Mustang Hollywood: A standalone, small town, enemies-to-lovers romance (Mustang Ranch Book 3)
Page 9
“I’ll give you my absolute best, Mr. Savage.”
“I think you can dispel with the Mr. after today. We’re going to be up close and personal for the next few months. J.J. will do just fine.” Without another word, he turns on his heels and heads out the door, leaving me lost for words. My whole body is shaking. This is all I’ve ever wanted, and it’s finally happening quicker than I could’ve expected. This is the type of break fairy tales are made of.
I slump to the floor, unable to keep myself upright any longer. Just breathe, Maisie.
I can do this.
There’s so much to organize. I need to speak to each of my bosses and ask them for time off. Wait. I guess I’m not asking for a few days here and there anymore. I’m quitting the jobs that have shaped me and kept a roof over my head for years. It’s bittersweet. A chapter of my life closing, so a new and exciting one can begin.
Chapter Nine
JASPER
The cast is assembled in the barn used for weddings here on the ranch. It’s the nicest setting I’ve ever done a table read in. My new co-star is sitting across from me, her hands visibly shaking as we wait for Jack and Hazel to start the session.
I’ve never been a huge fan of table reads. I’m inhibited by the physicality of it, and it dampens my mental creativity. I like to move around, to test out my character’s mannerisms and quirks. This project is different. I’ve had a unique insight getting to work alongside the screenwriter. We’ve had long conversations about what makes Jett tick. I’ve had time to get to know the ranch and become friends with Maddox and Jax.
What started out as my least researched role has fast become the most authentic. The days I’ve been in town, I get up and do what little I can to help on the ranch with daily ridicule from the real deal, but I enjoy it. I’m not judged for my abs, my face, or my bank balance. We laugh and joke in genuine friendship. The fact that they took a chance on me and invested in this movie just drives me to succeed even more.
Today is momentous. With a full cast and crew, a great script, a producer I admire, and a director I trust, we’re embarking on something exciting. Anticipation crackles in the very air that surrounds us. This movie is going to be a defining moment in my career.
As we settle down to work, I’m pleasantly surprised by the rest of the cast. They understand what this could be, they see the vision. I still haven’t divulged my part in the bankroll, but I decided to let them know of Maddox and Jax’s involvement. I want everyone to understand this is bigger than the picture we started with.
Hazel watches every move and word exchanged between Maisie and me, frantically scribbling notes in one of her beat-up old leather-bound journals. It brings a smile to my face to see her so engrossed in the process.
“Maisie, can I make a suggestion?” She chimes in, taking Maisie by surprise.
“Yes, ma’am. Of course.”
“Anywhere you can add colloquial authenticity, don’t be afraid to try it out. Don’t let this one fool you.” She gestures in my direction. “You, my dear, are going to be a massive draw for this movie… local girl becomes leading lady. Embrace it.” Maisie’s cheeks flush as all eyes are on her.
“I get what you mean, Hazel, but she’s not experienced enough to be taking liberties with a script we just finished reworking.”
“Trust me, Jasp. She knows more than you give her credit for. She’s a natural, and she’ll be a more realistic heroine if we let her own it.” I stare her down, irate that she’s taking the liberty of speaking so frankly to me in front of the rest of the cast. I value her opinion, but I expect her to come to me with something this important behind closed doors.
“We’ll discuss it later. Can we just get through one full read before we start talking about changing things?”
“Sure.”
My eyes unwillingly flit to where Maisie sits, her face indecipherable as she looks me up and down. I want to crawl inside her mind to understand every muscle twitch of that annoyingly beautiful face of hers. But, the longer I sit across from her, the more infuriated I become, but why?
By the end of the day, I’m ready for a drink. And with an invitation to take Hazel over for dinner at the main house with Maddox and his family, there will definitely be liquor. I have one of the crew run into town and grab me the best whiskey he can find. I’d have gone myself, but with the hype of the entire crew descending on Kingsbury Falls again, I’ve been told it’s a little crazy in the town square. Plus, we’ve just doubled occupancy of every establishment in town. It’ll be like a zoo over there.
I told Hazel just to stay with me. She’d hate being at the local B&B with half the crew, and the cottage has plenty of rooms. When she’s ready, we take a leisurely stroll in the warm evening air, weaving our way up to Mad and A.B.’s place. They’re already on the back porch, laughing and joking with Jax and his family.
“God, this is a far cry from LA, Jasp. They look so…”
“Happy? Idyllic?” Her tiny fist smacks me square in the shoulder.
“You’re falling for it. The whole nine yards. Small-town charm. Southern hospitality.”
“I’d hardly call Maddox the run-of-the-mill cowboy. He knows fame and fortune. He might be different from you and me, but he’s world savvy. This was a conscious choice for him. I envy his dedication to his family. If your parents or mine had half his loyalty, we’d probably be better-adjusted adults.”
“Speak for yourself. I’ve adjusted just fine. I’m enjoying being young and hot. Something you understood until that bitch did a number on you. Trust me, you’d hate a life like this.” I’m not sure why her observation stings.
“You’ll like them. So, keep your opinions to yourself, and let’s enjoy our evening.”
“That’s the plan.” She links her arm with mine as we wind our way up to the porch steps. Everyone’s here, drinks in hand. A.B. is ready and waiting with glasses for both of us. Even heavily pregnant, she’s the perfect hostess.
“How many weeks left?”
“This little guy could be born tonight. I’m ready to pop. We’re officially celebrating forty weeks. So, have a drink for me, because I’m really missing a nice cold beer right about now.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I introduce Hazel to everyone, regaling them with stories of our wilder days. I didn’t think about it before we arrived, but they’ve already seen her face in the newspapers from our recent night out. Carter was right—everything that happened inside the four walls of his club was discreet. There wasn’t a single photograph leaked from our wild drinking and dancing, but the second we stepped outside, an innocent kiss between friends was skewed to suit the newfound image of me as a lech.
The scent of Texas BBQ fills the air, making my mouth water and my stomach growl. Grabbing a couple of plates, I busy myself heaping both with a spoonful of everything. Hazel has always given me a run for my money when it comes to food. You wouldn’t think it to look at her tiny frame, and, of course, I’ll have to work out twice as hard tomorrow. It’s one of the requirements when shooting a movie that involves several scenes in which I’m topless.
“I thought A.B. was the only one eating for two. Congrats, bro.” Jax is such a smart-mouth. It’s impossible not to like him.
“One’s for Hazel.”
“She’s hot. You tapping that?”
“Didn’t you see the papers?” Her voice is like burning hot ash on my skin. I turn to see my not-so-delightful co-star with the guy who trails around after her like a lost puppy.
“Don’t you have anything better to do than stalk me in the news?”
“Yes, I do. Scrubbing my mouth and chewing gum after kissing you on-set. It’s time- consuming, but a necessary evil.” Her boyfriend seems shocked by her vitriolic tongue. I’m too tired to deal with her tonight. If I’m going to work with this girl, I need to stop letting her get under my skin. For whatever reason, we don’t get along, but the chemistry is off the charts. Something neither of us is eager to admit.
Hazel is deep in conversation with Maddox, grilling him about his time as the reigning rodeo champ. With a gentle touch to the small of her back, I alert her to the tantalizing plate of food I set down for her. She doesn’t even skip a beat—too enthralled by Mad to care. It seems like a theme in my life right now.
I go in search of hard liquor. Maisie’s death stare follows my every move, and I hate that it gives me some sort of sick satisfaction. Knowing my way around the ranch house at this point, I head inside under the ruse of loading my glass with ice. Anyone who’s ever gone drinking with me knows I hate ice in my whiskey, but I’ll gladly take a double shot with a little ice over the frozen stare of Maisie Bryant.
The kitchen is homey, and I mean that in the best possible way. There are kids’ drawings on the refrigerator, a book bag slung by the back door, fresh cookies sit on the counter, and just as I pull up a barstool, I hear a little laugh as a tiny hand reaches up and snatches the plate.
“Shouldn’t you be in bed?” I know that giggle, it’s Mad’s daughter, Ruby.
“Don’t tell my daddy!”
“Okay. I’ll make you a deal.” She peeks her head around the side of the counter. “Give me one of those yummy-looking cookies, and your secret is safe with me.” She’s pretty adorable as kids go.
“Here.” She picks the biggest one and holds it out to me. “Rae said no one would notice.” Her older sister sent her on a fool’s errand. Rae is just old enough to know she could get in trouble, and smart enough to know the cute toddler has more chance of getting away with it scot-free!
“Thanks, Ruby.” Carefully laying the plate on the floor, she creeps around and wraps her arms around my leg.
“I wike you, Mr. J.J.”
“I like you, too. My friends call me Jasper. So, you can be one of the special people. Okay? That means you’re my friend.”
“Yay!”
“Now, you better scamper with the rest of those cookies before anyone else sees them. If your mom asks, I’ll tell her I didn’t see a thing.” Scrunching her tiny little nose, she runs off with a cheeky grin and a giant plate of cookies.
“You know you just made a friend for life, right?” A.B. stands at the door with an all-knowing smile.
“I’m counting on it.”
“Are my parties so lame you want to hang with the kids?” She says with a soft chuckle, sashaying over to sit next to me.
Taking a long swig of whiskey, I debate my next sentence. A.B. and Maisie are friends, so maybe she can give me some words of wisdom. She and Mad seem to be the go-to for relationship advice in this town.
“I seem to bring out the worst in my new co-star. I’m just not in the mood to be judged, so I thought I’d retreat with my good friend, hard liquor.”
“I heard. You probably won’t believe me, but Mais is one of the sweetest people I know. I don’t know why you ruffle her feathers so bad.”
“Me, either.” That’s not strictly true. I give as good as I get.
“I doubt that, but whatever it is, you need to get passed it. This is your movie. Surely, you can put your differences aside and be cordial?”
“Ugh, she just represents everything I hate about being in the public eye. She believes everything she reads about me.”
“Have you set her straight?” She rubs her baby bump like a little Buddha.
“I’m sick of justifying myself to everyone.”
“I get that. Mad has been there, but this is part and parcel. You get to do your dream job, and the price is other people assuming they know you. I have to ask… why haven’t you set the record straight with the media?”
“Ethan told me not to, and now I feel like it’s too late.”
“It’s never too late to tell the truth. Trust me as someone who lost a lot of time and sleep over secrets and half-truths. You could make this ten times easier on yourself if you just tell everyone what really happened, including Maisie.”
“That I’m a pathetic loser who let my girlfriend walk all over me, who didn’t see her cheating, lying ass from a mile away? I think I’d rather be hated than pitied.” The back porch screen door slams shut, startling us, but I didn’t see who was there. “I’m going to call it a day. Thanks for having us over, A.B. You mind if I take the bottle?” I say, holding up the already half-empty whiskey. Classy, leaving with the bottle I brought.
“Just don’t drown yourself in sorrows you can’t change and situations you can.” Wrapping her arms around my neck, she gives me a tight squeeze before I stand to leave.
“Thanks, A.B.”
“Anytime.”
I can’t get used to stepping outside and being hit with a wall of hot, humid air. It’s disconcerting. Feeling a little buzzed, I scan the porch for Hazel, but all I see are her eyes boring into me as her sad little date stands idly by, oblivious to his inability to hold her attention. Hazel will be fine without me. I need to get out of here.
I don’t bother saying goodbye, eager to be alone with my bottle to clear my head. The good thing about the ranch is that there are endless acres of alone. Finding a spot close to the cottage, I perch on one of the fences before slinging back some liquid comfort. The sky is so clear, showcasing billions of stars. It reminds me how insignificant a human life is in the grand scheme of things.
I’m a speck.
A drunk-as-a-skunk speck.
Closing my eyes, I let the darkness spin around me, losing my balance. My back hits the grass with an almighty thud, sending my brain ping-ponging against my skull.
“Oh, my Lord. You can’t hold your liquor, city boy.” Tell me I’m imagining it. I hold the bottle of now almost-empty whiskey up like a trophy.
“I can hold it just fine. I may have overindulged a tad, but I’m allowed. You don’t have to chastise me.” The familiar scent of her perfume wafts through the air as she holds her hand out to help me up. Ignoring her, I roll over and push myself up, still gripping the bottle. “Why are you even out here?”
“You stumbled off like an imbecile. I was… worried.” I struggle to bring her into focus.
“Where’s your lap dog?”
“Thomas went home. He has to get up before dawn for work like most of this town.”
“Not you, though. Not anymore.” I think she’s rolling her eyes at me, but I could be mistaken. It might just be the effect of my eyes rolling back in my head right now. “I’m going to make you a pretty little star.”
She wraps my arm over her shoulder, propping me up as best she can with her small frame.
“Come on, I’ll take you to the cottage. We need to get you to bed.”
“Mmm… you want to get me into bed? A bit forward. I’m not as much of a manwhore as you think I am.”
“I know. I heard you talking to A.B.” I down the last of the whiskey before handing her the empty bottle.
“Of course, it couldn’t have been anyone else at the screen door.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me? I’ve been horrible to you.” I force myself upright, untangling myself from her side.
“Don’t stop now. I don’t want your pity.”
“God, can’t you just shut up for one minute? I’m trying to apologize.”
“Then say it. Say, I’m sorry I’ve been a sassy shrew. I was wrong.”
“Only because you won’t remember this tomorrow. I’ve been a sassy shrew. I’m sorry, J.J. Can we find a way to be civil if we have to work together?” She’s sexy when she bites that plump bottom lip of hers.
“So, I was really your first kiss?”
“No.”
“I mean your acting first kiss. That’s what you said before.” Her eyes dart to the ground.
“Yes. The plays I’ve done haven’t exactly required that level of intimacy.” I make her uncomfortable.
“It’s
not normal, you know.”
“What? My kissing? Am I not good at it?” Her shy side has been buried deep inside the verbal assassin I’ve been privy to up until now.
“You’re a fucking amazing kisser. It’s not normal for a screen kiss to be that good. You’re the first actress to give me a bonafide boner.” I make myself laugh. “See what I did there? Boner-fide!”
“You’re a regular Shakespeare.”
“You’re a sexy little minx.”
“And you’re seriously drunk.” The cottage comes into view. Thank God. I doubt my legs will hold me up much longer.
“Does he make your knees go out from under you? Your boyfriend?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“A girl like you… fierce… needs a man who lights a fire right in the pit of your stomach.” Reaching the cottage, I prop myself up against the doorjamb, watching as she places the empty whiskey bottle on the front porch. She’s such a goody two shoes.
“Real life isn’t about sparks and insane chemistry.” Without thinking, I tuck an errant tendril of hair behind her ear.
“It is. I know fake. I’ve lived with fake. She never got me fired up the way you do when you fake kiss me.”
“Stop talking.” She doesn’t move, the rise and fall of her chest quickening as I take a step toward her.
“Tell me I’m wrong.” I search her eyes, everything around me fuzzy except for her. She’s in sharp focus. “You can’t.”
“I…” My lips crash down on hers, desperate for a taste, licking the seam, begging entrance. Her tongue darts out, flicking over mine with all the heat of our on-screen kiss and more. My hands fist in her hair, lost in the moment in the inexplicable chemistry between us. Her kiss is even sweeter when she means it. My pulse is racing as her hands slide between us, gliding up my torso, pushing me away.