Take Two

I’m calling u.

Her phone rang before she’d even finished reading her text. “Sorry about this,” she said to Fudge. Then she answered her call. “I hate Beaumont. Why would I go?”

“Free drinks.” What had she expected from Bree? She had always been the quintessential party girl—had always believed life was better with liquor.

“The free drinks is a good draw,” Fudge agreed. Leave it to Bree to talk so loudly that Fudge could hear her.

“I don’t want to go,” Maddie said firmly to both of them. “And Micah doesn’t want me there.”

Bree gasped. “Then that’s exactly why you have to go!”

“Your friend has a point,” Fudge added. “You can’t let Micah get away with acting like chickenshit.”

“Exactly,” said Bree. “Who is that awesome advice coming from anyway?”

“Fudge. Micah’s bodyguard. I told you about him.” Realizing she was going to be ganged up on whether she wanted it or not, she put her phone on speaker. “Bree this is Fudge. Fudge, this a

“Hello, Bree,” Fudge said.

Instead of exchanging a greeting, Bree said, “Don’t you think Maddie should go, Fudge?”

“I don’t know. I can see benefits to both options.”

“Fudge, don’t say any more unless it’s to agree with me.”

Maddie gave Fudge her best I’m-sorry-about-my-friend look. She’d perfected it over the years of knowing Bree.

“But his mother will be there,” Maddie said, back on topic. “I really won’t be able to talk to Micah at all. It’ll be awkward and not any fun.”

Fudge nodded. “Well, that might be true.”

At the same time Bree said, “No, it will be highly informative and you need to go.”

“What do you mean by informative?”

“His mom, Maddie.”

“He’s not ready to introduce me to his mom, Bree. We’ve barely been dating.”

“He doesn’t have to introduce you as the love of his life or anything. But just being there and seeing her—you’ll find out stuff.”

“Meeting Lulu could actually be a real trip,” Fudge said. “She’s made a big impact on his relationship mumbo-jumbo shit.”

“Thank you, Fudge,” Bree said. “Listen to him, Maddie. Fudge knows. And also, Maddie, you’ve only ever been with Micah in one setting, and it’s not a permanent one. There’s so much more to his life than that. Not your life, but his.”

“Uh, thanks.” But that wasn’t far off from the truth. Maddie’s life was always working on a film. There was no press, no big celebrity events, no fans. There were wrap parties, of course, but that wasn’t the same as big charity fundraisers or award show receptions.

“I’m sorry, Maddie, but that’s the truth. You need to see Micah in his realm. You know, the world of flashbulbs and red carpet and pretty people saying pretty things to pretty people with microphones.”

“It’s a totally different side of Micah,” Fudge agreed.

Maddie chewed the inside of her lip, considering. Though she was certain she’d still be attracted to Micah in his realm, she didn’t have any idea where she fit in it, if at all.

“You need to know what it would be like,” Bree continued softly. “If you stay together.”

And that was the real reason Maddie hadn’t wanted to go. She was happy being Micah’s secret girlfriend on the set, but that didn’t translate to girlfriend in real life. She was afraid to find out what that would be like. Afraid it would be awful. Afraid that he wouldn’t be able to make room for her there.

“I get that you’re scared, Maddie. But you have to find out. Please respect yourself enough to know what you’re getting into.”

Maddie’s resolve was diminishing despite her protest. “We haven’t even discussed a future.” But she thought about it constantly, despite her one-day-at-a-time promise. And now that their time on the shoot was ru

She needed to find out.

“All right,” Maddie sighed. “I’ll go.

Chapter Twenty

Maddie took a sip of rosé wine as she sca

God, she was nervous. She had thought about texting Micah to tell him she was coming, but she wasn’t sure what his reaction would be. At least she looked good. Even though she wasn’t a girly-girl, she could clean up. The silver organza baby-doll dress Bree had sent her hit mid-thigh and, thanks to ru

“You have to try these crab cakes.” Joe balanced a handful of hors d’oeuvres he had swiped from one of the trays.

“I’m not really hun—” He popped one in her mouth before she could finish. The cake melted on her tongue and surprised her with its deliciousness. “Okay, that was good,” she said after she swallowed. Truth was she hadn’t been able to eat much of anything. She was too anxious about the evening, about spending the night with hundreds of people she didn’t know and the one person she was starting to know pretty damn well. Especially because she had to pretend she didn’t know that person so well.

“The bruschetta is awesome too,” Joe said around a mouthful of crab cakes. “Grab some when the next tray comes along.”

Maddie felt a hand at the small of her back and she turned, hopeful, to face the owner.

“Wow!”

Sam. Not Micah.

If Micah had arrived, there’d be more buzz. And he wouldn’t touch her in public. He didn’t on set, and he definitely wouldn’t here.

“You look stu

She blushed, unsure how to handle his crush. “Thank you. You look great in a tux.”

“Ah, this old thing?”

He said more, but Maddie didn’t hear it over the commotion at the front doors. Cameras flashed and people pressed against the ropes that created a mock red carpet for the VIP attendees. She had a good view from where she stood at the bar, and crowds began to gather as Heather Wainwright made her entrance.

Maddie tensed. Fudge walked in, wearing black sunglasses in full-out bodyguard mode. He held the door open for Micah, who strode in with a beautiful brunette on his arm. He was handsome as ever in his black tux and tie. He seemed untouchable and godlike. Like the president or a celebrity.

Of course that was exactly what he was—a celebrity. Sometimes Maddie forgot.

It wasn’t hard to forget now. Micah posed and waved as he walked down the carpet, his smile wide and his eyes twinkling. Lulu stepped aside with Fudge to let Micah have his glory alone, though Heather stood by him in many of the shots. She looked beautiful at his side, her blonde hair standing out against the red floor-length gown that hugged her tightly around her curvy parts.

Maddie felt an undercurrent of jealousy spark under her calm exterior as she watched the spectacle over Joe’s shoulder, despite all that she and Micah had worked through. Their tryst in the woods had worked to make filming the sex scene a non-issue. Maddie knew she’d had the real deal and that everything on set was acting.

But she couldn’t say that now, because even though Micah had brought his mother, Heather was the one who got to walk down the carpet with him. Heather was the one who could lean over and whisper in his ear and laugh at some interviewer’s question, her arm casually resting on Micah’s shoulder. Heather was the one who could be photographed with him.

Maddie got to admire from a distance. Like a fan. Like a mistress.