“Can’t they see the evidence? I mean, if your work is getting done, they should be able to tell.”
“Normally they would be able to tell. But since the studio opened, the influx of people on the island has easily doubled my workload. So, no matter how fast or hard I work, I’m going to be a bit behind for a while.”
“What about your intern?”
“I have two, but they’re both part-time.”
“I see.” She cocked her head, looking thoughtful. “Is it just work? I mean, does your family have you pigeonholed in other ways?”
He parked in front of her condo building and cut the engine. Now that he wasn’t driving, he could really focus on the conversation. “If it was just work, that would be bad enough. But they’ve also decided who they think I am when it comes to relationships.”
The rise of her brow indicated her interest.
“I’m a divorcé. My ex-wife, Tiffany, and I were married five years, and I’ve been divorced just as long. Since Tiffany, I’ve dated, but never gotten serious about anyone.”
“No law says you have to. Nothing wrong with dating for fun.”
“I know that. My parents are just overeager for grandchildren. Hadley marrying Devon took some of the heat off me and Savion. Still, they think I’m a playboy because I haven’t come home with a fiancée yet.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly, not in a menacing way, but as if she were analyzing his words. “Are they right?”
“No.” He held her gaze. “I haven’t gotten serious about anyone because I haven’t really connected with anyone.”
Her lips bowed as if she was going to say something. But she remained silent.
The conversation they’d had still hung in the back of his mind, and he was still frustrated with her. Yet there was no denying the way he felt whenever he was in her presence. Knowing full well he might regret it later, he reached over the center console to take her hand in his. “I hadn’t connected with anyone...until you.”
Her eyes widened. “Campbell, I...”
“You don’t have to say anything. You were right earlier. You don’t owe me anything.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “But we both know there’s something between us. And you owe it to yourself to see where it could lead.”
Her eyelids fluttered in a succession of rapid blinks. “I...I...”
He released her hand. “Do you want me to walk you to the door?”
She shook her head.
He got out, walked around to her side and opened the door for her. “Have a good day, Sierra.”
“You, too.” She unbuckled her seat belt, climbed out of his car and took several brisk steps away.
Smiling, he shut the door and got back in on the driver’s side.
When he looked up again, he saw her standing on the landing, leaning against the railing.
And as he pulled away, his last view of her was of her watching him, with the wind swirling her hair around her beautiful face like a shimmering halo.
Chapter 7
Seated on the small stool by the vanity in her dressing room Friday, Sierra leaned closer to the mirror, so she could see what she was doing. With the cleansing towelette, she wiped away the last visible traces of the heavy makeup she’d been wearing all morning. She loved a glamorous look, but wasn’t particularly fond of the makeup she wore on-screen. When shooting ended, she would immediately grab for her package of makeup wipes.
Outside the door, the rest of the studio remained alive with activity, despite the wrapping of the day’s shooting. She could hear the footsteps and conversations of people walking up and down the corridor as she brushed her hair up and away from her face.
She’d just grabbed an elastic and looped it around her hair when someone knocked on the door. Securing the ponytail as she walked, she pulled the door open.
“I see you’ve taken your face off,” Jazmin quipped as she entered the room.
Sierra laughed. “Don’t I always? You know I’m ready to drop the mask as soon as the director says it’s a wrap.”
Flopping down on the black love seat, Jazmin crossed her legs and sat back. “Listen. We gotta talk...”
Before Jazmin could finish her sentence, Mia appeared in the open doorway. “What’s up, senior citizens?”
Sierra rolled her eyes. “How are you, Mia?”
“I’m just grand, thank you. Despite what people may say, I’m always on top of my game.” Mia braced her shoulder against the door frame, crossing her narrow arms over her chest. “That’s never going to change, ma’am.”
“Good to know.” Sierra’s flat tone conveyed her general disinterest in Mia’s foolishness.
“Well, I won’t stay too long. I know you old ladies need your naps.” Straightening up, Mia executed a dramatic turn, placed a hand on her hip and strutted away.
Sierra looked to her friend. “What the hell was that?”
Jazmin shook her head. “Shenanigans. That’s why I came in here to talk to you. I knew she was gonna be on the warpath.”
Taking a seat next to her friend, Sierra asked, “What bug is up her butt now?”
Reaching into her large black purse, Jazmin pulled out her phone. “I know you don’t read reviews, but you need to know what’s being said about the show.”
She shook her head. “No, Jazzy. You know why I don’t read reviews. It just makes me anxious. I gave up reading them years ago, and it’s the best decision I ever made. Avoiding them keeps my sanity intact.”
“Trust me, I get it.” Jazmin scrolled through something on her phone’s screen. “Still, you need to hear this, so just listen.”
Resting her hands in her lap, she tucked her feet beneath her bottom and braced herself for what she was about to hear. “Okay. I’m listening.”
Jazmin cleared her throat. “‘Television’s new hit drama, The Shores, follows a group of friends and their glamorous life in a luxurious small town. Set and filmed on a small island just off the North Carolina coast, the show delivers great scenery, compelling dialogue and storylines that rival the old nighttime soaps like Dynasty and Knot’s Landing.’”
Sierra exhaled. “All good, so far.”
Jazmin put up her hand. “There’s more.” She scrolled again. “‘Viewers looking for soapy goodness will love the show, especially the sharp-tongued diva Karen Drake, played expertly by actress Sierra Dandridge. Dandridge’s performance has drawn raves from critics of every stripe, and for good reason: she’s brilliant in the role.’”
Sierra felt her cheeks warm. “That’s great to hear, but I’m not seeing the problem yet...”
Jazmin read further. “‘In contrast to Dandridge’s stellar turn as Drake, young model-turned-actress Mia Leigh’s performance as lead character Fiona LaSalle is lackluster at best. It seems Ms. Leigh has brought the flat, expressionless face we often see on high-fashion runways into her acting, and it detracts tremendously from her scenes.’”
Sucking in a breath through her clenched teeth, Sierra shook her head. “Well, damn.”
Jazmin turned off the screen and put the phone back in her bag. “Now you know what the problem is between you two.”
Sierra pressed her fingers to her temple. “Oh, come on. That reviewer was a little harsh, yes. But it’s only one review.”
Jazmin shook her head, lips pursed. “If only, boo. If you read the reviews, you’d know they’re all like that.”
Her eyes widened. “Really?”
Jazmin nodded. “Yes, really. My intern pulls all the reviews for me, and I’ve seen at least twenty. Only one of those had anything favorable to say about Mia, and that was all about how good she looked on-screen.”
“You’re telling me all the critics are praising my performance, and panning Mia’s?”
“That’s exactly what I’m telling you.” Jazmin stifled a yawn. “So now you
know why Mia’s been acting the way she has with you.”
Sierra sighed. “There’s the last piece of that puzzle.” She’d noticed how Mia didn’t seem to have any problems with the other cast or crew members, only her. Now it makes sense, but what can I do about it? “There doesn’t seem to be a good way to fix this. I can’t change what the critics have already said. What am I supposed to do, give a crappy performance to make her look better by comparison?”
Jazmin chuckled. “Mia is just petty enough that she’d probably love that.”
Sierra rolled her eyes.
“But we both know you’re not going to do it. Sierra Dandridge doesn’t roll like that.”
“Damn straight.” She looked toward her vanity, wondering how to handle this situation. “Any suggestions? What do you think I should do?”
With a shrug, Jazmin stood. “I don’t think you have to do anything, really. If Mia keeps doing what she’s doing, it’s going to catch up with her eventually.”
“I don’t know.” Sierra didn’t know how much more of Mia’s crap she could put up with before she decked the girl.
“Think about it. The critics all think her acting is terrible, and she’s been a total brat to you on set. Meanwhile you’re getting all the starred reviews and accolades.” She slung the purse strap over her shoulder. “The way I see it, all you have to do is be patient, and remain professional. Let Ms. Leigh keep right on digging her own grave, and you’ll come out on top once she’s buried herself in the dirt.”
Sierra nodded. “Makes sense, I guess.”
“Of course it does.” Jazmin winked. “I’m going home. I’m beat. Later, girl.”
Sierra waved as Jazmin slipped out. Alone again in the quiet dressing room, she thought about what her friend had said.
Be patient and remain professional. She’d been doing it all this time; she supposed it wouldn’t be too hard to keep it up.
She went around the room, tidying up and tossing things into her bag. Then she grabbed the bag by the handles, turned off the lights and locked up her dressing room.
In the studio parking lot, she opened the passenger side door of her rental and tossed the bag in. When she shut the door, she looked up and saw Mia standing on the sidewalk several yards away, talking to someone.
Mia cut her eyes at Sierra, her stare venomous.
Sierra pretended to ignore her, climbing into the car and driving away.
As she drove toward the condo, her mind drifted to Campbell. She thought about sitting in his convertible, feeling the warmth of his hand wrapped around hers. She remembered what he’d said to her yesterday, about how he hadn’t connected with another woman the way he had with her. Was he being sincere? Or was he just sweet-talking me? Her idealistic side wanted to believe what he’d said. Her cynical side reminded her that even if he were honest (and he probably wasn’t), it wouldn’t matter. She didn’t have time to date right now. Things at work were way too complicated for her to add a relationship to the mix.
She sighed. When it came to romance, the timing just never seemed to be right.
* * *
It was just after two when Campbell finally took his lunch break, and as he entered the break room with his take-out wings and fries from the Salty Siren, he saw his brother and sister were in the room, as well.
“Hey, Cam.” Hadley, seated on the far side of the table, smiled at her phone screen as she spoke.
“Hey, sis. Savion.” Campbell sat down across from his sister, setting his food on the table in front of him. Then he took the folder of paperwork he’d had tucked beneath his arm, and laid that down, as well, a safe distance from the food. His workload necessitated bringing the paperwork in here, but he didn’t want to smudge or damage it.
Savion, sitting in a chair he’d pulled over to the countertop, waved. Then he returned his attention to the black, leather-bound day planner he carried with him everywhere, scrawling something in its pages with a pen.
Campbell frowned as he looked at his brother. “What are you working on, bro?”
Savion shook his head and raised his gaze from the pages. “Nothing.”
Campbell didn’t believe that for a second. His brother took that planner everywhere with him. Hell, he probably took it with him to the bathroom. What is he writing in that thing, anyhow? Despite his curiosity, he knew Savion wouldn’t answer any follow-up questions, so he didn’t bother asking any.
While Campbell unwrapped his food, Hadley sat across from him, smiling and giggling at her phone. She would type something, then a few seconds later her phone would buzz, and she’d read the screen and giggle again. He could only assume she was texting back and forth with someone.
Looking between the two of them, he said, “There are three people in here. Only one of us is eating. What are y’all doing in here, anyway?”
“Coffee break.” Savion gestured toward his ceramic mug sitting on the counter next to him.
“Same.” Hadley ran her thumb over her screen. “I already had my coffee, but I’m texting with Devon.”
Campbell simply shook his head and turned his attention back to his food. After all this time of being called out as the “lazy” one, he found it hilarious that he was the only one in there who’d brought work with him. He supposed it was possible Savion was working, since Campbell couldn’t see what he was writing, but the odds of that seemed pretty slim. They should be at their desks if they aren’t going to be eating.
It didn’t take long for him to get his fill of their sitting around, lollygagging. “You know, you two are always giving me flak about not doing enough work.” He gestured to the open folder on the table next to him. “Looks like today I’m the only one interested in getting anything accomplished.”
Savion rolled his eyes.
Hadley pursed her lips. “Ease up, Campbell. I’m just messaging my husband for a minute.”
“Nah. You’ve been sitting here for a good while, Hadley. You already had your coffee, you said that yourself.” He popped a fry into his mouth, chewed and swallowed. “And you, Savion. For all we know you could be drawing stick figures in your planner. Both of you should be in your offices.”
He scoffed. “I’m the eldest, and the senior executive in this office. So you can quit making demands anytime, lil bro.” Savion stood, flipped his planner shut, and then he and his coffee cup vacated the room.
Campbell turned his attention back to Hadley. “Sis, you’re the reasonable one in the office.”
She looked up from her phone, smiled in his direction. “So, you finally admit it?”
He waved his hand. “Don’t get too excited or I’ll never admit it again. Anyway, you have to have noticed how hard I’ve been working lately.”
She tipped her head to one side, then nodded. “I’ve noticed, Cam. I know you’ve been doing more around here, and I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks. It’s nice to know someone here sees my efforts.” He dipped one of his oven-roasted wings into a cup of ranch dressing. “You’ve been working way less hours since you got married.”
She winked. “I can’t leave my husband to fend for himself. Gotta handle my wifely duties.”
Campbell gave her a sideways glance. “Please, don’t elaborate.”
She stood then, punching him playfully in the shoulder as she passed. “Don’t hate, Cam. Anyway, let me get back to work.” Pocketing her phone, she strolled out of the break room.
For the next twenty minutes, he alternated between eating and reading the paperwork, careful not to smudge it.
He tried to focus on the words on the forms, but found his mind wandering. Visions of Sierra’s beautiful face kept appearing in his mind. If someone had told him a year ago that he’d have spent a night in the home of his favorite actress, he would never have believed it. And yet now that he’d experienced spending time with Sierra, he couldn’t seem to s
top thinking about her.
Good sense told him to walk away, to keep his distance from her. But he’d never been very good at exercising good sense, not where women were involved. His heart, foolish though it may be, told him to pursue her. This went beyond the schoolboy crush he’d had on her when she’d been a beautiful, yet unattainable fantasy. She was literally close enough to touch now, and he wanted more. He wanted to get to know who she really was beneath the mask, beneath the protective layers of dismissiveness she wore like a suit of winter gear. Who was the real Sierra Dandridge? He had to know. His curiosity demanded satisfaction.
Tossing his empty food containers in the trash, Campbell grabbed his paperwork and went back to his own office to finish.
Alone in his office, he set about his work. The rote motions of filling in the forms allowed his mind to wander, and this time, he found himself thinking back on his relationship with Tiffany, his ex. He’d given her his name, a comfortable home and five years of his life. He’d been faithful to her and done his best to make her happy. He’d loved her, or at least the version of her he knew. Tiffany had been a career go-getter from the start of their relationship, and it was one of the reasons he loved her. He found her drive to succeed inspiring.
That was, until he discovered just why she’d been pulling all those extra hours, and it hadn’t been to move up the career ladder.
He thought back to that fateful conversation. It had been shortly before their fifth anniversary, and they’d been talking about their future. He’d wanted to talk about starting a family, but she’d been reluctant. Finally, after he pressed her, she’d admitted that she’d been seeing a man she worked with for the previous two years.
He’d been stunned and wounded to hear her words, so casually tossed out in the middle of a conversation. He knew then that he could never stay with someone so duplicitous, who’d lied to his face all that time. Four days later, just after their anniversary, he’d filed for divorce.
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