Page 14 of The Starlet
“Glad to know you beat your women,” she says through clenched teeth.
“I’ve never raised a hand to a woman unless she’s begged for it. Trust me, I’ll have you begging.” I kiss the corner of her lips and stand tall as Tait walks into the shot.
“Zach, so glad you could make it. Please, let’s go inside. I don’t like to conduct business in the open.” He rakes his eyes over Elena, and a fire ignites within me. I grip her hand and pull her behind me, shielding her body from his view.
“Cut!” Joe yells, walking to us. “That was great, guys, really. I want to try it again, and this time, I really want to see the fire in your eyes, Elena. I want to see just how pissed off you are at Bradley.”
She tugs at my hand, and I realize I haven’t dropped it yet. I release my grip, and she slips her hand out of mine. I miss the feel of her soft, warm skin.
Joe glances at her fallen hand and looks back up at me. He doesn’t say anything, but I’m sure he noticed. “Let’s take it from the top.” He walks back over to his seat.
We do the same scene take after take. Elena messed up and started laughing in one of them, and Tait tripped while walking into the scene in another. We finally get the perfect shot after the fourth attempt, and the crew moves around to set up for the next scene. Elena walks over to her assistant for a robe, and Cristina bounces up to me with a bottle of water.
“You did great. Can I get you anything else?”
Yeah, a longer dress for Elena. I’ve been rocking a semi for the past hour.“No, I’m good, thanks. I’m going to head to my trailer for a few minutes.”
“All right, I’ll come get you when they are ready for the next scene.”
“Thanks.”
I opt to walk instead of taking a golf cart. It’s only a few minutes away, and I could use the space away from everyone. She is doing something to me. We’re coworkers, so I shouldn’t be getting involved. In Hollywood, two stars dating rarely works out. The last thing I want is my relationship scrutinized by the paparazzi.
I need to distance myself from her before I do something I regret—like try to make her mine.
Chapter 9
I gratefully takemy robe from Chloe and peek up through my lashes as Bradley walks off.Alone. I was hoping we could talk in between scenes, but as I watch him disappear around a corner, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
I push down my disappointment and make small talk with Chloe while checking my phone. Searching through social media, I come across several new posts fans have added from earlier today. I’m hoping to find the man that grabbed my arm. I want to get a better look at him. There was something about him that seemed familiar, but everything happened so fast, I’m not sure.
Tait slides in next to me to look over my shoulder at my phone. “You know you shouldn’t sneak away like that, right?”
“Oh, shush. There were a lot of fans that were excited to see me. You should have done the same thing. I bet they would have loved that.” I lock my phone and place it back in Chloe’s bag.
“Yes, but now, more will show up tomorrow, hoping for the same chance.”
“Wow. Can you be any more of a dick about your fans?”
He throws his hands up in surrender, holding them in place. “To be fair, most of them probably weren’t there for me. They want to see you and Caleb.”
“They want to see everyone. Those fans want the chance to say they were here when filming happened and that they were lucky enough to be recognized for a few minutes.” I brush a stray lock of hair from my face, securing it behind my ear, and change the subject. “Anyway, I was heading back to my trailer while I wait for the next scene. I’ll see ya soon.”
I flag down a golf cart, and I’m on my way. The driver stops in front of my trailer, and I thank him as he drives off. Looking around to make sure no one is watching, I change course and head straight to Bradley’s. I knock on the door and wait patiently for him to respond.Where is he?I knock again and wait. My patience wears thin as I cross my arms over my chest and tap my foot.
When he doesn’t answer, I open the door quietly and ascend the three stairs. I look around and don’t see him.He must have gone for a walk instead.I turn to leave and hear a grunt coming from the bathroom.
I walk to the closed door and rap my knuckles on the door. “Bradley, are you okay in there? You left so abruptly, and I want to make sure you’re feeling okay.”
“I’m fine. Get out of here. I’ll be back to set soon,” his muffled voice comes through.
I lean my ear to the door so I can hear him better. “Can I get you anything? I’m sure I can rustle up more soup if you need some.”
He groans again. “No. Please, leave me alone.”
My mouth pops open in surprise. I back out of his trailer and enter my own. I sit down in a huff.What the fuck?I decide to text him and apologize for walking in on him. I’m not sure why it pissed him off so much, but I need to find out why.
There is a knock on my door, and Chloe comes in. “Hey, they are set up for the next scene and are ready for you.”