by Dani McLean
I could just reach out to them first thing in the morning, but we had to send off the order confirmations to the clients tomorrow, and I was cutting it fine already by only giving myself the afternoon to get the numbers sorted.
“Hmm.”
“I could go if you’re too busy,” Jet offered. My fingers stilled in the air.
“No, no, I just need to make some phone calls. Thank you, Jet.”
“If you’re talking about this month’s reorders, I can take care of that. It’s a piece of cake.”
I chewed the inside of my cheek. It would save me some time, and it would also clear out my afternoon tomorrow.
“Ok.”
“Really?” He seemed surprised.
“Of course, that would be great. Now, you’ll need to prepare beforehand, go into the system and have last month's order up in case they want a repeat. If not, note down what they want to change, and update the amounts on the invoice before sending it. If you have any trouble, get David or one of the other account managers. But remember—”
“Don’t send it until tomorrow. I got it.”
Huh, I guess he had been paying attention.
“Ok.” My nerves fluttered, but I pushed them down. I really didn’t have a choice, and I needed to get on the road already. “Ok. And call me if there’s anything. It doesn’t matter how small. I’ll have reception.”
“Don’t worry about it; I got this.”
He better. And with that, I was out the door.
Jeff and Julia were waiting for me in their office. “As much as we love the idea of a flight tour, Audrey, we think it’s a little small for what we were hoping.” Jeff always launched straight into business as soon as the niceties were done with, and I’d come to appreciate that. Some clients loved to chatter, and while it was lovely to get to know them, I felt guilty for rushing them when we had a deadline to meet.
Julia jumped in. “Not that we want to go big! Lord knows we can’t afford anything like that.”
“Right. We want the line to stand for itself, but flights just seemed so …”
“Boring?” I offered with a smile.
Julia heaved with relief. “Oh, thank god you’re not mad. Yes! We’ve done so many here at the cellar door that it just seems so old hat, and we were really hoping to go with something more hip.”
“Good for the ‘gram, my son calls it.” I bit down on the laugh that threatened to come out and nodded.
“Of course. That’s completely understandable. It’s still relatively ‘hip’ in the city, especially for rum, but” I held out a hand, “I understand you want to go with something a little different and a little bigger?”
They nodded.
When they offered nothing else, I continued. “So can I assume that you want to go with the cocktail event?”
“Well, that’s what we wanted to talk to you about.”
Oh, no. Please don’t make me go back to the drawing board. The other ideas were either too expensive or too … well, boring.
“In the draft you sent us, you mentioned it would be like a mini degustation, with the food and cocktails paired … but the expenses you estimated didn’t seem like enough for that to be possible.”
Sweet relief filled me. “Yes. Actually, I’m glad you brought that up because it’s a lot easier to explain in person. Now, degustation was the wrong word, but it was the closest I could come to ‘multiple bite-sized meals in a row’.” I chuckled. “What I’d really like to do is have the catering focus on local produce and produce a number of options that match the cocktails we decide on, and they’ll be walked around and handed out to each guest.”
“And everyone would be sitting or standing?”
“Sitting, but we’ll arrange lots of options, like bar tables, couches, some armchairs, all in groups of three or four so people can come together, but it keeps the atmosphere more intimate. Especially because we’ll limit the event to around fifty people.”
“And the price?”
“Well, I based the estimates on some early quotes, so it may change. And for the food, it all depends on the cocktail list and what works best, what’s in season, all of that. But once we set a budget, I can promise you we won’t go over it.”
They passed a look between them, but they were still smiling, so I took it as a good sign.
Jeff nodded and held out a hand to me. “Sounds like we have a plan.”
My smile widened. “That’s fantastic. I’ll get to work immediately and keep you updated.”
17
Jackson
As I stumbled into my apartment, I idly wondered if I had enough ice to cover the number of bruises I was sporting.
Filming this week had been brutal, but today’s action scenes, including a particularly acrobatic aerial sequence, had left me battered. Thankfully, I wasn’t expected back on set for a few days, which left me just enough time to sleep off most of it.
The issue with rehearsing fight scenes for four straight hours before filming for another four meant that the moment you came to a standstill, your entire body wanted to find the nearest flat surface and remain there for as long as humanly possible.
Every muscle ached as I removed my jacket and draped it over the back of a chair. I’d hang it up properly tomorrow.
Collecting some ice in a towel, I briefly considered opening a beer, but I would probably be asleep before I finished it.
It wasn’t until there was a knock at my door that I realized I’d made plans to see Audrey tonight. Shit.
We typically only saw each other late at night, fitting it in around our bizarre schedules, but honestly, I liked that about the situation. Audrey was someone who—so far—hadn’t gotten annoyed by my unpredictable hours, and because of her own habit of working late, actually understood.
I couldn’t exactly tell her to head home after she’d traveled over here at this time of night, but I could barely stand without swaying. How the hell was I going to have sex?
I opened the door half convinced I was going to apologize and send her home. She must have come straight from the office. Her hair was mussed, strands escaping her high bun in many directions, and her pants crinkled from wear.
But her eyes were bright and her smile wide, and she’d never looked more beautiful.
I was kicking myself for not having the energy to spend the night with her.
“Hi.”
“Hi.” A crinkle in her brow. “You forgot, didn’t you?”
“No, I …” I sighed, my shoulders sagging. “Yes. I’m sorry. I feel like an ass.”
“No, don’t! It’s fine.”
“It’s not.” I was suddenly sure she was about to leave, and I no longer wanted her to. “At least let me make it up to you with a tea or something.”
She stifled a laugh. “You think tea is going to make it up to me?”
“Hot chocolate?”
“Oh, now you’re talking,” she said suggestively.
I felt I was doing a pretty decent job hiding how awful I felt until Audrey moved in to kiss me against the kitchen island, her hand pushing against a particularly tender area of my chest, and I wasn’t able to hide my wince. “Ugh”
Immediately she pulled back, concerned. “Are you ok?”
“Actually, no.” I looked at her apologetically. “I’m sorry, I’m completely exhausted. We filmed a big fight scene today, and I’m a bit banged up. Then I forgot you were coming over, and I feel awful, but I just don’t think I’m capable of anything tonight.”
“You should have sent me home then,” she said, softly chiding me before straightening up and asking, “Do you have a bath?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Because I know exactly what you need. Do you think you can stay awake for the next ten minutes?”
“Should I be worried?”
She laughed. “Don’t you trust me?” She leaned in, careful not to lean against me, and kissed me lightly. “Just wait here; I’ll be right back.”
She stood and
watched me with a smile, then disappeared in the direction of my bathroom.
I let my eyes drift, just for a moment, my head falling back onto the couch.
“Jace?”
“Mmm?”
“Oh. I almost feel bad about waking you.”
“Was I asleep?”
“Yes, and I promise, if this weren’t the best thing for those aching muscles, I wouldn’t make you get up right now.”
I groaned as she pulled me up off the couch and into the bathroom, where I was struck by the sight of my bathtub filled to the brim with bubbles. I couldn’t help but laugh. The last time I had a bubble bath, I must have been nine years old. How did I even own bubble bath? Was it left over from the last tenant? Was it even ok to still use it? Did bubble bath go bad?
My thoughts were interrupted as Audrey began lifting my shirt, her fingers skirting over my skin. I wished I wasn’t so damn tired.
“Not how I expected to be getting you naked tonight, but I’ll take it.” She moved on to my belt as I took the shirt from her hands, barely stifling the groan as I tugged it over my head and threw it to the floor.
It wasn’t until I was stepping out of my pants and underwear that I heard Audrey’s soft gasp. “Holy hell, Jace, this was just from today?”
The biggest bruise was splayed across my left side, a deep, angry red splotch that was going to make any sort of exercise an impossibility for at least a few days.
“Yeah, we got the timing wrong, and I got a foot to the ribs.” Just another day in the office.
She shook her head with disbelief before pinching her nose. “Ok, get in the bath.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Her eyes immediately flew open and fixed me with a dark stare. God, she looked cute, all riled up. I lifted my hands in surrender and took a tentative step into the bubbles.
The water was on the right side of hot, but as I slid into it, all my muscles took a collective sigh. “Jesus, I’ve been missing out.” My eyes slid shut, and I let my head sag back against the edge.
“Told you.” She sounded smug.
I smiled. It suited her.
Her fingers brushed through my scalp, making something warm unfurl within me. “A massage would be better, but that’s probably best left to the professionals.”
“Mmmm.” I rolled my head to the left and cracked an eye open to find her perched on the side of the bath. “Are you getting in?”
“Are you sure? I can go if you want.”
That was the last thing I wanted. “No, stay.”
She stood up and started to undress, avoiding my eyes while a shy smile played on her lips. I really didn’t know what I found more intoxicating, the moments when she was confident or the moments she was shy. Both were sending my heart into a frenzy.
Then my mouth went dry as I saw the lingerie that had been hiding underneath her work clothes. Jesus, had she worn that to work?
I couldn’t tear my eyes off her, even if I’d wanted to. “You’re beautiful. You know that?”
She hid her face as she removed the last of her clothes, but the blush on her cheeks remained as she stepped nearer. She stood at the end of the bath where my head was and motioned me forwards.
I indulged in a long look at her naked body, mentally kicking myself for being so tired while simultaneously wondering how I got so lucky. I scooted forward to let her sit behind me, enjoying the feel of her warm thighs slotting around my waist and the feel of her soft breasts against my back. She encouraged me to lean into her, and my head fell back against her shoulder. I hummed pleasantly as her hand absently raked through my hair.
Honestly, I was quite happy where I was. I’d never felt more relaxed, minus the aching all over my body, and I couldn’t remember any time I’d felt that way with the women I slept with. This was new territory for me.
Her breath ghosted across my neck. “Feel good?”
“Mmm.” My breathing had become deep and drawn out, all movement and thoughts languid. I felt her responding chuckle rumble against my back.
“If you fall asleep on me, I might be stuck here forever.”
I smiled. Having her around forever sounded fan-fucking-tastic if it meant more nights like this, but we had agreed to take this slow, so I just ran my hands down her calves where they were crossed at my waist. “You’ll have to keep me awake then.”
She dipped her head down and placed a few open kisses on my neck, speaking softly. “Ok then, tell me a story. How did you get into acting?”
I opened my eyes, recalling the answer fondly. I’d told this story a million times over when the show had become a hit.
But I never told them the whole truth, only a version of it. The real story was mine, and I liked knowing I wasn’t giving all of myself away, even if I had suddenly gained a million followers on social media and was being photographed on red carpets.
And yet. I wanted to tell Audrey. Maybe it was how relaxed I felt, enveloped as I was by the bubbles and her body. Or maybe it was how safe I felt with her. I trusted her.
“Believe it or not, I was a shy kid, couldn’t really figure out what I wanted to do, but tried a bit of everything. I loved sports but never really stood out or wanted to. When my baby sister Sarah was really young, Mom took a second job at night to help pay the bills since I was half a decade older, I helped out by babysitting.” Audrey had begun tracing patterns on my forearm, and I moved to interlace our fingers together, hugging her hand to my chest.
Being a big brother was one of my proudest jobs, and it felt good to open up to Audrey about it. “Sarah liked reading, and she loved bedtime stories, so I started messing about with the voices as I read to her just to make her laugh. Her favorite was The Twits, do you know it?”
“No.”
I twisted a little so that I could see her face, huffing as my body reminded me of how sore I was. The fond look in Audrey’s eyes was almost overwhelming, so I leaned in to kiss her before I said something stupid. It was soft and sweet, and for a long moment, I forgot that she wasn’t my girlfriend, we weren’t dating, and I shouldn’t be thinking about researching faraway resorts with in-room spas so we could do all the things I wanted to but couldn’t right now.
I leaned my head back against her when our lips parted, my eyes trained on the ceiling. “I found I liked playing around at being someone else, so when I hit high school, I tried drama. Theater still gives me anxiety, but I like film and TV. And I’m good at it. I’m just not so hot on the press and attention.”
“Well, now I feel bad.”
“What for?”
“I, um, may have looked you up.”
“May have, huh?” I pulled my hand out of her grasp to tickle her.
“Ok, ok, stop!” She giggled and wriggled her foot out of my grasp, water sloshing against the tub. “I felt terrible for not knowing who you were at the bar that first night, so I did some research.”
“Not everything they say is true, you know. Most of the interviews we give are fluff pieces, and after a few hours, you get bored enough you just start talking nonsense.”
“Why do I get the feeling you’re preparing me for something awful?”
“No, it’s nothing like that. I guess I just don’t want you to think that’s me, is all. It’s all most people see.”
She considered this. “I’m sorry.”
“Why? It’s not your fault. It just comes with the job.”
“Still …” She sighed. “If it helps, I only ended up looking through some photos. You get topless a lot.”
My laugh bounced against the tile. “You do one shirtless scene …”
“I don’t think anyone is complaining. I’m certainly not.”
“See something you liked?”
She chuckled to herself. “Actually, there was one that made me laugh; maybe you can explain it to me,” Her phone was lying on the floor on top of her pants, and as she stretched out of the bath to get it, I started to wonder which one she was referring to.
Maybe it was the shoot where t
hey had me on top of a children’s rocking horse in jeans and a cowboy hat? It was for Vogue, but still … Sometimes I really did wonder about this job.
I watched as she opened her Instagram app, scrolled through, and saw what looked like a series of bar and restaurant accounts. I assumed she followed for work purposes, followed by an overwhelming amount of photos of dogs dressed in various outfits.
Fuck, she was adorable. I buried my smile into her neck.
Finally, she found what she was after. “Here it is! Ok, you have to tell me, who pissed you off here?”
When I saw the photo, I started laughing. Of course, it was that one. How could I forget? That damn photo the promo team had taken at the table read had been retweeted so many times I’d lost count. Usually with the hashtag #bedroomeyes.
I was surprised at her interpretation of it. “What makes you think I was angry with someone?”
She lifted a hand to trail a finger along my chin. “Your jaw gets kind of set when you’re holding something back. Plus, it sort of looks like you want to kill whoever you’re looking at.”
Catching her hand with my own, I proceeded to kiss each fingertip. “That’s Wes’ fault.” I twisted as best as I could in the tight space so I could kiss her. “He was messing around during the table read. He knew the camera crew was behind him, so he’d sent me a text telling me my pants were undone.”
Her laughter echoed around me, and I sunk back into her, happier than I could remember feeling in a long, long time.
“Funny, you’re the only person who has seen that photo and saw I was angry, except for Sarah.”
“Actually, there was one thing I read about you.” It sounded casual in a way that was anything but, and I waited for her to continue.
“That you have a habit of sleeping around.”
I fought to keep my expression unchanged while she rushed on. “Not that that’s a bad thing! In fact, it’s what made me realize you were probably the perfect person to have this sort of arrangement with, you know?”
