nc

allen off my bed when she texted back seven - freaking - teen years

id her ag

ded her to be of leg

I stared at my phone again. My mind had clearly been on vaca

t, you

of their phones I'd be going to

was just fre

have to be

et laid. Plai

ou knew you were bor

ing over something as silly as what your name

overed my face with the same pillow. It smelled stale,

out needing something

ways brought on a lot of

l all over again. Will they like me? Will I

and got up to pour myself a glass of wine

who had no problem texting her words, bu

*

Pick yo

of Starbucks and waited

nd caffeine -

for my order, and, because my brain was still on that sa

o actually spout out lines tod

is that you?" Like five hundred nails getting simultaneously drag

hough I really wanted to jump over the counter, steal t

gether, then made a grand show of swiveling her hips

r. Maybe the barista would take pity on me and d

have some time this morning

. "I'm meeting with my new assi

our t

ith her an

ile the line tripled in size. I moved my li

ct spending the day with me would, but it's better than nothing." Before I could protest, she lifted her phone an

More like a warning that it might actually

arista tapped his marker against one o

Two grande vanilla

wrote down my order, and whispere

his eyes. I fumbled with my sunglasses as recognitio

pasted a fake smile on my face. "Let's ke

lid the black marker toward me.

name on the cup he'd handed me

d for my autograph more when I was in Hollywood. Maybe they didn't c

nd Seaside would be like a vacatio

eeded one

and called out my drinks. "... you're

truck, a little too eager to meet Dani and irritated that I was excited to meet m

ssis

ntrig

ept their distance. I mean, granted most of them were usually blind or o

idn't hap

ping my fingers against the wheel, nervous energy p

pid part I

mach c

o vies for the girl's attention. I was the second half of the love story, the guy every girl roots for even th

that charac

but about life in general. I'd never experienced that type of passion. In fact, I was pretty sure experiencing that much passion i

it made me fe

ng. And this was w

I braked, cut the engine, and hopped out of my truck, two co

ing, and her phone was held to her

the

ready to grab the phone out of her hands and toss it into the air, feeling a bit self-righteou

voice actually sounded like. "I start a new job today." She paused. "It's Jaymeson's fa

t I was intruding on her private conversation

e morning sun revealed her face was white as the proverbial sheet.

ni. God knows I'm not the type to go tattle to your sister and bro

n the chest. I backed up as some of

one from her ear

one b

kind of full, darling. Why do

ad and pointed t

my irritation growing. "Tell me what

mped he

er who thinks the only way she can get attention is to act out, pretend she actually has a

the corners

hit. "Ever think of going into acting? You're probably bett

eeks. She just kept furio

but I'm not going to. In fact, as of right now, consider yourself

little cry and

said in a ch

phone, the screen pointed in my dir

d. I listen to his last voice message every

to the ground, where her knees damn near k

sed m

ed, cheeks sta

typed back i

ou're a

frustration. "I know. Look, I'm sorry, I saw you talking, h

up her ph

Now

away from me. Feeling like one of the biggest pricks in the world

aced after Dani, and grabbed her. "Look, I said

from me and sh

I'd had an assistant since my first commercial. Not having a right-hand person was like not having my

ept w

eson!" Low blow. I knew

her shoulde

y phone. "You don't want

she glanced back at me out of the c

way her chest rose and fell. Minor, minor, minor. "I need

up in the air then p

uch are you

you have to put up with me

gh. Well, at l

double what J

ough ba

ound and cros

etting paid. She was now officially one of the highest paid assistants in history - or at least it

yes w

g." I g

she kept walki

her. "Aren't you ridi

tting motion with her hand across h

re you ridi

g a button on the key ring that lit

ou

got into the

ou at

cutting off the

to seduce me or sell my stuff online. If anything, I was going to need to watch my back, just

start to our

as long as filming. Three months, and I'd be, hopefu

without actua

ea