14. Harley
harley
. . .
S he was a vision. An absolute vision.
And she was here to see me.
I couldn’t believe my luck. I half expected her to call the cops on me, to be honest, especially with all the photographic evidence I’d provided.
But instead, she was here.
I had kept my end of the deal and bought her the most expensive cognac I could find on such short notice. From what Penelope told me, she quite enjoyed it on the flight.
I expected nothing else.
I wanted her to bathe in the luxuries I provided. Wanted her to want for nothing.
It was late by the time she arrived, but even with the plane ride and LA traffic, I still had a few scenes to shoot for the day. But of course I still made time for her.
Laura sat across from me in my trailer, the LA air slightly warm against our skin and not at all like the harsh cold that had fallen over New York over the last week.
She had placed the contract on the table, and as she slid it over to me, I could see it was marked in red pen. My heart fluttered.
She didn’t only read it; she made notes.
Just about everything this woman did made me fall even more in love with her.
“I want to preface this by saying I think this whole thing is crazy,” she said and leaned back in her chair. Her eyes were on me, glaring. “If it weren’t for the sake of my clients—and my career—I wouldn’t be going this far or even considering anything this fucking insane.”
But she would for them. That much I knew.
I felt guilty about having to force her hand, but I knew this was the only decision she could make. Once the contract was signed, I would do whatever it took to make her realize that it was the right one.
“I know,” I said and reached for the contract to look at her changes.
No surveillance.
No physical relationship.
Change two-day separation to a week.
A six-month timeline on the relationship.
But she doesn’t mind being seen with me out in public, apparently…
I could work with six months, but in order to do that, I would need to see her almost every day.
“I’ll give you a GPS tracker. No cameras.” She didn’t bring up the ones she’d trashed, and I didn’t bring up the bugs in her house. That seemed promising, so I went on. “The two-day separation is nonnegotiable.”
“I have work,” she said with a frown. “You can’t just expect me to leave to see you. Trials can last weeks.”
“Yours usually don’t.”
This almost got a smile out of her. Almost .
“Three days,” she countered. “That’s the best I can do.”
Three days wasn’t that bad. That meant at least twice a week. And, more importantly, it didn’t mean I was forbidden to see her on the other days, just that it was mandatory to meet on the third.
“You got it, darling. ”
I grabbed a pen and made the requested changes, then signed the last page.
”That’s it?” she asked. “You’re not going to push the six months?”
“I think you’ll find that after six months, you won’t want to get rid of me.”
Laura rolled her eyes at me and scanned the contract once more.
She was hesitating, so I stood, giving her a smile.
“I am needed on set for about another hour or two. How about I find you a good seat so you can watch and think it over?”
She let out a snort.
“You think your wonderful acting skills will persuade me?”
“Maybe. Or…” I leaned forward and gently placed a lock of her hair behind her ear. I was pleased when she didn’t pull back or flinch. “Maybe I’m more generous than you think and am giving you the time you need while still indulging in my need to see your beautiful face.”
The redness that started creeping in at the top of her ears had my heart racing.
“Fine,” she grumbled as she cleared her throat. “But I’ll be on a plane back to New York before the sun rises.”
I nodded and pulled away.
The only way you’re getting away from me now is if you don’t sign.