“True Love” was the theme and Sam had always planned on going as a Disney prince in search of his princess. When Evie pointed out that Sam’s look was actually for Prince Florian and not Prince Charming, their decision was made for them. Besides, sending Amanda as a plus-size Cinderella felt a little too on the nose.
She’d listened to every single one of Helene’s tips, not smiling as she turned this way and that to be photographed as Sam and their handlers helped her and her mile-long cape up the red carpet and up the Met stairs. She snuck a look at her phone just as they sat down to dinner and finally felt her natural smile spread across her face as no fewer than four celebrity sites had already named her and Sam the best dressed of the evening.
The last few months had been an absolute whirlwind. She and Sam had holed up in his condo for two days before they both had to get back to work. The studio was interested in Sam’s interest in Black Death, and Amanda?
She had to get back to her writing. She’d talked things out with Helene and instead of putting her on a fake payroll, the two of them had started working on a new pilot together. Female bounty hunters falling in love and fighting their way through space. Ignacio had loved Amanda’s initial pitch and he’d decided to option the idea, giving her the funds she needed to stay afloat and keep her place for the time being. Anytime she was having any hesitations about accepting their support neither of them would let a second pass without reminding her they hadn’t gotten to where they were without help. It was best to just embrace it and chase her dreams with all her heart.
When Helene was due back to set for her next shoot, Miss Leona had stepped up and gotten Amanda an invite to the Rory’s War writers’ room. For the last two weeks she’d been shadowing the showrunner’s assistant. It was a medical drama, not science fiction, but it was a prime-time show on a major network, with an A-list cast and a massive budget. She knew enough about set life from working with Dru, but things were so different on this side of the process. She’d already learned so much and every night she found herself aching to get back to her own writing, just imagining what it would be like to see her own characters playing out her stories on the screen.
And then there was Sam. And a special horse named Majesty. They’d spent every weekend they could at the ranch, and eventually Amanda started to ride the beautiful black horse. She wouldn’t say she was an expert, but each time she felt more and more comfortable in the saddle. She loved taking morning rides with Sam, following him down the easy trails as he led them on Bam Bam. She didn’t realize how quiet and peaceful Charming could be. How much of a relief it was to have that time together to just unplug and take in the scenery. They talked endlessly about work, new shows and books they wanted to share with each other. Sam was teaching her all kinds of stuff about the ranch, his former life in the rodeo, and, of course, horses. He’d read all her scripts, giving her amazing feedback, encouraging her to keep going and keep producing her best work.
After they’d officially stepped out for a double lunch date with Helene and Ignacio, holding hands as they entered the fancy lunch spot in Santa Monica, there had been another wave of Internet attention, but this time Amanda was prepared for it. Mostly she knew to ignore it. It didn’t stop the random asshole from leaving a cruel comment here or sending a mean tweet there, but none of that mattered, because she still had her parents’ unconditional love. And Sam and the whole Pleasant family had her back. It was still a shock to see her picture with the occasional headline. But that shock couldn’t come close to the pure rush of happiness she felt whenever she was in Sam’s arms.
She’d found herself a damn good boyfriend.
She blew out another short breath, then looked over to catch Sam looking at her with that gorgeous smile. He leaned over and whispered in her ear.
“How are you holding up, Cha-Cha?”
“Good,” she replied, matching his grin.
“Did I mention how beautiful you look right now?”
“Oh, I know I look good, Tex.” She glanced at his lips, wishing she could kiss him, but she didn’t want to flirt with the idea of smearing her lipstick all over him. He looked down at her lips in kind, sliding his hand across her satin-covered thigh.
“Later, baby. I promise. I’ll make it worth your wait.”
“Oh, I know you will,” she whispered back.
“McQueen?” Amanda looked up as Helene nodded toward the entrance to the ballroom. “Ladies?”
“Oh yeah. I’ll come with.” She squeezed Sam’s hand before she stood up. “I’ll be right back.”
They made their way across the dining room to the ladies’ restroom just as a wave of people emptied out of the space. They’d probably just missed some great restroom gossip. Amanda gathered up her dress and successfully used the facilities before she stepped back out to the sinks to wash her hands and check that her makeup was still in place.
Amanda reached under her gown for one quick adjustment of her Spanx, turning as she heard a woman farther down the sinks gasp. She looked up and saw Rina, one of her favorite pop singers, standing by the hand dryers gawking at Amanda’s feet.
“Oh my God. Are you wearing cowboy boots?”
“Yeah,” Amanda laughed. The gown and the cape were so long and her boobs were pushed so high up to her chin, she figured she was owed one bit of comfort for the evening. She’d gone back to one of Sam’s favorite suppliers, the Country General Store in the valley, and picked out a comfortable hand-stitched pair in ice blue. They fit like a dream. While other women were ready to ditch their heels, her feet were the last thing she’d been thinking about.
“Fucking amazing,” Rina replied.
“I’m digging the nun getup, but I’m a little lost on the theme.” Amanda had seen Rina and Kata, the other half of their pop duo, making the rounds earlier in their matching embroidered habits.
“There’s no greater love than my love for the Lord,” Rina said, clasping a rosary in her hands as she bowed her head deeply.
“Amazing and kinda blasphemous. I’m here for it.”
“Thank you. You seriously look amazing. And those titties! They are sitting, girl.”
Amanda looked down at her cleavage, which had attracted a lot of attention during the night. She didn’t mind though ’cause she was mostly focused on the look of lust in Sam’s eyes whenever he glanced her way. She knew she was in for a great time as soon as they got back to the hotel. She stuck a finger between her breasts, giving them a little jiggle. “I should have hidden some snacks in there.”
“Ugh, for real. All this damn fabric and I forgot to line the pockets with candy or a turkey sandwich. We’re getting pizza as soon as this thing is over. Whatever they are about to feed us will not be enough.”
“So are we!” Helene yelled from the stall.
“Love it. See you back out there,” Rina said with a smile before she twirled around and headed for the door. She stopped short just as she almost bumped into the next woman entering the restroom. Amanda tensed as Dru walked past Rina without a hint of an excuse-me. Dru almost skidded to a halt as soon as she saw Amanda. She was wearing a skintight, knee length leather dress with a red heart stitched over her chest. Her hair was pulled back in a severe braid that was draped over her shoulder. She looked amazing if not uncomfortable as hell. Amanda almost wondered how she was going to hike the full-body condom up so she could use the bathroom.
A moment of tense silence filled the air and the distance between them. Amanda knew what was coming. A rude comment about her weight or her dress or her hair. How silly she and Sam looked? How foolish? Who did they think they were? But just as Dru fixed her mouth to spew her venom, a toilet flushed and then another. Amanda realized she simply couldn’t hear her over the layered sounds of rushing water.
“Girl,” Helene said as she stepped out of the stall. “Empire waist everything. This dress is comfortable as fuck.” She and Ignacio had come as Romeo and Juliet, and Helene looked beyond stunning in her light, flowy gown that did
amazing things for her breasts. She stepped to the sink doing a double take as she spotted Dru still seething near the door. Helene scoffed and went back to washing her hands. She dried them, then turned to Amanda as more women filtered in and out of the room.
“Ready?”
“Yup.”
They pushed past Dru and out the door without a word or another look in her direction. They eventually made their way back to their seats, but not before Helene graciously introduced Amanda to a number of friends and VIPs she had yet to meet. It took some getting used to, hearing Helene introduce her as an up-and-coming screenwriter, but she forced herself to smile and accept her kind words, dressing for the job she wanted, taking on the title with pride, if not a bit of terror. She’d get there one day. She could do it.
Sam stood and pulled out her chair for her, helping her get her gown back under the table. “All good?” he asked, gently running his fingers over the back of her neck once she was settled in. Yeah, she was definitely going to put it on him the first chance she got.
“Never better.”
Don’t miss Zach and Evie’s story in
A COWBOY TO REMEMBER
Available now
And keep an eye out for
JESSE’S STORY
Coming soon
From Rebekah Weatherspoon
And Kensington Books
If the Boot Fits Page 23
