Stuck Landing

by Lauren Gallagher

  Beside me, the guys exchanged glances. Then Carter cleared his throat. “Why don’t I go grab us a couple of drinks?” He carefully moved Link over to Levi’s lap, then stood. “Any preferences?”

  I shrugged. “Whatever you’re having.”

  Levi adjusted the cat sprawled across his legs. “I’ll have—”

  “A Coke. I know.” Carter kissed his forehead. “Back in a minute.”

  Link jumped off Levi and trotted after Carter. Zelda watched them go, then yawned, put her chin back down on the cushion, and closed her eyes.

  “Well.” Levi scratched her scruff. “At least someone is still loyal around here.”

  “If you expect loyalty from a cat, you’re probably barking up the wrong tree.”

  “Good point.” He paused, and his eyes flicked toward me. Then he turned off the film, and the background music I hadn’t even noticed until now shut off, leaving us in silence except for Zelda purring behind him.

  “So, now that it’s just us,” Levi said quietly, “are you okay?”

  I twisted toward him and watched him idly scratching Zelda’s back. She purred louder, no doubt thinking she, not the elephant in the theater, was the center of attention.

  “Anna?”

  I sighed. “I’m . . .” An idiot. That’s what I am. “Well . . .”

  “Hang on, hang on. Don’t tell me.” He touched his temples with his index fingers and squeezed his eyes shut. “My psychic powers say you’re distracted by . . . a woman.” One eye opened. “Am I close?”

  “Ass.” I laughed and smacked his arm. “How exactly does Carter put up with you?”

  “He likes my cats, my house, and my dick. Not necessarily in that order.”

  “You’ve really thought that through, haven’t you?”

  “Maybe. But you’re changing the subject.” His expression shifted, and playful Levi’s boyish grin faded in favor of concerned Levi’s creased brow. “Seriously. What’s going on?”

  I sighed and leaned back against the cushy love seat. “So, I hooked up with someone.”

  “Did you?” He tilted his head slightly. “You don’t seem happy about it.”

  “I’m . . .” There was no point in trying to get anything past Levi, no matter how much I didn’t want to talk about it. I sighed, my heart sinking deeper as I faced the subject head-on. “I’m kind of wondering if it was a mistake.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, it was someone from work.”

  “What?” He clutched his chest. “I can’t believe anyone would hook up with someone at work.”

  I managed to laugh, but it was halfhearted, if that.

  He put a hand on my arm. “You’re worried it’s going to blow up in your face, aren’t you? That one or both of you will regret it, and it’ll make things weird on the set?”

  “Basically, yeah.”

  “Or are you worried it’s too soon to be hooking up with anyone after Leigh—”

  “Oh, pfft.” I gestured dismissively. “Pretty sure that relationship’s mourning period ended before the relationship did.”

  “Hmm, yeah. I can’t argue with that. So someone from work, eh?” He chuckled. “And you thought Natalya was straight.”

  I blinked. “How the hell did you know it was Natalya?”

  “Because you just admitted it.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Okay, but how did you know before I said something?”

  “Well.” His eyebrow arched. “Who else would it be? You said you hooked up with someone from work.”

  “Fine. I can’t argue with that.” I fidgeted, hoping he wouldn’t notice, but the squeaking leather cushions probably gave me away. “Well, I mean . . . there are plenty of women at work besides Natalya.”

  “There are.” He ticked options off on his fingers. “All the directorial assistants are terrified of you. Paula in costuming is as monogamous as the day is long. Kendra in makeup—”

  “Okay, okay. I get it.”

  He lowered his hand onto the cat and absently stroked her back. “And Natalya is the only woman on the set who makes you tongue-tied just by walking into the same room.”

  Heat flared in my cheeks. My God, yes. She does. And it’s only going to get worse now that I’ve— “You, um, noticed?”

  “Anna. Please.” He shot me a pointed look. “I know you.”

  “Humph. Can’t get anything past you, can I?”

  “Nope. Not sure why you bother trying.” He winked and chuckled, then turned serious again. “So is the coworker thing the only reason you’re not happy about what happened? Or was she disappointing or something?”

  “No, definitely not.” I shifted around to hide the shiver that was working its way up my spine and lighting up all the places Natalya had kissed, licked, touched, bitten. “It was . . . yeah, not disappointing. But . . .” How much did I want to out Natalya? On the other hand, he’d known about her boyfriend, and he knew she’d hooked up with me, so it wasn’t like he hadn’t put the pieces together that she was bi. I wrung my hands in my lap. “If you weren’t with Carter, would it bother you to date a bi man? Or would it bother you if Carter were bi?”

  Lips quirked, Levi glanced toward the door Carter had gone through. “I can’t say I’ve really thought about it, to tell you the truth.” He turned to me again. “I don’t think it would bother me.”

  “Not at all?”

  “Well, if Carter were bi, I mean, it’d be a moot point. I trust him. End of story.” He shrugged. “I trust him not to sleep with other men, so why would it be any different trusting him not to sleep with women?”

  I shifted uncomfortably on the plush seat. “Except you can’t really compete with a woman, you know? If he were attracted to women, that’s a need that you can’t fill. If that makes sense.”

  Levi furrowed his brow for a moment, then shook his head. “I still don’t think it would bug me, honestly. If someone makes a commitment to be exclusive with a person, then it’s understood that they’re giving up whatever they might get from other people.” He tilted his head. “Does her being bi really bother you that much?”

  I avoided his eyes. “Dating bi women hasn’t ended well for most women I know. Myself included. The last bi woman I dated was in the same position as Natalya. She’d just broken up with some asshole, so we started seeing each other, and then . . .” I exhaled, letting my head fall back against the cushion. “Then a guy came along who was everything she’d ever imagined, and she had no more use for me.”

  “Ouch,” Levi said. “But bisexuals don’t exactly have the monopoly on dumping people because they think some other grass is greener.”

  “No, but they have twice the options. And I don’t know about bi guys, but most bi women seem to ultimately want a man.” I fidgeted under his scrutiny. “Being in a same-sex relationship isn’t nearly as easy as being in a hetero one. You know that as well as I do.”

  “Yeah, I do,” he said quietly. “Except we were both miserable when we dated each other because it wasn’t who we were. On the outside, yeah, it’s easier to be straight, but she’s probably got a grasp on who she is and who she wants.”

  ”Except every bi woman out there . . .” I blew out a breath and stared up at the dark movie screen, since it was easier to look at than him. “They’ll date women for a little while, but they all seem to want men eventually. After the novelty wears off. It seems like being with a lesbian is . . . Hell, it can be a rebound thing, or an experiment, or just something they do for fun.” I turned to him again. “But it’s never permanent.”

  He arched his eyebrow, skepticism etched all over his creased forehead. “Never?”

  Squirming uncomfortably, I broke eye contact again. “Not when it comes to any women I’ve ever known.” I chewed the inside of my cheek. “Or maybe I’m overthinking the whole thing. Hell, maybe it is too soon, you know? Not . . . not too soon to be fooling around. And if that’s all it is, then great. But what if it isn’t? I don’t know if I’m ready for anything else. I’ve
kind of been enjoying the single life.”

  He was quiet for a moment, as if debating calling me on the subject change, but instead, he asked, “Has she said she wants more than just a hookup?”

  I pursed my lips. He had a point. “Well, no. See? I’m probably worrying about nothing there, too.”

  “You? Never.” He chuckled cautiously and patted my arm. “I really do think you’re overthinking all of this. The timing and also her sexuality.”

  “But there’s the fact that she’s a coworker.”

  “I think you’re overthinking that part too.”

  “Am I?” I shook my head. “Come on. Dating someone at work is just asking for disaster.”

  “You’re a professional and so is she.” He shrugged. “You could make it work, couldn’t you? Dating and working together?”

  “This from the man who very nearly let Carter slip through his fingers because he didn’t want to date a coworker?”

  “Well, that wasn’t the only reason, but thanks for proving my point.” He gestured in the direction his fiancé had gone. “Obviously dating coworkers can and does work.”

  “It can and does blow up in people’s faces too.” Come on, Carter. Come back so I can change the subject. But he was still gone, probably taking his sweet time in the kitchen so he wouldn’t trip over the cat and break his neck. When he didn’t show up and offer a distraction, I sighed. “Let’s not forget that Natalya technically works for me.”

  Levi seemed to mull that over for a second, then slowly released his breath. “I guess that could complicate matters.”

  “Just a bit.”

  “Still, stranger things have happened.” He smirked. “And if you’re worried about people finding out, I don’t think they’d be all that surprised.”

  “What? Why not?”

  He studied me, then glanced at the theater door as footsteps came down the hallway. “You have any objection to Carter knowing about this?”

  “If I did, I wouldn’t have told you.”

  “Oh, ha-ha.” He rolled his eyes and gently swatted my arm. A second later, the theater door opened, and Carter came in, balancing three Coke bottles.

  As Carter gave us each our drinks, Link leaped up onto the love seat and waited for him to sit. Tail up, purring like mad, he watched Carter intently until Carter sat beside Levi again. The instant Carter hit the cushion, Link was on his lap.

  “Traitor,” Levi muttered.

  “Aww, don’t listen to him,” Carter said, ruffling Link’s fur. “He’s just jealous.”

  I laughed. “Wouldn’t the tabloids have a field day with that? ‘Pritchard-Samuels Romance Rocked by Rumors of Misplaced Feline Affection.’”

  Levi choked on his drink, nearly spitting it all over the offending feline.

  Carter snickered. “Well played, Anna.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Fuck you both.” Levi coughed a couple of times. He took another swig of Coke. “So, any guesses who Anna’s hooking up with?”

  “Hooked up with,” I corrected. “Once.”

  “Mm-hmm.”

  Carter’s eyebrows jumped. Then he looked at Levi. “Told you Natalya was into girls.”

  My jaw dropped. “How the hell did you two know—”

  Carter laughed. “Because every time you ogle her, he points it out to me.”

  Levi nodded. “And when Natalya ogles Anna.”

  The heat rushing into my cheeks wasn’t embarrassment this time. It wasn’t just in my face, either. Squirming as subtly as I could, I said, “She . . . she does?”

  “All the time,” Carter said. “What? You didn’t notice?”

  “Um. No.” I cringed. “Do you think she noticed me? Checking her out, I mean?”

  Carter shrugged. “Well, you two did, um—”

  “Oh God.” I covered my face with my hand. “How blatant was I?”

  “Relax,” Levi said. “You weren’t that obvious. I just noticed because I haven’t seen a woman turn your head like that in years. I know it takes someone really amazing to catch your eye like she did.”

  Wasn’t that the truth? I shook my head as I lowered my hand. “Yeah, she really is amazing. But . . . it’s just not a good time.”

  “Not a good time?” Levi raised that damn eyebrow again. “Or not good because you work together?”

  “Both. But mostly . . .” Well, which was it? “Just . . . both.”

  “You never know, though,” he said. “Maybe you two can make it work.”

  “And if we can’t? We still have to work together.”

  “Yeah.” Carter rested a hand on Levi’s leg. “That part definitely makes things more challenging, but if you’re really into someone—” his eyes flicked toward Levi, and they both smiled “—it’s worth it.”

  Damn it, Carter—whose side are you on?

  “It’s a little easier for you two, though,” I said.

  They both raised their eyebrows.

  “Easier?” Levi snorted. “I almost lost my job over it, remember?”

  Oh, I remembered. And he probably didn’t know just how close he’d really come to losing his job, and how hard Hunter Easton and I had fought the powers that be to keep him.

  I shook my head. “It’s really not going to work. As much as I’d love it to, there’s just . . . between our breakups and our jobs . . .” The fact that I don’t want to lose another woman to a man. “Maybe she doesn’t want anything anyway. But if she does, there’s too much stacked against it.”

  Levi studied me, his lips slightly quirked. Then he shrugged. “You know your situation better than I do.”

  Carter eyed him. Levi met his gaze, and something unspoken passed between them. Carter shrugged, sipped his drink, and didn’t push the issue.

  “So.” Levi gestured at the screen. “In the mood for another movie?”

  “Sounds good to me,” I said.

  “Me too,” Carter said.

  I didn’t know if I had the headspace for another movie tonight, but I didn’t have the headspace for anything that wasn’t sitting in a theater with Levi, Carter, and their cats. I probably wouldn’t remember anything about the film later. But at least no one would notice if I was staring blankly at the screen while—despite all my issues and hang-ups—my mind went through last night again, and again, and again.

  Because hey, even if it wasn’t something we should repeat, there was nothing wrong with basking in the memory.

  I was a nervous wreck on the way to work the next day. It was just as well Jeremy was driving—I probably would’ve blown every stoplight and then run off the road. My brain was completely disengaged, and no amount of coffee was going to fix it this time. What that meant for my ability to work, well, I’d figure that out when we got there.

  Jeremy pulled into the secure parking lot outside the set. I scanned the lot, and one glance at Natalya’s car sent my heart into overdrive. She was here. I was here. It was inevitable we’d cross paths even if we didn’t have to work directly together today, and I was pretty sure I’d seen at least one meeting on my schedule that involved the stunt department.

  And I was pretty sure that meeting was one of the first things on today’s agenda. Crap.

  Or maybe not. The second I stepped out of my office after locking up my purse, Emily, one of the directorial assistants, was right in my face with a revised agenda.

  “You’ve got a meeting with the writers at one fifteen,” she rattled off in her usual rapid-fire way as we walked toward the soundstages. “After that, there’s a read-through with the cast, and then Finn wants the blocking completed for . . . hang on, he kept giving me different episode numbers . . .”

  “Don’t worry about it. He emailed me.” I exhaled. The worst part of having a day off? Coming back to the chaos that ensued in my absence. “What time do I meet with him?”

  “Just a second here . . .” She flipped through something on her tablet. “Two thirty.”

  That seemed like enough time to get sufficiently ca
ffeinated—at least enough to be borderline functional—so I settled a bit. The rest of the meetings would be easier to deal with. Or skate through, if need be. Not something I did frequently, so it wouldn’t be the end of the world if I—

  I stopped dead as we stepped into Soundstage One. Emily nearly collided with me, and from the corner of my eye, I saw Jeremy catch her elbow and keep her from stumbling. But all I could think was . . .

  There she is.

  Natalya was dressed for comfort, and as always, rocked the look. Heavy work gloves obscured her elegant, talented, strong hands. The relaxed-fit jeans still hinted at the shape of her hips, and the unbuttoned white shirt over her purple tank top did nothing to mask her gentle curves.

  Some women were convinced if they lifted weights—especially if they lifted heavy—they’d bulk up and look like bodybuilders. Natalya was living proof that the result of heavy lifting was nothing short of gorgeous. Every muscle was sculpted and powerful, but every inch of her physique was feminine and utterly mouthwatering. She looked nothing like a bodybuilder. No, Natalya looked like a woman who could kick some serious ass and then put on a dress and put every woman in Hollywood to shame.

  And I’d had her. All to myself, all night long, in my bed with tequila in my blood and our clothes on the floor, I’d had her.

  But where did we go from here?

  Oh God. What had I done? It had made absolute sense in the moment. Hell, who was I kidding? I wouldn’t have even needed to be in a bad mood with veins full of booze to accept an advance from Natalya. I’d been crushing on her—apparently not as subtly as I’d thought—since the studio hired her on, and the other night was about a million fantasies come to life.

  None of which changed the fact that it was still a really, really, really bad idea. No matter how much Carter and Levi tried to talk me off the ledge, I couldn’t ignore the fact that Natalya and I worked together. If it wasn’t my episode, I tried to be as hands-off as possible and let the director run things, because nothing made a director’s life harder than an executive producer stomping all over the production.

  Nevertheless, whether I was acting in the capacity of a director or a producer, when I barked an order at her, she nodded sharply and passed it on to her crew without hesitation. Would that change now that we’d blurred some lines?