Chapter Five
Josie grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from her neck as she pulled out her earbuds. She’d hoped a workout before breakfast would clear her mind, but it had been the opposite. Moving toward the kitchen, she stopped when her phone beeped. Unease twisted in her stomach. She approached her phone as if it were a bomb.
Relief flooded her when Madison’s name appeared on the screen. When she’d powered on her phone the day before, she’d been full of trepidation, unsure what she would do if there was another message from her mystery texter. There wasn’t.
Instead of dwelling on the lack of response, she did something she hadn’t done in a long time: spoil herself. After a much needed visit to her salon, she spent a ridiculous amount of money on overpriced fashion magazines. That night she ate sushi and surrounded herself with the magazines, not giving a second thought to anonymous texts or jackass actors.
She managed to stay in her bubble until she woke panting from her vivid dream of Anders pressing her into the mattress with his body. Disgusted, she threw on workout clothes and plugged in her headphones, but fifteen minutes into her workout Muse started playing. It flipped a switch, and everything she tried to block out came rushing back with herculean force.
Shaking her head, she listened to Madison’s message that she was going to stop by. Josie texted to tell Madison to let herself in and then headed to the bathroom for a much-needed shower.
Half an hour later, Madison slid onto the kitchen stool next to Josie. “Well, I see you’ve been busy this weekend.” She eyed the scattered magazines before grabbing one and thumbing through the pages. The two sat in silence for several minutes, Josie lost in fabrics and necklines, while Madison tried to figure out how to broach the subject that brought her to Josie’s house in the first place.
“Just spit it out,” Josie sighed, not bothering to look up from the magazine.
“Fine. Holden and I are going out tonight. We want you to come with us.”
“Okay,” Josie drawled. A distraction would be welcome.
“And well, Holden is bringing someone with him.”
Josie’s brows rose in surprise. “Is there something you guys want to tell me?”
“Oh, shut up. It’s a guy he’s trying to hire. His name is Philip. He’s supposed to be this hot new chef that just moved here. He’s got a couple of different restaurants after him, and Holden thought since he was new in town, he could take him out. Show him around and get an edge over the others.”
Josie laughed at the indignant tone in Madison’s voice. “So what, I’m supposed to help lure this guy into his clutches? Wow, Holden must really want this guy to use me as bait.”
It was Madison’s turn to laugh. “Did you drink bleach this weekend? No matter how much Holden wants this guy for the restaurant, there’s no way he’d play matchmaker. Hell, he doesn’t introduce you to guys he does know. In his mind you’re still his sweet, innocent little sister.”
“Pigtails included?”
Still laughing, Madison nodded, “Pigtails included.”
Josie tsked, her face a mask of mock sympathy. “Poor, delusional bastard.”
“So you’ll come? Holden doesn’t want him to feel like a third wheel. He told the guy you were his sister, which I’m sure translated as ‘this isn’t a double date, so keep your hands to yourself.’”
“Yeah, I’ll come. Just tell me when and where.”
“El Conquistador’s at seven?”
“Sounds perfect. I’ll see you guys then.”
After Madison left, Josie settled onto her couch and grabbed her laptop. There was no better way to kill time than browse a few fashion sites. The idea backfired when the first site she opened had a picture of Anders at the top of the page. One click led to two, and before Josie realized it, she’d landed on a gossip site featuring pictures of Anders in a very compromising position.
Across town, Anders stared at the same images. His jaw ticked with annoyance as he clicked through the pictures. He swore under his breath and closed the laptop, not wanting to see proof of his stupidity all over Perez Hilton, Hollywood Life, and TMZ a second longer.
He stared at his phone, his thoughts shifting to the last text from Josie. He wondered if she figured out it was him. He didn’t know anything about her private life, but if she treated her other one-night stands like him, he doubted she exchanged phone numbers—or maybe she did. He groaned and fell back on his chair. This was why he didn’t do relationships. This was why he kept things simple and impersonal; the alternative was too much damn work.
Still, no matter how tempted he was, and even though the entire situation drove him crazy, he couldn’t walk away from the challenge Josie presented. He debated texting her again, but every doubt in his body said no. He should wait until he saw her so he could control the situation, read her facial expressions, and see firsthand if she suspected it was him. With a resigned sigh he threw his phone on the table and flipped on the television. He’d see her tomorrow. That would be soon enough.
Even in his mind he knew that was bullshit.
Later that evening, Josie pulled into the restaurant’s parking lot and grimaced, realizing she was late. Doing a quick check of her makeup, she stepped into the warm evening air. She hadn’t meant to be so late, but she’d spent more time getting ready than expected.
Once inside, Josie spotted Madison, who gave her a long look before waving her over. It was a domino effect from there. Josie cut her eyes to Holden to gauge his reaction, but Holden was staring at Philip, who was looking at Josie like she was something to eat.
“That’s your sister?” Philip asked, his eyes fixed on Josie as a sexy smile stretched across his face.
Holden hummed in response.
“Hey, Josie.” Madison gave Josie a questioning look, but didn’t press when Josie subtlety shook her head.
“Maddie.”
“There you are.” Holden rose from his chair and gave her a hug before turning to Philip who also stood.
“Philip, this is my sister, Josie. Josie, Philip.”
Philip wrapped his hand around Josie’s and dipped his chin but kept his eyes on her. “Hello, Josie. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Josie’s knees buckled when he spoke. His thick French accent made the greeting sound indecent. “Hi.” She cleared her throat and tried to ignore the way her own voice sounded high and off-pitch. Holden tugged Josie back, breaking the contact between the two.
“Do you want a Corona?” Holden asked, eyeing Philip as he eased back into his seat.
Josie shook her head. “Margarita on the rocks. Tequila shot on the side.”
Josie smiled at Philip and ignored Madison’s kick to her chair. She wasn’t in the mood to answer questions. She didn’t want to admit how much it bothered her to see those photos of Anders with his face buried between some girl’s breasts. She wondered how he could expel so much energy chasing her and still hook up with random girls. She couldn’t understand why he wasted the effort on her when it was obviously so easy for him to find girls. Her fists clenched. The reason was obvious. It was a game to him.
As much as she liked being chased, it wasn’t worth how it made her feel when she saw those pictures. She felt discarded and small, unimportant. Nothing was worth that. He’d been right when he said she was playing a very dangerous game she would not win. Which was why she was throwing in her cards. No more flirting. No more leather pants and low tops. She would keep things strictly professional from now on.
“When did you move to town?” Josie turned her attention to Philip as she grabbed her drink from the waitress and pulled the straw between her lips.
“Um, just two weeks ago.” His voice had risen at the end, making his statement sound more like a question than he intended. He couldn’t help it. The girl in front of him was quite distracting.
Josie hummed and grabbed the saltshaker. She licked her hand before sprinkling it with salt then grabbed the shot glass. “Cheers!” She downed the shot in one smooth motion, her expression not reflecting her distaste for the bitter liquor.
“I’ve got the next one.” Philip grinned. He motioned for the waitress to bring over four shots as Holden and Madison watched Josie with a mix of annoyance and concern. Two shots later everyone’s shoulders began to slacken and the tension in the air evaporated. They talked about LA and things to do around the city. Philip hinted more than once that he’d love for someone to show him around, but Josie’s tequila-hazed mind was too far gone to pick up his meaning, much to Holden’s relief.
It was when the conversation veered to Josie’s job that Madison noticed a crack in Josie’s carefully composed mask. She wasn’t sure what had happened, but something told her it had to do with Anders Ellis.
“If you guys will excuse us.” Madison didn’t elaborate. Instead she grabbed Josie’s hand and hauled her to the bathroom. The room spun when Madison yanked Josie to her feet, but she didn’t protest.
“Okay, what’s the deal?” Madison steadied Josie against the wall, then stepped back so she could get a good look at her drunken friend. Josie groaned and dropped her chin, her gaze fixed on her chest.
“I have a nice rack, don’t I? Wait, don’t answer that. I have a nice rack. I have a spectacular rack. Philip must think so. He hasn’t stopped staring since I got here.” Her words came out in a rush, her eyes widening as she looked from her chest to Madison.
“Okay first, please stop saying rack. Second, um, what is the matter with you?”
Josie pressed her palm to her forehead. “Nothing. Absolutely nothing.”
“Well, obviously it’s something. You’re not acting like yourself at all. Well, except for the tequila shots. That’s completely like you but beside the point.”
Josie cracked a smile. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t be jealous because I can hold my liquor and you can’t.”
“Oh, I can hold it just fine. That’s the problem. Even when I should puke, I don’t. It’s caused a lot of tabletop dances I’m glad I can’t remember.” Madison giggled and walked over to Josie. Grabbing Josie’s hands, she pulled her away from the wall and threw an arm over her shoulders. “You ready to talk to me now?”
“I’m just annoyed with myself. It’s not a big deal, I promise.” Josie meant what she said. She wasn’t going to let this thing with Anders mess with her any more. She was going to concentrate on the here and now. It didn’t hurt that the here and now included a hot French chef who stared at her like a four-course meal.
“Well, if it’s any consolation, your tits are fantastic.”
Josie let out a loud, grateful laugh and hugged Madison. “Thanks for letting me work this out on my own.”
“No pressure, Josie. But I’m here if you need me.”
“I know.”
“Now”―Madison laughed―“let’s go back out there and see how many shades of red your brother’s face can turn from watching Philip eye fuck you.”
Josie pretended to gag. “Can you please not mention my brother and any kind of fucking in the same sentence? There’s not enough tequila in the world for me to not be grossed out by that image.”
Madison grinned mischievously. “Challenge accepted.”
The rest of the night passed in a blur: more tequila, a second bar, then a third. Sweet words wrapped in a silky French accent tried their best to land a date with Josie. Despite his efforts, all Philip managed to score was a kiss on the cheek and his number slipped into Josie’s back pocket. Holden breathed a sigh of relief as Josie stumbled into her house at the end of the night. He wasn’t sure what was bothering her, but he’d mind his business for now.
The sound of Josie’s alarm clock beeping the next morning made her moan in pain. She rolled to her side and reached for the snooze button, her arm waving in the air before making contact. Hugging her pillow, she burrowed under the covers. Her mouth felt like it was full of sawdust, and she was certain a hundred tiny men were chopping down a forest in her head.
Forty-five minutes later her phone rang, jarring her from sleep. She squinted at the clock before cursing under her breath and jumping out of bed. The room tipped and her stomach rolled as she braced herself on the nightstand.
“Hello?” Her voice was low and scratchy, like sandpaper rubbing cement.
“Well, good morning, Josie. I figured you’d need a morning wake-up call. Madison’s in the shower. You sound about as good as she does. Work should be fun for you two today. Later, sunshine!” Holden’s voice rang in Josie’s head, his tone cheerful and loud. Jerk.
Josie stumbled to the bathroom and crawled into the shower, not bothering to wait for the water to warm up first. She needed all the help she could get to make it through the day. Luckily, she only had to be at the studio for a few hours.
Her stomach fluttered with nerves as she thought about the reason she had to go to the studio. She considered calling in sick but couldn’t make herself do it, not when she was the only person to blame for her pathetic state. Well, her and Anders Ellis. As the cold water washed over her face, she wondered how he would act today. Would he be distant and uninterested, or would he pretend nothing happened? She clenched her jaw and yanked her shampoo from the shelf. Her resolve to not care about Anders and his games was a lot easier to declare with five shots of tequila in her system. Yet now, with a somewhat clear mind, it was a jumble all over again.
While Josie tried to get herself together, Anders paced the length of his trailer and checked his watch for the tenth time in as many minutes. Josie was late. He’d called her department, but no one had seen her. He eyed his phone, ready to call her when something bumped against the door. A frown twisted his mouth when he turned to see Josie stumble inside. Even though he’d prepared to lay into her for being late, something about her appearance stopped him. She looked...like shit.
“Are you sick?” His voice was harsher than he intended.
She glared at him through hazy, bloodshot eyes. No matter how unreasonable or misplaced her feelings were, she blamed him for her massive hangover. “Why do you care?”
The tone of her voice set him off. “I don’t. But if you’re sick, you should have the common courtesy to tell people. I don’t need to catch whatever you’re infected with.”
Josie opened her mouth, a snarky reply on her lips, when a wave of nausea washed over her. She steadied herself against the wall as her vision blurred and her stomach churned. Anders was at her side before he realized what he was doing. He wrapped his arm around her waist to hold her upright, his face scrunched with concern. “Hey.” His voice was soft as his eyes darted over her face. He pulled her to his chair, his movements slow and cautious as her face flushed with color. “Ivy, are you okay?”
She pushed his chest in a weak attempt to get away from him, but her effort was more about principle than actual discomfort. “No,” she groaned, falling into his chair.
The moment she spoke, the smell of tequila hit the air. Anders pulled his head back in distaste, the familiar smell wiping away any concern he felt. “Yeah.” His voice was flat and clipped, as he stepped away from her. “Tequila’s a bitch.”
Josie pressed her palm against her forehead and squeezed her eyes closed. She spoke before giving any thought to how her words would be interpreted. “Maybe if I took my shots from between someone’s breasts, I wouldn’t feel so bad.”
Anders’ eyes widened and Josie cursed under her breath. She balled her fists and waited for the smart-ass remark she didn’t have the energy to fight. For once, though, Josie was going to get a free pass. As much as Anders wanted to be a cocky asshole, the confirmation she had seen the pictures sent him into damage control mode.
He walked over to the carafe of coffee and poured a cup. “How do you take it?”
“Out of a shot glass, like normal people, asshole.”
Anders chuckled. He couldn’t help feeling smug. Josie put up a good front, but every day she revealed how much she wanted him, no matter how hard she pretended not to.
“Not tequila. Coffee. But if that’s what you want, I could find some.”
Josie lifted her head, her eyes narrowing as she focused on Anders holding a cup of steaming coffee and a pack of sugar. He flicked his wrist, shaking the packet as one side of his mouth lifted in amusement.
“What?” She blinked, certain she was hallucinating. Maybe she was still drunk because there was no way Anders Ellis was making her coffee.
“Your coffee, Josie. Do you want sugar? Cream?” He’d attempted small talk for only a couple of minutes and already he’d grown tired of it.
“Just black,” she answered reluctantly. No doubt an ulterior motive lurked beneath the surface. He nodded and crossed the room until he stood in front of her.
“Here,” he murmured.
“Thanks.” They sat in uncomfortable silence for several minutes. Anders had to start the conversation. He needed to convince her he wasn’t an asshole. Even making a conscious effort to not act like dick, he still managed to bring up the one subject Josie had no interest in discussing.
“Why did you get smashed last night?” He tried to sound casual, but the memory of their last encounter floated to the forefront of his mind. It made him wonder again if she’d been with some guy the entire weekend.
Josie grimaced. “I went out with a few friends.”
“Friends?”
“Yes.”
“That’s all I get?” His tone was indignant. “You show up late for work, hung-over and reeking of tequila, and instead of laying into you like I should, I make you coffee. Still, you can’t give more than a one word answer. Typical.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Josie spat. She slammed the coffee onto his dresser, the hot liquid sloshing over the rim and scalding her hand. “You pour a cup of coffee and refrain from being a jerk for two minutes and you think that entitles you to details about my personal life? Newsflash, Anders. Normal people do that kind of thing without expecting something in return.” She peeked at her hand and grimaced at the bright red color of her skin. “I should have known better.” Her words were a whispered mumble as she fought back angry tears. She was too hung-over to get into a sparring match, and no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t let him have the last word. She kept her eyes down and searched for something to wipe her hand as she tried to get her emotions under control.
“Jesus Christ,” Anders groaned, unaware of Josie’s change in demeanor. “Does everything have to turn into an argument with you? I was making conversation. If you’d pull that stick out of your ass, you might be capable of answering a simple fucking question.” He moved closer until he stood a couple of feet away, his eyes downcast. When she didn’t respond, he looked up just in time to see a tear slip down her cheek. His eyes widened with disbelief and his stomach clenched with...something at the sight of her tears. “Are you crying? What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“I burned my hand.” Her voice was low, her words choked as she spoke through gritted teeth.
“Shit.” He grabbed her hand, lifting it to his face and frowning at the welt forming. “This is what happens when you can’t control your anger. Next time you should think twice about having a temper tantrum while holding a cup of hot coffee. You need ice.”
He dropped her hand and moved to the table, pulling a couple ice cubes from the cooler and grabbing a bottle of water as well. Josie stared at his back, her eyes wide and her jaw slack. Any tears of frustration that had leaked from her eyes were nowhere to be seen. Now she only felt dumbfounded.
“How do you ever get a job? How do you...function in life period? You’re the most socially inept person I’ve ever met.”
He turned to face her, a slow smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. “This is typically where I make a joke, reminding you there’s nothing inept about me, but I’m trying to refrain.” He walked over to her and rubbed the ice in a slow circle over the back of her hand. After several moments he looked up, his face twisted in a pout. “It’s very hard.”
Josie laughed; she couldn’t help it. She wasn’t sure if it was the hangover, her mini breakdown, or the fact that even when he tried not to be a perverted asshole, he still couldn’t do it. “That’s what she said.”
He barked out a short laugh and lifted his brow. “She can speak and have a normal conversation. Shocking.”
“Don’t push it.”
They fell silent as Anders continued to massage her hand with the ice. He thought about what to say to keep the conversation going. She seemed to have calmed, but it never took much to set her off. He drew in a deep breath and decided to bite the proverbial bullet and bring up the pictures.
“You can’t believe everything you see on those gossip sites, you know.”
Josie stiffened and tried to pull away, but Anders held her in place. She huffed and lifted her gaze to his. “So you didn’t lick salt off a girl’s chest and pull a shot from between her breasts with your teeth while she straddled your lap?”
Anders’ movements faltered, the ice gripped between his fingers sliding to the floor. “Well, no. I mean, yes. But―”
Josie pulled her hand free and held it between them. “You don’t have to explain. What you do is your business.”
Anders ground his teeth. He hated justifying himself, but if he intended to make any headway, he had to do just that. “I didn’t fuck her,” he blurted out.
Josie jerked back in surprise. “Like I said, it’s none of my business.”
“So you don’t care that I’m telling you I didn’t sleep with that girl because of you?”
Josie’s chin dropped to her chest and her eyes closed in defeat. It seemed their truce was over before it began. “How do I fit into this?”
“Because even though you refuse to go out with me, I’m still refraining from fucking other women.”
Josie blinked, her face devoid of emotion. “There’s something wrong with you. You’re telling me that you drew the line at fucking her in hopes I’d still go out with you, but making out in a club full of people is still fair game. Good to know.”
“I wouldn’t have been there at all if you’d stop fighting me so damn much.”
“What, for one night?” Her voice was full of exasperation. “Been there, done that, remember?”
“What are you saying? That you want more?” Anders’ entire frame became rigid at the thought.
“Are you even listening to me? No, I don’t want more. I don’t want anything. Period.”
“Come on, Ivy, just have dinner with me. Let me at least make up for giving your boss the impression you were doing a shitty job. I’ll be a perfect gentleman.”
“You don’t have a gentlemanly bone in your body. Besides, if you wanted to make it up to me, you’d tell him I’m doing a great job and you no longer need my services.” She smiled brightly when Anders scowled.
“Perhaps if you’d agree to have dinner with me, I’d do just that.”
“When did this become about food? Since the beginning you’ve been after one thing: sex. If you’ve given up on that, why bother?”
“Maybe I like arguing with you or maybe I’m trying to be nice. Although, I could be switching tactics because your stubbornness is driving me fucking insane. Either way, you’ll have to give me a chance to find out.”
“I think the answer to that question is pretty damn obvious, Anders.”
“And I think you want to say yes, but you enjoy watching me beg. Am I right? Do you like me chasing you?” He stepped between her legs and placed his hands on the chair arms so he hovered over her. “Does your heart beat faster and your muscles clench when you think about me catching you, Ivy?” He skimmed his nose against hers, then slid his mouth to her ear and rested his cheek against the side of her face. “Say yes.” As he spoke his lips brushed the shell of her ear, his voice no more than a whisper.
Josie dug her nails into her palms and shook her head. It was the most pathetic act of defiance she’d ever given him. “No.”
“Will you at least think about it?” He pulled away, fighting every instinct in his body to tell her to go fuck herself and walk out of the room. The only time he’d begged this much was while chanting “don’t stop” right before shooting his load in the mouth of a girl deep-throating him.
“I can’t go out with someone like you. I don’t care if it is only one dinner as an apology.”
Anders felt cornered. He needed to change her mind, no matter the cost. “Do you have any idea how many pictures those assholes take until they get one that appears scandalous? Because I can tell you, it’s hundreds. Just like the ones taken the other night. The pictures you’ll never see are the ones of a group of girls asking me to do a shot off their friend since it was her bachelorette party.” The lie rolled off his tongue so smoothly that for a minute he believed it too. He almost felt bad, but the shock on Josie’s face was enough to keep him in check.
“What?”
“Yeah.”
“I―”
“Listen, don’t answer right now. Just think about it.” He looked at his watch and sighed. “I’ve got to get on set. I even dressed myself.” He swept his arms out wide and grinned as he moved toward the door. “Stay as long as you want. Although, you should go home. You look like hell and your breath smells like tequila.”
He laughed and shut the door behind him, drowning out the muffled insults and nasty names she was calling him. He didn’t enjoy having to lie to get what he wanted. He preferred to be upfront with his intentions, but since he was breaking one of his rules already, what was one more?