I take the first flight out of Chicago and due to the time change, I arrive in Los Angeles by 9 a.m. I convince Cal that Mason needs to stay with Avery and my mother, who is taking care of her while we are gone, so I am traveling solo. Cal’s stylist meets me at the airport and takes me to my hotel room at the Beverly Hilton.

“We have to be ready by 5 p.m., so hair and make-up will be knocking on your door at 1 p.m. I’m sure you’ve been up early, so try to get some sleep. Lunch will be ready for you at noon,” she says, and leaves me alone until then. I’m in a gorgeous two bedroom suite and notice a beautiful bouquet of white and lavender roses are waiting for me with breakfast in the dining room. I open the card and am surprised to see they are from Cal.

I inhale the delicious scent of the roses and rip up the card, not wanting anyone to see it and think how sweet he is since I’ve convinced myself that it’s all an act. The closer the airplane got to California, the more my bitterness grew at the purpose of my presence here. I feel like I sold my soul to the devil and I just want to get this over with. I should be exhausted, but instead I’m wide awake, adrenaline pumping and ready to go. I call home to make sure they know I got here safely and decide to work instead of napping.

Lunch arrives and it’s the healthiest lunch I think I’ve ever eaten in my life. “We need to make sure you eat foods that won’t make you bloated,” Cal’s stylist said when she delivered it. Why even bother eating at all then? Fresh watermelon, salad with lentil beans and a tall pitcher of lemon water with additional lemons is what I’m served for lunch. I try to normally eat healthy, but on a day like today where my stress and anxiety levels are high, alcohol and chocolate would be on the menu instead. This selection of food darkens my mood. Then I remember the mini bar and a mischievous smile appears on my face with the thought of homemade alcohol infused lemonade. I grab the vodka out of the fridge, take all the lemons out of the water and the lemon dish and grab the stevia packet that I carry in my purse and start mixing. Five minutes later, I take my first sip and sigh in pure contentment.

At exactly one o’clock, Cal’s stylist and her team descend upon me. She introduces me to all five of them and tells me what each of their roles will be for the next four hours. She finishes her instructions to everyone and is about to depart when she starts sniffing the air. “Why do I smell alcohol?” she asks, as she continues to sniff around. “Do you guys smell alcohol?” she asks everyone, who shakes their head no. I didn’t even realize that plain vodka can smell! One of the stylists, a tall, thin handsome man with gorgeous milk chocolate skin named Kellan, looks at me with a smirk and eyes my drink.

“Nope,” I play innocent, not wanting her to take away my drink. “I don’t smell a thing.”

“Jenna, what are you drinking? I did not order any lemonade.” She eyes my drink suspiciously.

“Oh, I made some fresh lemonade with stevia. See, here’s the stevia packet.” I hold up the empty packet for her to see. She goes to the waste bucket and pulls out the empty mini bottle of vodka.

“And where did this come from?”

“Oh my, looks like housekeeping forget to take the trash away from the last guest,” I say, my eyes round with fake innocence and my lie sounding smooth as silk.

“Oh, lighten up, Morgan. It’s obvious this poor girl needs a drink, look at all the stress acne on her face!” Kellan says, and I scowl at him for pointing out publicly my flaws.

He throws his head back and laughs. “Child, we are going to have so much fun with YOU!” he laughs. “Let’s get to work everyone.”

Nails and toes get painted first, then make up is applied and my hair is done with it half up tightly and the rest of my hair fanning down in waves all around me with added extensions for volume and length. Kellan helps distract me from my nerves with hilarious horror stories of other celebrities and wardrobe malfunctions. Morgan pulls out a beautiful Georges Chakra one shoulder, teal Grecian style gown with intricate beading aligning the top. Since it has a built in bodysuit that requires me to get naked for, I take the dress into the bedroom to put on. I say a little prayer of thanks for the snaps at the crotch to make it easy on me for future bathroom breaks. When I walk back into the living room, I am shocked to see most of my right leg coming out of a very high slit in the dress.

“Um, was that slit there when we originally tried this dress on?” I say, not feeling comfortable with the amount of leg I am showing.

“Yes, it has always been there,” Kellan says, while he kneels down and helps me into my ridiculously high Vivienne Westwood metallic silver shoes. As soon as he finishes with the strap around my ankles, they all stand back and assess me from head to toe. The silence does nothing to help my increasing anxiety.

“Jewelry!” Kellan snaps his fingers and two stylists rush to him with earrings, bracelets and ring options. All Harry Winston, all incredibly expensive. He picks out the pieces and the stylists rush to place everything on me. Once they’re done, they step back and the room becomes silent once more.

“Amazing!” Kellan exclaims and a collective sigh of relief comes out from the rest of the stylists. “Jenna, let’s have you take a look at yourself.” Kellan escorts me to my room and I stare in awe in the mirror. I don’t recognize the woman who is staring back at me. I take a shaky breath, happy to see that I might actually look like I fit in tonight.

“Thank you so much, Kellan! I can’t even believe this is me.” I laugh at how silly I sound, but it’s the truth.

“The canvas was already beautiful, we just had to liven it up with some color,” he winks at me. “Let’s get your purse and we will start packing up everything to take with us to New York.”

He escorts me out to the living room where there is a knock on the door that one of the stylists answers. Cal, his publicist, Sean Lindsey and Cora Gregory all come into my suite looking like the million dollar celebrities that they are.

“It’s really good to see you again, my dear.” Sean comes toward me first and wraps me in a tight hug with a kiss on the check. “My goodness, you do look ravishing!” He checks me out from head to toe with an evil smile on his face. “Me thinks I need to protect you from the vultures who will want a piece of you tonight.” I roll my eyes at his dramatics and look for Cal when Cora walks into my line of vision. Her cool eyes size me up with resentment, but she quickly masks it with fake enthusiasm as she smiles when Sean introduces us.

“It’s nice to meet you,” I say politely, my guard up from catching her true feelings for me. It’s crystal clear that she and I will never be friends.

“It’s a pleasure,” she says, her voice so sexy that it almost purrs. “Cal has told us so much about you.” She half smiles and then slides her arm around Cal’s waist, making sure I see her mark her territory.

I smile in humor at her efforts and finally get the chance to look over at Cal. My breath catches at how incredibly handsome he is. He’s wearing a black tuxedo jacket with a dark grey dress shirt that has the top two buttons undone, giving a peak of his muscular chest. His tailored black pants shape his legs nicely and end over his black dress shoes. My eyes make their way back to his to find him watching me. His smoldering look making me squirm from the ache his sexy stare is causing.

“Alright everyone, let’s go. Limo is waiting downstairs,” Cal’s publicist announces. I watch Cora snake her arm thru Cal’s and turn him toward the door. He looks behind us and nods at Sean, who takes my hand and smiles at me. “Let’s go have some fun,” he winks and I can’t help but laugh at him.

We all get in the car, Cora purposely making sure she sits in between Cal and Sean while I sit next to Cal’s publicist, who proceeds to tell us the order of how we’ll be walking the red carpet. Cal will exit the car first, stop at the media wall for photos and then wait for Sean, who will then follow, get solo photos at the media wall and then they will pose for photos together. Cora will go next and while she’s going, Cal and Sean will start talking to reporters. After Cora will then be me. I’m supposed to stop at the media wall and wait for Cal to join me, who will then come back for me and we’ll walk the rest of the red carpet together.

“Jenna, does everything make sense?” She asks me since I am the inexperienced one of the group. I nod and stare out the window, the feeling of not belonging starting to become overwhelming. The car feels stifling and I look around for the air conditioning vents when I notice Cal staring at my exposed leg out of the slit of my dress. His eyes are hooded and as they finally look up at me, I’m slammed with a wave of desire. I gulp and quickly look away from him.

“Is there anything to drink in here?” I ask, my lips and throat suddenly feeling parched by his stare. His publicist hands me a bottle of water and I see him smirk as he watches me drink. He knows exactly what he’s doing to me!

We pull up to Grauman’s Chinese Theater and Cal’s publicist gets out first and walks down the carpet, showing the reporters a piece of cardboard with his name on it. She comes back over to our limo and nods, signaling for Cal to get out. He takes one more glance in my direction and gets out.

“Look at that sexy beast!” Sean jokes as we watch Cal stop at the media wall for the photographers.

“He sure is,” Cora says, her eyes looking at me with a challenge. I look away from her and continue to watch Cal, mesmerized by seeing him in his element.

The publicist opens the door for Sean to get out to work the carpet. I suddenly feel the air in the car fill with tension and can feel Cora’s eyes on me.

“Enjoying yourself?” she asks as she sits back and crosses her long legs. She is wearing a short, black Herve Leger dress that looks like it was painted onto her perfect body. The color of the dress accentuating her feline-like green eyes. I would have said she was the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, but with her soul not matching her exterior, beautiful is the last thing I would now call her.

“Not particularly,” I honestly reply. No sense in lying to her when all she wants to do is play games.

“Honesty… how refreshing,” she sarcastically says. “Well, let me be honest with you then, dear Jenna. You do not belong in our world. Cal and I were made for each and before you came along, he was starting to realize that. So you and your kid need to keep your distance and everyone will be happy.”

I throw my head back and laugh at her craziness. “Oh, you can have Cal! I’m not standing in your way with that. But let’s give Cal some credit where credit is due - he can smell a bitch a mile away and still chooses to stay away.” I sneer at her, not about to let her intimidate or threaten me. Pure hatred shoots out from her eyes and she is about to retort back when the door opens and the publicist tells her it’s her turn to go. She gives me one more malicious look before snaking her way out of the car.

I take a deep breath, feeling proud for standing up for myself, but wanting to throw up at the same time. It’s people like Cora Gregory that make me want to be far, far away from the world of Hollywood. I don’t understand how Cal and Sean are even friends with her. I look over at the three of them posing in front of the media wall and something about the way Sean looks at her makes me do a double take. Is Sean in love with Cora? I shudder at the thought.

I notice Cal’s publicist switch cardboards and show the photographers the one with my name on it as she makes her way back to the limo. I freshen up my lipstick and take one more look at myself in my compact mirror. As the car door opens, I say a quick little prayer, hoping I can fake my way through this.

* * *

Cal and Sean refuse to sit through the premiere after they introduced the movie to the audience, so we head to the after party early. There are plenty of people in the industry already there as most of them saw a pre-screening of the movie. As soon as we walk in, Cal and Sean are surrounded by people wanting to congratulate them. Cora is not in the movie, her attendance more for publicity and support of Cal and Sean, so she goes off to mingle with other actors who also came out for the same reasons. I’m left to fend for myself, so I head straight to the bar and order a vodka tonic.

I take a sip of my drink and turn around to people watch when I notice too many eyes in my direction, nothing kind about the looks they are giving me. I sigh as it looks like my evening will be spent hanging at the bar. I turn back around and chat up the bartender since that will probably be the most genuine conversation I have all night with anyone.

Three drinks later and I’m feeling beyond buzzed. I don’t know how long I’ve been left alone at the bar, but I feel that my work here is done. I take some money out of my purse to leave a tip when I feel someone tap my shoulder. I turn around to see Cal’s agent with two older gentlemen who look too big for their own britches.

“Jenna, I want to introduce you to the heads of the studio, Patrick Hensley and Michael Morris. Gentlemen, this is Jenna Pruitt.” Because I am tipsy, smiling isn’t as hard as it was earlier and I return their handshakes.

“Congratulations on the movie,” I say, happy to hear that the band is starting to play so it will be harder to carry on a conversation.

“Thank you for coming. Pre-sale tickets have increased in just the two hours of you being here. We appreciate you taking one for the team,” Patrick winks and all three men laugh. I stare at them in disgust, feeling I was just degraded amongst the good old boys club. Tipsy Jenna has zero filter and I am about to unleash upon some of the most powerful men in Hollywood when I am grabbed by the waist and hauled to someone’s side. I look up to see Sean coming to rescue me.

“There you are! Cal has been looking for you. Gentlemen, if you will excuse us?” he says with his most charming smile. He leads me away but instead of going toward where Cal and Cora are standing, he heads straight for the dance floor.

“What are you doing?” I hiss, the attention from being the only two people on the dance floor the last thing I want.

“I saw the look you gave those men and we cannot have angry Jenna making an appearance tonight. I think we need to liven this place up with a little dancing.” He pulls me in close and holds on to me tightly. “Just keep that smile plastered on your face and follow my lead.”

I smile brightly and grit my teeth. “I want to go back to the hotel, Sean. I’m done being the pawn in this game.”

“To which game are you referring to?” He smiles and nods to someone he sees in the crowd. He swings me around, where I see Cal ignoring Cora as she’s trying to talk with him, his eyes trained on us with suspicion.

“Everybody’s game, but more specifically, being used to boast Cal’s image.”

“Cal doesn’t give two shits about his image. If he did, then he wouldn’t be looking at me so openly with hatred right about now in front of all these industry people.” He raises his eyebrows in mock questioning towards Cal, whose jaw visibly locks in anger.

“What about your game, Sean?” I taunt, the alcohol flowing through my veins giving me liquid courage.

“I don’t know what you are talking about.” I see him smile at another person while twirling me around. He smiles at me as he brings me back into him, pulling me closer than before. I quickly look over at the other end of the dance floor where Cal waits for our arrival, Cora watching him with a sour expression on her face from the lack of attention.

“What about using me as the pawn to make Cora jealous? I saw the way you looked at her earlier. Must be tough to watch the woman you love in love with someone else.” I smile as his step falters but he quickly recovers by turning me so swiftly, that I have to hold onto him even harder to keep my balance. “You should have warned me, Sean,” I say, as I lean in to whisper in his ear, “because I already told her she can have him.”

I lean back to look at him with a flirtatious smile to see that he is not smiling anymore, jealousy burning in his eyes. I suddenly regret my decision to push him, thinking I have gone too far when he dips me down and holds me close. “You want to make them jealous? Then let’s give them something to talk about!” He brings his lips to mine in a crushing kiss.

Before I know what is happening, Sean brings me back up to my feet and ends the kiss so abruptly that I nearly stumble back, but am saved when he swings my arms up and the crowd goes wild with their applause. He timed the kiss to the end of the song so perfectly that it looked like this was all planned. He makes us take a bow and the crowd goes even more wild. He wraps his arm around my waist and walks us over to Cal.

“She’s all yours,” he says to Cal and downs the rest of Cal’s drink and stalks over to the bar.

“We’re leaving NOW!” Cal hands me my purse, grabs my hand and practically drags me out of the party. I try to get my hand free, but he grips it even tighter.

“You’re hurting me!” I hiss, as we get closer to our car. He let’s go of my hand and tells the driver to take us back to the hotel. He roughly opens the door and practically shoves me into the limousine.

“What the fuck was that?” he growls after the partition is closed all the way so the driver can’t hear us.

“I don’t know, ask Sean! He’s the one who wanted to dance.” I massage my hand, trying to rub out the pain.

“I don’t give a fuck about Sean, it’s YOUR reputation I care about!” he snaps, raking his hands through his hair.

“My reputation? I thought the whole point in me being here tonight was to save YOUR precious reputation!” I counter, not understanding why he’s so angry.

“I’m not the one who looked like a slut kissing another man!”

Rage overtakes me and I pounce on him. I beat at his arms, his chest, screaming and calling him every name I can think, letting all of my suppressed anger flow out through my fists. “I FUCKING HATE YOU, YOU ASSHOLE!” He just sits there and lets me beat him, looking as if he is almost bored. This makes me even angrier and I straddle him so I can get hit him harder. He deserves to be slapped on the face for calling me a slut. I go in for the kill when he grabs my wrists and hauls me against his chest, searing me with his lips.

My struggle against him is pointless because despite my anger toward him for calling me a slut, I want him just as badly as he wants me. He invades my mouth and I kiss him back with even more fervor than expected. He loosens his grip on my wrists and I plunge my hands into his hair, making my tongue grapple even closer with his. I start to moan when he deepens the kiss, sparks of electricity going straight to my core. He breaks free of our kiss and moves his lips down my neck, working his magic on each and every sensitive point until I am panting out his name.

I push his jacket off his shoulders and he leans forward for me to pull it off his arms. I rip open his shirt, not caring that I just broke the buttons off and ruined it. I lean down and start kissing along his neck, down his chest and flick my tongue over his nipple. “Jenna,” he moans and grips my head closer. He then trails his hands down my back and unzips the top portion of my dress. I kiss my way back up his chest and go back to his mouth, where everything there feels so right. His kisses light that fire to the explosion and I am ready to feel it.

He pulls down my one shoulder strap and takes my now bare nipple in his mouth. I moan and grind my hips down into his erection, the friction against my clit making me gasp. I can feel him straining against his pants and my hands move to unbuckle them. As soon as he is free, I wrap both of my hands around him and rub up and down his shaft. He lays he head back and starts to pant. “Jenna, you are going to make me come if you continue to do that,” he moans as I rub his pre-cum around his tip.

Not being able to take the intense need of having him inside me, I slip my hand inside my slit and unsnap the soaked barrier between my legs. I lift out my skirt and guide him to me, where I slowly slide down on him. I hiss at the delicious invasion, my inner muscles already gripping him tight. I wrap my hands around his neck and crush my mouth to his, my tongue craving his as I slowly start to ride him. The need becomes overwhelming and I throw my head back and bounce harder, faster.

“Fuck, Jenna, you are still so tight,” he murmurs as he places his hand on my breasts and squeezes. I moan louder and grip him tighter, the pressure inside me building. He wraps his arms around me, lifts me up to place me on the floor of the limousine and thrusts hard into me. I dig my nails into his ass as he pounds out my orgasm. My release explodes within me and I scream out his name, every emotion releasing out of my body. He collapses on top of me after his own orgasm, his body shuddering from his powerful release.

I was a fool to believe that I was ever going to feel this way with someone else. No one has come close to making me feel the way Cal Harrington does. And as I come down from this amazing high, I notice that the car is stopped outside the hotel and my reality sinks back in. I was asked to come here to PRETEND to be in a relationship with him and here I am ready to give up my heart based on a facade. Shame and guilt crash into me and I push against his chest.

“Get up,” I say, needing to get away from him and how he clouds my judgment.

“Jenna, what’s…”

“Get off of me!” I scream and he rears back in complete shock at the turn of my mood.

I attempt to zip up the back of my dress by myself, but with my arms being too short, it goes nowhere. I grab my purse, grip the top of my dress to my chest and bolt out of the limousine. I rush into the hotel and decide to take the stairs up to the eighth floor so no one sees me. By the time I reach my suite, I am gasping for air from the excursion. I go into my room and lock the door. As soon as I turn around to head to my bathroom, there’s banging on my door.

“Jenna, let me in! We need to talk!” Cal bangs on the door, making the furniture against the wall shake.

“There is nothing to talk about! That was a mistake and will never happen again!” I shout, wishing for him to just go away so that I can deal with my feelings and figure out what to do.

“Open this door, Jenna!’ He yells louder and bangs it again with his fists.

“No! GO AWAY, CAL!”

A moment of silence ensues and then a loud bang as I watch in horror the wood around the door knob splinters off and break apart as Cal kicks open the door. The door swings open and he enters my room, his chest rising and falling with each breath he takes.

“If I want you, Jenna, no goddamn locked door will stop me!” he growls. He looks me up and down as I stare at him in disbelief. “Go to sleep. We’ll discuss this in the morning.” He turns on his heel, walks into the other room and slams the door.

I push a chair against the broken door and throw myself onto the bed where I proceed to cry myself to sleep.