Uh, thanks! We’ve only reconnected a total of two times, so if those were both pleasures to him, then okay, I’ll take it. “You, too,” I said. As we held a glace, I found myself smiling back at Bennett, surprise that I was charmed by him. “Should anything go wrong, please don’t hesitate to call me.”
“Will do…” he said, then his voice faded away. Cocking his head, he squinted his eyes and rubbed his chin. “You know, you remind me of someone I once knew.”
I watched Bennett look me up and down, then his eyes grew—but only a little bit—and then I saw the look I’ve been waiting for, and I knew he remembered who I was. Our eyes met again, and before he could say anything, I shouted, “Bye, you two,” waving at them, for Hattie’s sake, and with a grin so broad that it made my cheeks hurt. Seconds later, I practically ran back into Hattie’s house, slammed the door behind me and leaned against it. I was caught, and I knew it, and not only for the sake of my job, but Hattie’s big night, I hoped that Bennett would play nice.
*****
Hours later, not realizing how late it was, I closed my laptop and putting an end to the day, and I was exhausted. Not wanting to take the time to make dinner—yes, even pulling out something from the freezer was too much work, so I pulled out the drawer of takeout menus and ordered dinner. While I waited, I changed into her gray sweats, a white T-shirt, then put my hair up into a messy ponytail. After going into her kitchen and grabbing a cold beer from her fridge, I twisted the top off, then tilted my head back, feeling the cold liquid rush down my throat. Having pulled out a paper plate and a glass jar that contained crushed red pepper, I was ready, for when my dinner arrived, only minutes later.
“Ah, what a day,” I said, plopping down on her sofa. I leaned back and took a medium-sized bite of my favorite comfort food, a.k.a. a supreme pizza. Deciding to engulf myself in social media, I reached for the remote to my T.V. and changed it to the entertainment station, which happened to be in a commercial. While I waited for Hollywood at Large to come back on, I checked my phone to see if I had any texts from Hattie or Bennett. A little surprised that I had none, considering how nervous Hattie was, or even one from Bennett, to let me know he knew who I was. After I set my phone back down, I made sure it was off silent and that the volume was turned up—which I knew it was—but it didn’t hurt to double-check, I told myself that I was just being overly anxious and to relax. I took my advice, but only for a moment, because when the entertainment show came back on, I felt my eyes pop open as wide as possible and the plate dropped out of my hands—thankfully, I’d gobbled down the pizza before it fell in my lap. Pushing the plate away, I reached for the remote and turned it up, while I listened to what the reporter had to say.
“That’s right, Spencer, there certainly is breaking news here at Hollywood at Large! Hattie Marten, the actress who’s known for romantic comedies, hasn’t been seen in over a year, and while she wrapped on her latest film over a year ago, which she’ll begin promoting soon, our sources tell us that she was seen having dinner with an unknown man—a very attractive one, too, I might add. While we don’t know the nature of their relationship, we have footage that might be telling.” She pointed to the camera, adding, “Well, you can take a look yourself.” Seconds later, the T.V. changed to lights flashing around Hattie and Bennett, who were seen rushing toward the limousine. She waved to the crowds of people, cameras, and even stopped for an autograph. Once Bennett had led them to the car, she stopped and turned to Bennett, placed her hands on his shoulders and kissed him, which sent the crowd to cheerfully applaud, along with flashing lights that lit up the screen. A few long seconds later, Hattie pulled away from Bennett, gave a wave like she was the queen, then quickly dashed into the car, with him following right behind her. The screen turned back to the two reporters at the desk, leaving me wanting to see and hear more. “There you have it, folks! It looks like Hattie Marten is off the market. We will have a full wrap-up of today’s news, in which we hope to have more on this breaking story, but we have yet to hear back from Ms. Marten’s publicist. For all your entertainment news, I’m Cassidy Logan, and you’re watching Hollywood at Large. After these messages, we’ll return with Bianca Carson, where she’ll be teaching us all about her favorite hair tricks.”
Not bothering to listen to the pump of the upbeat music that was playing as the camera zoomed out and switched back to another commercial, I turned down the volume. Suddenly, an energetic buzz ran through me. I hurried to throw my plate away, then grabbed my laptop, then rushed back to the living room. Switching to water instead of grabbing another beer, I imagined that it’d be a busy night, and I was prepared to be there for Hattie, should she call and need me. However, it looked as if she were in good company, and that she was doing just fine with Bennett by her side.
CHAPTER SIX
The text read: We need to meet. That was it. I waited a bit before replying, but curiosity got the best of me, so I finally did. We decided on a noon lunch at his restaurant, This & That. While Bennett gave me no indication of why he wanted to meet, I assumed it was for one thing and one thing only: our past.
Going light on the makeup, I nervously dressed myself in a baby blue, ankle-length dress that had spaghetti straps over the shoulders. It was supposed to be on the cooler side of things, so I added a hot pink scarf around my shoulders and tied it on one side of my lower waist. After slipping on a pair of dressy sandals, I grabbed my keys, then was out the door, allowing my hair to dry naturally, as I drove down the highway.
When I arrived, the valet gave me a ticket stub, then I casually walked in Bennett’s restaurant, only hoping for the best—whether it was to call a truce between us or him apologizing for treating me so horribly that was fine, just as long as in the end Hattie would still come out the winner and that he would so accompany her to social outings. Ready or not, here I am, I thought, placing my hand on the door handle. As I entered, I was overwhelmed by the elegant décor, along with the generous amount of patrons. On one side of the room was a large bar that looked to showcase over fifty bottles of wine, ranging from roses, whites and reds, and a respectable selection of liquors. The rest of the restaurant was filled with square tables and white tablecloths, and dark wooden chairs outlined the gold leather cushions. On the walls were food art, anything from pasta to fish, gourmet sandwiches and steaks—it all looked delicious.
“Chelsey, you’re right on time.”
When I turned around, he stood before me, dressed in black dress shoes, dark designer jeans, a V-neck black T-shirt, and his hair was slicked back. Taking a breath, I inhaled, smelling the scent of minty soap and woodsy cologne. “Hi,” I finally managed to say. I looked around the room, suddenly wondering if being seen with him in public was a good idea. “Um, do you have a place in the back where we could talk—I mean, after last night, I don’t think this is, um, the best place for business?” Of course, not! Oh, what was I thinking?
The corner of his lips turned into a smile, and then he leaned a bit closer. “I’ve already thought of that. Come on, join me in the back for lunch,” Bennett said as he began to lead the way, so I followed him. Once he’d whisked us through the busy kitchen, through his more than organized office, we stopped when he opened the doors to a wine cellar. “Is this private enough?” The mini-cave we stood in was filled to the brim with cases of wine that were all in wooden boxes and etched with script fonts, some of which I knew, and a lot I didn’t. In the center of the room was a similar table like the one in the main dining area, and it was set for two. “I think it’ll do,” I said, adding, “as long as you don’t have any hidden camera in here,” joking with him to lighten the mood, as I placed my purse’s strap on a chair, then took a seat.
As Bennett filled our water glasses, we chatted about the weather, then, a moment later, a waiter entered from the kitchen, who gave us menus and told me about the specials of the day. Bennett and I agreed that we needed more time to decide, then the waiter exited the cellar. Playing it lightly, Bennett continued
to chitchat, but all I wanted was to get down to business, so I decided to change the topic when he stopped to take a sip of his water.
“So, Bennett, what did you want to talk about?” While it was a loaded question, I was prepared to handle it. Last night, as I tried to sleep, I imagined how this would play out, so I decided to do the only thing I could to—the noble thing, and that was, to tell the truth. However, since things seemed to go so well last night between them—I assumed from the segment on Hollywood at Large—that little tidbit about why I’d chosen him for Hattie’s benefit didn’t need to be mentioned. At least not yet anyway—and that was only if I’d been caught. While I felt bad, since being deceitful wasn’t in my nature, I had to keep this secret, mainly if I wanted to be in Hollywood and work for Hattie Marten.
Bennett crossed his arms and lay them on the table. “Hattie’s a bitch,” he merely said, with a long sigh, as if he was letting out a breath he’d been holding in.
I laughed. “What? Oh, come on, Bennett. She’s sweet.” Yes, at first, when I met her, she did seem to be a bit—um, bitchy—but I didn’t ever think she was a bitch. She was just someone who wanted things done her way, and as a successful actress, she earned that right.
Bennett scoffed. “Please, Chelsey. Tell me you’re joking!” He ran his hands through his hair and shook his head. “Last night was a complete disaster.”
I placed my hands on my lap and asked, “How so?”
“For starters, everything is all about her—from her movies, her looks, what she eats, where she’s been—the list goes on and on. I couldn’t get in a word most of the night. I felt as though I was at dinner with the shallowest woman in the world.”
“I hate to ask, but you do remember that you’re the one who signed up for the job, right?”
“Yes, but I need the—”
“So, treat it like one,” I suggested, as I interrupted him. “If you say she’s a ‘bitch,” as you put it, try to think positive about this whole thing.” I looked at him, sensing he wanted out, but I wasn’t going to let him—no, Bennett didn’t escape that fast. Now that I knew Hattie wasn’t his cup of tea, this would be his payback for what he did to me. “I’m sure there’s something you two have in common.” I tried to think of a quick example, but couldn’t.
“You make it sound so easy,” he said, flashing me a weak grin.
“That’s because it is. Learn to enjoy her company.”
“I’ll give it a try, but would you mind talking to her—I mean, there has to be something that can be done? If I’m going to escort her to these events, can she at least make conversation, instead of telling me about herself? I’m sure to the public, Hattie and I didn’t look so cozy last night.”
I smiled at him, then brought my phone out of my purse and opened the Hollywood at Large app. “Bennett, I guess you haven’t heard the news about how your dinner with Hattie was not only the talk of Hollywood but around the country as well.” I pushed the phone across the table to show him the video of them exiting the restaurant and watched him view it, along with reading the article.
“Wow,” Bennett said, leaning back in his chair, and again, he crossed his arms. “Just wow.” He shook his head, his eyes swirling around the room, then they landed on me. “So, this is how one lives a Hollywood life, huh?” After I nodded, he added, “It’s certainly not like this in Nebraska,” he said, chuckling. I wanted to add that I understood what he meant, but I didn’t. “I guess I have no choice but to play nice.”
“That would be correct—unless you don’t want the job anymore. I’m sure I can hire some—”
“No, no there’s no need to hire someone else. I’ll see to it that Hattie gets the attention she deserves from the press, along with making sure that our rouse doesn’t go unnoticed. Besides, it’ll be worth it in the end, right?”
I knew his latter sentence was rhetorical, but I answered anyway. “I have a feeling that everything will work out in the end.” I picked up my menu before I said anything else, suddenly feeling a little guilty about my part in this match-up. “Well, what do you recommend for lunch?” I asked him, changing the topic, while I hoped that our lunch would be quick because my loyalty resides with Hattie.
*****
“Chelsey, please, come in,” she said, cheerfully. “I can’t wait to tell you all about last night.” Reaching for my arm, she pulled me into her home, then led me to the living room. Taking a seat on her sofa, she clasped her hands together, placing them under her chin. “Last night was amazing—from the moment we got into the limo, to our conversations over dinner, to being thrown into the spotlight, it all was just what I was hoping for.” Her eyes danced around the room, then landed on mine. “Though best of all, I’m back in the spotlight, and I knew tipping them off would be a good idea.”
I was surprised by this admission because Bennett had a very different story, but I was happy that Hattie got the praise she wanted. “That’s wonderful! So, you like Bennett, then?” I asked, handing her a to-go box.
“Very much so, and he plays the part perfectly.” She held up her phone and handed it to me. “Do you see all the tweets and comments?”
I took the phone and scrolled down, clearly seeing that Hattie Marten was famous again—and so was Bennett. “‘Who is that hot hunk,’ reads one, then ‘I’d kiss that sexy man, too,’ and ‘Hattie Marten and that mystery man are the new IT couple.’” Handing her phone back to her, saying, “Wow!”
“Thank you for all you did, Chelsey, but now that I’m back in the public eye and will be seen, you have to keep on Bennet’s good side.”
After I assured that I would help her in doing just that, and hope she’d play nice, since things were now going her way, I said, “Here, I brought you one of Bennett’s gourmet kale salads from This & That. It has quinoa, salmon and cherry tomatoes in it.”
Taking the salad, then the fork and knife I held out to her, Hattie sat beside me at her dining room table. “You had lunch with Bennett?”
I nodded. “Yes, I sure did.”
“Oh, and why is that? Is there a problem—please don’t tell me he’s quit?” Hattie shook her head quickly, as she covered her mouth.
I watched Hattie panic, and I quickly jumped in defense mode, realizing I’d worried her. “No, there isn’t an issue, and he’s not quitting. I didn’t mean to worry you. Bennett and I just had some things to discuss for your next outing.” The last part was true. Before I left the restaurant, and after we’d finished a wonderful lunch, chatting about food, music, and anything else we could find to talk about—and, of course I diverted the conversation to anything that didn’t get him talking about Nebraska, fearful that he’d find out who I was—I mentioned to Bennett that the next publicity stunt was to take place that night, in which he assured me that he would “deal” with Hattie and her selfish attitude.
Her face seemed to soften a bit; then she took a bite of the salad. “Hmm,” she said, shuffling through it with her fork. “You know, this isn’t half-bad.”
“I thought so, too,” I told her, just as my phone beeped. I picked it up, only to find an email from Mel that contained Hattie’s upcoming schedule, which looked to be quite busy, and that I’d overwhelmed with tasks from Hattie. I quickly replied to Mel that I would discuss the appearances with Hattie—after all, Hattie did have the last say, though it made me wonder why she didn’t when it came to her love life. “Okay, so Hattie, Mel just sent over your schedule for appearances. Is now a good time to look them over to see which ones you want to do?”
Hattie waved her fork, raising her shoulders. “Sure, now’s just as good a time as any, but we have to make it quick, I, um, have a trainer coming over.” She gave me a wink, then pushed the almost-empty to-go box away.
“The two morning shows are fine, you can nix the dinner with the director and other actors and actresses, and I will make a quick appearance at the benefit for the children’s hospital, but will you please add a plus one—I’m sure it’ll look better with him t
here, having it be for charity and all?”
Hattie was right about how it made her look, having Bennett by her side, but she sounded so arrogant. This led me to think it was time to have a little chat with her about how she came across. I leaned back, hoping to make this conversation as casual as I could. Knowing she was my boss, it wasn’t a topic I wanted to discuss, but on the flipside of that, it was part of my job as her assistant to make her look good. “Hattie, Bennett mentioned a little something to me about how he got to know you, but you didn’t try to get to know him.”
Slowly, Hattie turned to me and chuckled. “That’s what he said? Really?” She folded her arms and squeezed them around her waist. “Well, you can tell Bennett that he works for me. I’m paying him a hefty fee to stand next to me, and the least he could do is take some interest.”
“Yeah, but don’t you think—for publicity sake—that you could try to get to know him, too? Why not try to have a real conversation with him? You might just have something in common.”
“What would I have in common with someone from Nebraska?”
“Might you remember, I’m from Nebraska, too?” I gave her a one-sided grin, adding, “Just try it—only for one night, and you might even surprise yourself.” I looked around the room, then, like a lightbulb went off, I added, “Why not act your way through your time with him?”
“Why, Chelsey, that’s a great idea,” Hattie said, instantly clapping her hands and smiling once again. “I can do that.” She looked at her watch, then stood. “Well, I have to get ready for my workout.” She was about to exit the room but then halted in her stride. “Um, and just so you know, yes, Livi is my workout, so when he rings, please send him up,” and before I could say anything, she vanished, leaving me alone waiting for her boyfriend—um, trainer, I mean, while I only imagined what she was doing to prepare for their “workout.”
The Hollywood Setup Page 4
