Once Upon a Bad Boy--A Sometimes in Love Novel

by Melonie Johnson

  “Um, sure.”

  “I mean, you never thought you’d see Bo again, and now you two are working together, going to parties in matching costumes…” Cassie continued.

  “Right?” Ana added. “I told her it was fate.”

  “Do you ever get the feeling you’re the butt of a big cosmic joke?” Sadie wondered.

  “What about big butts?” Bonnie asked, confused.

  “Oh my God, Becky.” Delaney rolled her eyes. “That’s not what she said.”

  Sadie snickered. “I mean fate. Destiny. I wasn’t sure if I believed in any of that stuff, but I’m starting to wonder.”

  “Logan’s family has a saying.” Cassie nodded. “People plan and God laughs.”

  Delaney raised an eyebrow. “Meaning?”

  “I kind of took it to mean that no matter what you do, the universe has its own plan.”

  “I can believe that.” Bonnie shrugged. “Look at what happened with Theo and me. That certainly wasn’t in any of my plans.”

  On the deck below, someone started singing “Sweet Child O’ Mine” in a clipped but slightly tipsy British accent.

  “Speak of the devil,” Delaney snorted. “Or should I say, the duke?”

  “Oh dear, I think Theo’s discovered the karaoke machine.” Bonnie gathered the fins of her mermaid tail and stood. “I better get back down there before he starts in on ‘Paradise City.’”

  Laughing, the girls headed for the stairs. Bringing up the rear, Ana tugged on Sadie’s arm. “Starting to believe I could be right, huh?”

  “About what?”

  “Fate. You and Bo.”

  “Maybe.” Sadie sighed. She wanted to believe Ana could be right, that she and Bo could have their fairy-tale happy ending, but there was so much more to the story. So much that Ana didn’t know. Sadie pushed the dark thoughts away before they had a chance to form. It was her birthday, a night for wishes, for dreams to come true. “What was it that Cassie said? Never say never.”

  “Exactly.” Ana’s smile was warm and full of hope and love. “I just want you to be happy. You know that, right?”

  Affection pulled at Sadie’s heartstrings. She had amazing friends. Another thing she was realizing she took for granted.

  “Sadie, are you crying?”

  “No.” Sadie sniffed, swiping at her eyes. “Okay, yes, I’m crying. But it’s the good kind of crying. Besides, it’s my party, and I’ll cry if I want to.”

  “Sounds like someone just picked out their karaoke song.”

  A blubbery laugh burst out of Sadie. God, she loved her friends. “Fine. But only if you sing with me.”

  “What? And upstage the birthday girl on her special day?” Ana’s voice lost its snarky tone. “Seriously. What’s wrong? I hate to see my best friend in tears on her birthday.”

  Sadie shook her head. “I’m not crying because I’m sad. It’s because I have the most amazing friends in the world.”

  “Aw.” Ana beamed. “I’d hug you, but I don’t want to get body paint all over you.”

  “Then I’ll hug you.” Sadie reached up and wrapped her arms around her friend. Like usual, their height difference put her at breast level, giving her an up-close-and-personal view of Ana’s very busty and very green cleavage. After a moment, Sadie pulled back, mouth quirking. “That is a lot of green boob.”

  “It was a lot of green paint.” Ana cocked an eyebrow. “I promised Ryan he could help me wash all this off tonight.”

  “Why do you tell me these things?” Sadie asked in mock horror.

  With a wicked laugh, Ana pulled Sadie toward the stairs. “Come on, you still haven’t had a piece of cake. We better hurry and get you some before Ryan eats it all. Your costar likes carbs almost as much as he likes my tits.”

  “Didn’t need to know that either!” Sadie groaned, hurrying after her friend.

  CHAPTER 23

  THIS WAS IT. The last big shoot of the movie. Bo’s stomach churned as he walked through the scene step-by-step one more time. After all the wild stunts he’d planned. The fights he’d choreographed. The buildings he’d jumped off … To have the future of his career hinge on a scene in a shopping mall, well, that was the movies for you.

  He’d spent the first half of the week working hand in hand with the actors, their doubles, and the specialized stunt film crew. Running the sequences, reviewing them over and over. Making sure everyone was as prepared as possible before they arrived on set.

  Actual time inside the mall was limited. The permits only allowed them to shoot on location after hours. So long as the crew managed to capture the footage they needed and cleared out before the doors opened for business in the morning, they were good.

  It was why Annoyed Dave had arranged the permit for a Saturday night. The mall opened later on Sundays, buying them a few more hours. Still, they’d roped off the area where they planned to film and had their own security detail working with the mall cops to ensure nobody ended up somewhere they shouldn’t. Not an easy feat considering the size of this shoot.

  Dozens of nondescript extras milled around in the holding pen. Bo caught sight of Sylvia’s assistant Tanya checking the extras in, ever-present clipboard in hand. The principals were at hair and makeup and would report to the set soon. He glanced at his watch. So far, so good.

  “Nervous?”

  Bo glanced up to see a gruff beefy man striding toward him.

  “Vic!” He hurried over and slapped the old guy on the back. “Couldn’t stay away, huh?” Bo kept his voice light while his stomach bucked, nerves kicking in. He’d been hoping Vic would resist the urge to check on him. Tonight’s shoot was going to be hard enough without having his mentor there watching.

  It was his own damn fault, though. He’d told Vic how important this last sequence was during their conference call last week. Bo had all but dangled a carrot in the man’s face. Ah well, since he was here, Bo would make the most of it. “Wanna take a look around?”

  “Don’t have to ask me twice.” Vic chuckled and followed Bo out to the area that had been marked for the set, dodging crews still adjusting lights, running power cords, and arranging mics. Bo walked Vic through the choreography. It was a classic on-foot chase scene, followed by a fight scene that would begin on the ground level and travel up the escalator for two floors before shifting to the third floor of the mall where another foot chase scene would finish off the sequence.

  “Isn’t there a car chase too?”

  “In the parking garage, yeah.” Bo nodded. “But we filmed that last week.”

  “Smart.” Vic rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Who’d you use for wheel guys?”

  “Alexis and Mike.”

  “Nice.” Vic grinned. “Did Lexie run Mike’s ass into the ground?”

  “Like always.” Bo returned Vic’s grin. “He’s determined to catch her, but nobody can handle hairpin turns like she can, and this scene had plenty of ’em.”

  “You did good, Ibarra.” Vic looked around the set one more time. “I hardly feel needed here.”

  “No offense, man, but that’s kind of the point, right?” Bo chuckled, again trying to keep his tone light. “Windy City Stunts is in good hands.”

  “I know it is,” Vic agreed.

  “Does that mean you’re ready to start having our ‘talk’ soon?” Bo asked, tired of tiptoeing around the subject. “Be straight with me, Vic. This is the biggest sequence in the one of the biggest projects our company has taken on. If tonight’s shoot goes well, then you gotta believe I’m ready to take on WCS solo.”

  “I already believe that, Ibarra,” his boss said softly. “Wouldn’t have gotten into business with you in the first place otherwise. When we formed this company, I told you it would be yours one day, and I meant it.”

  “Then what’s the hold up?” Bo couldn’t help the dash of exasperation that crept into his voice. He’d started WCS with Vic almost a decade ago.

  Vic bristled defensively. “It’s just, well, it’s not so easy to le
t go. What am I supposed to do with myself?”

  “Rest,” Bo suggested. “Take it easy.”

  “Don’t put me in a goddamn nursing home just yet.” Vic scowled.

  Bo shook his head, his laughter very real this time. “You sound just like my dad.”

  The old guy’s gruff face broke into a grin. “How’s he doin?”

  “Well. Still believes rest is something you do after you die.”

  Vic guffawed. “See? He gets it. Our jobs are our life.”

  “Not knockin’ that.” Bo held up a hand. “I’m not trying to put you in a nursing home, and I’m not trying to put you in your grave either, but come on, man. At this rate, you’re going to be thinking about retiring longer than you’ll get to enjoy your retirement.”

  “If I sound like your old man, you sound like my wife.” Vic scratched his chin.

  “She has a point. There’s more to living than working, you know,” Bo said, sensing the stubborn bastard might finally be wavering. “I thought you wanted to travel more.”

  Vic sighed. “Claudia wants to go on a cruise.”

  “That sounds nice.”

  “If by nice you mean boring.”

  “Oh, come on. Now you sound like my nephew. I bet there is all kinds of trouble you can get into. Show off how to cannonball from the high dive. Ride on a dolphin or parasail or something.”

  “Hmph.” Vic was silent for a moment, watching as the crew taped down the last of the cords. “Ride a dolphin. Really?”

  “Pretty sure.” Bo hid a smile. “Tell you what. If you fill out the paperwork passing sole ownership of WCS over to me, at least to get things started, I’ll see about arranging that dolphin ride. Consider it a retirement gift.”

  Vic made a face.

  “I meant a bon voyage gift,” Bo quickly amended.

  “I’ve never ridden a dolphin before…” Vic narrowed his eyes, considering. He nodded to himself. “All right, cowboy. Let’s see you get through this shoot. If all goes well tonight, I’ll have my guy draw up the papers.”

  “You’re serious?” Bo held his breath. After all this time, all his hard work—it was the suggestion to ride a dolphin that did the trick?

  “Yep. Get this one in the can, and it’s a done deal. I’ll hand over the reins and ride off into the sunset.” Vic held out his hand. “On a dolphin.”

  Bo grinned and exhaled. Elation swelling inside his chest as he shook his soon-to-be-former business partner’s hand. Then he glanced around, taking in the bustle of activity, and the weight of responsibility settled over him. No one, and nothing, better fuck this up.

  * * *

  “Bo,” Sadie said, heart pounding in time to the steady thrum of the escalator’s motorized steps rolling up and up and, oh God, up. “I’m going to fuck this up.”

  “Abeja, I know you’re scared.” Bo’s voice was calm, a steady presence at her side. “But I also know you can do this.”

  “Really?” Sadie squeaked, sarcasm mixing with fear. “Because I don’t know that, and I’m the one that’s supposed to be doing this.”

  Ryan joined them on the platform at the foot of the escalator. “Ready?”

  “Almost,” Bo said. “Right, Sadie?”

  Sadie bit her lip. She knew they were on a tight schedule tonight, and she was holding things up. Her heart was pounding now, hard and fast, like it was getting ready to burst out of her chest and fly away. Sadie wished she could do that. Turn tail and bust through the ropes cording off the set. She glanced over her shoulder. Behind her, dozens of extras and crew members stood watching, waiting.

  From up on her platform, Sylvia called Bo to come over.

  “Have I ever told you what scares me?” Ryan asked casually while they stood waiting.

  Sadie shook her head, throat too tight to speak. She knew what he was doing. She’d told him about her “escalator problem” when they’d rehearsed this scene earlier in the week. For some reason, she’d been fine then. No fear. Maybe it was because the escalator they’d practiced on hadn’t been as big, or maybe it was because they hadn’t been in a mall, and her childhood memories hadn’t been triggered.

  When she was little, she’d spend minutes standing at the edge of the escalator in Water Tower Place, talking herself into taking that first step. What if she missed? What if she tripped and fell? What if her leg got caught? As the questions piled up on top of each other, her lungs would freeze, and her stomach would twist and flop like she was already falling. And then, once she finally managed to get on, she’d watch in horror as the steps flattened, disappearing into a crack in the floor. Her heart would pound in fear, convinced she’d be sucked into that dark void too.

  “Bananas,” Ryan said.

  “What?” she asked, exhaling the word in a puff of surprise. “Did you say you’re scared of bananas?” Sadie turned to stare at her costar. His unexpected response had broken the choke hold on her throat.

  He nodded. “Yep. Something about them weirds me out. The way people peel them before eating them, like Hannibal Lecter, peeling away the skin of his victims before devouring his next meal.”

  “I never thought about it that way.” Sadie wrinkled her nose. “Gross.”

  “And then there’s that stringy stuff,” Ryan added, mouth turning down in revulsion. “What is that stuff?” Not waiting for her to answer, he continued, “But the scariest thing, the thing that haunts my dreams, are those damn dancing bananas.”

  “Dancing bananas,” Sadie repeated. “Are you serious?”

  “Those things are freaky as hell.” Ryan shuddered.

  Sadie pictured this tall, muscled action hero, waking up screaming from a nightmare about dancing bananas. She repressed a giggle. “Thanks for sharing that with me.” She patted her costar on the shoulder.

  Bracing her legs, Sadie clenched her hands into fists and stared up at her mechanical nemesis as she began to go through her breathing exercises. She’d already jumped out a window and somersaulted two stories to the ground, she could ride an escalator a few floors up.

  By the time she counted to five, legs relaxed and hands loose at her side, Bo was back. Emily, Sadie’s stunt double, was with him. So was Tanya, clipboard in hand.

  “I talked it over with Sylvia, and it’s going to be tricky to get right, but I think we can film the bulk of this sequence with Emily.”

  “We’ll need extra time in the editing room,” Tanya said, flipping through her notes, “and some of the blocking for the fight scene with Henchman One and Two had to be reworked, but Emily’s already been prepped.”

  “That’s not necessary.” Sadie glanced up at Bo. “I can do it.”

  His brown eyes flashed, copper sparks warning her he was on edge. Bo leaned in close, voice so low she barely heard him over the hum of the escalator. “I told you at that first meeting, I’m not here to make anyone do anything they’re not comfortable with.”

  “It’s fine. I’ll do it.”

  And there went the muscle in his jaw. Yep, he was pissed. It was odd how she could tell, even with the beard. But she did. She knew he was clenching up like a crabby little clam. Knew if she touched his cheek right now, it would be rock hard with tension.

  Bo glanced at Ryan and Emily. “Excuse us for a moment, please.” To Tanya, he said, “Tell Sylvia to have the crew take a short five.”

  Without waiting for an answer, Bo took Sadie’s arm and led her off the set, past the gaping camera crew and through a side door that opened to a sparse, utilitarian hallway Sadie guessed was used by mall employees. He gripped her shoulders and turned her to face him. “I understand you’re scared, abeja. It’s okay to back off. Let Emily take over. There’s too much riding on getting this right.”

  Part of Sadie wanted to take the escape he offered. But a bigger part wanted to prove to Bo—and the rest of the world—that she had what it takes. Like her character Jamie, she was going to face her fears. “Remember that first fight scene?”

  “We don’t have time for this.” B
o ran a hand over his face, frustration written in every line of his body.

  Sadie forged ahead. She had a lot riding on this too. “You asked me to trust you, remember?”

  “What has that got to do with—”

  “Now I’m asking you to trust me,” Sadie interrupted, notching her chin higher. “I admit I panicked for a minute, but I’m over it. I’m ready to film the scene.”

  “If you get halfway through the sequence and start panicking again, we’ll have to reset the scene and reshoot. There’s not enough time.”

  “I won’t panic.”

  Bo stared down at her, and Sadie knew he was weighing the pros and cons. She pressed her advantage. “Consider me a calculated risk.”

  His lips raised in a half smile, but she noted the tension didn’t leave his body. He was worried she was going to fuck this up. Not that Sadie could blame him; she had told him she would.

  “Okay,” Bo said a moment later, surprising her. He nodded. “I trust you, abeja. If you say you can do it…” His lucky-penny eyes met hers, muted copper, warm but wary. “Then let’s do it.”

  Relief flooded her. “Thank you,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around Bo. “Thank you for trusting me.”

  “Don’t make me regret it,” he joked, squeezing her in a hug.

  Beneath the teasing, Sadie could tell he also meant it. His body was strung tight, muscles tense with nervous energy. Getting this scene right was as important to him as it was to her. And he was putting his trust in her. A thrill zipped through Sadie, confidence roaring to life. It burned inside her, a fearless ball of excitement. Breaking all the rules they’d carefully been playing by, she pulled Bo’s mouth down to hers, channeling everything she was feeling into the kiss.

  He kissed her back with a fierce desperation, tongue thrusting deep. His fingers splayed across her back, drifting lower until he was cupping her ass, pulling her closer.

  “Fuck, I can’t wait for this to be over so I can be inside you,” he groaned, kneading her bottom as he rubbed himself against her.

  “Same,” she panted. They had waited so long to be together, and were so close to the end of this, so close to finally being able to—