I BUSY MYSELF cleaning up the kitchen while Beckett and Zayn interview a woman for the publicist slash personal assistant position for Zayn. With the media being tremendous sources of problems for Zayn, Beckett felt it would be best to bring in a professional to help get things under control before Zayn’s professional football career gets dragged down the toilet.
The two muscled men sit across the formal dining room table from a petite, brown-haired woman with huge blue eyes. She kind of reminds me of a cute deer a bit. The questions being fired at her she handles with ease, and even I’m impressed with her answers. She really seems to know her stuff, and this seems like the right move for Zayn.
“Do you have questions for her, Z?” Beckett asks.
Zayn shakes his head. “I think she can handle the job.”
“Great.” Beckett refocuses on the woman. “Tina, send over your salary requirements via email, and we’ll get everything started. I’m glad to have you on the team and look forward to having your help to get some of these social media shitstorms calmed down.”
“I look forward to helping. All I’ll need is access to Zayn’s social media accounts, as well as his upcoming schedule to get started. I’ll email you a list of anything else I may need as I jump in to handle things,” the woman says.
She stands up, and the two men follow her lead. Zayn shakes her hand, and then Beckett leads her toward the front door.
Zayn turns and heads in my direction. My eyes trail down his body and appreciate the way he looks in a pair of dress slacks and a royal blue polo shirt. He looks fantastic dressed up. Hell, he looks great in anything he wears, but this is such a change from the workout clothes he so frequently wears, and it causes me to bite my lower lip as soon as he steps into the kitchen.
He wraps his muscular arms around me, and I melt into him, taking the time to inhale his spicy scent, which causes my mouth to water. “I think we finally found the right person to step in and help us make a lot of this mess disappear, or at least to get it to fade into social media oblivion.”
I stare up at him as I rest my hands on his chest. “That’s great news. All of this is better suited for a professional. Now all we need is for the cops to find Annabelle.”
The mention of his stalker or Gia’s death is always putting a frown on his face. It’s been nearly four weeks since Gia died and the police are no closer to solving her murder since it happened. The leads have all turned out to be dead ends, and it has us all on edge. Zayn has been paranoid about leaving me alone, so he makes sure either Beckett or Bella is here with me while he’s gone.
“Are you all packed?” Zayn asks as he rubs slow circles with his big hand across my back.
I nod. “I’m actually excited to watch you play this weekend. Bella has been working hard to teach me all about football when she pulls up YouTube videos of you for me to watch. She’s taught me winning a play-off game will be huge and put the Devils on the road to the Super Bowl.”
He chuckles. “Look at you learning all about a sport you despised when you first met me.”
I shrug. “The game is important to you, which means it’s now important to me. I want to be supportive in everything you do.”
He smiles, and butterflies flutter around in my belly like they’ve just been released from their cage. Zayn has such a magnificent smile. “Every time I think you can’t get any more perfect, you say something like that and it makes me love you more.”
I smile back at him. “I love hearing you say that.”
“That’s good, because I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it. You are truly one of the best things that’s ever happened to me, Vivi. I love you so damn much.”
Hearing him say that causes me to want to be even closer to him than I am right now. I push up on my toes and pull his head down so I can kiss his lips. His hands cradle my face, locking me in as my lips part, allowing his tongue entrance inside my mouth. I whimper as my fingers curl into his shirt and I cling to him as he devours my mouth.
“Damn. I leave you two alone for one minute and you’re already mauling one another,” Beckett complains as he heads into the kitchen.
Zayn chuckles as he pulls back and I lay my head on his chest. “Sorry, bro. Sometimes I can’t help myself when it comes to this beautiful woman.”
“So, I’ve noticed,” Beckett says as he plops down on the barstool at the counter and faces us. “I’m so relieved to finally have some help. Tina could be a game changer when shit hits the fan. We should’ve probably hired a publicist a long time ago.”
“A long time ago, when I didn’t have all this fucking drama in my life. I played ball and kept out of the spotlight otherwise. There was never much need for a PA or publicist back then.” Zayn twirls a lock of my brown hair around his finger, keeping us connected as he talks to his friend. “I’m happy to have Tina on board if she’ll help you out. I know I’ve put you through a lot of shit over the past year, making your job as my manager a living hell.”
Beckett waves his hand dismissively. “It’s been worse for you. I still get the luxury of being anonymous.”
Beckett opens his mouth to say more, but Bella steps in from outside in her hot-pink, string bikini, looking flawless as per her usual, and anything he was about to say has left his mind as he sets his eyes on my friend. From the moment Beckett met Bella for the first time, his tongue has been hanging out of his mouth as he drools over her. Dobby trails after Bella, wagging his tail as she passes by his treat bowl.
That silly dog thinks everyone should give him a treat any time they first enter the kitchen, but Bella has learned quickly over the past week to ignore his begging, little, sweet face.
“Fuck. Did I die?” Beckett says as he watches Bella open the refrigerator door and grab a bottle of water. “I swear I must be in heaven because there’s an angel in my presence.”
Bella rolls her eyes and shakes her head. “Enough, Beckett.”
He shrugs. “I can’t help it. You’re a goddamn knockout, and you kill me a little more inside every time you shoot me down when I ask you out.”
“Sorry. But you and I will not be happening. You’re a player. Vivi told me so.”
Beckett’s eyes cut over to me, and his mouth drops open. “So she won’t go out with me because you told her not to? That hurts me deeply, V. I thought we were friends.”
I chuckle. “We are friends, but the two of you are very different people looking for very different things in a relationship. You’re not ready to settle down, and Bella is.”
“I could be persuaded for the right woman,” Beckett complains. “Bella could be the love of my life and cause every other woman on this planet to disappear but now we’ll never know if we were truly meant to be together because you scared her off from every dating me.”
“That’s a valid point,” Bella agrees, and now it’s me whose mouth drops open in shock. “I was always raised not to judge a book by its cover, and here, I assumed Beckett was a man whore because that was how he appeared on the surface level.”
“Again. Ouch. But it’s nice to see you’re finally coming to your senses. How about we go out on Friday night?” He gives her his best puppy-dog pleading expression.
She shrugs. “Why wait? What about going out now? We can settle this thing between us once and for all, and when we discover we have absolutely nothing in common, you can stop harassing me for a date and move on to your next target.”
Beckett’s eyes light up like a kid’s on Christmas morning. “You mean, now. Now?”
She nods. “Give me an hour to get ready, and we can go grab dinner and watch a movie or something.”
“You’ve got yourself a date, baby. I’m about to rock your world, and soon, you will pine over me all the time.” Beckett hops up from the stool, wearing a cocky grin. “See you all later.”
Bella throws her empty water bottle in the recycling bin. “Guess I better go get ready for my hot date.”
I shake my head. “You’re either a genius or bat shit crazy.”
She laughs and says over her shoulder as she’s leaving the kitchen, “Guess we will find out which one after tonight.”
When the kitchen clears out, Zayn presses his lips to my forehead. “Sounds like we’ll have the house to ourselves for a few hours this evening. Whatever should we do with all that alone time?”
I laugh. “I’m pretty sure we can figure something out.”
I squeal when he scoops me into his arms, cradling me against his chest, as we head upstairs to his bedroom, where I can’t wait to get every inch of his body on mine.
After being at his away game in Tennessee, it was nice to come back to his place. It’s odd how quickly his place is feeling like home to me. It was even nicer watching Zayn and his team kick ass, winning their way to the big game. The fans at the stadium were not accepting of the Devils handing their team a loss, knocking the Tennessee team out of the chance to play in the Super Bowl. The fans were booing and throwing things on the field, trying their best to pelt the guys on the team, especially Zayn, who blocked the guy carrying the ball from getting into the end zone. That really pissed off the Tennessee fans.
I’m proud of my man, and I’m in awe of his skills, both on and off the field.
There’s a knock on the bedroom door, and Bella calls my name from the other side. “You want to ride to work with me this morning?”
I open the door and poke my head outside. “Actually, Zayn wants to drive us both, if that’s okay? He’s a little on edge still about the whole Annabelle thing and wants to make sure we get there and back safely.”
“That sounds good. I’m always down for a chauffeured ride. Saves me money on gas.” She winks. “I’ll be waiting down in the kitchen when you’re ready to leave.”
Zayn steps out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist with trickles of water beaded on his chest. I bite my lip as I think about the way his muscles move under his skin as he fucks me. Sex with him is off-the-charts amazing, and I can’t seem to get enough of him.
Zayn smiles when he catches me staring, and I make no move to tear my eyes off him. “You’ve got to stop looking at me like that. You have to be at work soon, and I can’t make you late on your first day back on the set.”
I sigh longingly as I return my gaze to the mirror and finish applying my nude lipstick. “You’re right. I can’t afford to give Harry any reason to fire me after I turned down his advances, and you threatened his life. That man is just looking for a reason to get rid of me.”
Zayn drops his towel and then grabs a pair of boxer briefs to pull over his hips. “I hate that fucker is back to film the second season. I swear I don’t know if I can keep my cool if he tries anymore shit with you.”
My lips twist. “You’re in too much trouble as it is. I can handle Harry. So, please do not get into any more trouble on my account.”
He finishes getting dressed and then says, “You’re right. I know that, but I make no promises if he messes with you again. No one will hurt my girl. No one.” He walks over and gives me a quick peck on the forehead. “Meet me downstairs. I’ll make you breakfast.”
A small smile creeps onto my face. It’s impossible for me not to fall in love with this man at this point. He treats me like I’m his most prized possession—something he loves and wants to protect at all costs. How can a girl not love a man who treats her like she’s his everything?
It was nice to be back in somewhat of a normal routine with Zayn driving me and Bella to work. It was nice for things to feel like they used to before Gia’s death and us being on high alert all the time. Bella was right. Getting back to work is a good thing for us—for me.
“Good morning, crew. Welcome back,” Brenda addresses all the crew and cast as we all gather in the front of the home Love in the Sands is renting for filming. “This is still a hard time for all of us. Gia can never be replaced, but the show must go on and we must do our best to honor her memory by finishing the last project she ever worked on. Please make Monica, Gia’s replacement as the host on the show, feel welcomed and show her the ropes around here.”
A tall, statuesque blonde turns to address everyone with a polite wave. She’s beautiful and there’s no doubt the camera is going to love her face, which means she’ll be good for the show. I was worried after Gia’s death they would cancel the show for the second season, but with the ratings through the roof with views on the pilot show, there’s no slowing this thing down now.
“All right, everyone. Let’s get going,” Brenda orders, and everyone scatters to their respective areas to get things prepped to begin our day.
I walk with Bella to the dressing trailer, and once we’re in there, most of the actresses in there are already alive with gossip.
“I heard she fucked Harry to get the role,” one of the dating contestants shamelessly says to another. “Wouldn’t surprise me if that were true, because how could a nobody like her have gotten the part of host on what’s sure to be a hit show?”
Not wanting to involve myself in the gossip, I get straight to work steaming dresses as Bella asked me to do for today’s filming. The women’s conversation causes my mind to spend and I instantly think of what both Harry and Gia saying to me the fastest way to level up your career in the film industry is to sleep with the people who have the power to get you to the next level, like a director. I hope Monica wasn’t stupid enough to fool around with that disgusting pig, Harry.
After I’m finished steaming the second dress, the once bustling trailer goes dead silent. I glance up and spot Monica, while all the rest of the women except for Bella and myself staring daggers at the poor girl.
Monica glances down at the ground as if she knows everyone was just talking about her and then takes a deep breath before lifting her chin. She sits in the makeup chair and does her best to put on a show like nothing is bothering her.
“Vivi, can you help Monica get into her grown?” Bella asks as she continues to stitch the zipper of aqua dress another of the cast has on.
“Sure thing,” I tell her and then go to the back to fetch the black cocktail dress I just prepped for her.
There’s only a couple of people left in the trailer by the time the makeup artist finishes with Monica, and I approach her with the dress in hand. She’s got a classic beauty about her, almost giving me the vibe she was born in the wrong era. Her brown eyes brighten as I wear a smile as I approach her. “Hi! We haven’t officially met. I’m Vivian Honeycut, but everyone calls me Vivi. I’m a production assistant, but most of the time I can be found in wardrobe helping Bella get everyone prepped for shooting.”
She wears an amiable smile. “It’s nice to meet you.” Her eyes flick down to the garment in my hands. “Is this my dress?” When I nod, her grin widens. “It’s beautiful.”
I smile back. “I’m so glad you like it. Bella has an expert eye for fashion and has an uncanny ability to pick the perfect outfits for people. It’s like her super power.”
She laughs. “Good to know. I’m totally impressed and so happy to have such an outstanding crew helping me. I have horrible taste in fashion and would stick to jeans and t-shirts with sneakers if I could.”
“There’s something great to be said for simplistic fashion…comfort.”
This makes us both laugh.
“Oh, my god. Yes! Sometimes these formal get-ups make me feel so tense. It’s always so freeing to get out of them.”
I nod. “Totally agree.” I point to one of the changing cubicles behind us. “Ready to get dressed?”
She shrugs. “Sure. Let’s do this.”
I stand outside the curtain, waiting for Monica to slip into the dress. A moment later, I hear her call my name. “Vivi? Will you zip the back of the dress for me?”
“Absolutely. I’m coming in,” I tell her as I pull back the curtain enough for me to slip inside with her.
She tugs her long blonde curls to the side, giving me full access to her back. I grip the small black zipper and tug it up. As I’m almost to the end, Monica’s voice says something that’s barely above a whisper and causes me to freeze. “I didn’t do what all these girls are saying I did. He propositioned me, but I would never cross that line. I’m not that desperate for a part that I would do sexual favors to get it. My agent set this up, and the casting agent felt I was perfect for the role. That’s how I got it, so please don’t believe any rumors about me you hear otherwise.”
My heart races and for a moment it’s a comfort to know I’m not alone in the harassment I’ve experienced from Harry, but then it hits me hard how rumor is effecting her and how it could very well be me this cast is spreading vicious lies about.
She turns and her eyes lock on me, waiting for my reaction to the information she’s just revealed to me. “I just wanted you to know.”
I frown. “I believe you.”
Her eyebrows raise. “You do?”
“I do, because Harry did the same shit to me. He’s a vile man, and I’m not sure how he still has a job in this industry because I’m sure I’m not the first girl he’s propositioned, and I don’t think you’ll be the last.”
Monica’s eyes widen. “What did you say to him when he…” she trails off like she’s not even sure how to finish the question.
“I told him to fuck off, and then my boyfriend had a few choice words for him. After that, Harry kept his distance from me because my man can be quite intimidating.”
She laughs. “I’ve heard a rumor you’re dating Zayn North. Is that true?”
“It’s true. I live with him.” It feels good to finally talk openly about Zayn and me. It’s not like we need to keep our relationship secret anymore since the Devils, police and our friends know.
“Wow. I bet Harry shit himself when Zayn said something to him. I doubt there’s been many men confront him that are the size of bulldozer who could rip his head off if they got mad enough.”
I laugh. “Something tells me you’re right about that one, but obviously Harry has no problem going after other women, since Zayn’s threats only pertained to me.” I put my hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry he did that to you, and I want you to know I believe you and we can totally be friends. Forget all the rest of these stuck-up bitches around here. Bella and I are the coolest people to be friends with anyway.” I wink at her and then take a step back. “You look amazing. Get out there and knock them dead.”
She tilts her head and smiles. “Thank you, Vivi. For everything.”
I watch Monica walk out of the trailer and it’s odd how close I feel to her, considering we just met. There’s an old saying about enemies of thy enemies are thy friends, and it nails the kindred spirt I feel with Monica.
Harry is a tool, and it’s time I let others know about his treatment of women on the cast and crew.
All day, the thoughts of Harry and his creepy, rapey ways have plagued me and soon I feel like I have to talk to someone about it. I walk around the set, looking for my boss, and to my surprise I find her in deep conversation with Harry.
When I approach, they keep going as if I weren’t there, and finally, when there’s a pause, I try to jump in. “Brenda? Can I speak with you for a moment?”
“Rain check the convo until the end of the day, Vivi. I’m dealing with a mini crisis right now that has to be dealt with. Find me later,” she says and then pushes her black, rimmed glasses up the bridge of her nose and darts off into the house where most of the filming takes place.
Harry stares at me with a smug expression on his face. “What’s so pressing you need to speak to Brenda about? Maybe I can help you…for the right price.”
I glare at him, willing him to see the anger in my eyes. “It was actually about you.”
His eyebrows tug hard upward. “Me? What in the hell could you possibly need to speak to Brenda about me for?”
I cross my arms over my chest. “You know exactly what I need to tell her. Not only did you sexually harass me, but now you’re doing it to someone else. This disgusting pattern of yours needs to stop. You’re making women feel uncomfortable and I, for one, will not stand for this type of behavior from you any longer.”
Harry throws his head back and releases a deep belly laugh. “Jesus Christ, you’re an even bigger idiot than I thought you were. You, little girl, have no power here—not over anything and for sure none over me. You think I’m going to stand back and allow you to make accusations about me—ruin the fucking career I’ve spent my life building because your feelings got hurt after you offered to fuck me for a raise and I turned you down?”
My head snaps back. “What in the hell did you just say? I never—you’re the one who propositioned me!”
Harry’s blue eyes narrow and he leans in so far into my face our noses nearly touch. “Prove it. Right now it’s my word against yours, and let me tell you something, little girl. I’ve got a lot more powerful people in this industry that have my back than you do. You might feel invincible because your ape of a boyfriend can beat my ass, but I guarantee you I have the power to destroy your career before it even starts. Do not start a war with me unless you’re willing to lose.”
My chest rises and falls and I hold myself back from lashing out at this man and digging my nails into his face to rip the shit-eating grin off of it. I hate this evil bastard, and as much as I hate to admit it, he’s right. Who will believe me over him—they’ve known him a lot longer.
“Don’t fuck with me, little girl, or I’ll make your life a living hell.” Harry shoulders past me and I ball my hands into fists at my side.
I hate that man and someday I hope I’m around to see him punished for being such a low-life.
I’m still fuming mad as Bella catches up with me as I head to Zayn’s awaiting Jeep. Bella has become what I would consider my best friend since I moved to Florida, and she’s getting pretty good at reading my face.
“What’s got you all pissed off? Did I miss something?” Bella asks, as she pushes her dark brown hair over her shoulder. “Talk to me.”
I shake my head, not wanting to drag her into this mess with Harry. “It’s nothing. I was just reading some bullshit comments on the internet about Gia’s death. I hate fucking trolls.”
Okay, so that was a total lie, but I don’t want to put Bella on the path toward the truth, because I don’t want to make her Harry’s enemy along with me. If she’s not been harassed by him, I want to keep it that way and not give him any reason to go after her..
“Girl, I’ve told you a hundred times to stop reading the shit people say on the internet. It does nothing but make you upset. Don’t let the keyboard warriors get to you, because you know they’d never have the guts to say the shit to your face they post online.” My sweet friend does her best to talk me down from the imaginary ledge she believes I’m on.
While it’s true reading negative shit on the internet is one reason I try to stay off social media, I have been using my free time searching the web to try to find any clues about the woman who is stalking Zayn. Annabelle is like a fucking ghost, and there’s no trace of her on any social media sites, but I know she’s out there lurking because how else would she know about Gia and Zayn going on a couple of dates? Social media is a stalker’s paradise—information about their chosen targets at their fingertips.
I turn to Bella as we get closer to the Jeep. “Say nothing to Zayn about all of this. I don’t want to repeat to him what I read.”
“No problem. Any secret you want me to keep from your man, I will, but please do me a favor and stop searching the internet for gossip and opinions about Zayn. We know he had nothing to do with Gia’s death, no matter what the public may believe.”
The internet has been extra vicious to Zayn lately. A lot of angry fans of the team the Devils knocked out of the playoffs, people angry at him, blaming him for Gia’s death because he was the last known public love interest Gia posted about. It makes me mad when I see strangers talking so poorly about my amazing man, whom they don’t even know.
Zayn gets out of the Jeep and walks around to greet me. “Hey, babe. You okay?”
He bends down to inspect my face, and I put on a forced smile. “I’m good. It’s just been a long day.”
He wraps his arms around me and pulls me in for a quick peck before he opens my door. “Let’s get home and get you something to eat so you can relax. First days are always hectic and stressful. I can run you a bath, if you’d like?”
“Damn,” Bella says as she opens the back door of the Jeep. “You are too good to be true, Zayn. Why don’t you give your friend Beckett a few pointers on how to treat a lady?”
Zayn and I both laugh, and then I ask, “I thought you said you had fun on your date the other night with Beckett.”
“We had fun, but he needs a little training on how to treat me like the queen that I am,” Bella says. “He’s still a work in progress.”
I hold my hand up in a stop motion. “Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Are you telling me you all are going to go out again? I thought the other night was a onetime only thing to show Beckett the two of you were incompatible?”
She shrugs. “I had more fun with him than I’d had with any other date in a long time, so I told him I would go out on a second date with him.”
My mouth drops open. “You waited all this time to tell me this? I thought we were the type of friends who talked about everything? I feel a little gipped you kept this information from me until now. We could’ve been gossiping about this all day.”
“Guess it was a little harder than I thought to admit I was wrong about Beckett, because I can see myself actually liking the guy.” Her eyes whip from me to Zayn and then back to me again. “I know. Shocked me too.” She hops into the back seat and closes her door.
Zayn and I look at one another and then laugh. Who knew our two friends would hit it off this damn well?
