She was standing there, mortified and bereft, when she noticed someone hustling toward her. Someone familiar. Eve, holding a folder against her chest, papers sticking out all over.
Damn. The woman was about to catch Jillian flat-footed and empty-bucketed, yards beyond the ice room, almost at Brody’s door wearing only a robe.
Jillian tapped her forehead, as if she’d just realized she’d overshot her goal, spun on her heels and went back for ice, mashing the button so the grind and rattle made it impossible to hear Eve calling her name.
Eve burst into the small space. “Hello?! Didn’t you hear me calling you?”
“Sorry.” Jillian fought for a calm smile. “What’s up?”
“I can’t find the releases I gave you for the San Francisco shoots. Did you take them out of my folder?”
“You didn’t give me any releases, Eve. And if you had, why would I take them from you? That’s ridiculous.” Jillian was in no mood for false accusations from Eve. As it happened, Jillian had used her own forms, since Eve hadn’t provided any.
“I always get releases,” Eve said, looking panicked.
“Not this time, you didn’t.” She thought about leaving Eve hanging by her nails a bit longer, but the woman’s eyelids began to twitch. “It’s okay, Eve. I used mine.”
“You got releases? You’re sure? On everyone?”
She nodded. “I keep a pad with me.”
“Oh, thank God!” Eve sagged against the ice machine, clutching the folder to her chest. “I thought we were sunk.”
“You knew you didn’t give me releases, Eve. Admit it.”
She grimaced. “Okay. Sorry. You’re right. I was consolidating checklists and I must have left off the releases.” She gave a humble smile. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me this trip. I’m usually so organized.”
“Don’t beat yourself up. You have a lot to juggle.”
“Do you suppose I can get the releases from you? For my files?”
“Certainly. Come on.” She motioned toward her room, pausing to glance toward Brody’s, where the twins were no doubt naked by now. Heat and hurt burned down her spine.
This was an important reminder. Brody might want to be different, but that didn’t mean he could be. In her heart of hearts, she wasn’t sure people ever changed. Her father sure hadn’t, despite the promises, despite her mother’s tears and foolish optimism.
But Brody had said she was different than the women he knew. Of course. He liked variety. He was clearing his palate. She’d let herself feel too much, expect too much. She’d acted like some naive girl who believed every line a guy delivered. If she wasn’t more hip than that, she had no business dipping a toe in this particular hot tub.
Inside her room, she headed straight for her pad of photo releases and tore off the used ones for Eve.
“You saved me, you know,” Eve said, accepting them. “We would have had to blur so many faces the segments would have to be trashed.”
“We’re a team, Eve, even if I’m only a fill-in. I’m not Kirk, but I won’t let you down.”
“I know that.” Eve looked at her for a long moment. “I’ve been kind of a bitch to you, haven’t I?”
“Kind of. But forget that now. How about a drink? I could sure use one.” Especially after seeing the call girls toddle into Brody’s room.
“I’d love a P.I.N.K.,” Eve said, sinking into a chair with a loud exhale. “I’ve been so stressed lately.”
Jillian rummaged in the minibar for the drink, which was vodka mixed with an energy drink—the perfect cocktail for Eve—grabbed herself a Grand Marnier and poured both drinks, admiring the way the orange and pink concoctions matched the funky room.
“This trip has been so confusing,” Eve said, leaning back in her chair, kicking out her legs. “It’s mostly Kirk. Since he had his accident, he’s been so jumpy and he won’t tell me what’s wrong. Kirk is not a man who’s easy with a secret, let me tell you.”
Jillian knew Kirk was tense about the robbery and the stolen DVD. She’d promised Brody not to say anything to Eve though. “I’m sure he’ll be back to himself soon.”
“I hope so. I miss the guy.” She stirred her drink with a finger, looking thoughtful. “Brody’s been weird, too, lately.”
“Really?” Eve knew he was discontented. Jillian wondered how she would describe the problem.
“Yeah. Sometimes people try to be something they’re not, you know? Take me. I started out wanting to direct, but it was so hard. I puked up my guts before every shoot.”
“New experiences cause anxiety. That’s normal.”
“This was terror, not anxiety. Plus, I sucked. Now, the producing part was different. I was so serene. The stress and frustration that had everyone else freaking felt natural to me.”
“You seem pretty in touch with who you are.”
She shrugged. “In this business, you have to be to survive. Brody used to be solid. Since his dad’s heart attack he’s been moping. He’ll be better once we hit Europe. New people to charm, right? He can flirt in seven languages.” She brightened. “We just have to get him past this rocky spot.”
“You think that’s all it is?”
She sipped her drink. “Actually, since you’ve been here he’s been better. I guess he wants to impress you.” She gave her a puzzled glance, then went on. “We have a system—Brody, Kirk and I—and I guess I was nervous about how you’d fit in.”
“I can imagine. You’ve worked together a long time.” Jillian could see that Eve was as loyal and devoted to Brody as he was to her and the rest of the crew.
“Yeah. I almost didn’t get the job, you know.” She sipped her drink, leaning back, musing. “I blew the interview. Nerves. So I was leaving the building, tail between my legs, practically whimpering, when Brody caught up with me and took me out for a beer with Kirk. The two of them made me laugh and relax and by the second round I had the job.”
“That was nice of him.”
“He saw my potential. Brody’s great that way.”
“He seems to be.” Jillian hesitated, then decided to ask the question she’d wondered about since Eve first bristled at her. “Did you two ever…? I mean…it’s none of my business, but—”
“Did Brody and I hook up? God, no.” But Eve turned the color of her drink. “I had a crush on him, of course. Everyone falls for Brody. Brody loves women. That’s his trick.”
“It’s a trick?”
“No. It’s his way, I guess. He’s sincere. He’s so attentive and intense that you think it means more than it does. Women are, like, I don’t know, his hobby. He tries out every model. It’s not personal. He can’t help himself.”
Jillian listened hard, taking in the truth in Eve’s words. “So, how did you…stop? Your crush, I mean.”
“It wasn’t easy. First, I picked out things about him I didn’t like—the way he belches when he drinks beer, that strip of beard he always misses when he shaves, how he calls women doll. I hate that. Plus, all the winking. So hokey.”
“And it worked?”
Eve rolled her eyes. “So, next I tried this negative stimulus thing I read about. I put a big rubber band on my wrist and every time I had a hot thought about Brody I snapped myself.”
“Did that do it?”
“Not completely, no. What worked was focusing on making Doctor Nite the best show it could be. I realized if I was all hot over Brody, I couldn’t do my job. Now that worked.”
“How did you get so smart about men?”
“Self-defense, of course!” Her eyes widened. “I got dumped a few times before I figured it out. See, I used to think I could guard myself against the pain. See the signs, you know, and dump the guy before he dumped me. It never works like you expect. That’s the deal with love. It’s always a surprise. Falling in and falling out, it’s like ba-bam, you never see it coming. It’s a game of gotcha.”
Jillian laughed. “Wow. That was great.” It almost made her feel better about Brody. “Yo
u know, what you’re saying would be perfect for my documentary.”
“On dating, right? Brody said you were interviewing him.”
“Yeah. I’m talking to single women, too. Would you mind? You can promo the show, too, while you’re at it.”
“I guess I could do that.” She sucked down more of her drink. “Let me put on some makeup.” She rose.
“You’re welcome to use mine in the bathroom.”
“You’re forgetting who you’re dealing with.” Eve patted her gigantic messenger bag. “So many shiny foreheads, so little pancake.”
Jillian laughed.
Eve returned in a few minutes, looking gorgeous, and gave a terrific interview, retelling her dating wisdom so that it sounded fresh.
“What do you think about settling down yourself?” Jillian asked, moving to new questions.
“Down the line, sure. L.A.’s no place to fall in love. Too much ambition. Thinking you’ll survive love in L.A. is like standing in the Five at rush hour expecting not to end up roadkill. My horoscope says I’ll know when the time is right.”
“You believe in astrology?”
“It’s better than thinking too hard about it. That’s just depressing, and who needs it?”
“In your opinion, does the attitude Doctor Nite promotes, that marriage is death, hurt women?”
“Women can take care of themselves. We’re tough. It’s simple. If you’re looking for a husband, you don’t go to a bar with Doctor Nite on the plasma.” She shrugged.
“Do you think Doctor Nite will ever eat his words and settle down?” Jillian’s heart banged her ribs as she waited for Eve’s opinion. Which was ridiculous, since Brody was the only one who could answer the question and right now he was frolicking with twin blondes. Wasn’t that answer enough?
“Not a chance,” Eve said, utterly certain. “His whole career is built on being single. His fans would be devastated.”
“Thanks,” Jillian said. “You gave me some great stuff, Eve.” And reminded her of a truth she’d been stupidly ignoring since she and Brody made love.
She turned off the camera, then slid the release to Eve.
“So, you’re into women’s rights?” Eve asked, signing her name. “You think The Man keeps us down?” She looked up.
“I believe women don’t get a fair shake, yes. Women make up half the U.S. workforce, yet they make only seventy cents for every dollar a man makes. Of the Fortune 500 companies, only eight have female CEOs.”
“Maybe women don’t want to be CEOs.”
She just looked at Eve.
“Okay, so that’s a problem. But when it comes to sex and dating and marriage, it’s a two-way street. Men and women screw it up together in their separate ways.” She paused. “So what’s your deal? Who pissed you off so much? A boyfriend? Ex-husband?”
“My ex-boyfriends and I are on good terms, and I’ve never been married.”
“Then your dad, right? Mine left my mom when I was five. He was a divorce attorney and he ran off with a client, if you can believe that. We kind of got screwed on the child support/alimony deal, too. But I still love him. Kind of.”
“That’s mature of you. My dad was a player and my mom put up with it for years.”
“Sounds like you’re mad at your mother.”
She had a point. “I’m not really mad at either of them. Disappointed, I guess. I know no one’s perfect. I mean, Prince Charming had great PR.”
“Yeah, but with a dad like you had, you probably figure deep inside that all men are rats. Who knows, maybe they are. I try to take them on a case-by-case basis and trust my instincts.”
“And your horoscope?”
“That, too.” She laughed. “I’ve got time, anyway. I’m only twenty-seven.” She paused. “You’re…what? Brody’s age? Thirty-seven or so?”
“Just thirty, thanks.”
“Sorry. You just seem…mature. Brody doesn’t like to talk about his age.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. He’s sensitive about it. Want to know another secret?” She leaned in. “He’s writing a book. He hides it, but I sneaked a peek. It’s a detective story, from what I can tell.”
“Really?” Funny he hadn’t mentioned it to her. But then he hadn’t mentioned the twin call girls he’d ordered, either.
“Do not say a word.”
“Oh, I won’t,” Jillian said.
“Guys get touchy about the funniest things. Like Kirk can’t stand any movie where an animal dies. He actually cries. He pretends it’s allergies. I think it’s kind of sweet. I pretend I can’t stand it, either…for his sake.”
“You sound really close, you and Kirk.”
“What?” Eve blinked. “That’s work stuff, not…well, it’s not…” Now she turned bright red. “You can’t get sucked in by working together. It’s, well, it’s just stupid.” She leveled her gaze at Jillian. “You know, with Brody, when he wants to impress someone, he pulls out all the stops. Keep that in mind.”
“Thanks. I will. I appreciate the tip.” Jillian rattled the ice in her drink and sipped at the remaining drops, realizing she’d done exactly what Eve had warned her about on the first day. She’d fallen for the Brody Treatment.
“Too late, huh?” Eve said.
She looked up to find Eve holding out a thick purple rubber band. “Sorry,” she said with a shrug.
Jillian laughed and put the band on her wrist.
“It’s easy to do. The man is delicious. I had such fantasies. That grin and those eyes.”
“They do pull you in.”
“Yeah. His best feature.” Eve took another swallow of her drink. “The six-pack’s good, too, though.” She made a sizzling sound.
“Not to mention his butt,” Jillian contributed. “You can bounce a dime off it.”
“No lie. When he walks around in his boxers…Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and the little burro, too.”
Jillian laughed and snapped the rubber band. “Ow!”
They tinked their glasses together, swallowed and sighed in synch, both envisioning a nearly naked Brody, she’d bet.
There was a knock at the door. Eve went to the peephole. “It’s him,” she hissed. “Brody!”
“What could he want?” Jillian tried to act cool, jumping up to tug her robe tight as she approached the door Eve had opened.
“Well, speak of the devil,” Eve said to him.
“You were talking about me?” He held an empty ice bucket and looked at Jillian with an expression of longing that burned through her like flame through dry grass.
Finished with the twins? Sarcasm was her friend at the moment. She didn’t dare forget what she’d figured out.
“You’re having a party, Jillian, and didn’t invite me?” He gave a look of mock hurt.
Eve turned to stare at her. “He’s calling you Jillian now?”
“Friends do. You can, too, Eve. If you want.” She didn’t have time to be embarrassed. She had to let Brody know she knew what he’d been up to. “When I went for ice, I noticed you had company.” She folded her arms.
“Company? You mean the two blondes? You saw…? They had the wrong room. Didn’t they, Eve?” He gave her a stern look. “Since when do I have to pay to play?”
“Just keeping you busy.”
“You sent them to him?” Jillian said, trying to keep the relief out of her voice, but Eve was busy giving Brody her attention. “What are you doing here, anyway, Brode?”
“I thought Jillian and I could go over the shot list for tonight like we did in San Francisco.”
In San Francisco, they’d made wild love. Jillian’s heart thudded in her chest so hard she couldn’t concentrate or even breathe. Brody had sent the twin vixens away and come to see her. She was way too happy and far too relieved.
“I guess I’ll leave you two alone,” he said, backing away, “Unless you’d consider a pillow fight in your undies?”
“We’ll let you know,” Eve said, closing the door on him.
&nb
sp; The last Jillian saw was Brody looking at her as if she were a Christmas present under the tree. She could hardly breathe.
Eve turned on her, hands on her hips.
“What?” Jillian said.
Eve reached out to snap the rubber band.
“Ouch. Cut it out.”
“It would be a mistake,” Eve said. “We talked about this.”
But Jillian knew it was too late and as soon as Eve left, she set off for Brody’s room running.
BACK IN HIS ROOM, Brody got blasted by the pricey perfume the call girls had left in their wake. Seeing their empty eyes in their doll faces had made him crave Jillian. Warm, natural Jillian. Smart and funny and honest. He just felt good when he was with her. She made him feel he could be who he wanted to be in his heart.
It was too soon to get freaked about her attitudes and moods and his own defensiveness and doubts. They had a day to spend together tomorrow. He’d just show up and see how it went.
Right now, he had to see Jillian. He didn’t care if Eve knew. He was about to call her room, ask her to get down here, when there was a knock at the door.
He didn’t even look through the peephole, simply yanked open the door, delighted when Jillian, in that goofy robe, threw herself at him, leaping up to wrap her legs around his waist, making him stumble and almost fall.
“Thank God,” he said, kissing her, burying his nose in her hair, lifting her up and swinging her around. “How could you even think I’d have sex with those girls? The only woman I want right now is you.” It hurt that she’d think that.
“I don’t know. This is so new between us,” she said, putting her hands on his cheeks, studying his face, looking for some answer she was desperate to find.
He noticed a rubber band on her wrist. “What’s this?” He touched it.
“Eve gave it to me.” She laughed. “It’s a long story. She tried to warn me about you. She says women are your hobby, that you can’t help charming us all.”
“Is that what she said?” he said. “Interesting.” And not very flattering, he realized.
“And I know you’re at a crossroads. You don’t really know what you want, what you’ll do, who you’ll be.”
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