to throw in your face where you went wrong,” Lindy assured her with a small, understanding smile. “If anyone can understand and empathize with what you’re going through, it’s me. In the beginning of my career, I didn’t always make the best choices. I started getting stereotyped as the eye candy and not a serious actress. Directors of quality stopped taking my calls and the only people interested in giving me work were people who thought they could sleep with me. It hurt my ego — a lot — but I was lucky enough to find someone who helped me to see that I was better than that. And then I was smart enough to marry him and move to San Francisco.”
“You moved away from L.A.? Why?” Dani asked, confounded. “How do you get jobs? You have to be seen in that town or else people forget you.”
“No, that’s a lie that someone told you to get you to do what they wanted. If you’re talented, they’ll come calling. You don’t have to go clubbing every night — in fact, I really advise against it. You’ll attract the wrong kind of attention. I’m sure we’re all aware of a certain starlet who fell apart and lost everything because she let her demons take control of her career. Don’t be that cliché. Be the person you were meant to be.”
“What if you don’t kno
w who that is anymore?” Dani asked.
“Then it’s time to regroup. Like what you’re doing here with Miles. The best part about Hollywood is that they love a comeback. When you come back to L.A., do it with your head held high and then clean house. The people you’ve been hanging out with — ditch them because they’re not doing you any favors.”
She nodded, ashamed that she’d briefly thought of calling Raina and ditching Miles to go back to L.A. What was she thinking? All because Miles, who was thinking of her welfare, put the kibosh on the alcohol? Jesus, she was all manner of messed up in the head. “Thanks. I’ll do that.” She looked to Miles and the sweetness they’d shared earlier was hidden behind a wall she’d put there. They had so much baggage between them…baggage she’d put there. “So what do I need to do to prove that I’m a good investment? I really would love the chance to play the part of Hattie even though I really don’t know much about the character. The fact that it has your endorsement is good enough sign for me that it’s a good project.”
“I’m flattered, but for what it’s worth, you really ought to read the book, which is why….” Lindy radiated happiness as she pulled a large hard cover book from a bag beside her. “I brought you something,” she said, handing Dani the book.
She looked to Miles. “Did you know she’d bought the book for me?”
He chuckled. “No, but I figured she would.”
“I hope you don’t mind,” Lindy said.
Dani hugged the book to her chest and shook her head. “Oh no! Not at all. I was just telling Miles I wanted to buy a copy. Thank you!”
“Now, here’s your homework: I want you to pull up a chair, slather on the sunscreen and then take some time to read it. I hope I’m not exaggerating when I say it’ll change your life. The part of Hattie was written for you but you need to know how Hattie thinks and there’s no better way than to read the words the author crafted for the character.”
Dani stared at the book, a little intimidated by the sheer number of pages of Falling From Grace but she realized if she wanted to change, she had to start somewhere. “I’ve never read a book in the hopes of understanding a character before,” she admitted. “It feels so legit. I mean, this is the real deal, you know?”
Lindy nodded. “Yeah, I know. But that’s how you’ll rise above this noise that’s surrounding you right now. You’re young and your resume isn’t long but you’ve got talent and it’s time to start using it. Immerse yourself in this book and you’ll get what I mean.”
“Thank you,” Dani murmured, tears tingling behind her ducts. This felt so monumental; as if the change were already happening and she didn’t know how to feel about it. Part of her was scared, the other exhilarated. Change was hard. Even if the change was for the better.
“If you can stay out of the tabloids for three months, I can get you insured. Okay?”
Dani nodded. “I’ll try.”
“No,” Lindy shook her head, saying firmly. “You have to take control and make sure that it doesn’t happen. No more clubbing, more hanging out with dubious people. Got it?”
“Okay,” Dani agreed, but a tiny voice in the back of her mind questioned if she could really stay away from the scene for that long. She’d come to crave the wild nights and crazy people, even if it was terrible for her and her career. Raina had a way of convincing her to do a lot of things she shouldn’t. She looked to Miles, knowing he was the key to her salvation. “Will you help me?” she asked in a small voice, knowing she really had no right to ask but she needed him desperately.
“I’ll do what I can,” he answered, not quite giving her the whole-hearted dedication she’d been hoping for. “I can’t put my life on hold forever.”
“Of course not,” Lindy said. “And I appreciate everything you’ve done so far. I know I kinda crashed into your life with my plea for help but,” she glanced at Dani “I think she’s worth it, don’t you?”
Dani held her breath as she awaited his answer. Finally, he offered a small smile and said, “Yeah, she’s worth it” and Dani realized, not for the first time, the biggest mistake she’d ever made was pushing this man from her life. Was there any way to fix it between them? As in, really fix things? Not just a quick bandage fix, but a real healing? She made a promise to try and find out. If not for her, but for Miles because he was a good guy — one of the best.
#
After dinner, Dani went back to the room while Miles hung back for a few minute at Lindy’s request. He knew what was coming and he wasn’t sure how to answer.
“She looks good…sober at least. How are things going? The tension between you is hard to decipher. It almost feels as if you’re still in love with her.”
Should he lie? He couldn’t, not to Lindy. “I do love her,” he admitted, but it didn’t solve anything. No, actually, loving Dani only complicated things. “But you know, we live different lives and I have no interest in following her around in Hollywood to be her arm candy and she has no interest in living elsewhere so loving her only makes things harder.”
“Until she gets some solid footing underneath her, she really should stay away from L.A. The people who put her in this mess will only be waiting for her when she returns and it’ll start all over,” Lindy warned. “And I’m serious about the three-month sobriety. The insurance company needs to know that she’s not going end up costing them too much money.”
“I understand but I can’t force her to do anything. She has to come to that realization on her own.”
“I know. I hope she realizes how much is at stake.”
“Me too.”
Lindy smiled, rubbing his shoulder in sympathy. “She’s gorgeous and stubborn — probably the two worst traits to work against but I think you’ve got an ace up your sleeve.”
“Yeah? Want to clue me in?”
Lindy’s smile grew. “She loves you, too.”
His heart tripled in beat but he shook his head. “Even if what you say is true…she loves her career far more than she ever loved me. And that hasn’t changed.”
“Give it time. She’s young and still consumed with the idea of fame. Sooner or later the shine will wear off and she’ll discover that there’s nothing but tin underneath that fool’s gold veneer.”
“Maybe. But I can’t wait around for her to figure that out. I have to live my life, too.”
She nodded. “I get it, buddy. You’re in a sucky position. Just don’t give up prematurely, okay? I guess that’s all I can ask — and I’m not asking for my movie…I’m asking for you. You’re a good guy and you deserve to be with the woman you love, not the woman that comes along as a replacement, got it?”
His cheeks burned because he knew she was referencing his friend, Julianna — a woman he met a few months ago at the clinic who was in love with the biggest asshole he’d ever met. When he realized that his feelings for Julianna were never on the same level as what he’d felt for Dani, he stepped out of the way for Boston and the two went off and got married. Well, to be fair, Julianna was also pregnant with Boston’s kid so the scales were pretty tilted in Boston’s favor but still… “I hear you, loud and clear. No one can replace Dani.”
“Then don’t you dare walk away unless you know for a fact there’s no turning back. Otherwise, you’ll spend a lifetime always looking for her in another woman’s face.”
Miles nodded at the profound wisdom. “Thanks for dinner,” he told her as he hugged her goodnight. “Get some sleep.”
“Right after I call the hubbo and the kiddo,” she said, breaking away with a yawn. “The jet lag is setting in but I’ll never hear the end of it if I don’t.”
“You’re probably an epic stepmom,” he said, smiling. “And an awesome wife.”
Lindy beamed, not the least bit modest or shy, and agreed. “I am!”
Miles laughed and let himself out, heading for the bungalow to join the woman he couldn’t exactly have but would never be able to forget. There were no easy answers, not that he’d been expecting any, b
ut he wished he could go back in time and when Dani tried to break it off, instead of walking away without a question, he found a way to hold onto her because losing her only to find her again temporarily is a special kind of hell.
-10-
The following day Dani and Miles were buying fresh mango smoothies from a street vendor when someone yelled out, “Danielle!” causing them both to turn. Paparazzi began snapping pictures while another had a palm-sized video camera. They rushed toward them and Miles, unaccustomed to such an intrusion began telling them off, which as Dani already knew, would only encourage them. “Miles,” she grabbed his arm and began leading him away toward the car “ignore them.”
“How am I supposed to ignore them? They’re practically up my ass!”
She sent a glower at the intruding photographers and hustled to the car, irritated and angry that her paradise with Miles had been invaded by the scum-sucking parasites. They climbed into the Jeep and took off, leaving the trailing photographers in their wake. They went straight to Larimar, warned Lilah that they might try to follow and gave strict instructions to give no one information as to their whereabouts.
Once inside the safety of the bungalow, Dani flounced into the sofa and groaned. “I think I was lulled into a false sense of security that they wouldn’t find me here,” she said. “They’re like locusts. Or cockroaches. Basically, paparazzi are the worst of human kind.”
