Page 6 of The Starlet
“Do you want to come in for a few? I can make some coffee or something.” I play with the faded Paris keychain in my hand.
He shakes his head. “I should head home. Have a good night, Elena. I look forward to seeing you on set.” He leans down to kiss my cheek in a way of parting, and I automatically turn my head. He catches the corner of my lips and I gasp. The brief kiss was over before it even began.
Then he turns on his heel and walks back to his car as if my world wasn’t spinning, or my heart beating out of my chest. I touch the corner of my lips and smile to myself, then let myself in and close the door.
I’ll be thinking of this moment in bed tonight.
I see the letter he tossed on the table and tear it open. The smile fades from my face as I read the contents. My head spins, and my heart races for reasons unrelated to Bradley now. The paper slips from my shaking fingers and gently cascades down to the floor, landing at my feet.
I think I’m going to be sick.
Chapter 4
From my car,I watch as she closes the door and is out of sight. I barely made it without turning around and heading straight back to her. She invited me in, and I wanted nothing more than to say yes, but I’m not sure I’d leave if I did.
Her lips—while I only caught the corner of them—were soft. Her quiet gasp of surprise made me hard the moment it fell from her lips. Her scent lingers in the confined space of my car, and I close my eyes, inhaling deeply, creating a memory with it. Her perfume is light and floral, but with a sweetness mixed in. I can’t get enough of it.
I put the car in gear and head home with her on my mind the entire time. She’s something else, that’s for sure. I figured she would be nice, but I didn’t think she’d be a bit of a spitfire. I can already tell we’re going to have a lot of laughs on set.
As I pull into my parking space, my phone beeps with a new message. I look down and see it’s from Elena. My dick perks up at the thought of her.If this is what it’s like after hanging out for one night, how am I going to survive filming?
Elena:Thanks again for dinner. I have a feeling the two of us are going to get along great. I’m going for a hike tomorrow and wanted to know if you felt like joining me? I’m supposed to do cardio to keep in shape for the role, but I can’t stand the gym.
Me:That sounds like fun. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather go with some girlfriends?
Elena:Nah. I don’t have a lot of girlfriends. It’s too hard, and they’re too bitchy. If you don’t want to come, that’s fine. I just thought it could be fun to hang out some more.
Me:Then count me in. Where should I meet you?
Elena:Send me your address. I’ll pick you up. Where we’re going is a surprise! :D
I send it to her and smile as she wishes me a good night. It would be a better night if I could have spent it with her, but that’s not something I’m going to disclose.
I undress down to my boxers and fold my clothes, placing them on the bench at the end of my bed. Flopping down on the soft mattress and plush comforter, I take a deep breath. Two dates in two days—no, notdates. We’re only colleagues getting to know one another. I know that’s what this is, but why can’t I help wanting it to be more?
* * *
She runsup my driveway and pounds on the door in a set of rhythmic knocks. When I pull it open, she’s standing in front of me in a blue tank top and a pair of navy capri workout pants with mesh sides that show me half of her outer thigh. I’m itching to reach out and touch where I can see her skin.I bet her skin is soft and smooth there.I rub my jaw and, realizing I’ve been staring at her leg for too long, I glance up. She’s beaming and can’t contain her energy as she bounces on the balls of her feet.
“Are you ready? I’m so excited! It’s been months since I’ve gone hiking, and this is my favorite spot in the whole world. You’re going to love it, Brad!”
I cock my head to the side and scrunch my eyebrows. People haven’t called me Brad in years—not since I started acting. It sounds nice when spoken with her soft voice. “Yeah, let me get my sneakers on. Come on in. Besides water, do I need to bring anything else?”
She steps inside and closes the door behind her, keeping the air conditioning in the house. “Nope, I have a backpack with all sorts of snacks and stuff.”
“Snacks? Jesus, how long are we going to be gone for? I was just going to bring this,” I say, holding up the sixteen-ounce water bottle for her to see.
“I’ve got a case in my car and a CamelBak that I can use, along with another backpack so you can put water in it. Then I have trail mix and protein bars for the hike, and picky stuff for the picnic—grapes, cheese, stuff like that.”
“Picnic? I thought you said we were just hiking?” She shrugs, but her smile stays in place. “I wish you would have told me. I could have picked some things up from the store.”
She waves her hands in front of her, dismissing the idea. “No. You took me out for coffee and for dinner. We’re friends. I like to do nice things for my friends, too.” She opens the door and waves for me to follow her out. Her Jeep Wrangler is on the street in front of my place with the top down. “Hop in. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover to get there, and we want to beat the crowds.”
She starts up the car, and some pop song blares through the speakers. Her hand immediately goes to the volume dial and turns it down, a faint blush tingeing her cheeks. “Sorry, I loved the song that was on when I got here. I always have to turn it up and sing it loud.”
“What song was it?”
“Pop Princess by an older boy band calledThe Click Five. I’m a huge boyband lover—New Kids on the Block, ‘NSYNC, Backstreet Boys. All of them are like crack for me. The songs are catchy, and the boys aren’t bad looking either.” She winks at me and giggles.