CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Everything was as fucked up as could be. Just when life had started to get back to normal, it turned around and gave Tyler a good swift kick in the balls when he least expected it.
He and Billie had been dancing. Kind of dirty dancing, grinding against each other and it had been hot, sweaty, and sexy as hell. He hadn’t been able to stop his hands from roaming up and down her slim curves or from kissing her full lips. A man could only take so much, after all. He’d admitted to himself that he wanted Billie.
Now she knew too.
And apparently wasn’t thrilled with the idea. She’d ran from the dance floor like he was a serial killer in one of his movies, brandishing a big fucking knife. They’d managed to get their relationship back on an even keel and he had to go mess it up because of he’d been thinking with his dick again.
Now what? Should he leave her alone or go after her? Normally he would follow her and find out what was bothering her, but he had the sinking suspicion that the problem was him. He was bugging her and he didn’t have an answer for that conundrum. Because Tyler wasn’t planning on going anywhere that was away from Billie.
Fuck this. I’m going after her.
He was determined that some things were going to stay the same whether his ring was on her finger or not. This was one of them. They were friends, and friends helped one another.
Tyler was halfway to the door she’d exited through when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He didn’t receive many calls this late on his personal cell phone unless it was one of his friends on location in a different time zone. Retrieving it from his pocket, he saw that it was his agent Josh. This had to be important.
“Hey, Josh. What’s going on?”
And make it fast because I need to find Billie.
“I think you’re going to be happy to hear from me. I just got off the phone with Ron Weller. He’s willing to meet with you.”
A rush of elation welled up inside of Tyler. It had worked. He wanted to kiss Billie and buy her a Porsche. This was the chance he’d been waiting for.
“That’s great news. When?”
“He’s there at the convention promoting that historical movie he just finished. Both of you have impossible schedules but I found a spot where you can both meet. How does breakfast day after tomorrow sound?”
It sounded like an Oscar winning meal.
“Sounds great, Josh. You really outdid yourself with this one. I can’t thank you enough, man.”
Josh cleared his throat. “Listen, there is one more thing. Weller wants Billie to be at the meeting too. I guess he wants to see what you’re like with your future wife. Is that going to be an issue?”
Tyler certainly hoped not, although Billie’s behavior tonight wasn’t encouraging.
“No problem,” Tyler assured his agent. “This guy takes this man in love stuff seriously, huh? Just getting married isn’t enough for him.”
“You have to know that Ron Weller is a well-known asshole in this business,” Josh said dryly. “A pure control freak. I know that this script is everything you want but I can assure you that Weller isn’t. Off the set, he’s a great guy but when he’s working it’s like a Jekyll and Hyde thing. He’s sucked in some unwitting actors and then made their lives a living hell.”
Tyler could handle himself on a set. He was all business too.
“It will be worth it in the end. I wouldn’t say that every director I’ve ever worked with was a teddy bear, Josh. Remember the first Thunder film? We were all plotting his demise by the last few weeks of shooting.”
But the finished product had been excellent. Sometimes creativity wasn’t pretty.
“I remember. I also remember that he was as tired of all of you as you were of him.”
“So it was mutual. Where are we meeting Weller?”
“I’ll send you the details.” Josh paused. “I went way out on a limb to get you this meeting so don’t fuck it up.”
Tyler didn’t plan to.
“Thanks for the confidence vote. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Shoving his phone back in his pocket he strode out of the exit, up the short flight of concrete stairs, and straight into an alley behind the restaurant. Billie was leaning against the brick wall and staring up at the sky, but from the stiff set of her shoulders she’d heard him join her.
Tyler glanced around the dirty area replete with an overflowing dumpster and a few dozen cardboard boxes stacked precariously high. Billie was standing way too close and he had a terrible vision of those boxes tumbling down right onto her head.
“You always know the nicest places to hang out, baby girl. What’s next on the schedule? A cock fight? Or maybe an underground fight club?”
Her sigh was loud in the silence. “So much for some peace and quiet. Go back inside, Tyler.”
Her voice had been thick and a little shaky. He didn’t hear her like this much but he recognized it. Contrary to popular belief, he wasn’t a complete bonehead.
“Don’t think I will, babe. Tell me why you’re crying and I’ll fix everything and make it all better.”
“Because that’s what you’ve always done for me,” she whispered softly but loud enough for him to hear. “You can’t fix this.”
He’d stepped closer and could now see her tear-stained face by the sliver of moonlight. Something clenched tightly at his chest and he had to concentrate to take his next breath. He didn’t like it when Billie was unhappy. He felt…powerless and small. As if he failed her in some way. He lifted a hand to wipe the tears away but she jerked away from him as if she expected a slap instead of a tender caress.
What the fuck have I ever done to deserve that reaction?
His heart hurt where she’d shoved a virtual knife. Intellectually he knew that her reaction probably had more to do with her than him but his emotions were a different story. It hurt not to be trusted.
Dropping his arm to his side, he didn’t budge an inch from where he was standing, crowding her personal space.
“Try me. I bet I can. Give me a chance.”
Straightening, she shook her head, rubbing at her cheeks with the back of her hand.
“Not this time. Just let it go.”
He wished he could but that was something he couldn’t do. Not again. It felt like lately he’d been letting everything go and it couldn’t continue.
“Because the problem is me. You know, babe, I might actually be the one person you should talk to. Seems like the best person to solve an issue with me would be…me.”
“It’s not you, it’s me.”
Realizing what she’d said, they both started laughing and the knot in his chest loosened slightly. If they could laugh together, it wasn’t all bad.
“God, that was so trite,” Billie giggled. “I can’t believe I actually said that.”
Tyler had to help her believe that not all things had changed.
“You can still talk to me. Who I am as a person hasn’t changed.”
Except that he kind of had changed since putting that ring on her finger. He felt different. Maybe more like a prospective husband, thinking about Billie and the future. It wasn’t unpleasant, just surprising.
Finally she looked up at him, the conflict she was feeling clearly expressed in her eyes. He wanted to pull her into his arms and tell her that he would take care of everything.
Terrified she’d run away again, he didn’t move a muscle, simply letting her speak her mind.
“I’ve changed. That frightens me far more.”
Unless she didn’t care about him anymore. She might think he was more trouble than he was worth.
“You’re still the same stubborn Billie I’ve known for the last five years.”
She placed her hand on his chest right over his heart. “I want to talk to you. I’ve missed that.”
He spread his arms wide. “I’ve got all night. Let’s grab a pizza and hunker down for a slumber party. You talk and I’ll listen.”
“You have to be up early in the morning,” she reminded him with a gentle smile. “You have a big day and it’s not a good idea to go into looking like one of the zombies from ‘The Walking Dead’.”
She was putting him off, trying to delay the conversation. “Nothing is more import–”
Trying to silence him, Billie pressed her fingertips to his lips which he in turn kissed, an action that surprised them both. But it felt right to do it.
“It can wait.”
He wrapped his much larger hand around her smaller one, entwining the fingers.
“Tomorrow night. We’ll order room service and hang out. Just the two of us. We’ll talk.”
“We’re supposed to go a party given by that liquor company, remember?”
“I remember, baby girl, I just don’t care. Fuck ’em. We’ll tell them I’m coming down with a cold. No one wants cootie germs. So promise me. Tomorrow night?”
“Tomorrow night,” she promised. “Thank you for not pushing me on this. Now I have some time to sort of gather my thoughts.”
Tyler might need some time to figure out his own. If Billie wanted out of the agreement, he didn’t know what he would do. He had grown to like the idea of marrying her and being her husband. Dare he say it?
He was looking forward to it.
If he was honest with himself – and it was long past time for that – he needed her for far more than a movie role. Tyler needed Billie. Period.