Chapter 15
fifteen
. . .
Sophia
I hide out in Grant's guest house while I peek through the glass doors—doing my best not to be seen in this fishbowl of a place—waiting for him and Hazel to leave.
I saw her reach for the back door like she might be coming to say hello, and my heart stopped for a minute.
Then it immediately sped up when I saw Grant come up behind her, lift her, throw her upside down over his shoulder, and set her up at the island in his kitchen for breakfast. I have a front-row seat to the dad show, and it's five stars. Would recommend.
I force myself away from the windows so I can get ready.
I should already be at the studio, but I couldn't sleep after that almost kiss.
And I just need a little more time this morning to get my head straight.
I woke up late and then started second-guessing if I should hurry and leave or wait until Grant was gone.
I'm embarrassed that I asked him to dance and then put us in an uncomfortable position.
He's been so generous, offering me a place to stay and then offering all this support on this project; why did I have to throw myself at him?
I still when I hear voices, and I slide down on all fours and crawl from the bathroom on my hands and knees over to the couch, where I can hide and also have a clear view of the path from his back door to his driveway.
I see Hazel running toward my doors, and I panic, yet I do nothing to move or prepare for the possibility of saying good morning to her.
Just as she reaches for the handle, I hear Grant yell for her, and then I watch as she slumps with a frown on her face like he just ruined her whole day.
I let my head drop as I smile with both warm affection that she wanted to say hello and complete understanding at how it feels not to get your way.
I watch as he lifts her into his back seat and buckles her in. Then he looks over at my car and back up toward my windows before he slides into his driver's seat. Is he wondering why I'm still here? Does he know my schedule? Technically, I don't have to be there today.
As they pull down the drive, I stand back up, take a deep breath, and head back into the bathroom to get my big-girl panties on for the day.
Thirty minutes later, I'm in my car and headed over to West LA to see Blair.
Yes, I'm avoiding the studio lot, but I need to catch up with my agent, too.
Official agent-client business. Ok, I need to talk this whole kiss thing out with someone, and I know Blair knows I have a crush on Grant, even though I deny it every single time.
She's been trying to convince me there's a spark there since the first time she brought me with her to have lunch with him.
I pull up into the tiny lot behind Tangerine Talent, and when I walk in the door, I'm thrilled to see everyone here. Stella is carrying over a box of Porto's baked goods to the lounge space, where Jess is already relaxed with her feet kicked up on the coffee table.
"Hey, babe! So glad to see you!" Blair wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me close for a warm hug and kiss on my cheek. "How's the movie?"
"Great! We've already shot all city scenes and are putting the finishing touches on the cabin set this week. We start shooting those scenes next week. Oh, and Grant took me to Honey Pine Farms last week, and yesterday, they approved our location shoot!"
Before Blair can respond, Jess pipes up.
"Speaking of cabins and Grant…a little birdy told me that you are staying in his guest house?"
"What?" Blair's eyes go wide. "Why would you be staying with Grant?"
"Who told you that?"
I swear, Jess knows everything. She probably knows when I need to go to the bathroom even before I do.
"Lucas."
"Lucas? Why would Lucas tell you that?"
"So, it is true? You're staying in Grant's guest house? Why? You know you can stay with us any time. I mean, unless there's a reason you are at Grant's?" Blair is rambling and also has one eyebrow raised in question.
"Lucas did a courtesy call to key press to tamper down the gossip.
Guess someone spotted you there and threatened to run with it, but I have a hard time listening to Lucas, so I tuned out the details," Jess says as she picks through the box of goodies from Porto's sitting on the table in front of her.
"That man's voice is like nails on a chalkboard.
He makes me wish I had more middle fingers.
" She seems to be talking more to herself now than us.
I wonder if Grant knows that people are already talking about me staying there. The word is out.
"Oh, but I'm sorry to hear about your house. That sucks big time. No bueno."
"What happened to your house?" Stella chimes in as she carries over a tray of coffee, drinks, and water for all of us.
I sigh before I dive into the cluster that is my life and tell her, "I had a flood at the house."
"Oh, gosh, Sophia! Are you ok?" Blair comes up to wrap her arms around me and help me sit down like I'm too fragile to walk.
"I'm fine. I wasn't there when it happened. Can't even imagine what would have happened if I had been there. Basically, my whole second floor is currently hanging out in my kitchen."
I give the girls the scoop on what I know so far, how Grant was with me when I found out and was a hero, swooping in and saving the day.
In typical fashion, Stella swoons over the idea that Grant, Hollywood's hottest bachelor, is playing exactly the type of role she has created for him in her head.
Blair has gone into planning and concerned-mother mode.
She's going to make a great mom one day, by the way.
And Jess is kicked back, clinging to every word and interaction like a hawk. Her journalism is showing.
As for me, I'm keeping my mouth shut.
I like Jess. Really. The more time I spend with her, the more I think we could be really good friends, but right now, because of her job, she's the enemy.
I know that sounds harsh, but I'm an Oscar-winning actress who's producing and starring in a movie that's been written by Oscar-winning and fan-favorite movie icon Edie Lang.
I'm single, young, and staying in the guest house of this town's favorite hot guy—who's also single. Yeah, my lips are sealed right now.
"How long will you stay there?" Jess asks.
"Just a few more days. Remediation is done, and they are just stabilizing the second floor so they can remodel. I'm hoping they let me in by this weekend."
"There's no way you're getting back into that house anytime soon," Jess says.
"Well, maybe Grant will let her stay longer," Stella sweetly chimes in.
"I'm sure he will." Jess laughs, but she's not trying to be mean. It just puts me a little on edge.
"Oh, there's no way I would impose that long on Grant. If it takes much longer, I'll see if there is room at The Oakwood, or maybe there's an Airbnb near the studio I can find for a temporary stay."
"Soph, stay with us. You know we have room!"
I love Blair. I love Blair with my brother even more. But Grant is right. There is no way I'm staying with them when they are still in the honeymoon period of their relationship. As much as I love them both, there is no need to witness any of that love. I shiver at the thought.
"Let's just see what I find out. The good news is there are lots of options."
We finish off the treats, and everyone scatters off to their day jobs. I follow Blair into her office. After shutting the door behind me, I lean up against it and spit out, "I kissed him."
Blair spins so fast that her hair levitates straight out to the side, spinning as if it were a circular saw blade whacking through the secret I just spilled.
"What?"
"I kissed him. He didn't kiss me back, which was mortifying, and then he gently shut me down." I walk over to the chairs in front of her desk and slip into them, pulling my knees up to my chest. We're talking full fetal position.
"I'm sorry. I thought I just heard you say you made out with Grant."
"Not exactly, but I wish." I bite my bottom lip as I look up at her with guilt all over my face.
"Start from the beginning."
I fill her in on how I offered to make dinner to celebrate the good news about Honey Pine.
After Hazel went to bed, we stayed up talking.
The wine must have hijacked my brain, causing me to ask him to dance, and with him that close to me, I apparently lost all control.
I bring my thumb up to my mouth to nibble on a straggling cuticle and wait for her to say something. Anything.
"Holy shit."
"I can't stay there."
"Does your brother know?"
"What? No! And you can't tell him. I'm swearing you to secrecy. This is a client–agent privileged conversation."
"I'm not sure it works like that."
"Blair!"
"I won't tell him. Sorry. I'm just processing all of this. There's a part of me that wants to jump up and scream, 'I knew it!' But then my agent side is thinking about the movie."
She looks up at me with sympathetic eyes. This is the part where reality enters and the actions of two people could destroy the livelihoods of many—not counting our own.
"I know."
"Have you talked about this? How did it end?"
"He said we can’t and said goodnight. He was a perfect gentleman and totally professional."
"That's good, but if I know Grant, he'll likely want to confront it head on, discuss it, and define what it all means or doesn't mean."
"Great. I can't wait to get back to his place."
"He's a good guy, Soph. You know that. He won't make you feel awkward or ashamed or anything. He's a professional, and I would assume he will be complementary and reassuring. He'll want to continue to make this project successful."
"I know you're right." What I can't seem to push down is this feeling of despair, that he'll tell me I'm great but we should just remain friendly co-workers. And that has me feeling like I can't get enough air into my lungs.
At what point did I start to like this guy—like, for real like this guy? When did he become more than just a "hot dad" crush?