Lights, Camera...Kiss the Boss

by Nikki Logan

  Just not with the right man.

  ‘Until he breaks your heart,’ Dan said quietly. ‘A man like that won’t stay interested in a woman like you for long.’

  Ava froze. Did he have no survival instincts whatsoever? ‘A woman like me?’

  ‘You’re too white bread for him, Ava. Look at the women he’s dated in the past. Wild, racy, sexy women.’

  She swallowed hard on the insult. Her voice was arctic when she could finally speak past the lump of pain in her throat. ‘Well, I may not be sexy, but at least you finally agree I am a woman.’

  She turned and marched away from the man who had so much power to hurt her, ignoring him as he called her name. Ahead of her, Brant was finishing with the autographs. She grabbed him by the sleeve with shaking hands, pulled him over to a stand of indoor palms, turned, and slammed straight into him.

  ‘You owe me one, right?’ she warned, reaching up behind his bemused face. ‘I’m calling it in.’

  Then she kissed him.

  To his credit, he didn’t flinch—just stood frozen while she plied him with her most convincing kiss on his stunned mouth. The crowd went wild behind them. To them it must have looked as if she’d had enough of Brant flirting with the women in the crowd. Her lips ground into his, and Brant recovered enough to slide his hands around behind her and pull her even closer to him. And then he kissed her back.

  That got her attention.

  The anger suddenly drained right out of her and she pulled away, deflated. What was she thinking?

  ‘I don’t know what we’re doing,’ Brant murmured against her ear, panting slightly, ‘but I thought you’d want it to look good.’

  ‘Let ’em talk about that in tomorrow’s paper,’ she ground out bitterly, glancing over to where Dan had been standing.

  He was gone.

  ‘Ava, honey, are you crying?’ Brant shifted slightly so he was between her and the rapt crowd, providing a little privacy. He stroked her hair from her face.

  ‘No…’ She swiped at her eyes, dragging dirt across her nose. She glanced at the exit gate swinging open. Brant’s gaze followed hers. ‘No.’

  CHAPTER NINE

  BRANT’S face was serious as he entered the Winnebago. ‘For what’s about to happen, I’m truly sorry.’

  That was all the warning Ava got as a whirlwind shoved past him to invade the sanctuary of her office trailer. Brant locked the door firmly behind him as the black-clad, pale-skinned woman came to a halt a few feet in front of where Ava sat, bemused, behind her drafting table.

  She glanced nervously from Brant to the heavily made-up woman. The other woman glared, uncomfortable and angry, but did not speak.

  Brant finally found speech. ‘Ava, this is Cadence, my—’

  ‘His girlfriend!’ The woman jerked her thumb in Brant’s direction, and Ava knew immediately that Cadence was much angrier with him than she was with her.

  And why.

  Cadence was young and slim—that much fitted Brant perfectly—but there it ended. She had dark red hair piled messily on her head, an ancient, torn rock band T-shirt, a long layered black skirt, Doc Marten boots, full Goth make-up, and at least a dozen piercings that Ava could see.

  Probably a dozen more she couldn’t.

  Brant’s girlfriend? This woman? Self-preservation kept her silent. She moved out from behind her desk and extended her hand respectfully, testing the waters. ‘Nice to meet you, Cadence.’

  Cadence blinked twice, then pushed out long fingers tipped with black nail varnish. No, not black, Ava noticed as she shook the death-pale hand. It was darkest red, like Cadence’s hair. Snug PVC wrist gloves fitted over elegant wrists and were laced back past her elbow. The work on the gloves was stunning.

  ‘They’re gorgeous!’ Ava said, one hundred percent sincere, touching the sensual material lightly.

  Cadence glared at her a moment longer, then thrust the other one out for Ava to compare.

  ‘She designed them herself,’ Brant piped up from his corner. Peacemaking, no doubt, but Ava could still hear the pride in his voice. She looked again at the young woman before her, still glowering unhappily. Bull by the horns time.

  ‘You’ve come about yesterday?’

  Cadence didn’t answer, but her lips tightened. Brant flapped around uselessly in the background. This wasn’t some casual, recent thing, Ava realised, reading the body language between the two of them. How long had they…? Oh.

  Oh!

  Time to fess up. ‘Yesterday was my fault, Cadence. Brant had nothing to do with it.’

  ‘That’s not exactly how he tells it.’ Blue, blue eyes didn’t waver, blazing out at Ava from a thick smudge of charcoal.

  Ava lifted her hands helplessly. ‘He owed me one. And he’s a good actor.’ She saw uncertainty flash across Cadence’s face. ‘And a really good friend.’

  That did it. Cadence’s blue eyes blinked furiously. Ava yanked some blotting paper from her table and thrust it urgently at Cadence. ‘Don’t—you’ll wreck your make-up.’

  Cadence took it gratefully and carefully folded an edge against her eyelid to absorb the tears. ‘Are you kidding? Goths kill for that look.’

  Brant relaxed visibly, but didn’t leave his post as guardian of the door. Ava glared at him with an open question in her eyes. What had he been thinking, telling her about the kiss?

  He shrugged and said, ‘I tell her everything.’

  Cadence sniffed. ‘I find out everything. It’s in his best interests to tell me first.’

  Ava smiled, and guilt nibbled at her. She’d kissed Brant selfishly, with no thought for who else it might affect.

  ‘I’m so sorry. I didn’t know Brant had a girlfriend.’ This was to both of them.

  ‘You wouldn’t. I’m the Anne Frank of the television world—hidden away in the attic of anonymity.’ Cadence had mopped up the worst of her tears and blew out a steadying breath. ‘I don’t really fit the mould.’

  Ava glanced at the anxiety marring Brant’s handsome face. ‘How long have you two been together?’ she asked.

  ‘Since high-school.’

  Years? ‘But all the other—’ She cut herself off. Too late.

  Cadence waved her concern away. ‘Women? Go ahead, say it. It’s not like I don’t know about them.’

  ‘Props,’ Brant clarified from his corner. ‘Or a smokescreen, more rightly. It’s a network thing. Keeps people guessing. Makes it easier on Cadey.’

  Ava found that hard to believe, and looked at the younger woman sceptically.

  ‘He thinks he’s protecting me.’ Cadence spoke with such a mix of pride, fury and frustration, Ava knew their feelings for each other ran deep. Very deep.

  A nasty little green-eyed monster reared its head. When would she meet someone to defend her that loyally?

  ‘But he hadn’t kissed any of them,’ Cadence went on. ‘Until yesterday.’

  A small groan escaped her. Some friend. She’d really messed things up for Brant. ‘That was me, Cadence, I swear. I…um…Well, I used him to make a point, actually. I’m so sorry.’ The last bit she directed straight to Brant. He shrugged, and it saddened Ava how blasé he’d become about being used by other people.

  Cadence’s barked snort contrasted wildly with her sombre appearance. ‘That would be a nice piece of karma, then! Who were you trying to get back at?’

  Heat roared up Ava’s neck.

  ‘That’s Ava’s business, Cadence.’ Brant spoke in a way Ava had never heard, and Cadence dropped her eyes. She knew immediately who truly wore the pants in this relationship. Never mind startling appearances to the contrary.

  ‘Right. Sorry…’ Cadence trailed off awkwardly.

  Ava chewed her lip. It was fair penance, after all. She had some damage to undo. She sighed and spilled the beans. ‘Dan Arnot.’

  The avenging angel in front of her nearly squealed, completely intrigued. ‘Maverick? Really?’

  ‘Maverick?’

  ‘Oh, that’s what I call him. Th
e top gun in the industry and all that. Good looking. Cocky. Danger zone. You know…’

  As nicknames went, it was strangely apt. Dan had always been so fearless as a younger man. Did he still have that quality now that he was older? Enough to get a nickname like that? How had she missed it? Her heart squeezed again. She was getting used to the sensation.

  ‘Anyway,’ she fumbled on, clearing her throat, ‘the kiss wasn’t about Brant. He was just the nearest handy male. An innocent bystander.’

  ‘Innocent?’ Cadence snorted. ‘Yeah, I’m sure he didn’t enjoy a second of it.’

  Awkward silence descended. Ava felt some heat rising. Saw it echoed in Brant’s face. Time for a subject change. ‘So, you design fashion?’

  Cadence shrugged. ‘Goth stuff, mostly. Punk.’ Her eyes strayed to Ava’s shambolic workbench. ‘I guess we have something in common. Designing.’

  ‘I guess so. Want to see?’

  The two women pored over Ava’s most recent design, and she showed Cadence how she worked in layers from the bare schematics of the space she was renovating.

  ‘I watch all the shows,’ Cadence murmured, not looking at her. ‘I really like what you do. And how you present. Can’t say I’m crazy about how you and Brant come across…’ Ava looked at her about to apologise again. Cadence waved her concern away with a quick flash of the PVC gloves. ‘No, I get it. All must bow down before the mighty ratings god. No wonder they’ve been thrusting you guys together so much.’

  Ava blinked. She knew her rapport with Brant was good for the show, but it hadn’t dawned on her that it was so…engineered. She spoke the word aloud.

  ‘Right. Exactly. I know it’s not real, my family knows, our friends know—sort of. But, still, it’s hard to watch.’

  She nodded, empathising completely. It was hard enough hiding her feelings about Dan from Dan himself. She couldn’t imagine how hard it would be keeping a secret like this from the whole country.

  Or being deemed sub-standard just for being yourself.

  The thought must have filled the air, because suddenly Brant moved away from his station by the door and came to stand right behind Cadence. She fitted perfectly under his chin as his arms came around her. He rested it lightly on her head and tucked her into him.

  As odd a pair as they made, it was achingly sweet. And perfectly right. Brant looked like a different man when he was with the love of his life. And Cadence quite obviously was.

  She felt more than a pang of jealousy. Not for Brant, but for the love.

  ‘What if I had kissed him?’ curiosity made her ask. ‘With intent, I mean? What would you have done?’

  Cadence didn’t hesitate. ‘I would have fought for him.’

  Looking at the determination in the young woman’s eyes, she didn’t doubt it for a second.

  Cadence stared at her for a moment, her mind ticking away behind expressive blue eyes. ‘Can I ask a favour?’ she suddenly said, full of determination.

  Ava nodded and laughed. ‘After yesterday, you can ask for a few!’

  ‘No, just one. It’s a big one. Chalk this up under “Better-the-devil-you-know”, but…would you continue to hang out with Brant? I’d feel much better knowing it’s you he’s with than some of those other…women the network finds.’ The way she spat the word spoke volumes about exactly what Cadence thought the women really were.

  Ava considered quickly. She hadn’t lied when she’d said she enjoyed Brant’s company, and now she knew he was happily in love with Cadence any vestige of concern that he might form an attachment to her thoroughly evaporated. And it wasn’t as though Ava had her own relationship to protect.

  ‘I’d be happy to, Cadence.’ She looked at Brant, too. ‘Until my contract’s finished.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Relief filled Cadence’s pale-powdered face and showed Ava the young woman as she really must look beneath the layers of make-up. The slim hand she wrapped around Ava’s was warm now, and unhesitant in its squeeze.

  Cadence apologised for bursting into the RV, and Ava laughed her concern away. Then Brant nudged Cadence and pointed to his watch. They said reluctant farewells and Ava hinted that she’d be happy to tag along if the two of them ever wanted to hang out. Do a movie. Anything.

  Maybe Cadence could be a good friend, despite their disastrous start. And Ava sorely needed friends here in the city. Cadence led the way out of the RV and marched off to the right. Brant shot Ava a grateful glance over his shoulder as he started to turn left.

  The manoeuvre hit her in the solar plexus. How hard for them to constantly need to pretend the other didn’t exist.

  ‘Brant?’ Her soft voice stilled him. He turned his handsome face to her. ‘She’s perfect for you.’ It wasn’t lip service. Ava could no longer remember the type of woman she’d thought was right for Brant. Only crazy, gothic Cadence.

  His heartbreaking smile was full of love. ‘I know.’

  Ava sighed as the door closed behind them and they went their separate ways. There went a woman who had every reason in the world to give up on her love and crawl into a hiding place to die. But, no, she stayed, and worked hard behind the scenes to reinforce her relationship. And she fought for her man.

  There was a lesson in that.

  Something had changed between Ava and Maddox. Dan couldn’t quite define it, but there was a level of comfortableness that hadn’t been there before. He didn’t know where it was coming from, but he knew that he absolutely did not want Ava getting comfortable with Maddox.

  He didn’t want her doing anything with Maddox.

  Too late for that, a dark little voice reminded him. The mental image of Ava kissing the vapid pretty boy, his hands sliding down over her body, was seared into Dan’s mind.

  He swore.

  He wasn’t having much luck keeping her on the safe side of the line he’d drawn in the sand. If she wasn’t stumbling over it herself, then he was manufacturing unconscious ways to drag her over. And what did it say about him that he’d been willing to exploit Ava to give the network its way.

  Not very much.

  Another image of Maddox bending to Ava, kissing her enthusiastically, flashed through his head. It only served to fire him up more.

  Dan knew he’d handled that one badly—had virtually pushed Ava into Maddox’s arms yesterday. He remembered too late how prone she’d always been to doing the exact opposite of what she wanted if it happened to be what he didn’t want. Or her brother or her father. Or anyone who was telling her what to do.

  So much for having grown up!

  Flash. Ava’s lips on Maddox’s in the moments before Dan had walked away in pained disgust. Then—flash—the feel of Ava’s lips on his own. Pliant. So addictive. So unquestionably adult.

  Get a grip.

  Dan shook his head as he waited for the lift to take him to the rooftop they were working on this week. Not a true roof, more of a giant outdoor space about halfway up a thirty-storey high-rise. When they’d first scoped out this site it had been a bare tiled space with a few tip-burned potted palms abused as a convenient ashtray by smokers in any of the three hundred offices on nearby floors. Today it was a half-finished tranquillity garden, filled with wind-tolerant species suited to an exposed location this close to the coast.

  It was going to make magnificent television.

  His eyes found Ava the second he emerged onto the set. She was talking through some design features with one of her off-siders, Shannon. He knew the moment she sensed him by the sudden stiffness of her back and the way her fists curled into little balls. Her assistant noticed as well, and glanced around to see what had caused it.

  ‘Hey, Mr Arnot,’ Shannon called, oblivious to any undercurrents.

  He returned her greeting casually and walked straight by, without acknowledging Ava. It took some doing when he really wanted to grab her and drag her away somewhere private to talk. More than talk. But she didn’t so much as glance at him, so he kept walking, furiously trying to fabricate some errand on the fa
r side of the set to justify arriving there.

  Maddox’s knowing eyes met his halfway across the rooftop. Dan’s narrowed. What the hell was he looking so smug about? Instantly his hackles rose. It was bad enough imagining those slimy hands all over Ava’s perfect flesh without having to endure his gloating, too. He hadn’t realised how much pleasure he’d got from knowing he’d tasted Ava, touched her, felt her body against his…while she hadn’t shared any of that with Maddox.

  Now that the playing field was more even, he didn’t like it one bit.

  His smile was tight as he reached the First Assistant Director on the far side of the set and asked a few vaguely salient questions about the day’s shoot. Not that he heard a word of the answer. His focus was across the roof with Ava. She’d finished her dealings with Shannon and was scanning the crowded rooftop. Her eyes landed on Maddox.

  The smile she gave the man made Dan’s abs tighten.

  He forced his eyes down, to maintain the illusion that he was listening to the AD. When he looked back, it was in time to see Ava move up next to Maddox and rest her hand lightly on his arm, laughing easily at something he said. It killed him that Maddox could inspire such warmth in Ava and all he inspired was pain. His foot ground into the gravel that had just been introduced to the rooftop.

  A moment later his distinctive ringtone pealed out across the roof, drawing all eyes, including Ava’s. He dragged his focus away and snapped his mobile open on a curse.

  He was in no mood for anything more challenging than his stock update.

  Kurtz started in with one of his monologues. The only blessing was that it didn’t require Dan to listen particularly hard. He glanced over at Ava, where she was joking around with Maddox as they prepared the next shot set-up. Kurtz droned on about ratings and broadcast numbers.

  ‘Anyway, I wanted to pass on the good news personally.’ The unusual tone in Kurtz’s voice brought Dan’s attention back to the phone call. ‘It’s official. Urban Nature is a nominee for an Australian Television Award. Best New Lifestyle Programme.’

  Dan sucked in his breath.

  ‘The first time a programme has been nominated this early into its first season—’