Chapter Fourteen
By the time I get to Jamie’s, I’m fried.
I literally sat in the car to get to Hidden Hills for over two and a half hours. Once I finally exited the freeway, I had to wait another hour outside the gated community because there was some filming for a reality show going on. By the time I dropped off the package, it was late in the day.
Jamie still has no idea I plan on sleeping over tonight. He called me a few times while I was in the car. He kept the time going, but then he had a call he had to take for the movie, so he had to go. I wave at the security guard whom Jamie informed can let me by any time I want, and once I’m on the property, the front door is usually open. Jamie has 24-7 security. It’s something he said he wouldn’t do without. I guess with the amount of fans out there, I don’t blame him.
I grab my computer bag and hop out of my car, then walk in the house.
It’s festive and happy… just the way I left it this morning. I make my way to Jamie’s office, and he’s nowhere to be found. I walk upstairs to his bedroom—not there either. I decide to text him.
ME: Where are you?
He doesn’t respond right away, which means he must be in a meeting or his phone might be on silent. I’ll just wait. I pull out one of his giant sweatshirts I am obsessed with and then jump in the shower. I rinse quickly and put the sweater on.
I glance at the sink. Someone did some more shopping. I’m guessing Kathleen. Before, it was set immaculately and was rather empty. Now it has a brand-new Sonic toothbrush, expensive toiletries and creams, and even makeup. I open the drawer next to the sink. There are a few brushes, a blow dryer, a curling iron, and a flat iron—anything I would ever need.
I walk into his closet.
That’s what I thought. There are more than a few items, mostly casual sweats and sweatshirts from the trendy Malibu shops I’ve seen. I think I even looked at this top yesterday when we went into town. There’s a bag from a lingerie shop as well. I peek inside and see the lace underwear and bras and am mortified.
“Who knew my older brother had a bit of Fifty Shades in him?”
I turn guiltily.
“You must be Fiona,” I say with as much dignity as I can, considering I’m only wearing a sweatshirt and am holding a tiny thong her brother had purchased for me in my hand.
“And you are?” she asks as her gaze flickers from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet. I don’t think she approves. She knows who I am. She saw me on Jamie’s iPhone when I was talking to him. She’s just being an asshole.
Fiona Donovan is beautiful. Her hair is the color of Jamie’s, and her eyes are a vivid blue. She’s petite and thin and looks like she’s in her late twenties or early thirties. I know she’s a pediatrician and works at Cedars. Jamie is really proud of her.
“Wylder.” I try to be nice, considering she thinks I wasn’t too kind to her big brother who she clearly hero-worships.
“Hmmm,” she practically scoffs. “Where is he?”
“I don’t know,” I tell her. “I was just getting comfortable to work—”
Her gaze flickers to the thong. “I’m sure,” she says, then turns and leaves me standing there mortified in the closet.
Damn, this looks like I’m Trash City, as Kerri would say. Fuck. I text Jamie again, and there is no answer. He needs to get out of his meeting—like soon because there is no way I’m going to get in the car and drive home in this traffic. It would take at least three hours.
I grab a pair of the sweat pants Kathleen purchased and slip them on. I pick up my computer bag and go downstairs to sit in the family room. The occasion calls for alcohol, but unfortunately, I can’t have his sister thinking even less of me now. And she’s sure ready to hate. I walk in the family room and turn on the fireplace, then sit by the Christmas tree. It’s super cozy. I power on my computer, and right when I start to read over my work, Fiona pops open a bottle of champagne and sits across from me.
“Are you really going to pretend to work?” she asks in an annoyed voice, then pours herself a glass and flips on the television to some trashy reality show. She turns it up really loud, like she could give a flying pig that I’m sitting here and might be working.
I see she’s opened a bag of Cheetos as well and is eating away, enjoying herself. Her fingers turn orange fast. Since she forgot a napkin, I get up and grab her a few, along with a couple of bottles of water. When I come back to the room, I stand next to her holding out the napkin as a peace offering.
“I thought Jamie cheated on me,” I admit to her. I don’t want her to hate me, especially because I love her brother. “I have a warped view about men. Your brother is slowly changing that, and I just don’t trust very easily. But I trust him, and I think I’m in love with him.”
I must sound the way Jamie did when he told me.
“You think?” Fiona asks, but her voice has definitely softened up.
“I’m new at all of this,” I say with a shrug. “I don’t know? I think that’s what it is… No, it’s definitely that.”
She laughs at me. “Funny,” she says. “I still slightly resent you because my brother ditched us over the holiday for you, but I know that’s not fair or right and might even be perceived as slightly creepily possessive.”
I laugh. “You’re right. It might, but I guess I get it.”
The way Jamie described his sister to me, you’d think she was Mother Theresa. This chick is more like Kerri—the complete opposite.
“Where is Romeo?” she asks, this time with a new, friendlier tone.
“I have no idea,” I tell her. “I just stopped by as a surprise because I had a run in the area. I thought he’d be here.”
“Well, sit down and grab a glass,” she says. “This is a great show.”
Two hours later, Fiona and I are actually friends, like really friends. We bond over the champagne. She tells me stories about her brother, his drive, how they knew he’d always make it, and how close their family is. She asked about mine, and I was surprisingly candid—not as much as I was with Jamie, but I feel comfortable with Fiona, like I can trust her. I tell her more than I’ve ever told any stranger. I learn Fiona is recently single after a long five-year relationship—her first serious one—and is on the prowl. She describes her type to me, and it makes me think about Colt… He has the vibe she’s describing. They’d kind of fit perfect together, and the right woman can change the right man…
I wonder how I can facilitate this match like pronto.
I can show her the videos we made while dancing on Thanksgiving…
I think about how wasted Colt was to even put himself in that situation in the first place… Okay, that’s a really bad idea.
Before I can sneak a picture of Fiona when she’s not looking to send along to Kerri to get the love connection going, my phone rings. It’s Jamie, FaceTiming.
“Hi, baby,” I answer and position myself so he can see the Christmas tree behind me and know where I am.
“Goddamn it,” he mutters, then shows me a shot of Tom, Dick, and Harry, and… Oh my God—
“It’s Mo!” I screech in delight.
Mo is at least seven feet tall in her beautiful pot and is a gorgeous fiddle-leaf fig tree.
“I love her!” I tell him whole-heartedly. “She’s beautiful, and she’s perfect. And she is just right in every way, Jamie.”
Jamie looks perplexed. “Wow,” he says. “That was quite a compliment for fucking Mo. I can’t believe I’m jealous.”
My heart warms. I wish I could pull that face of his out of the screen and give him a kiss.
“I have some compliments I’d like to give you in person,” I say, then decide to switch it up. I motion to Fiona to play along.
“You were supposed to be here.” His handsome face looks perplexed.
“Well, you were supposed to be here,” I say in return. “But instead, I had to deal with your sister.”
The look on Jamie’s face is priceless. “Fiona is at the house?”
“Yes,” I say. “And talk about a bad idea.”
“I’m afraid to ask.” Jamie doesn’t look like he’s lying.
“I don’t know what to say, but…” I flip the phone over to Fiona who raises her glass to him. “Hey, bro, clearly I’m spending the night.”
I hear Jamie exhale a thank fucking God.
I flip the phone back around. “Thank you for Mo even though I’m the one who lost the bet,” I tell him. “I’m happy you got her.”
“We’re going to have to do something about this room. The bed is not great, and neither are the sheets.” Jamie walks to my writer’s wall. “And about your idea for a movie—”
“I like my idea,” I say outraged. “You don’t have to.”
“Unfortunately, Wylder, I’m going to have to like it too.” Jamie shakes his head at me. “I guess I’ll have to help you fix it. Maybe we’ll add a few aliens in the mix or something. In the Amazon, that could work—”
“Aliens in a story about a woman’s mid-life crisis?” I shake my head.
“That’s just it,” Jamie says in that adoring way of his. “No one cares.”
“I can’t have this conversation.” I might start laughing.
“Order dinner for you and my sister from Nobu on my account,” Jamie suddenly says, ignoring my words. “If you’re okay with it, and since I’m on this side of town, I’m gonna grab a quick drink with Darren.”
I love that he asks. “Go for it.”
“See you tonight,” he says. “Don’t make me check in with Nobu and see if you ordered. I’ll do it myself if you don’t—”
“I’m dialing now!” Fiona calls out. “I’m starving.”
I laugh. “See you later.”
“Bye, babe.”
Fiona and I order food. While she watches more TV, I work. I’m still tired from my day of driving, so an hour later, I excuse myself and go up to bed. Before I pass out, I text Kerri to make sure Tony’s all right. She assures me he is and that he’s safely dressed.
I laugh out loud, then send her an emoji of a flexed bicep. She sends me a vibrating, hand-punching emoji back. I’m glad she’s got her power.
I send Jamie a heart emoji and then a picture of myself sleeping on his side of the bed. Hopefully that’ll do the trick. I think about Mo, and I can’t wait to see her in person. She’s really a beautiful plant. Then I think about how caring Jamie is. How considerate. How I just love being around him, in his energy space. I mean, look at where I am right now, and it doesn’t even frighten me—and everything about it should. Instead, it excites me.
And it feels like exactly where I need to be.
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I feel Jamie’s arms move around my naked body as he settles in behind me. He kisses the side of my neck, then my naked shoulder and back before lightly skimming my back with his fingertips.
“I’ve been dreaming of being here the entire night,” he whispers in my ear.
I turn in his arms before he can even think to stop me, and our lips crash together. I wrap my legs around his naked waist, and before I have to even ask for it, he’s inside me so deep, filling me until I’m whimpering his name over and over and exploding around him.
When we’re done, I rest my forehead against his, and we take a moment. I move down his body and put my ear against his chest and listen to the strong rhythm of his heart.
“I love you, Jamie Donovan,” I whisper loud enough for him to hear. “I think I’ve been in love with you from the moment I set eyes on you. And I don’t just love you because you’re gorgeous and have all that stuff going for you below your waist. I love you because you’re a wonderful, kind man. And you… you make me—”
Okay, it’s kind of hard.
“You make me believe.”
In fairy tales. In happily ever after. In soul mates. In “the one.”
In all of it.
I feel his heart rate speed up, and it makes me smile on the inside. I know mine is going double the rate, so I’m happy to know I’m not alone.
“I love you, Wylder.” His voice is solemn, and my heart melts. We’re quiet for a minute and then the wicked comes out. “I’ve got many plans for you… actually for us for the foreseeable future. So I’m happy we are finally seeing eye to eye.”
“Are you?” I laugh in excitement. “What’s your first plan for us?”
“Australia.” He yawns. “But we can talk about it tomorrow.”
“Australia, like where you’re shooting The Origin?” I ask, full well knowing how dumb it sounds.
“Yes, baby, the only Australia.” He pulls me into his arms. “You’re coming with me. Now that you admit you’re in love with me, it won’t be too hard for you to settle into the idea of leaving LA for the next six months.”
“I have a job,” I say, pointing out the obvious.
“Yes, you do,” he says slowly. “But you and I both know being a production assistant on The Origin in Australia will give you way more hands-on experience, and you don’t have to worry about the shit salary because you’re sleeping with the director and will be staying and eating with him.”
I come up with my argument but, after a moment, think it’s a stupid one to make. Jamie’s right in so many ways. I’ll learn so much from being on set in that way. Being a PA on his film will also allow me to watch him work on something huge.
And the studio runs seriously suck balls. Today’s was awful.
I won’t have to see Henry again.
I’ll have to make Jamie find a job for Kerri—and maybe Tony, but I doubt he’ll want to go. He’s Type A and has his map planned out. Who knows if Kerri will either.
Yes, it’s my boyfriend giving me a job.
But then, I get to be with him as well. There’s nothing that sounds better because here’s the thing:
I’m honestly sorry to all the ladies out there who thought they had a shot when he made his douchey announcement on the Craig Williamson Show because it’s really a shame I can’t share him.
I won’t.
Like not ever.
Jamie fucking Donovan is all mine.
- THE END -