CHAPTER NINE
Having no siblings Max didn’t realize the life of an American teenager was quite that colorful. He’d had no idea that if he bit a wintergreen Lifesaver in the dark it would spark. That was actually a little frightening, but he was definitely going to try it.
He’d also learned about games girls played at slumber parties and he certainly wished he’d been a teenage boy crashing that party. He’d missed out on girls practicing kissing. He would have been happy to volunteer as a test subject rather than their bed pillows or stuffed animals.
“You braided each other’s hair and experimented with makeup?”
They were currently consuming a huge slab of tiramisu after filling up on spaghetti, lasagna, and garlic bread. He liked that Carrie wasn’t afraid to eat. So many women around him ordered a salad and complained about having to watch their figure. Food was meant to be savored and enjoyed and it was even better in good company.
Carrie was definitely good company. He’d chosen well.
“We did,” she confirmed, her pink tongue snaking out to catch a morsel falling off her fork. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her licking at the fluffy marscapone. “Don’t even ask to see the photos because I’ve hidden them under lock and key. Thank God this was before Facebook and Instagram were much of a thing.”
“Do you embarrass easily? As an actor I don’t have much sense of shame, I’m afraid.”
Laughing, she waved her fork in the air. “I can’t embarrass too easily because it feels like I’m always doing stupid things. Somehow I get myself into situations that are deeply humiliating. You’re lucky you don’t care about those things. I could have used you earlier today when I went shopping for clothes and Tyler Gaylord saw me half-naked in the changing room.”
What the…?
Almost choking on his water, Max slapped the glass down on the table. “Tyler was in your changing room? He barged in while you were changing? What in the hell was he doing there?”
Her brows went up and her mouth twisted. “He was looking to buy a gift for his girlfriend. Someone named Angie. Anyway, I heard a crash and I thought it was the saleslady, so I opened the fitting room door to see him leaning over a naked mannequin he’d knocked down. Luckily, I was wearing a skirt, high heels, and a bra so everything important was covered but I think he and I were both pretty mortified.”
Carrie…in nothing but a skirt, high heels, and bra… Were the heels red? Damn, he loved red high heels on a female. Every nerve in his body had woken up and was now paying close attention. His filthy teenage boy mind had already conjured up an image of her in a tight, short skirt and a black lace bra. All the blood in his brain had migrated in a southerly direction and he’d lost track of what she’d been saying.
“…so he apologized and left after explaining that it was Paige who recommended the shop. It’s all okay, really. It’s not like he really saw much. I’ve shown more skin in a bathing suit.”
Fuck, now he was thinking about her in a bikini. This was going from bad to worse. He needed to change the subject right away or his mind would stop functioning completely and he’d simply be a drooling mess babbling incoherently.
“So we have a party to attend on Saturday night,” Max said, feeling a trickle of sweat at his hairline. “I can have my publicist call a few designers and see if they are willing to dress you for it.”
Wrinkling her nose, she seemed to take the switch in topics in stride. “Honestly, I’d rather not unless it’s some big event. It’s a fundraiser, right?”
“For the children’s hospital. Black tie and there will be a red carpet.”
She was scrolling through her phone. “Paige gave me the name of a London stylist. Yes, here it is. Why don’t I call her in the morning and see what she says?”
“Excellent idea.”
With a smile and a sigh, Carrie set down her fork and patted her stomach. “That was great. Good choice on the restaurant. Albert seems like a terrific guy too.”
Albert was one in a million, along with his wife and kids. They treated Max the same way today as they had before anyone had known his name.
“I can assure he is one of my oldest and dearest friends. A truly good person.”
Playing with her fork, Carrie fidgeted in her seat. “Listen, I want to apologize about earlier. I’m sorry about the way I acted.”
It was sweet of her to say she was sorry but he had no idea what she was talking about.
“That’s thoughtful of you but I don’t think you have anything to be sorry for actually. Unless you’ve done something I don’t know about.”
She tilted her head, their gazes colliding. Every time he looked into her amber-colored eyes he saw something he hadn’t seen before. This time it was the flecks of gold around the iris.
“I was acting bitchy at the Eye. It’s just…I thought you were being difficult about me doing touristy stuff and being a little late. But after the whole paparazzi thing and then seeing you with your friend Albert, I get it. That’s why I’m sorry. I judged too quickly.”
He should let this go but some little voice was egging him on. “What is it that you think you know, Carrie?”
“I get why you have the protective veneer with people. Why sometimes you act like a pompous, arrogant asshole. You don’t know who you can trust or what they want from you so you keep them at arms’ length. You’re totally different with Albert than you are with most people. I can see who you really are.”
That was a truly disturbing thought. Max wasn’t even sure he liked who he was. Certainly Alana hadn’t liked many facets of his personality and had complained about them on multiple occasions. He’d driven her into another man’s arms because of his neediness. He liked to cuddle, talk, say I love you every day. When he was in a relationship he wanted to spend as much time with that person as possible. Alana had hated that, said she felt suffocated and that any woman who had her own life and career would feel the same.
“I see,” he said, stalling for time. He wasn’t sure how to respond. Clearly she thought it was a good thing and she seemed to like what he’d revealed but that was a small part of who he was. Showing her all of himself wasn’t something he was eager to do. “I do have to keep up somewhat of a mask for the public. You’re correct when you say that I don’t know who to trust or what others want from me. It’s not easy to become close to new people in my life. I tend to depend on my old friends or those who are also in the business and in the same position I am. They…understand.”
She gave him a lopsided smile. “And I’m not in either of those categories. I get that. I just want you to know that you can trust me. I don’t want anything from you, Max. We’re here to help each other and it’s a mutual agreement. I’m not looking for money or fame. I just want to be able to hold my head up high, that’s all.”
In his experience, everyone wanted money and fame.
Okay, maybe not everyone but almost everyone. The only difference was what people were willing to do to get it. Alana, for example, had been willing to not only fuck him but marry him to get what she wanted.
What was Carrie willing to do? She might not even realize that she wanted more, but when it was offered to her she’d grab it with both hands.
“I want you to be able to do that,” he finally said. “That’s what we both want. If we work together we can get through these next few months.”
Smile faltering, she took a sip from her water glass. If she’d hoped for some deeply personal revelation from him she was probably quite disappointed. “That’s good then. You know…that we understand each other.”
Max didn’t need for her to understand him. He needed her to do what he was contracting her to do. They didn’t have to get all emotionally sloppy here. He liked Carrie, she seemed like a sweet woman but he wasn’t looking for a relationship. He’d had one of those already and it hadn’t turned out well. He bloody well wasn’t ready for another one, not yet. His heart was still in shreds from the chaos Alana had wrought.
If he’d been anyone else but who he was, he would have gone off for several months and licked his wounds. But he was a famous actor and in the spotlight, and he wasn’t allowed to be heartbroken.
The show must go on, and he with it.