7. Lex
7
LEX
“T hank you so much for this. I know last-minute shit isn’t your favorite.”
Clay snickered but shrugged it off. “I had the room open tonight. But I wouldn’t have gone out of my way to make it available for anybody but you.”
“I’m honored.” I was also impressed, but then I should’ve known better. If there was one thing Clay prided himself on, it was the high quality of service his staff offered on every level. He ran a tight ship.
While his restaurants weren’t Michelin-star quality, they were just short of it. He always swore he didn’t care about earning a star, that it only limited what a restaurateur could do if they wanted to keep it. While he wanted to operate at a high level, he wanted to do it his own way, by his own rules, and not some arbitrary rules made up by a bunch of nameless, faceless strangers.
Now we stood at the bar in the far corner of the small event room off the restaurant’s main dining area. He’d opened this West Hollywood location a few months earlier, and all signs pointed to a complete success.
I had entered through a side doorbut noticed the clamor on the sidewalk and the number of people waiting to get in, even with a reservation. This was where everyone wanted to be seen.
“Here’s to you.” Clay lifted his glass to me. “Your first day of shooting. How are you feeling about everything?”
How was I feeling? It was easiest to sum everything up in one word. “Exhausted.”
He laughed knowingly. “Yeah, it’s one thing to watch everything from behind the scenes. It’s another when you’re the guy everybody is looking at to make decisions.”
“Exactly.” And when he put it that way, I wanted much more than the scotch in my glass. I downed the rest of it and signaled for a refill while the room started filling up with crew members and cast.
Clay growled when Danica Cole entered, flanked on either side by supporting actresses whose names I couldn’t recall. They were hot, for sure, wearing low-cut dresses, their hair in shining waves, with the same carefully applied makeup and sky-high heels. Did they understand how underwhelming they were when they all looked essentially the same?
It was obvious Clay didn’t agree. “I swear, it’s not fair,” he grumbled, shaking his head. “You have all this fine, fresh pussy walking around all the time, and you can’t do anything about it if you want to avoid getting your balls in a legal vice.”
That wasn’t what I was thinking of as I watched the girls mingling with the rest of the crew, who kept filtering through the door. Where was Summer? Was she going to show up?
She probably would, just to prove she had the nerve when it was clear this wasn’t her thing. Somebody had to teach that girl the ropes—how to go along and get along. Instead, she went through life with a chip on her shoulder. I didn’t think she should be punished for it, but it was clear why people thought she was a pain in the ass.
“Mr. Landry.” Danica pretended to notice me for the first time and tossed her hair over one shoulder, strutting my way. It was like the girl glowed as if she had a spotlight trained on her. The golden-blonde hair that had been up in a ponytail during filming today shimmered, and her dress did a lot more for her killer body than the coveralls she’d been wearing earlier.
“Holy shit,” Clay whispered, setting his glass down on the bar to turn his full attention to her. “I think I’m about to meet my future first ex-wife.”
I barely stifled a laugh before introducing them. “Hi, Danica. Have you met my good friend, Clayton Manning?” I asked, gesturing toward him. I figured it made more sense to introduce them than to go through whatever awkward mating ritual she wanted to enact with me. I knew that look in her eyes—I’d seen it my entire life. If not directed at me then at the powerful men around me with the ability to shape a career or destroy it.
Her smile faltered, but not for long once she connected the name to the man standing in front of her. “Mr. Manning,” she purred, extending one slim hand. “What a pleasure. I’ve been hoping to meet you for a long time.”
“I guess it must be fate.” He held her hand longer than necessary, staring at her like she was the only woman in the world. It was something he’d polished over the years, drawing a woman in, making her feel special so her panties slid off more easily. He would be thanking me by morning.
For the time being, I was more than happy to quietly make my escape, drifting away to where a group of people were helping themselves to a lavish buffet. “Mr. Landry, this is too much,” somebody called out as I approached, but I only shook my head.
“Nothing’s too much for you,” I insisted. “I’m asking you to do the impossible in no time flat. This is the least I can do to thank you for all the hard work you’ve already put in. Please, help yourselves. Have a great time. There’s an open bar and plenty of food.”
Why hadn’t she shown up yet? Why did I fucking care? I might as well have been a caged tiger, pacing uncomfortably. Waiting. Watching. Would she skip out? And why did it matter? If she wanted to be miserable, lock herself away, and sacrifice herself for her so-called artistic vision, I should have let her. She was a grown woman and had earned the right to make her life miserable if that was what she wanted.
And then Claudia walked in, and my heart skipped a beat because I knew what that meant. Yet no one followed her. She walked in alone, waved to some of the crew members still loading up plates at the buffet, andraised a hand to say hi to a few actors sitting at one of the handful of tables set up around a dance floor.
I crossed the floor, my eyebrows lifting in a silent question once she caught sight of me.
“There was a little bit of a problem,” she whispered when I reached her, turning her back to the rest of the room. When she did, her smile fell away. “Something with one of the permits for tomorrow’s shoot. The time was all wrong, and according to it, we’re supposed to be shooting at night, not during the day. So now…”
“She has to scramble around and come up with a backup plan,” I concluded with a sigh. “Why didn’t anybody tell me about this?”
“I’m telling you now.” She shrugged helplessly. “I figured I’d come by and let everybody know she’s sorry she couldn’t make it, but she had to stay home.”
Fuck. Not that I was planning on letting loose tonight, but I looked like a prick if I partied with the cast and crew while my director was pulling her hair out, rearranging the shooting schedule to accommodate a clerical error. “Maybe I’ll head over to the apartment,” I suggested. “I might be able to get on the phone with somebody down at the permit office to get things rearranged. Next time, tell me about it first. I could’ve saved her a lot of trouble if I had reached somebody during working hours.”
“You try telling her that.” Claudia rolled her eyes, scoffing, and I found myself liking her a lot. She saw Summer, really saw her, and wasn’t afraid to be candid. “You might as well tell a fish to breathe air. She needs to solve everything on her own.”
And it would tank this project if she didn’t learn to ask for help. “Thanks for the heads up. I’ll take care of it.” The last thing I saw as I turned to leave was a giggling Danica with her hand on Clay’s arm. At least one of us would have a good time tonight. The lucky bastard.
On the way, I made a call. “Marty, you’re killing me,” I said as soon as my connection at the permit office picked up. Having his personal cell definitely came in handy at times like this.
“What’s this about a mix-up tomorrow? You know we need to be out on the track during daylight hours. We’re not shooting this scene at night. It won’t work.”
“I told your girl these things happen sometimes,” he muttered, which took me from irritation to flat-out anger. “Sometimes a.m. is put in place of p.m. It was an oversight.”
“Is that how they run things down at the permit office? Maybe they need somebody more responsible working in your position.”
“Now, wait a second?—”
“This is going to be fixed by tomorrow morning,” I announced while my driver rounded the corner on Summer’s block of Melrose. “My cast and crew are going to show up at that racetrack, and no one will stop them from filming because the permit situation will be settled. I don’t care what you have to do. Just get it done, or I call your superior and get them to do it for me.” I ended the call before he had the chance to give me another bullshit excuse.
By the time my driver pulled up in front of the apartment complex, a text came through.
Marty: It’s taken care of – M.
I knew better than to ask for an apology for his oversight, choosing instead to step out onto the curb wearing a satisfied smile, scanning the area around me. Three towers surrounded a central pool and patio area where a handful of people swam and listened to music as I walked through. For their sake, I hoped the noise didn’t carry too far upstairs, or they might be faced with a screaming Summer.
When I reached her building’s lobby, I rang the bell corresponding to her apartment number. It didn’t take long for her to respond. “Yes?”
“It’s Santa Claus. I have a present for you.”
“Lex?” she asked, groaning. “I do not have time for this. Go party or something.”
Unbelievable. I jammed my thumb against the bell again, leaving it there for a slow count of five, then letting go. “Goddammit,” she growled through the intercom. “Why won’t you take a hint?”
“I’m not fucking around.” I sighed. “I’m bringing you something that’s going to make your night better. But, by all means, leave me down here while?—”
“Jesus! Okay, fine. Whatever.” The door buzzed, and I opened it. When I reached her floor, she was waiting with the door open, tapping her foot impatiently.
She looked… nice . She had dressed up for the party in a soft, floral print dress. A handful of necklaces in various lengths hung over her chest, and she wore those same silver bangles from our first meeting. They jingled musically with every tap of her foot. “Well? I guess she told you what happened,” she muttered darkly.
Right to business, as always, but I swore her eyes dipped down my open shirt for a millisecond before she caught herself. “Claudia? Yes, she told me what’s going on.”
Her chin jutted out. “She wasn’t supposed to send you here.”
“She didn’t,” I replied.
Shrugging, she turned and walked into the apartment. I hadn’t been invited, but I took it as a sign I should follow. I closed the door while she crossed the surprisingly spacious living room. The apartment had come furnished, filled with sleek, modern furniture that fit the general vibe I had picked up downstairs.
What drew my attention beyond the increasingly familiar aroma of incense and lavender essential oil were the pages of scheduling strewn across a coffee table like a toddler had come through and torn her binder apart. “I think I have it figured out,” she explained. “It’ll mean rearranging a chunk of shoots, but we might try to squeeze it in here.” She thrust an arm my way, pointing to a date on the calendar she held. “And filming tomorrow’s scenes in the morning and then getting down to the pier by early afternoon should work, but only if we really focus and stay on track. I think it’s totally doable.” She bit her lip hard like she was worried about convincing me.
“You don’t have to do any of this,” I told her. “It’s taken care of. We can go ahead the way we planned.”
Her eyelids fluttered, her lips moved, but it took a while for anything to come out. “What do you mean?” She eventually took a breath.
“I got it taken care of. We’re still on for tomorrow morning.” When she still gaped at me, I asked, “What? Don’t you think I can get shit done? Let this be a lesson. Call me in the first place because that’s what I’m here for.”
What did I expect? Thanks for starters. Maybe a little gratitude. Relief. What I did not expect was her wrinkled nose or the sneer that lifted her upper lip. “Seriously? That’s exactly what I didn’t want!”
“Excuse me?” I asked. My disbelieving laughter filled the room before I clarified, “You didn’t want this to be cleared up with as little trouble as possible? I must be misunderstanding you.”
“Dammit! I’m supposed to be the one handling things. Something goes wrong, I have to fix it. And I did!” She threw the calendar page onto the table along with the rest, scoffing. “Looks like I wasted my time.”
“Yeah, you did,” I agreed. She waved a dismissive hand and turned away, walking toward the window. “Don’t turn your back on me, Summer,” I warned.
Stopping on a dime, she turned around with her mouth hanging open. For once, I surprised her into silence.
“My job is to make your job as easy as I can. Or didn’t they teach you that in film school?” I asked. It might have been beneath me, but I enjoyed the way she stiffened. “Get off your goddamn high horse. You wasted hours of your time tonight by insisting on handling something on your own. We are supposed to be working together, aren’t we?”
“All I need is for people to start talking about how I have to run to you with every problem I have!” she shouted back, stomping her foot. “I can’t have people thinking I’m incapable of doing this job!”
“What the hell are you so afraid of? Why is everything a challenge?”
“Because it just is!” She threw her hands into the air. “Everything! Every day! I thought I finally found a partner I could count on, and what did he do? He used me. He destroyed my reputation, and he’s still benefiting from my work. I’m not letting that happen again.” Her chest heaved with every ragged breath once she went silent.
“Listen to me.” I closed the distance between us, taking her by her bare arms to hold her in place before she could turn her back again. “You have to let the past go. It’s getting in your way.”
“That is so easy for you to say.” Ducking her head wasn’t enough to hide her quivering chin. “You don’t know. I thought we were building something together. I trusted him. I worked my ass off for him… for us. And he threw it all in my face,” she whispered.
Case in point why I never bothered striving for anything long-term with a woman. There were too many expectations involved, along with too much responsibility for someone else’s happiness. I couldn’t bring myself to get caught up in it, but that didn’t mean I agreed with some stupid bastard breaking a woman’s heart.
“Fuck him,” I spat, though I did it softly. I didn’t have it in me to be harsh. Tears were always a weakness of mine, especially when the person shedding them went out of their way to look strong otherwise. “You’re going to leave his ass in the dust.”
Slowly, she lifted her head, her teary eyes meeting mine before she whispered, “How do I know I won’t get burned again?”
“You’ll have to trust me.” It was a big ask since I could hardly trust myself to stare at her mouth without devouring it. The temptation was almost too much.
“And how do I know I can?”
Damn her for doing this. “There are reasons why I’m not experienced with helping a woman through a tough time, and this is one of them,” I gritted out, my grip on her arms tightening. “Why won’t you let me comfort you? Why does everything have to be an argument?”
“Nobody asked you to stick around.” She glanced down at her arms, then up at me. “Let go of me and get out of here. That’ll solve all of your troubles.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” I pulled her close, making her gasp and stiffen. “My troubles started the day you walked into my life, Summer, and I can’t shake you. God knows I’ve tried,” I added in a strained whisper.
Her eyes met mine. The pain in them had changed to something else. Something as dark and needful as what blazed its way through me and demanded I lower my head and crush my mouth against hers, turning the undeniable chemistry between us into an all-consuming inferno.
As sweet as I’d imagined. Firm lips parted so easily, willingly, while a faint sigh stirred in her throat, a signal of her giving herself over to me, succumbing the way I did to the heat.
Why bother fighting it? Desire left me pressing my fingers into her flesh, demanding I mark her. Claim her. And every short, needful breath she took told me she wanted the same thing.
My cock surged as she melted against me, her body molding itself to mine while her arms wound around my neck. Tipping my head to the side, I deepened the kiss, exploring her mouth with every stroke of my tongue against hers. My scalp tingled at the touch of her nails, leaving me groaning the way she did while I backed her against the nearest wall and pinned her in place with my body.
Now I could touch her, fondle, caress. Everything I’d held back roared to the surface with almost frightening intensity. Her body was soft but firm, enough to make me want to drop to my knees and worship. I rolled my hips, pressing my painful erection against her hip, savoring her needy moans before doing it again. She would scream for me tonight. She would beg for more.
“Lex…” she breathed out when my mouth left hers to continue its exploration. Her pulse fluttered under my tongue when I swept it over her throat, matching the furious rhythm of my heartbeat. “Oh God, Lex.”
I could learn to love the sound of my name tumbling from her swollen lips. “I’m right here,” I rasped, grazing her delicate skin with my teeth until she shuddered. Lifting my head, I stared down at her flushed face—eyes closed, lips parted, the very image of abandon.
It was one of those moments that brought a man to a fork in the road. This or that. Take her now, spend the night pleasuring her, and face the consequences tomorrow. Or make the right decision and get the hell out of here before I opened a Pandora’s box of fuckery neither of us needed.
Her eyes flew open wide, and a gasp sounded when I backed away, shaking my head. “I shouldn’t have,” I grunted, dazed and disappointed. No matter how right it felt. How necessary. Even now, watching her smooth her tousled hair, I couldn’t regret it. Not when I so desperately wanted more.
There was something much bigger at stake for both of us. The thought softened what was so hard and demanding, pressed against my zipper. I had a job to think about, a studio, and the livelihoods of everyone working there.
Her chest heaving, she nodded, examining the floor as she whispered, “You’d better go.”
She was right, no matter how little I wanted to comply. Leaving was the safe option. It was the only option, which I took before I could make another unforgivable mistake.