Page 57 of Reckless Storm
I keep the smile plastered on my face as I walk through the lobby and wave to the assistant. I keep smiling as I pass by the other women sitting in the waiting area, reaching the door. But before I can bring myself to leave, I pause.Dammit.
“I know we’re all meant to be in competition, but please be careful in there. He’s a sleaze and incredibly unprofessional. Don’t do anything you don’t feel comfortable doing. If it doesn’t feel right, walk away.”
One of the girls gasps while the other glares my way, but no matter their responses, I’ve done my part. I tried.
And now I feel nauseous.
I’m angry as I walk down the street, but by the time I get in an Uber, I’m second-guessing the entire interaction. I’m second-guessingmyself.
Jesus. Was I stiff or was he just saying that to make me feel bad? Was I too confident? He said he wouldn’t fuck me…and in that moment, I was supposed to be fuckable.
What if he’s right? What if… Oh, God.
What if I don’t get another part?
Iforce a smile as I walk up the steps to Reed’s door. I haven’t seen him since he got me home safely on Sunday night, but Amelia filled me in on his drinking session with Luke, and you bet your ass I’m going to tease him about it. I need the distraction.
I’ve seen tipsy Reed before, but passed-out-at-a-friend’s drunk? That’s new—and I wish I’d been there.
Oh, to have been a fly on the wall.
Taking a deep breath, I knock on the door, and as though waiting for my arrival, Reed calls out from somewhere inside. “One sec, Hayls.”
“How’d you know it was me?” I call back. “I’m earl—”
The door flies open and he hits me with an “are you kidding me” look, making me finally smile for real. Like he always does.
“What?” I ask as I giggle.
“How many people do you know that knock the way you do?” He raises an eyebrow and I stifle a snort.
“No one. But I do it so often I kind of forgot it wasn’t normal.”
“Nothing you do is normal, Hayls. It’s what we all love about you.” He opens the door wide and gestures for me to walk in. “Did you pick a movie?” he asks, fake annoyance in his tone. I negotiated choosing the movie since he abandoned me Tuesday and he expects me to choose something bad, but I have the perfect idea and it all comes back to his drunken night.
“I did.” I nod.
“And…” He trails off, waiting for me to elaborate.
“The Hangover,” I suggest, keeping my tone even.
“With Bradley Cooper?”
“Yep.”
“Sure. I’m up for a comedy. The first one? Or a sequel?”
“The first one.” I suppress my smile as excitement wells in my chest for the first time since my audition this morning. This isgoing to be fun.How else can I allude to knowing about his night?
“Would you like a drink?” Reed asks, making it easy for me as I follow him into the kitchen.
“I’d love a whiskey.”
“A whiskey?” His frowns and I nod again.
“Please.”
Pausing for a beat, he eyes me curiously before walking toward the fridge, flashing me another glance as he opens the cabinet above.
