Chapter 8 #2
“And I know you didn’t invite Carmen. I mean, she admitted that she knew you’d be here because of gossip on set.
She’s also right that there are no secrets on a film.
I’m not sure why everyone seems to want to know what everyone else is doing, but it’s always been that way, at least on the movies and shows I’ve worked on. ”
He nodded but didn’t look any less stressed. A muscle in his jaw ticked as he obviously still struggled with controlling his anger at the unwanted interruption to their night.
“What do you need me to do? Would it make things better if I left? So you and your friends can deal with her without me there?”
“No!” he said immediately, his arms tightening around her, as if to keep her from leaving.
Zita caressed his chest lightly. “Okay. You want me to go back in there and tell her off? You can circle around to the parking lot and take off without having to deal with her again tonight.”
“You think I’m that big of a coward?”
“Not at all. Just giving you options. I could beat her up. Well, that probably wouldn’t go so well for me with Gigantor at her side, but I’m thinking I could get in a few licks before he stopped me.
” She was kidding, she wasn’t a violent person, but she would say whatever it took to get Sage to relax.
He stared down at her for a long moment before saying, “Don’t ever put yourself in danger for me. I can fight my own battles.”
“I know, Sage. I never doubted that you could. I just…I hate that you’re upset. That she upset you. She’s not worth it.”
“She disrespected me, but more importantly, she disrespected you. If she heard the gossip, then she knew I was taking you out. And even if she didn’t, your hand on my leg should’ve told her that we were together.”
“I’m sure there’ve been plenty of men who’ve been swayed away from their dates at the prospect of being with Carmen St. James.”
“I’m not most men. And it’s fucking rude.”
Zita nodded, feeling all tingly inside. When had a man ever been so upset on her behalf? Never. And the fact that he was dismissing a famous actress made it even more meaningful.
Sage took a few more deep breaths.
“So, what’s the plan? What do you need me to do?”
“You’re doing it.”
Zita chuckled. “Sage, I’m not doing anything.”
“You are. You’re here with me. Letting me have a moment to control my irritation. You’re letting me hold you. You’re not freaking out that she’s here.”
Zita could feel herself blushing. Thank goodness the shadows were long out here, so he couldn’t see. “What do you think your friends are doing? Or saying?”
Sage chuckled, and Zita could feel it all along her body. Somehow, she’d moved closer without even realizing it, and now she was plastered against his body from thighs to chest.
“They’re taking care of it.”
“How?”
“Don’t know. They just are. By the time we go back in, the bitch’ll be gone.”
It was Zita’s turn to get nervous now. She bit her lip. “She’s not going to be happy. She obviously wants you, Sage.”
“I’m not some toy to be fought over.”
His words startled Zita. Was that what she was doing?
What he thought was happening? That two women were fighting over him?
She tried to take a step back, but Sage tightened his arms around her.
The thought she had earlier about being able to break out of his hold was obviously way off the mark.
Though, she wasn’t afraid of him. Not even close.
“I know you aren’t,” she clarified. “But I wouldn’t hold it against you if you changed your mind and wanted to go out with her.”
Sage chuckled.
“I wasn’t trying to be funny.”
“And yet, you still were. Zita, if this was a competition, you’d’ve already won.
I’m here with you. I want to date you, when that was the furthest thing from my mind a week ago.
I can’t stop thinking about you when I leave the set, and you’re the first person I look for when I arrive every morning.
I’ve never bought a woman coffee, and yet I’ve done it every morning since our fifth day on set.
You’ve met the most important people in my life, and I’m already trying to figure out where to take you on our first one-on-one date.
I don’t care if Carmen wants me—I don’t want her.
She’s just going to have to get used to disappointment. ”
Zita pressed her lips together. She knew it wasn’t that easy. Carmen St. James was like a lot of the famous, rich, spoiled actresses she’d met over the years. They all wanted what they wanted, and nothing and no one stood in their way.
Carmen wanted Sage. At least, she wanted what he represented on the outside. She didn’t really care to get to know him, or figure out what mattered to him, or what his values were. She just wanted eye candy on her arm for the time she was here in Virginia.
“You ready to go back in?” Sage asked.
“Are you?” she countered.
Leaning down, Sage put his forehead on hers. It was a very intimate position, and Zita was in no hurry to end it.
“Thank you for being with me while I got my shit together.”
“I didn’t do anything,” she protested.
“You did. You didn’t ask me a million questions. You trusted me out here, in a dark alley, and didn’t freak out. You didn’t get all catty and hysterical when Carmen showed up.”
“I wanted to.”
He pulled back and smiled. “I know. That’s why I got us out of there. That, and I didn’t want to see her being rude to you any more than she already was. Probably wasn’t the best idea to bring you out here in the dark though.”
“It’s not that dark.”
“Mmmhmmm.”
“And I’ve taken self-defense.” She didn’t know why she was blurting out that inane fact, but there it was. “Also, I’m sure if I screamed, someone would come out to see what was happening.”
Okay, that was stupid. She had no idea if someone would come looking for the source of a scream or not, but it sounded good right before the words came out of her mouth.
“You’re safe with me,” Sage said, the look on his face telling her how serious he was.
“I know,” Zita whispered back.
“You will go out with me again, won’t you? On a you-and-me date? Not one with all my buddies?”
She didn’t even need to think about her response. “Yes.”
“This time we won’t talk about it on set, so we don’t get interrupted.”
“Probably smart.”
He stared at her for a long minute, before dropping his arms. “Come on, let’s go find out what happened in our absence.”
“You really think she’s gone?”
“Yes.”
“What if she’s not?”
“She is.”
“You can’t know that, Sage,” Zita insisted.
He chuckled under his breath once more. “Trust me, Edge was one second away from escorting her out. And I thought Laryn was going to get the heavy-duty wrench she likes to carry in her purse. Not to mention, the owner of the bar wasn’t happy at all that Carmen’s goon took that chair from right under the poor woman next to us.
The entire bar might’ve been in awe when she walked in, but after just a couple of minutes, they were all ready to physically throw her out. ”
“How do you know all that? You were giving Carmen a death stare when she was talking to you.”
“Because I’m observant. I have to be in my line of work.”
“I have to say…it surprises me how upset you think everyone was. I’m sure chairs are stolen all the time in bars.”
“Not while people are still freaking sitting in them. And Anchor Point is special. This isn’t Hollywood, Zita.
No one’s impressed by status here. Which is mostly why we like it.
My friends and I are well aware that our reputations precede us sometimes, but we’re simple men and women who want a place to unwind and just be who we are…
much like the rest of the patrons who come here to have a beer and a burger. ”
Zita liked that. A lot. She was way too used to LA and how people would bend over backward to suck up to anyone who was even the smallest bit famous, in the hopes it would further their own career.
“I think Anchor Point is my new favorite restaurant and bar.”
Sage grinned. “I’m glad you think so.” Then he took her hand in his and led her back to the door.
“It would suck if that door locked behind us,” Zita said with a smile.
In response, Sage took hold of the handle and tugged.
It didn’t open.
Zita’s mouth fell open in shock. She’d totally been kidding.
Then Sage laughed and pulled the door open.
Shaking her head at how easily she’d been duped, Zita found herself smiling. It was amazing how just ten minutes ago, both she and Sage were struggling to control their emotions over Carmen’s appearance, and now they were both laughing.
Sage walked her down the hallway, past the restrooms and back into the bar. As he’d promised, there was no sign of Carmen or her bodyguard.
Sage held her chair for her as she sat. Then he pulled his own closer than it had been before, grabbing his glass and taking a sip of beer. “What’d we miss?” he asked, after he’d swallowed.
Mandy leaned forward with a smirk, and, after pushing her empty lemon drop glass out of the way, said, “It was awesome! Carmen stood, like she was going to go after you, but Laryn hopped up and grabbed her arm, preventing her from leaving. That made her steroid-riddled, puffed-up bodyguard lose his mind, and he took a step toward Laryn. Which, as you can imagine, didn’t go down well with Casper or anyone else.
“Casper stood, as did the rest of the guys, and they forced Mr. Muscle back against the wall. Then the bartender arrived—you know how big he is. But he was acting all gentlemanly, and he took Carmen’s hand as if they were at a freaking English ball or something.”
Zita laughed at that.