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with some decency. You’re not the only café

in this town, you know.

JAMES

Good luck with that. Next!

ANNIE

(walking away)

You lost a customer today. I hope

you’re happy.

JAMES

Good riddance.

Chapter 6

Mariah

It was a full day of hair and makeup. There were a lot of extras to get ready after Ellie left, and I was on my feet with no break to eat or pee for four hours. Not unusual in my line of work, but after all that my feet and back ache. Luckily the hair part of it was minimal, as most of the extras were wearing toques. After cleaning my station and grabbing a chocolate muffin from the refreshment table, I return the borrowed scarf and beeline out of there for my lunch break before anyone can see the massive purple welt under my jawline.

I feel so dumb for missing the hickey this morning when I was getting ready, but Jax had kept me properly distracted up until I had to leave. The guy’s got some stamina, and my back and legs aren’t the only things that are sore from it.

My car is parked down the street, and inside is my duffel with the heavy-duty shit I normally don’t need day-to-day. I dig around for a moment, then find the green-tinted cream foundation to cancel out the reds and purples on my skin. Using my rear-view mirror, I inspect the state of my neck.Oof, he really went to town.After rubbing a little in, then blending with my regular foundation, I look good as new. Though I do miss the visual reminder of Jax’s lips and our fun night together.

As far as one-night stands go, that was a top experience. He knew what he was doing, evidently having had a lot of practice since high school. Thinking of it, he’d had a lot of practice then, too. Maybe we’ll turn our one-evening event into a two-week romp to keep me entertained through the slog of this god-awful Christmas job.

My ringing phone disrupts my thoughts. The momentary high of thinking it might be Jax is immediately crushed uponseeing that it’s my mother. I guess she’s learned that I don’t pick up the phone before noon. With a preparative sigh, I answer it.

“Hey.”

“Hey, sweetie!”Sweetie? Ugh.“How’d filming go today?”

“Good, I guess.” I take a bite of my muffin and talk with a semi-muffled voice. “Assuming it’s going as well as it could, given the fact that it’s a low-budget holiday B movie.”

She caws a laugh, and I hold the receiver away from my ear for a moment. “I’m just at the store and was wondering if you still like Cap’n Crunch for your breakfast cereal?”

“Mom, you never let me eat Cap’n Crunch. Said it was bad for my teeth.”

“Itisbad for your teeth. But you’re an adult now and pay for your own dentist.” She caws her laugh again.

I rub my eyes. “Toast is fine. Eggs. Whatever you have. Don’t buy anything special for me.”

“Okay, well, I just want to make sure you feel at home here.”

When have I ever felt at home there?“Thanks.”

“When are you... What time will you be here?”

As if on cue, my phone dings with a text. I pull it away from my ear and glance at it, and my heart stutters at the message.

JAX:wanna visit me at work later? It gets slow around 7.

“Actually, Mom... uh, the... director and production people are all taking us out to dinner when we’re done filming tonight.”