Hollywood Lights

by Lana Xavier

  I smiled back, swallowing hard as I watched Caleb come around into my line of sight with a smirk on his face.

  “Sabrina Murphy, was it? Nice to meet you,” he said as he offered me his hand.

  Oh, the desire to slap him right in the face was nearly too strong to ignore. But I somehow managed to, instead reaching up to shake his hand and squeezing it as hard as I could manage.

  “Nice to meet you, too,” I forced out, my stomach twisting at the lie.

  Why, why, why had I let him read my script? Why had I told him which studio was making the film? This wasn't a coincidence. There was no way they would have sent out copies of my script already without the ink even being put to the paper.

  So why in the fuck was he even bothering to pretend like he didn't know me?

  “Oh my— Annie!”

  I winced at the shrill voice and felt my heart drop into my stomach as Marlena Hardin came bouncing into the room, moving as quickly as she could on her ridiculous stiletto heels.

  Anne smiled and hugged her as she got closer. “So good to see you, Marlena! What on earth are you doing here?”

  She flipped her long, blonde hair over her shoulder and said the words I dreaded to hear, “I'm here to read for the part of Hannah!”

  Fuck my life.

  * * *

  Chapter Six

  This had to be the most awkward moment of my entire life.

  I was standing in the middle of the group— Anne, Annabelle, Caleb, Marlena, and myself all forming a small circle in the conference room. I tried not to squirm under Caleb's gaze as I felt his eyes roaming over my body while he stood next to his very public, very well-known, longtime girlfriend.

  The woman who just announced that she would be auditioning for my movie and therefore would be glued to Caleb’s side while shooting.

  What the fuck is wrong with this asshole?

  Nathan chose that moment to stand up and join the group, thankfully dissolving a bit of the tension with both his presence and his words.

  “Marlena, I don't think you're the right choice for this part,” he said carefully, obviously bracing himself for a reaction of epic proportions.

  Okay, so he dissolved the tension for everybody except for Marlena herself.

  “Um, why the hell not?” she demanded to know as she put her hands on her hips and cocked one to the side. “I can play any part.”

  Anne jumped in at that point and bluntly stated, “You're too young to play a character in her early thirties. And frankly, I'm not convinced you have the acting chops or the intelligence to convincingly pull off a forensic psychologist.”

  Marlena looked offended as hell, but she said nothing in direct response to Anne's rude deduction. But that didn’t stop the blonde from attempting to bargain her way into the movie. She took her hands from her hips and crossed them over his chest.

  “Fine. Then I'll audition for a supporting character.”

  “The only female supporting characters are older than Hannah. I'm sorry, Marlena, but you won't fit anywhere in this film,” Nathan gently explained before Anne had a chance to rip into the young actress.

  It was so odd for me to see this type of dynamic in real life. Anne greeted Marlena so fondly then turned into an ice queen in thirty seconds flat. It was yet another reminder that people had two faces and I reinforced my mental note to stay on Anne's good side if I wanted to make it through the filming process alive.

  “So, when does filming begin?” Caleb asked as he clapped his hands together, ready to move forward.

  I narrowed my eyes at him. I still couldn’t believe he was actually here pulling this stupid stunt. Or whatever it was he was doing.

  “Hopefully within the next six weeks. We're fast tracking it.”

  “Location?” Annabelle questioned.

  Anne, Nathan, Annabelle, and Caleb all traded questions and answers back and forth so quickly that I stopped even trying to keep up. I noticed Anne's assistant, Eric, jotting down every word that was said and wondered if he would let me go over his notes later. Marlena was busy inspecting her fingernails for imaginary dirt, obviously bored now that this meeting had nothing to do with her.

  I wondered if she even read the script. Why would she think she could play the part?

  She probably just wants to work with her boyfriend. She doesn’t give a crap about the script.

  Ugh, that thought turned my mood even more sour than it had been. I was sure there was a scowl on my face that I probably should have forced away, but I couldn’t muster the will to care anymore.

  “I need a finished script,” Caleb announced loudly, drawing my attention back to the conversation.

  “I finished the transcription of the rewrites yesterday. I’ll make you a copy now,” Eric chimed in from behind Anne right before he darted off.

  “Nathan? Make sure he doesn’t break the copier again,” Anne requested, gesturing after Eric’s retreating form. “He’s an excellent assistant, but hopeless with technology.”

  Nathan chuckled and trailed behind her assistant as instructed. Once gone, Anne resumed speaking to Annabelle, who I assumed was Caleb and Marlena’s agent or manager or whatever the hell they called themselves.

  I half-heartedly tried to follow the conversation, but it turned to one about publicity and I just couldn’t follow what they were talking about. I awkwardly shuffled on my feet as Marlena joined in the conversation as well, leaving me feeling like an outsider. Again.

  My cell phone vibrated in my pocket. I glanced around and realized no one was paying any attention to me, so I took a few steps back and slid it out of my pocket.

  ‘It’s not what you think.’

  I frowned at the text, then glanced up to see Caleb looking at me seriously. The frown turned into a scowl and I quickly typed back.

  ‘Delete my number.’

  After sending the message, I powered down my phone and tried not to watch as his eyebrows furrowed when he read the response. Then he looked directly at me—not even bothering to hide the obvious irritation on his face.

  But it disappeared after a few seconds and he turned to Anne with an exaggerated smile. “May I borrow Sabrina from you for a few minutes? I have a few questions about the character.”

  “You can ask me here,” I quickly offered even as he reached forward to grab my wrist and began to lead me out of the room.

  Caleb shot me a patient smile. “Oh, I’d hate to cut into the ladies conversation with such boring questions. We’ll be right back,” he added as he looked back at the trio.

  Their chattering resumed as he pulled me out the door and I felt my skin burning where he touched me. The moment the door closed behind us, I yanked my arm free of his grasp.

  “Don’t touch me,” I snarled, pointing a finger at him after I was free. “I don’t want you to touch me ever again.”

  “That’s not the impression I got Thursday night,” he said with a waggle of his eyebrows. “Come off it, Sabrina. I’m the best you’ve ever had and we both know it.”

  I didn’t even bother trying to deny his words. Instead, I spit out, “That was before I found out you have a girlfriend, you sack of shit. Now, if you’ll excuse me-”

  “Whoa, whoa,” he breathed out as he reached to wrap an arm around my waist. He hauled me back against his chest and I opened my mouth to screech when I felt his palm cover my lips.

  “Damn it, Sabrina. Just listen to me for one fucking minute!”

  I tried to angle my teeth to bite his hand, but the grasp he had was too firm for me to even open my jaw. I started to squirm in his arms, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to hold onto both my waist and my mouth for very long if I rallied hard enough against him.

  “Marlena isn’t my girlfriend,” he whispered directly into my ear. “Like I said— It’s not what you think.”

  I stilled in his arms and waited for an elaboration, but it never came. After he realized I was calming down, he asked, “Are you willing to hear me out?” I nodded against
his palm and he whispered, “Good. Don’t scream.”

  My eyes widened as his hand left my mouth and he spun me around to face him. My jaw dropped open in a silent shriek as he picked me up, my legs instinctively wrapping around his waist as he carried me to a door I hadn’t gone in before.

  Once inside, I quickly realized that it was a stock room. A rather large stock room, but it was completely abandoned and had a lock that Caleb clicked into place after he set me back on my feet.

  “You have five minutes,” I said coolly after I put a respectable amount of distance between us.

  As much as I wanted to hate Caleb, I couldn’t deny the effect he had on my body and being held against him hadn’t done me any favors.

  “Don’t I get a kiss first?” he asked with a pout.

  “No. Now talk or I’m leaving.”

  Caleb ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know how to explain to someone so…”

  “So what? Naïve?” I spat out.

  He gave me a wry smile. “In a way, you really are. This is Hollywood, Sabrina. Shit works differently here.”

  “Oh yeah? What’s that supposed to mean? Everyone cheats on their significant others and no one bats an eyelash? Sign me up,” I said dryly before I tried to push my way past him to leave the room.

  “No, different as in people pretend to be in relationships to boost their careers.”

  “What?” I choked out, unable to even grasp the concept of such a thing.

  Celebrities really did that? I always thought it was just nonsense made up by jealous fans.

  “You heard me. We co-starred in a movie and us being actually ‘together’ will bring in a bigger box office. There’s nothing going on between Marlena and I other than a show for the cameras.”

  “You haven’t slept with her?”

  Caleb chuckled and shook his head, fixing me with an exasperated look. “I didn’t say that. Like I said—we co-starred together. That was a long two months we spent on location.”

  I rolled my eyes and scoffed. “I was right—You are a pig. I listened to you, now let me go.”

  He frowned and dashed ahead of me, blocking the doorway by outstretching his arms across it. It was strangely reminiscent of his move on the plane when he blocked the aisle, but I didn’t allow myself to linger on the thought.

  “You’re seriously mad at me?”

  “Caleb, you might not be aware of this, but most women don’t appreciate being used for sex then waking up in the morning alone. Hell yes, I’m mad. Now move before I make you move,” I warned, my hands balled into fists at my sides.

  He licked his lips slowly before a wicked grin stretched across them. “I’d like to see you try. Come on, move me. Touch me.”

  It wasn’t the first time I had the desire to slap him—not even close.

  But it was the first time I actually gave in to the urge.

  My palm stung like hell and I clutched my hand against my chest as I watched all the emotions flicker over his chiseled face. First came the jolt of pain from the force of my slap, then the anger which only faded as he lifted his hand to caress his cheek and stare at me in shock.

  “You slapped me,” he said incredulously.

  I couldn’t believe I did it either, but I choked back the apology that was trying to claw its way up my throat and gave him a jerky nod instead. “No shit. Now move.”

  As I forced out the words, I pushed his shoulder and breezed right on by. Caleb didn’t even bother trying to stop me and I felt a bit of bile rising at the thought that me assaulting him was likely the last moment of our brief affair.

  From here on out, it’d be all business.

  Which was exactly what I wanted when I first saw him today, yet I couldn’t shake the crippling disappointment as I made my way back into the conference room.

  * * *

  “I need to go home.”

  Anne stared blankly at me while Nathan regarded me with confusion.

  “But—”

  “I know I need to be on set, but I would prefer not to be involved in casting. Is that okay?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady even though I was a split second away from begging.

  After half an hour of me awkwardly sitting around while Caleb, Marlena, and Annabelle spoke to Anne and Nathan, the three had finally split and left us alone again. Caleb shot me a hard glare as he left and it made my stomach twist into tight knots.

  I needed to get the hell out of here. I would deal with filming—I really didn’t have a choice there—but I would not stick around Los Angeles any more than I had to.

  Distance. Distance will make everything better.

  “I suppose that would be fine,” Anne finally said after considering it for a long moment. “Nathan can arrange your flight right before we begin principal photography. Are you sure you don’t wish to be involved with casting though?”

  “I’m sure. My only request is that you don’t cast Marlena Hardin in any part in this movie,” I blurted out before I could even think to stop myself.

  Weirdly enough, I watched Anne’s lips twitch upwards at the corners as one of her eyebrows lightly rose. “Well done. I really didn’t think you had it in you.”

  I swallowed hard, not sure I wanted to know the answer but I asked any ways, “Had what in me?”

  “That fire. It’s nice to see you aren’t as mousy as you look,” Anne told me dismissively, changing subjects before I even had a chance to be properly offended. “Alright, you’re free to go then. Have a safe trip home and we’ll see you again very soon.”

  She turned away and I was frozen to the spot, unsure of whether I was just supposed to leave or if there was something I needed to do first. Once again, Nathan came to my rescue, giving me a sympathetic smile before escorting me out of the room.

  I idly wondered if Nathan was single. He seemed like a nice, stand-up guy. The kind I could bring home to my mom and brag about to my friends. The kind that wouldn’t use me for sex then leave me without so much as a note.

  The kind that won’t break my heart.

  I froze mid-step. Nathan turned back to me and cocked his head, obviously wondering why I stopped.

  Truth was—I really wasn’t sure. I especially wasn’t sure why or when or how my heart had gotten at all invested in the tryst I had with Caleb, but I couldn’t deny the feelings that bubbled up like a volcano threatening to erupt.

  I could only hope that putting thousands of miles between us for the next few weeks would kill the emotions I couldn’t seem to fight.

  * * *

  Chapter Seven

  Three weeks later…

  When my house phone rang late at night and pulled me out of sleep, I was fully prepared to greet the caller with threats of death and destruction when I lifted the receiver.

  But when Nathan’s way too-chipper voice came sounding over the line the second I pressed the phone to my ear, the anger rapidly transformed into dread.

  I knew this call was coming. I just hadn’t wanted to face reality yet.

  “Hey, doll! I hope you’re ready to come up to Vancouver.”

  “Not really,” I grumbled into the phone as I glanced over at my alarm clock to check the time. “Especially not at midnight.”

  “Oh shit, I forgot about the time difference. I’m sorry,” Nathan rushed out, the sincerity evident in his voice.

  “It’s fine. When do I leave?” I asked with a sigh.

  “Tomorrow at four. The flight is booked and I sent you all the details in an e-mail. A car will be waiting at the airport to take you to the set.”

  “Are you up there already?”

  There was a brief shuffle over the line and I wondered what he was doing. I could just picture him moving the cell phone from one ear to another while driving around the set on yet another freaking golf cart.

  “Yep, got up here a week ago to make sure set-up went smoothly.”

  The urge to ask who else was already up there was hard to resist, but I somehow managed. Instead, I casuall
y asked, “Did it?”

  “Go smoothly? Like a baby’s bottom. But we can talk more about that when I see you tomorrow. Get some sleep so you have energy to pack in the morning.”

  I didn’t bother mentioning the fact that I was already half-way there. About a week after I got home from Los Angeles, I had been struck by an uneasy restlessness that I could only satisfy by beginning to prepare for the inevitable.

  Prepare to be stuck with Caleb for weeks.

  “You’re probably right,” I lied, eyeing my already packed duffle bag on the other side of my bedroom. “This is short notice and all.”

  “Do you need me to change your flight? I can probably get it pushed back a day but-”

  “That won’t be necessary,” I said quickly, even though my heart screamed to take the extra day to mentally prepare myself. “I’m not exactly high-maintenance. It won’t take me long to pack.”

  At least that much was true. It’s not like I had a shitload of carefully planned outfits and beauty supplies to lug around with me. Just the basic essentials were good enough for me.

  “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow then! Check your e-mail!” Nathan reminded me and I made a mental note of it.

  After a quick good-bye, I plugged my phone back into the charger and laid back in my bed, allowing the blackness to pull me back into sleep. It didn’t come as quickly as I wanted, but eventually I fell back into a fitful, dreamless sleep.

  * * *

  “I’m so excited!”

  I pulled the phone away from my ear with a wince, already regretting answering the call from my sister and telling her what I was doing.

  “That’s great,” I said dryly, not feeling even a fraction of her enthusiasm for my looming departure.

  Candace picked up on my mood like a hawk.

  “Why aren’t you excited, Sabrina? This is incredible! You’re going to work on a real life freaking movie set!”

  “I know,” I grumbled, wishing that some of her excitement would rub off on me. “I’m just… I have a lot of work to do, Candace. This trip is kind of interrupting that.”

  “Doesn’t this trip count as work?” she asked and I swear I could almost hear her eyebrows raising over the phone.