CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 3
NESS’S CHARCOAL-GRAY PENCIL SKIRT BARELY ALLOWED HER TO maintain her alluring position perched on the slippery wooden stool. Her lost luggage had arrived well after she’d gone to bed, interrupting what had been shaping up to be the best hour of sleep she’d get all night.
In front of her, within kicking distance, Hayes, Ian, and Bradley were lounging on a couch, comfortably manspreading. The women hovered behind on bar-height, low-backed stools that would have meant certain death to anyone a few drinks deep and attempting to sit at an actual bar.
“We’re thrilled to have this unusual opportunity to speak with all of you so early in the process of bringing Turning Tides to life! How does it feel to be back together?”
“It’s so exciting, Krista!” Ian leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands. Ness watched a bead of sweat roll down from his hairline into the collar of his shirt. “It was a bit of a case of ‘you don’t know what you have till it’s gone.’ Having the chance to be back with such a multifaceted, talented group after the past few years of hardship—which you can read about in my memoir, Just One Bump—is a dream come true.” He beamed at the beautiful, very peppy interviewer. She fluttered her eyelashes before turning her attention to Bradley.
“Bradley, you’ve been diversifying your portfolio over the past few years—loving the Chateau Giselle Rosé, by the way. What was it about this project that tempted you to step back in front of the Ocean Views cameras?”
“This show has always held a special place in my heart. Kind of like a first love . . .”
As he droned on about his many varied accomplishments, Ness caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. Libby had pulled a pen from somewhere and scrawled “brOKE” on the back of her cheat sheet, which had been wedged under her thigh. She angled it to show Coco, who, in turn, snorted a laugh she tried to turn into a quiet cough. Ness attempted to look interested in the interview, which had thankfully moved on.
“Hayes, you were a last-minute addition to the cast of Turning Tides. What compelled you to sign on so late in the game?”
His broad shoulders flexed under his jacket, and Ness wished she could see his face.
“I was interested from the moment I heard the revival was under consideration, but I’d already signed on for two other projects, Alpha Lunar and Meet Me at Noon. For a while, it didn’t seem like we’d be able to make the scheduling work, but with a bit of luck and some very understanding producers, here we are. Like Ian said, reflecting on our time together twenty years ago, I realized some opportunities were left on the table. I’m excited to see where our chemistry takes us now that we’re older and wiser.” He nudged Bradley. “Well, some of us are wiser, anyway.”
Bradley chuckled cooperatively.
“Speaking of aging, can we take a moment to appreciate how great these ladies are looking?” Krista’s co-interviewer, Jordan, chimed in.
Ness hoped her cringe was purely internal but feared it was written all over her face.
The men gave appreciative murmurs and nodded.
Coco piped up with, “Yeah, the guys look like trash,” making Daisy choke on the water she’d just sipped.
Jordan’s forehead crinkled in consternation. Krista shuffled her notes, cleared her throat, and continued.
“Ness, you’ve been a woman of mystery, out of the spotlight for quite some time. What brought you back?”
“I left acting quite young. I’ve built a life I’m happy with, but I’ve always wondered what would have happened if I’d stuck around. Maybe nothing, maybe everything.” She shrugged. She’d been expecting the question but didn’t like how even her PR-friendly language still felt like baring her soul.
“When I was invited back, it seemed like a chance to revisit a part of my life that’s been calling to me for years. Like Ian and Hayes said—unfinished business. When you’re twenty, it feels like you have all the time in the world. I know better now.”
Coco barked out a laugh. “I just wanted a chance to spend a week in the Bahamas. I’ve been shooting in Alaska for the past two months. Give me some heat!”
Krista laughed. “Speaking of heat, we’ve got a surprise for you!”
Ness’s stomach clenched. She hated surprises. She had actually specified to Audrey that she wanted “no ‘fun’ surprises during publicity” in her contract, but Audrey had convinced her the optics weren’t great.
“No one wants to work with a spoilsport, Agnes.” Audrey had sighed her what have I gotten myself into with this one? sigh. “You’re coming back new, fresh, ready to take on the world—or at least that’s the image we want to project. We don’t want to do anything to indicate you’re not 100 percent on board.”
“I’m on board, just not with this one tiny facet of the whole thing.”
“I’ll put it in if you want, hon. That’s my job, after all. Client first. But it’s also my job to set you up for success, and let me tell you, putting up an obstacle on something this small is going to cost you in the long run.”
Ness had acquiesced. Besides, what were the chances anything would actually come up? She’d be fine.
Now, Libby sat three feet away, and Ness was certain she saw the promise of death in her eyes. Between them was a table with a large, glowing red button in the middle. Ness couldn’t be certain they’d been paired up to maximize drama, but based on the gleeful hand-rubbing of the sideline observers it didn’t seem particularly far-fetched.
“Welcome to a little segment we call Hot Shots, where we test your memory and your ability to consume vegan hot wings at the same time!” Jordan was using a game show host voice that made Ness want to punch him in his smug face.
“Here’s how it works. I’ll ask a question about the original Ocean Views. The first to hit the buzzer and answer correctly gets to sip this nice frosty oat milk. But if you answer wrong, you’ll need to eat a wing. They increase in spice from left to right, so with each incorrect answer, you face a greater burn! Ready, ladies? Alright, let’s gooooo.”
Libby managed to look simultaneously bored and furious. Ness thought she was probably coming off as scared and confused. Exactly what every viewer wants from their talk show captives.
Her eyes darted from the red button in the middle of the table to Libby’s eyes, which, for a second, also seemed to glow red. A trick of the light, right?
Ness licked her lips nervously.
“First question! In season two, Libby’s character, Vanessa, hitchhikes from the Mango Café to North Beach for a date. She’s picked up by a tall, dark, and handsome police officer played by . . . which guest star?”
Ness’s hand flew toward the buzzer, making contact with the soft skin of Libby’s fingers with a startling smack as her opposition got there a split second faster.
“Libby! What’s your answer?”
“Keanu Reeves!” Libby smirked. “Who could forget being handcuffed by him?” She gave a dramatic shiver-shimmy of her shoulders.
“Correct! Ness, that means you’re taking the first hot shot.”
It went downhill from there.
The vegan wings had the texture of a mealy pear combined with stale bread crumbs and smothered in . . . well, Ness didn’t want to speculate about where the hot sauce had come from, but it tasted like it had been brewing on someone’s windowsill for a while.
By the time they’d worked through five questions, Libby was leaning back in her chair looking smug, lipstick still perfect, hair glossy. In contrast, tears were streaming down Ness’s face and she could feel her hair plastering itself to her forehead. This was a nightmare.
She forced a smile that she hoped wasn’t showing off teeth full of soy protein and chugged another glass of oat milk.
“All or nothing for the last one, Jordan?”
“Hoo boy! Libby, are you in? Ness gets this one, you’ll need to eat your entire plate of hot shots in one go. Ness, if you lose, you’ll need to clear Libby’s plate. Are you sure you’re up to it?”
Ness’s stomach roiled and she fought back a belch. She smoothed her expression to one of calm. She locked eyes with Libby and cocked an eyebrow. Her returning smirk said, I see you’re still an idiot. This is a bad idea.
She’d built a life on bad ideas. She gave a single nod of assurance, breathing deeply.
Libby shrugged. “You bet, Jordan.” She leaned forward, hand at the ready. Ness mirrored her opponent.
“Okay, then. Final question. In season four, when Ness’s character, Aubrey, is in dire straits, who offers to run away with her?”
Ness’s world went fuzzy as her eyes landed on Hayes, slouched in a director’s chair in the background. She could feel the heat of the lights, and hear the shuffling of Jordan’s notecards as he tapped them on the table. The smell of the room-temperature food in front of her was suddenly unbearable. It felt like someone had punched her in her already overwhelmed stomach.
As if she were watching from a distance, she saw Libby’s hand moving to the buzzer. Suddenly time resumed normal speed and Ness’s finger shot out, smashing the red button and leaving a smear of grease and sauce behind.
“It was his. I mean, Hayes’s character, Theo.” She smiled as her stomach revolted, and she slid her plate across the table to sit beside Libby’s full one. “Enjoy.”
She pushed her seat back and slid down, walking quickly off the small set. Her footsteps echoed off the hallway walls. She walked faster, her heels clicking obnoxiously. Behind her, someone laughed.
* * *
Hayes found her in the parking lot.
“Are you okay?”
The light assaulted Ness’s eyes. She blinked and squinted, staring at the patch of asphalt the door she’d picked at random had spit her out onto. Cigarette butts littered the ground. A coffee can sat beside the door, overflowing with them.
She checked her watch. They had to be at the airport in two hours. The day was somehow speeding by while also feeling endless.
“I’m fine,” she said, breathing in the scent of wet parking lot. It seemed they’d missed an afternoon shower. Droplets still plopped from the shrubbery. The sun shone as if nothing had ever happened. She shot Hayes a tight smile, noting that he didn’t look any worse for wear.
She skirted the truth. “It’s just . . . it’s a lot. And I hate vegan chicken. I didn’t know that until today.” She started to pace but then realized how much her feet hurt in the pointy-toed stilettos. She stood still, shifting her weight from foot to foot. It didn’t help.
“I’m glad you’re here, you know. You’re doing great.” His voice was low and rumbly. Because of course he’d somehow intuited where her mind had been parked, idling, since she’d arrived, full of insecurity and self-doubt. Of course he was worried about her. Even when they’d been together, she’d always felt like he was everything bright and good while she was some murky gray area heading farther and farther into the dark. He kept her in the light, even if it was by association, and for some reason that annoyed the hell out of her.
“Great. Good. That’s good.” A seagull swooped down to swipe a soggy stray french fry from the ground.
“I didn’t think you’d be here,” she blurted.
He snorted, charmingly, of course, and canted his head to the right. He looked like an inquisitive canine, and Ness wanted nothing more than to take him home with her. Well, that and a toothbrush.
“You think I’d pass up a chance like this?” he asked.
“Um, yeah. I mean, it’s not that big of a chance, really. It’s not like you need it.” Not the way she needed it. She ran her tongue over her teeth. “Do you have any gum?”
He shoved a hand into his back pocket, producing a pack of Triple Mint gum, Ness’s preferred flavor. He held it out to her and she nodded her thanks, taking two pieces and chewing vigorously.
“Thank god.” She sighed as the taste of processed soy and regret was masked by three different varieties of simulated mint. Her head dropped back in relief, face to the sky, her eyes closed.
Hayes spoke, quiet and serious. “I have my reasons for being here.”
“Is this your in with Libby to invest in Kim Beauty? I hear it’s going to be huge.” Typical Ness, deflecting with humor.
Hayes started to speak, but the door behind them burst open, slamming back against the brick wall and making them both jump.
“There you are!” A flustered production assistant fanned his face with a clipboard. “I’ve been looking everywhere. We need you back on set, Ms. Larkin. Just a quick gloat over your win.”
“Yeah, sure. I’ll be right there.”
The PA’s gaze landed on Hayes and he froze. Ness wasn’t even sure he was breathing. “Ohmigod,” he wheezed. “Hi.”
“Hi.” Hayes smiled warmly, making every heart within three miles skip a beat or two. “Shall we get Ms. Larkin back to her seat?”
The PA cleared his throat and gave his head a shake. “Yes, thank you. Yes.” He backed away, as if leaving the presence of royalty.
“Does that ever get old?” Ness asked quietly.
“You have no idea.” And she didn’t.
As they walked side by side back to set, making small talk, Ness wondered just how much of a do-over she was going to get, and how much she deserved.