11. Sierra
11
SIERRA
When I was in the bedroom that evening, my phone rang and the picture of a pretty, dark-eyed woman flashed across the screen. I smiled as I answered it. “Hey, Ronnie!”
“How’s my favorite hermit?” she said, amusement in her voice.
“Stranded.”
“I know. Kylie told me you woke up under a tree yesterday.”
It didn’t surprise me that they’d talked. Ronnie was the one who’d introduced me to Kylie during the filming of Thrill of the Chase last year. “I didn’t get knocked out or anything, but I sure as hell was stuck. I’m sorry I didn’t contact you. It’s just been busy since then.”
“Yeah, living with three strange men. Boy, does that sound familiar.”
I laughed. “Trust me, it’s not anything like your situation. Or Kylie’s.” Jeesh, why did I have so many friends who were dating multiple men?
“That’s too bad. I was hoping you’d found someone to warm your bed.”
“I did, but it was a dog.”
“They have a dog? Bonus!”
“Yeah, he’s a good guy.” I just wished I was as sure about his human friends. “How are things back home?”
“Never better. Tanner taught me to ride a motorcycle, and I’m taking a class to learn some trick riding.”
That definitely sounded like something Ronnie would want to do. Though she hadn’t been a stuntwoman for long, it was a great fit for her. “Just be careful, okay?”
“I’m not the one who had a tree fall on her.”
“True.”
“So, tell me how it’s going. Are they impressed to be sharing their space with a genuine Hollywood star?”
I glanced at the door to reassure myself it was closed. “They don’t know I’m an actress.”
“Really?”
“Really.” Because Ronnie had met me on a big movie set, she always assumed I was more well-known than I was. “Prior to Aiden’s movie, I mostly did indie stuff. Or those movies I did when I was a kid. Not exactly the kind of thing grown men are likely to have seen.”
“You could tell them you’re an actress.”
“No thanks.” I stretched back on the bed, my forearm shielding my eyes.
“Why not?”
“Because people always act differently once they know.”
“And by people, I’m guessing you mean men,” she said.
“Yeah. It’s like they have one of two reactions. First, they treat me like a celebrity is an entirely different species. Like I’m not even a person, I’m just my job.”
“Aiden gets that a lot.”
He was one of the biggest movie stars in the world, so that wasn’t surprising. At least he got to be normal when he was at home with Ronnie and their other two partners. “The other reaction is?—”
“Let me guess. They want to get in your pants, right?”
“Right.”
“But wouldn’t that happen anyway? Face it, girl, you’re hot.”
I grimaced. “Possibly, but when guys find out I’m an actress, it becomes even more of a challenge for them. Like I’m some kind of conquest.”
“That sucks. I guess you should enjoy your chance at anonymity while you can.”
“What do you mean?”
Ronnie’s voice was sympathetic. “Well, the press tour starts in three weeks. Your face will be on a lot of screens even before the movie comes out.”
The thought made my stomach ache. I grasped at the only strand of hope I had. “You really think so? Do you remember who the leading ladies were in the first three movies?” Aiden’s character, Chase Cooper, had a different love interest in each film.
Ronnie was quiet for a moment, likely trying to remember. “Two of the three,” she said at last.
“I wish you were coming on the tour.”
“They don’t send stunt people on those.”
“Even when they’re dating Aiden Hunt?”
Ronnie sighed. “According to the studio, we’re not dating. Too much of a scandal, I suppose.”
My heart went out to her. It was so unfair that she couldn’t be open about the men she loved. “I’m sorry.”
“I shouldn’t complain,” she said hastily. “I love my job, I love my men, I love my life. But it’d be nice to go out on a date with them from time to time.”
“Yeah, I get that.”
“Anyway, since I can’t go, you have to promise to keep Aiden in line for me during the press tour.”
“I’ll try.” I rolled over on my side, gazing absently at the rustic furniture in the little room. “Hard to believe that he’s actually one of the people I’m looking forward to seeing.” I realized after I said it that it’d sounded kind of bad, but Ronnie knew Aiden and I’d had a rocky start at the beginning of filming.
“Who aren’t you looking forward to seeing? Oh wait, I know, that assistant director. What was his name?”
The pain in my stomach intensified. “Walter Henderson.” I sure as hell hadn’t forgotten his name.
“Oh, yeah. God, that guy was an asshole.”
“Tell me about it.” Henderson had made my life miserable on the set. He’d tried to make me go topless in the sex scene, even though my contract specified no nudity. To say he was an asshole was putting it mildly. Of course, he wasn’t the only man in Hollywood like that.
“But you don’t have to worry about him until the premiere. Assistant directors aren’t important enough to go on the publicity tour.”
“Really?” That seemed almost too good to be true. But since she lived with Aiden, Ronnie knew more about this stuff than I did. Most of the films I’d been in hadn’t gotten much attention from the press.
“Will you be able to make the tour?” Ronnie asked. “Kylie said they don’t know how to extract you yet.”
“Oh. Yeah, it’s going to be a while. Trees and branches are down all over. But I can’t imagine it’ll take three weeks.”
It shouldn’t, right? No way I could stay that long with men I didn’t know. Plus, it wasn’t good for them, either. They hadn’t said anything, but I’d probably messed up their brainstorming or whatever it was they were doing for their business.
“Tell me what your new roommates are like.”
I took a breath, thinking about what to say. “Well… I like the dog.”
Ronnie laughed. “You already said that. Tell me about the two-legged ones.”
“They’re… okay, I guess.”
“You’re going to have to get a lot better at providing details before the press tour,” she observed.
“Maybe not,” I said with a little smile. “They’re supposed to send me a list of questions and possible responses. So, all I have to do is memorize, for the most part—I can do that in my sleep.” It was one of the benefits of being an actress.
Ronnie was still on the subject of the guys, however. “Are any of them friendly?”
“One.” I told her a little about Drew. “He’s the one who gave up his room for me. He seems like a good guy.”
“But you can’t relax around him.” It was a statement, not a question. Ronnie knew about my issues with men all too well.
“I’m trying. Then there’s another one, Tristan. He seems okay, too. When it was just him here today, I actually got some work done.”
“I want to hear how the screenplay’s going, but first, tell me about guy number three.”
I sighed. “He’s… kind of… a lot.”
“A lot?” Ronnie echoed.
“Yeah. Kind of intimidating. And… and?—”
“Handsome as fuck?”
“Well… yeah.” Not that it mattered. It was his personality that was unattractive to me.
“I think it’s a law of nature,” Ronnie said. “In any group of three good-looking men, one of them has to be a fucking Adonis.”
“Seems like it.” I couldn’t help visualizing the two times I’d seen Carter shirtless. “But it’s just like… it’s too much. His looks, his smirk, his knowing eyes… it’s too much.”
“Over the top,” Ronnie said, and I nodded, forgetting she couldn’t see me. “My brother’s girlfriend is a romance writer, and she calls it OTT, over the top, when a guy is just too hot, and, well, too everything.”
“Yeah, that describes Carter.”
“So, he’s over-the-top-gorgeous?”
“Over-the-top obnoxious,” I said without thinking.
Ronnie chuckled. “Over the top obnoxious. Or OTTO, for short. I like it.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m going to call him that, at least in my mind. Otto.” If there was ever a man who didn’t look like an Otto, it was Carter.
“Hey, say it to his face.”
Ronnie would, but I wasn’t as brave as her.
“But seriously, does he make you feel uncomfortable?” she asked. “I mean, not because of his looks, but like, does he make you feel unsafe?”
“No,” I said after a short pause. Though I was pretty sure he made the deer around here feel unsafe. I’d heard him come back to the cabin, but I hadn’t poked my head out of the room. If he had a dead animal with him, I didn’t want to know about it. “Can we talk about something else?”
“Sure,” Ronnie said instantly. “In fact, I have some good news.”
I sat up, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. “What?” It didn’t seem like she could be engaged, not since she had to keep her unconventional relationship with Aiden and his friends secret. She might be pregnant, but I doubted she’d be learning motorcycle stunts if she was. “I could really use some good news right about now.”
“Good, because you’re definitely going to get it.” Ronnie’s excitement carried clearly across the distance. “So, you know how Miami is one of the stops on the tour?”
“Yes.” I’d never been on a long press tour for a mainstream film like this, but I knew the drill. Miami was scheduled toward the end of the trip, if I remembered correctly.
“Well, there’ll be a brunch for you guys and for some of the prominent locals in the industry.”
“And?” Now I was getting excited… Ronnie’s tone had rubbed off on me.
“And, one of the people attending is Miranda Morales Sanchez.”
“No!” My gasp was so loud it probably reached the far end of the cabin.
“Yes!” Ronnie all but squealed.
“Are you sure?”
“Very sure,” Ronnie said. “Aiden told me himself.”
“But she’s amazing .”
That was an understatement. Miranda Morales Sanchez was one of the most influential female directors in the US. I’d seen every one of her films.
“My god, I can’t believe I’ll get to meet her.” I’d probably end up too tongue-tied to speak, but just being in her presence was enough for me. “I can’t believe it.”
“Believe it.”
“Thank you for telling me. It’ll give me something to look forward to.”
“That’s not why I told you.” Ronnie sounded a little exasperated. “You have to show her your screenplay.”
“What?” My voice came out in a loud screech, and from out in the main room, I heard Zeus bark once in response. But Ronnie couldn’t be serious. I was the very definition of a rookie screenwriter. Showing the script to Miranda would be like a child showing Wolfgang Puck the toaster pastry he’d made.
“Don’t say you can’t, because you can,” Ronnie said. I wasn’t sure when she’d gained the ability to read my mind.
“It’s not even finished,” I said, noting the shocked quality of my voice.
“Well, finish it, then. What else have you got to do? I can’t imagine you sitting around playing pinochle with Otto and the others.”
“I—I can’t.”
“Sure, you can. And what’s more, I’m going to get Aiden to make sure you do.”
“Seriously, Ronnie, it’s not that good.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because it’s so damn hard to write.”
“That’s what every writer I’ve ever known has said.” She laughed. “Please try to remember that this is good news. It’s a chance to get your screenplay into the hands of the best possible director for it.”
“I just don’t know what to do.”
“Finish your script,” she said promptly. “Your desire to write the screenplay is so strong, it almost got you squashed like a bug in the middle of nowhere. That means you want it bad. You owe it to yourself to finish it and show it to Miranda.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Don’t think, just write,” she demanded.
The corner of my mouth tugged upward. “I think you get the best results if you do both.”
“Whatever. Just finish your screenplay. And ignore those men, no matter how hot they are.”
“That, I can definitely do.”
At least I thought I could. One thing was certain—I’d make damn sure I wasn’t in the living room tomorrow at three o’clock. They could do their workout without an audience next time.
An hour or two later, I ventured out into the living room. Tristan and Drew were sitting on the sofa, their feet up on the coffee table. Carter was in the recliner. All three of them were watching TV.
“Sleeping Beauty has emerged from her tower,” Drew said when he spotted me.
“Isn’t that Rapunzel?” Tristan asked. He was definitely in relaxation mode. He had on faded blue jeans and a gray t-shirt. His feet were bare, and his hands were behind his head. “There’s some chili out in the kitchen if you want some.”
“Thanks,” I said. “But you guys don’t have to feed me.”
Carter leveled his dark eyes at me. “Are we supposed to let you starve?”
I flushed. “I meant, you don’t have to cook for me, though it’s very kind of you.”
Drew grinned. “You might not think it’s kind once you taste our cooking.”
God, nothing I said ever came out right around these three. “Speaking of food, I want to help pay for the groceries, too.”
“You already did,” Tristan said, his eyes on the flat screen television above the mantle.
I frowned. I hadn’t given them a cent so far.
“You paid for your own groceries,” he continued. “Winston told us he delivered to you, too. So, we all paid for food—it’s just that ours is a little easier to get to at the moment.”
“And has fewer splinters in it,” Drew added.
He was joking, but it made me consider things I hadn’t thought of before. “Do you think the fridge is still on?”
“No.” Carter spoke flatly. “I turned off the power. The fuse box was off the kitchen.”
“It seemed like the safest course of action,” Drew said. “Who knows what damage that tree did to the electrical system.” He stretched and took his feet off the coffee table. “We were just about to watch a movie. Want to join us?”
“Uh, thanks, but I’ll just get some food.”
“I thought we were going to watch her video first?” Tristan said to the others as I made my way to the kitchen
I froze, replaying his words in my head. Her video? Had they found out I was an actress? My blood chilled as I watched Tristan do something on his phone. A moment later, a clip of an unfamiliar woman filled the screen above the fireplace.
Evidently, I wasn’t the her he was referring to—thank god.
Still shaky from the scare, I heated up a bowl of chili in the microwave and tore a chunk of bread off of the loaf on the counter. It looked delicious, and since Winston couldn’t get up here for a while, it might be the last time to eat something like this. Not that I usually ate this many carbs, but it had been a rough two days.
I carried my food out to the worktable and took a seat, facing the sofa. Over the guy’s heads, I could see the TV. The pretty young woman was talking directly to the camera. Comments appeared at the bottom of the screen, evidently from her followers. I couldn’t tell if the video was live or recorded.
The video ended, and a new one with the same woman popped up. My curiosity was piqued. “Who’s she?”
Drew twisted his head around to answer. “Tristan’s girlfriend.”
My jaw dropped. “Really?” I tried to picture her with him. They’d make a good-looking couple, but for some reason, I’d assumed he was single—that all of them were, in fact. But I realized now that there was no basis for my assumption.
“No, she’s not.” Tristan sounded slightly exasperated. “I just like her channel. She’s got an interesting viewpoint.”
“That means he thinks she’s hot,” Drew informed me.
On the screen, the young woman walked around an immaculate apartment that made mine look like something out of Little House in the Prairie . Everything around the woman was made of gleaming stainless steel and sleek modern designs.
“That’s Lila James,” Drew said. “She’s an influencer. She’s always unboxing some new smart gadget or tech toy that various companies send her.”
Carter smirked. “With emphasis on the word toy.”
“Toy?” I frowned.
Tristan paused the video. “Sometimes she reviews sex toys.”
“On camera?” I practically yelped. My cheeks flushed at the thought.
“Unfortunately, not,” Carter said. “But she unboxes them on screen and later reports back on how much she enjoyed it.”
“Which is his favorite part of her videos,” Tristan said.
“Mine too,” Drew said. “She rates them from one to five eggplants. One means it’s nothing special, and five means the toy hits the spot better than a man ever could.”
“Bet I could prove her wrong.” Carter smirked. The intent expression on his face made me squeeze my thighs together. Then I remembered Ronnie’s name for him. He didn’t seem as intimidating when I thought of him as Otto.
Ignoring my food, I tried to wrap my head around this woman’s online presence. “So, she makes videos about sex toys?”
“And other things,” Drew said. “She’s got all the best tech. I’d kill for some of the equipment in her apartment.” He frowned at me. “Bring your food over here to watch. I’m tired of twisting my head around to talk to you.”
“I’m fine,” I said automatically.
“We don’t bite,” Carter said, but I wasn’t sure I believed him.
“And we’ll let you pick the movie after this is over,” Tristan said.
Drew grinned as I stood up and picked up my bowl. “You can choose anything you like—Carter loves rom-coms.”
The pained look on Carter’s face made me laugh as I slid past Drew and took a place on the couch between him and Tristan. With my knowledge of movies, I’d find something that Otto would hate.
It would serve him right for hunting Bambi—and it would amuse the hell out of me.