Chapter Two

 

“Here. I accidentally wore this home yesterday,” I said to Tamara as I handed her the washed bikini bottoms.

“Okay,” she said cautiously.

I knew if I started rambling with details, she’d know I was lying. Her bright red lips pursed together as her dark eyes stared into mine, looking for whatever I was trying to hide inside them. “You and Josh really worked well together,” she said, deciding not to push me on whether or not taking the bikini bottoms was an accident or not. Thank God! I didn’t really want to tell her I got pussy juice all over them because Josh made me hot.

“Yes. He was easy to work with,” I said.

“Well, the client loved the chemistry between you two. So, if you’re interested, you can take Sandra’s place,” Tamara announced.

Her hand slid through her short black mane as she waited patiently for my reaction. “Yes! Yes! Yes!” I blurted out.

“It’s just another couple sessions or so,” she stated.

“That’s fine. Hopefully I’ll get the part I auditioned for,” I said proudly.

Lisa squealed from my news, finally coming to life from the couch where she’d been for two days. She was a struggling actress as well, and even though I felt my struggle was hard, hers was much worse. She hadn’t worked in months, and every audition she’d been on had gone horribly wrong. My heart ached for her, and if I’d known she was still buried under the pile of blankets on the couch, I’d have kept my news private.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were there,” I admitted.

“Oh, nonsense. That’s great news. Just because I’m down right now, it doesn’t mean I can’t celebrate your success,” she said, sweet as ever.

“When will you find out?” Tamara asked.

“Couple days,” I said calmly, even though it was killing me inside to have to wait another second before finding out.

“I’ll keep my fingers crossed for ya,” Tamara said.

“Me too,” Lisa agreed.

“Amy and Maria are working the car show all week,” Lisa said, rolling her eyes.

“Why didn’t you?” Tamara asked.

Lisa rolled her eyes again, but this time with more emphasis on her disgust at the notion she would stoop to that level.

I giggled. “I’m sorry, but I’ve done far worse,” I admitted.

“Exactly,” Tamara said sternly.

Lisa fell back onto the couch, pushing her hand to her forehead. Maybe that’s why she wasn’t working. Maybe the casting crew weren’t the picky ones; maybe she was.

“I’m spending my day at the beach. I don’t want to think about the audition until they call,” I sighed.

“I gotta run. I’ll text you the details for your shoot schedule,” Tamara said, rushing out the door with her equipment in hand.

Lisa was already rolled back into a cocoon in her blanket, so I went into my room and got ready for my day of relaxation and sunshine.

I said goodbye to the blob on the couch and received a mumble of something unintelligible in return. When I arrived at the beach, it was apparent that I wasn’t the only one with the idea of soaking up the unusual October rays.

The Santa Monica Pier was flooded with people, and the beach wasn’t much better in terms of finding a place with some solitude. I stepped onto the warm sand, made my way through the crowd, and found a spot near a group of college kids playing volleyball.

A part of me yearned for that college life. They all looked so carefree and confident. Did they all have their lives figured out?

The sand warmed my back, even through my thick beach towel, as I spread myself out under the sun. I wonder if they’ll call today? Stop it. You are supposed to be relaxing.

“Emily. Emily Warren, is that you?” a squeaky voice said from somewhere nearby.

I opened my eyes, pushed myself up, and turned to see Jackie Lemay standing behind my towel. Her bright-blue eyes, glistening tan skin, and shiny blonde hair all reminded me of everything I hated about this town.

“Hey, Jackie,” I said, sliding my sunglasses from my eyes and forcing a smile.

Jackie Lemay, the most irritating woman in the world, standing here, on my beach, on my day to relax.

“How’ve you been?” she asked, a touch of pity thick on her tone.

“I’ve been great,” I smirked upward at her.

“Oh, wonderful. So, you’re working finally?” she asked.

My hands pushed into the sand. They clenched into fists, grabbing the hot sand between my fingers. I wanted to fling it at her, hopefully scorching her eyes with the hot grains so she couldn’t work again.

“I’ve just been hired for a new water campaign,” I boasted, grateful that Tamara had given me something to brag about.

“Print ads? Oh. Well, you gotta do what you gotta do to survive,” she threw out the pity tone once again.

What did Jackie Lemay know about survival? She’d gotten every part I’d auditioned for, and with her family’s money, she’d never have to settle for a shit print ad job to survive.

“I have a few things lined up,” I smirked. “The ad is a favor for a friend,” I said, no longer feeling the boast in my voice. “What are you doing?” I hated to ask, but social etiquette dictated I must.

Her smile widened and she shuddered, as if the excitement within her was too much to contain. I regretted asking already. Fuck social etiquette.

“I’m taking off to Tahiti to film the lead in Scorching Rays of Beauty,” she said with more pride in her voice than I’d ever felt in my life.

That was a closed audition, only available to an elite crowd, most of whom were already-famous Hollywood actors. How the hell did she get that call?

I knew I was smiling; I could feel my cheeks aching from the plastered fake enthusiasm, but I was dying inside. My part, it was the lead, but not with a well-known director, and I was certain no established actors would be in the cast. I was jealous. I hated that feeling, but there it was, in full form, so large it blocked my sunshine, and most definitely killed my relaxation.

“That’s great. Good for you,” I mustered without spewing on her perfectly painted pink toenails as I spoke.

“You can say you knew me back when,” she giggled.

My phone rang as she hovered over me awkwardly, waiting for me to offer her more praise. No way. Not happening.

I reached into my bag, quickly fumbled for my phone, and prayed it was the casting agents calling me with good news.

My lips curled into a wide smile as I stared at my phone screen. Josh.

“Excuse me. I have to take this,” I said to Jackie, turning my back on her and sliding my thumb across the answer button.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Emily. It’s Josh,” a deeply masculine voice spoke on the other end of my phone.

“Hey, Josh,” I said, knowing I hadn’t done a very good job at containing my excitement from my tone.

“Are you busy?” he asked.

“No. Actually, I’m on the beach with about thirty thousand other people,” I laughed.

“Are you wearing that little red bikini?” he gasped.

“Nope. I only wear that for you,” I teased.

I was getting hot, just playfully flirting with him over the phone. My God, why does this man get me so giddy?

“I like that,” he growled in a deep, sexy tone.

“I won’t keep you from the sun,” he said, making my heart instantly ache at the thought of him rushing off so soon.

“Do you like haunted houses?” he asked quickly.

“Yes,” I lied. I was terrified of haunted houses.

“Great. Would you like to check out the Zombie Apocalypse in the Woods with me Saturday night?” he asked.

My skin tingled at the shyness in his voice. He was nervous? This hot, sexy man was nervous about asking me out?  It gave me a strange confidence I’d never remembered feeling before. I loved every second of it, and never wanted it to stop.

“I would love to,” I said, so giddy my voice squeaked as I spoke.

“Text me your address and I’ll pick you up at seven? They have a food truck court set up, unless you’d like something a bit more civilized,” he chuckled.

“No. I love food trucks,” I replied.

“Great. I’ll see you Saturday, Emily,” he said softly.

“I can’t wait,” I responded, and then ended the call.

I fell back into the sand, feeling a new kind of wonderful. It didn’t matter if the casting agents called today or not. It didn’t matter if they called at all.

Tamara about burst an artery when she found out I was going out with Josh. “Wow. So, there really was chemistry between you two,” she gushed. “Be careful, though. You don’t want any bad chemistry between you if things don’t work out,” she warned, quickly changing back to her professional mode.

“I will,” I said. I couldn’t imagine what could go wrong. Josh was perfect. Well, almost perfect. The only thing I didn’t care for was the modeling. I didn’t want to date someone in the same industry as me. It was too hard, and if we both had down times at the same time, who’d pay the bills?

That’s why I wanted to make it big, or at least get a break into the serious films before I started a relationship. Josh was just too irresistible to deny. It would be fun. Just fun.

 

The doorbell rang, and I rushed from my room to the front door. Tamara was already in front of me, pushing her way to reach the door before I could. She flung it open to Josh: beautiful, sexy Josh.

“Hey,” I said, gliding in front of Tamara as she smirked at my date.

He wore a tight t-shirt, almost tight enough to see the ripples in his abs. It didn’t matter that they didn’t show; I had my imagination, and it had been working overtime ever since our shoot.

“You ready to go?” he asked, smiling briefly at Tamara.

Lisa rose up from the couch to see the man I’d been bragging out. “Holy shit, you’re hot,” she growled from under her blanket.

I giggled as I gripped his arm. Wow, his arm was so hard and strong. “Let’s go,” I rushed him out of the door.

“Good to meet you,” he said politely to Lisa, and then nodded at Tamara before closing the door behind him.

“I’m sorry I didn’t introduce you,” I said, feeling rude about rushing him from my chaotic house.

“It’s okay. I share a room with fifteen guys, so I get the chaos thing,” he said.

Fifteen guys? Oh, no. This wasn’t going to work. Fun, Emily, just fun. It doesn’t matter.

I smiled politely and held onto his arm as he walked me to his car. It was a shiny red sports car; not what I expected from a barely working model that lived with fifteen guys.

“This is nice,” I said, sliding into the passenger seat as he opened the door for me.

“Thanks,” he said with a smile.

We drove to the haunted house with the top down, making it difficult to talk. I didn’t really mind. I wasn’t sure what to say to him. I was still nervous.

“You pick the truck,” he said, holding my hand tightly in his as we strolled through the food truck court.

“Just one?” I asked.

He laughed. “Pick as many as you like.”

“Wonton tacos from the Amasion Asian, and cheddar jalapeno tots from Big Marty’s,” I decided.

“Perfect. I love a woman that knows what she wants,” Josh said, leading me to the first truck.

“I love a man that knows how to give it to me,” I flirted.

His eyes widened and his smile smeared across his face. “I’m that man,” he professed with warm confidence.

Josh ordered the food from both trucks and grabbed us each a beer from the beer garden. “Here okay?” he asked, clearing off a table that’d been abandoned and left uncleaned.

“Yes,” I agreed, immediately helping him clear the trash. “So. You live with fifteen guys?” I asked, unable to fight my curiosity.

Maybe that’s how he afforded such a fancy car. Rent would have to be dirt cheap splitting it that many ways.

He laughed. “Yeah. When I’m working,” he explained.

I was still lost. “Where do you live when you’re not working?” I feared the answer was at home in his mother’s basement.

“I have a house on the beach, not far from here, actually,” he said.

“Okay. I’m lost,” I admitted.

He laughed and took a long sip of his beer.

“When I’m at work, it’s for a twenty-four-hour shift,” he explained, still not helping me understand.

“You model for twenty-four-hour shifts?” I ask.

“Oh, no. I’m sorry. I model on the side; that’s not my real job. I work at the firehouse,” he chuckled at my confusion.

“You’re really a firefighter?” I gasped as my clit jumped against my silk panties.

“Yes. I’m really a firefighter,” he said, not without a hint of pride.

I knew this man could be real trouble to my plan of staying single until I made it big. The only thing I could find wrong with him was that he was a struggling model, and now that was ripped away from me. I was left with nothing to hold me back.

He was extremely interested in my career, or lack thereof. I’d never had a man take such an interest in my life. It felt good.

I told Josh about my family in Indiana, and how I’d grown up on a farm. He’d been in California his entire life, and found it amazing that I survived in a world without a beach, year-round sunshine, or iced cappuccinos on every corner.

The Zombie Apocalypse in the Woods was frightening. Josh held onto me, keeping me close to his side once he realized how terrified I was. “We didn’t have to do this,” he apologized.

“There’s nowhere I’d rather be,” I said, right before screaming into his ear in fear.

I jumped into his strong arms, shaking like a little kid after a zombie got too close for comfort. I hated how real they looked, and how they just appeared from out of nowhere in the dark woods.

Josh laughed so hard his chest bounced me as he held me in his arms. At first, I didn’t find it as amusing as he did. But, his arms made me feel safe, allowing me to laugh at my ridiculousness with him.

We made it to the end of the path, allowing my heart to calm as the light from beyond the woods appeared. Josh didn’t put me down when we exited the woods, but instead carried me to the car.

My arms wrapped loosely around his neck as I stared into his beautiful blue eyes. “I must say, this is a first for me,” he laughed.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Scaring the hell out of a date,” he said softly, staring at me with concern.

“I loved every minute of it,” I lied.

He chuckled. “No, you didn’t.”

His laughter was contagious, pulling me into the hysterical fit of amusement over my attempt at such a monumental lie.

His chest lifted me upward as he took a deep breath and sighed to calm down from his laughter. I could feel his heartbeat speed up, and suddenly, the moment was very quiet and calm. It was as if the entire world disappeared while Josh’s lips pressed against mine.

His tongue slid delicately across my lips, parting them as I let out a soft sigh of delight. Wow, this man makes me so hot.

Suddenly, our tongues were entangled, slowly gliding around each other. My grip tightened around his neck, and his arms flexed as they positioned me comfortably enough to melt into him. I did. I melted.

“I’ve had a great time,” he said , his voice soft as our mouths separated.

“Me too,” I agreed.

He set me down on my feet beside the car. He opened the passenger door and held my hand to help me inside. I watched as he walked around the car, every muscle, every curve, soaking it all into my memory for later that night when I dreamed about him.

The ride home was quiet. His hand gripped mine until we pulled up in front of my house. I hated for the night to end, but I knew he’d told me he had to work early in the morning, and it was already close to midnight. He opened the door for me, helped me from the car, and walked me to my door. I’d never experienced a man like that before. He was a gentleman.

“Can I call you again?” he asked.

Please!

“Yes,” I said, holding back my excitement.

He leaned in, kissing me softly on the cheek, and then walked back towards his car. I wanted more. I wanted so much more.