Page 8 of Kiss Me, Darling

“They blocked out several different possibilities, including that one, but decided that, since the prequel really is a separate, concise story that sets up the rest of the world, it would play well as a long movie or miniseries before giving way to the full series. The main books are written in the same tempo.”

I couldn’t argue with that. “Great. Sounds like they’ve got it all under control. I’m meeting with Zoe on Tuesday. Send me over the details and I’ll walk her through them myself.”

Tessa paused. “You know you can take a vacation? A real one? I’ve got things handled on my end. Promise.”

The truth was, I needed the work to help keep me focused. So when Scott mentioned Zoe was coming down to meet with London Anderson I invited myself to lunch, too. “I won’t do anything else. I promise. This phone call is my last one. Lunch with Zoe will be mostly fun and just a little business.”

“Promise?”

I laughed. “I just did!”

She grunted in disapproval. “Look, we’ve been friends for almost a decade. I care about you and I know how much you love this company, but now is the time to focus on you.”

We had a bottle of wine the afternoon before I left town. I spilled all my doubts and fears about spending a week on Calusa Key with Scott and his apparent stalker. She gave me all the hard truths best friends are supposed to give you when you don’t want to hear it. Namely that love doesn’t always conquer all and it was okay to let Scott go if it was in my best interest. She encouraged me to spend some beach and sun time thinking about what I wanted for the next ten years of my life.

“I’ll get some beach time in.”

“Good,” Tessa said. “Because you can’t go and do exactly what you’ve been accusing Scott of all this time. Don’t hide behind your work.”

“Ouch!” I felt that one.

“Truth hurts, babe. Now I have your promise to stop workingandyour promise to hit the beach and be selfish. If I find out you’re breaking your promise I’ll hop a plane to Calusa Key to kick your ass myself. And you know what that means? I’m leaving HQ in the hands of Remi.”

That was a cold move on Tessa’s part. She knew my worst nightmare was leaving my work in the hands of someone I didn’t trust completely. I only trusted Remi to run the office and the paperwork. He didn’t have a creative bone in his body. “You’re mean.”

“No, I’msmart. Now I know you’ll keep your promise.”

The sounds of Scott’s brothers and their significant others started to filter up the stairs. “I have to go. Dinner is starting.”

“Have fun!”

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow?”

“Not about work,” she said with a hint of laughter. “But yeah, I’ll call you on my lunch break to see how the beach is treating you.”

I hung up and tossed my phone onto the bed, then turned to the mirror. Part of me wanted to dress up. Make Scott see everything he’s missing. Pretty hair and makeup, a lot of cleavage. Things like that. Most people thought movie stars only cared about looks and appreciated beautiful people. Most people were wrong. The people I worked with spent so much time pretending, puttingonthe makeup and costumes, that what they wanted at home was something real.

So I slipped on the comfy shorts and the big University of San Francisco tee I loved wearing, and padded downstairs to join the group. My skin only had sunscreen on it and my hair was piled into a messy bun.

“There she is!” Chris exclaimed, throwing out his arms.

“Hey Chris.” I hugged him quickly. “And you must be Olivia.” The woman standing beside him was a natural beauty. Sun kissed skin, an elegant nose, and the kind of dark, silky long hair I longed for.

“I’m so happy to finally meet you.” She brushed off my handshake and hugged me tightly. “And this…” she turned, then turned again, “ah, there he is. This is my son, Linc.”

The little boy scowled up at me as he held Scott’s hand. He had to be about nine or ten years old and had the eyes of someone who understood a lot more than people expected him to for his age.

I didn’t like the scowl.

His eyes narrowed. “Hello Miss Lucy. Are you why Uncle Scott is so sad all the time?”

3

The only couple not touching

Scott

Isaw the horror on Lucy’s face and froze. Then I launched into action. “Oh! Whoa! Slow down there, Champ.” I pulled Linc back from Lucy. Chris moved in front of him as Olivia spun around, finger out, admonishing him with hushed words only a mother is allowed to sputter.

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