Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 63716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
“Isn’t that Dana’s ex?” Garrett asked when we got far enough away to ask without being overheard.
“Yeah, but now she’s her fiancé.”
“Again?”
“Yeah.”
Garrett shook his head, disgusted. “Julian, we said you needed a friend with benefits, not baggage. A woman who will make you forget this intern, not one that is banging your sister.”
“Production assistant,” I corrected automatically.
Garrett gave me a what’s the difference look that I didn’t bother answering. We got our drinks and rejoined our dates. I was glad to see that Shelly and Destiny were getting along so well. It made the conversation flow easily, which meant I could mentally check out. Nod at the right places. Laugh when Garrett did.
And think about Willow.
There was no reason for her to be here tonight, but I’d still hoped. It wasn’t unlike Miller to bring a crew member as a security blanket. He wanted to be where the people were, but he didn’t have a damn thing to say to them half the time.
I made my way back to the bar solo to get the next round of drinks before the lights flickered, indicating we needed to make our way into the auditorium and take our seats. Inexplicably, I found myself standing beside Fletcher James.
“Long time, no see,” he said with a megawatt grin. If anyone snapped a picture of us, we’d look like best friends instead of bitter rivals.
I didn’t bother to play along though. “I just saw you standing on the other side of the room. What the hell are you doing over here?” It was a serious question. That side had its own bar. There was no reason for Fletcher to be bellied up to this one. He was breaking our unspoken contract, the one that said, even though we can’t avoid being at the same events, we can still avoid each other. It kept things nice and civil.
Fletcher feigned surprise at my abrupt tone. “I wanted to say hi to Lewis, Jr. What’s wrong with that?”
I hadn’t been called junior since I was a teenager. I hadn’t liked it then. I sure as hell didn’t like it now, and especially not from him. But I wasn’t going to engage. I didn’t know what he was up to, but I wouldn’t put it past him to goad me into a fight that would inevitably make its way back to O’Conner and end in our mutual destruction. No way would O’Conner sell to either of us if word got printed that we were fighting because of the rights to his book.
I ignored him, but Fletcher wasn’t going to give up so easily. “How’s your little documentary going?” he asked casually. “I heard there was an incident last week.”
I had to fight to keep from reacting. How the hell had he heard about that? How closely was he following Lewis Productions these days? Not Lewis Productions, I corrected myself, me. He was determined to find some dirt that would smear my name and ensure that O’Conner would never work with me again. The motherfucker. I wasn’t mad, though. I just wish I’d thought of it first. When Dana got back, I’d talk to her about it. We could hire Landon’s security company.
Then a sudden chilling thought wormed its way into my head. I’d had my tongue down a production assistant’s throat in full view of the entire parking lot. If he had someone tailing me, it would only be complete fucking luck that it wasn’t caught on camera. But as quickly as the chill descended, it lifted. No, if Fletcher had something like that on me, he wouldn’t waste time goading me about an incident on set. He wasn’t that subtle.
I ignored his question and grabbed my drink. “See you around, Fletcher,” I said as I walked back to my group.
He said something I couldn’t quite make out. Something under his breath. Something that sounded like, ‘maybe sooner than you think.’
But there was no way he really had. He was in the bad movie business, but he wasn’t a cartoon villain. So instead of turning around and demanding he speak up, I kept walking. Normally an encounter with Fletcher left me fuming, but this one just made me think of Willow.
Strange, but then, everything was making me think about her lately.
13
WILLOW
Julian had said he would stay away, that I would have to come to him. I didn’t believe him, though. The next day, every nerve in my body was activated, waiting for him to show up. But the tell-tale prickle never ran down my spine. I went home at the end of the day feeling strange—confused and relieved and let down all at once. The next day went the same way. By the third day, I knew he wasn’t coming. Apparently, his word meant something, unlike most in this town.