Page 8 of Dangerous Curves

Immediately, I start to shake my head, denying everything he’s saying. “No, that’s ridiculous, like you said I have Poppy.”

Ace steps forward, scratching his jawline. “No, I see that now. You have a convenient arrangement with Poppy, but it’s not a relationship. It’s nothing like you had with Kenndrix.”

“Nothing will ever be like that,” I admit quietly.

Ace walks over to his Dodge Challenger HellCat and leans against the back. He pulls out a cigarette from his pocket. I raise my eyebrows in question. “I’ve quit, but sometimes I sneak one in here and there.”

“Then you didn’t quit.”

Ace smirks. “Apparently, that makes two of us then.”

“Man, what am I going to do with all of this?” I hang my head, the weight of the world on my shoulders, or at least that’s how it feels. I don’t know how I’m supposed to be in the same room with Kenndrix and not be with her.

He shrugs. “There’s not much you can do but deal with it. Are you going to give up the job?” I shake my head. “Then you man up and deal with it.” Ace is right. I have to deal with this. There’s a good chance I’ll never see her because a lot of the producers that own the production houses never step foot on the set. If she does show up, I can just keep my distance and act professional. “Look, I know we’ve never really talked about her since everything happened. At first, you didn’t want to so I respected that, then after a while it had just been too long, but you know I still see her. Kynlee and her are inseparable. I mean we both go out of our way to make plans with each of you at different times so you don’t have a run in, but you should know Kenndrix has a boyfriend.”

It’s like he took a sledgehammer straight to my gut. I swallow down everything I’m feeling and shake my head. “Good for her.” I’m saying that, but I really want to scream. I want to know why it wasn’t me.

Ace laughs. “You don’t have to bullshit with me. I get it. If it was Kynlee with another man I’d go insane. Between you and me, Kynlee can’t stand the guy. To be honest, it sounds more like a convenient arrangement to me.”

“You’re really liking that term today aren’t you?”

“I’m loving it.” I stare ahead and try to brace myself for the next couple of months. “Look, you might not even be into Kenndrix anymore. You haven’t seen or spoken to her in over two years. Maybe you just need to see her to know you’re over her.”

“And if I’m not?” That’s the million dollar question.

“Then you fight like hell for her. You don’t give up on the people you love.” Ace squeezes my shoulder and puts out his cigarette.

We head inside the shop. “When did you become the smart one of the group?”

“I always was,” he comments back, his cocky demeanor never fails to shock me. We laugh and for a moment I forget that my world could implode tomorrow.

Seven

Kenndrix

Today is the big day, the first day on the set. Of course, I’ve been on previous movie sets that Golden House Productions has been a part of since I started the production house. However, I’ve never been on the set with a director of this magnitude or a movie that had this large of a budget. The fact that Walt is going to let me shadow him to learn more about directing is both nerve wracking and a dream come true. For as long as I can remember, from the first time I saw Gone with the Wind as a kid, I dreamed about writing a story that was moving. I felt every single emotion on that screen. Since that moment I dreamed of the day I could write a movie that could bring people to tears, or make them laugh, or believe in love, to make them feel. Once I got that dream though, I found myself drawn to the idea of bringing those written words to life on the screen. Directing is the next step for me. A new passion, a new dream.

The bad part is that I couldn’t sleep last night. Anticipation and nerves were high. The way things were left between Ronin and I was another reason. I did eventually give in and text him but it went unanswered. That’s not too shocking though. Anytime we have an argument I always have to be the first to give in and apologize even if it’s not completely my fault. I can honestly say I don’t think Ronin has ever said ‘I’m sorry’ to me during the course of our relationship. Once I got home, I busied myself with laundry and cleaning before heading into the office to check up on things. Grant told me the new stuntman is all set up and I threw in a couple of bids for a few movies that caught my eye. By the time I got home I was exhausted but I just couldn’t sleep.

Now, I look like a sleep deprived racoon. The dark circles under my eyes from the lack of sleep and allergies are going to be impossible to fully hide. I spend extra time in front of the mirror with my liquid concealer trying to mask the dark rings but they can still be seen. Eventually, I give up and grab my outfit. It’s practical, professional yet comfortable enough to run around a set all day. As I head through my home, I stop in the kitchen and grab a to go cup and fill it with creamer and a dash of coffee, just how I like it and head out the door.

Los Angeles traffic is a nightmare. Thank goodness for my James Bay playlist. His voice is the only reason I can survive the inevitable traffic jams that happen during this time of the morning. As I check the time, my nerves jump to a new level. I really should have left the house sooner. Grabbing my phone as I inch forward, I dial Grant.

“Good morning, Drix. How are you?” Grant answers.

I smile. He really is amazing. “Good morning, Grant. I could be a hell of a lot better. I’m currently stuck in the slowest moving traffic jam of my life. Are you on the set?”

“Yes, ma’am, of course. I’ve been here about two hours.”

When I say Grant goes above and beyond, I mean it. He wasn’t scheduled to be there for another twenty minutes. The same time as me, but he’s been there for two hours. I’m slightly embarrassed at the fact that I’m not already there and my assistant has been there before everyone else, but also thankful for his work ethic. “You are truly amazing. A total lifesaver and one of those really great red ones that you dig through the bag for.”

Grant chuckles. “Well you just made my day.”

“Good! For the record, you don’t have to go in so early though. I’m sure you have a life outside of your job. It’s okay to pay attention to it as well.” It’s a shame I can’t take my own advice. Maybe, if someone had told me that a few years ago my life would be completely different. Maybe, it’d be more like Kynlee’s with the husband, kids and white picket fence dream. Don’t get me wrong, I love my current life, but it’s definitely not where I thought I would be.

Memories come back to me of a different time in my life. Another reason why I hate being stuck in traffic...my mind goes into overdrive and I start overthinking and over analyzing every part of my past, as if thinking about it can change anything now. Being in my head is a thing I hate but I can’t help it. Instead of thinking about Jaxx and the life that could have been, I try to think of a new storyline for a new screenplay. Maybe, I can distract myself. Surprisingly enough, it works and by the time I finally make it to set I have a new idea and it’s flowing like a raging river breaking a dam. The urge to stop and write everything down has my fingers itching for my journal that I carry inside my overly large purse. I never leave the house without it somewhere on me. You never know when inspiration may hit you and you need to be prepared. Sadly, there’s no time to write it all down so I grab my phone, disconnect my playlist and open my recording app. As quickly as I can, I record every key part of the storyline inside my head. Once I feel like I got the most important parts down, I switch my sunglasses for my pair of oversized frameless glasses and grab my new notebook for notes from Walt and climb out of my car.

The set is buzzing already and as I hang my access badge around my neck, I can’t believe this is really happening. It’s not my first movie, but I find myself having these surreal moments so often. On the set of every movie I step foot on, every movie my production company works on, every movie premiere red carpet I walk on. It’s all surreal and overwhelming. I’m living my dreams, but there’s a pain in my heart because I know how amazing it would be to share that with someone else.

---