Page 17 of #Starstruck

We just stood there. Me because I was an idiot, him because I was standing there like an idiot.

He pointed his thumb over his shoulder. “I’m going to go take a shower now.”

Unbidden images filled my head. “Right. Right. And I’m going to go ... not be here.” That finally got my feet moving, and I headed to the front door.

“You know, a good assistant would offer to scrub my back,” he said in that teasing tone that made my bones turn into Jell-O.

“A great assistant would remind you that the sexual harassment laws in California are pretty severe.”

He laughed. And it was a sincere laugh, full of warmth and magic. It made me realize that all the times he’d laughed on TV shows or in movies had been fake. Because it had never sounded like this. Something tugged on my heart.

“I was right. You don’t ever give a guy a break.”

“I sure do. Just ask One-F.” Figuring that was the perfect exit line, I let myself out and closed the door, his laughter following me as I made my way to the parking structure.

I folded my arms together, unable to keep the smile off my face. Chase Covington had wanted to meet me. He seemed interested in me, which gave me this fizzy, airy feeling. I could have floated back to the car.

Busy reliving our conversation in my head, I jumped when I almost tripped over Lexi. I had totally forgotten about her.

“There you are!” she said, getting to her feet. “I was afraid I was going to have to call on Captain Sparta to find you.”

I opened my mouth, intending to tell her everything that had just happened. But something stopped me.

“Here,” I said, giving her one of the envelopes. “This was for our work as extras today.” I unlocked the car, and we got in.

As I was putting on my seat belt, she tried to give the envelope back. “I know today was hard and long and boring. Take it. So I don’t feel so guilty.”

I was the one who had something to feel guilty about. I should tell her.

I didn’t.

“No, it’s okay. You keep it.”

She sighed. “Stop being proud. Let me do this. I know you need it.”

“Actually, I found a job today.” I looked over my shoulder as I backed out, then put the car into drive to take us home.

“You did? That’s amazing! Doing what? Babysitting?”

I remembered how Chase had joked earlier and couldn’t stop a smile from forming. “Sort of.” More like movie star–sitting.

There was an accident up ahead, and Lexi told me to take a side street to Sepulveda Boulevard and then hop on the 405.

“It was so amazing going into the production offices,” she said, starting a play-by-play of what had occurred while we were apart.

That nagging, guilty feeling returned. I should tell her about Chase. And the job. It seemed too incredible to be real. I was going to be hanging out with and working for Chase Covington. Who would believe that? I hardly did myself.

“You know who I saw in there? That skank Amelia Swan.” Amelia Swan, Hollywood’s newest ingenue, did interview after interview about her crush on Chase. She was willowy tall with perfect, shiny red hair and full lips. Lexi hated Amelia Swan. Not for any rational reason, of course, but because she was pursuing Chase and had an actual shot at him. “Who does she think she’s fooling with that plastic surgery? She looks like a broom with boobs.”

An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. Lexi’s hatred was based solely on Amelia’s quest to land Chase. What would Lexi think if I told her he had flirted with me? Because I was pretty sure he had.

Which really didn’t matter, because obviously this wouldn’t go anywhere. How could it? He was Chase Covington, and I was just me.

And how do you say to your best friend, “Hey, know that famous star you’ve been in love with and dreaming about since you were nine? Yeah, he likes me and not you.” I didn’t want to hurt her. And I didn’t want her to feel like I had somehow betrayed her or the Girl Code.

It was nothing. Chase was just a relentless flirt. Nothing would come of it. There was no reason to get Lexi all upset over nothing.

Part of me wanted to keep my interactions with him private. They had been just for me, and I didn’t want to share them with anyone else. Not even her.

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