Idolized (Hollywood Stardust Book 3) (4 page)

“Now I have a question and a statement.” He held out her almost emptied glass and corralled her back to the group.

“All right.” She downed the damn drink and waited.

“Well, there goes my question. I wanted to know if you wanted to finish you wine.” His smile lit up the room. “Of course, now I should offer you some water, it’s critical to stay hydrated when you drink alcohol.”

Not knowing what on earth he was talking about, she tapped her foot. “What else did you need?”

“It’s not what I need, it’s what you need.” He swooped her glass away and put it on a table with his.

“You have nothing I need.” Her getaway would be easy.

“That’s what you think.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her in. “You need at least one dance before you depart.”

With no time for these shenanigans, she tensed. “Mr. Scott.”

“Watch it Miss Caine, the cameras are on you. Rumor has it you want a promotion, and it isn’t your lack of smarts that won’t get you the gig.” He wrapped his arm around her and guided her toward the dance floor.

Fine, there were rumblings that the CEO of Ultracom Consolidated, the huge conglomerate that owned not only Chargge.com, but also the studio that produced the
Hollywood Stardust
movies, would be replaced, and she was on the short list of candidates. There were also louder rumblings about how she was the proverbial dragon lady, unapproachable in every way.

“How do you know all this about me, Mr. Scott?” At spying the cameras and other partygoers lifting their cell phones to get the picture, she allowed him to take her into his arms and sway in time to the music.

“For someone all technology, I thought you would have guessed.” He pressed his hand to the small of her back and leaned into her ear. “I consulted the Cora Caine Wiki. Now I know everything.”

She leaned back and caught yet another glimpse of him. No doubt his looks not only got him the leading man roles, but led many women to his bed.

“So tell me, why are you here with no date?” He twirled with her.

“I thought you had the Wiki, you tell me.” With the flashes going off, she plastered a smile on her face.

“Don’t fake smile, you’re not an actress.” Like earlier, he ran his hand down to her waist. “I would say that was a trick question, cause it’s more than apparent to everyone here, you have a date.”

Above all else, she refused to acknowledge the little flutter in her stomach at his words. Everything tonight was for show, as it should be. In fact, the flutter was nothing except indigestion from the fact she had nothing to eat before arriving here.

Before she could offer a comeback, the music changed. The song that defined the first movie,
Hollywood Stardust
, came on. The partygoers began to clap and Logan, Ivy and their offspring joined them on the dance floor as did Drew and Erin.

“You know, this dance didn’t belong to me in the movie, but every woman always wants me to perform it with them.” He pulled her in even closer. “How does it feel to live out the fantasy?”

“I have no idea, it’s not my fantasy.” She faced him head on.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t seen the first movie.” His eyes seemed to sparkle.

“Of course I’ve seen it.” The man was a fool. “I live on the planet.”

“Then it has to be your fantasy.”

Like all her conquests, now she would win. “Well, contrary to popular belief, nothing about the movie is my fantasy. In order to have a fantasy you have to be a fan first.” She matched his smug look with one of her own.

“Not a fan of the movie.” He stopped his dance.

Sometimes no answer was the best answer of all and she simply stared at him.

“That really turns me on.” Without as much as a warning, he leaned down and kissed her.

Yes, he kissed her, a real kiss, not a peck or even what one would call a movie style kiss, done for effect only. In less than the time it took Ryder Scott, leading man, to tangle his hand in her hair and open his mouth, her body betrayed her, her knees went weak and she had no choice but to hold on for fear she would fall into some bizarre fandom.

Still, she couldn’t help but soak up the attention he lavished on her. She relished in how his tongue caressed hers, treating her to his sweet taste combined with the tang of wine and how every inch of her warmed as if she drank a bottle of a deep red vintage.

For the first time since she could remember, she lost herself, did something without thinking of every repercussion first and even found herself kissing him back.

He pulled her in tighter and bent her back slightly. The way their bodies contoured together allowed her to take in his long, lean body with bulges in all the right places.

All the right places.

Yes, she thought that twice.

As suddenly as he kissed her, he broke the kiss and pressed his forehead to hers. “I’ll make a fan of you yet.”

“You’re not that good,” she blatantly lied. The man could turn her into a downright fanatic. Once her knees found their strength, she spun on her heel and headed for the exit.

HOLLYWOOD STARDOM

FADE IN:

EXT. HOLLYWOOD, CA – BACKSTAGE AT A CONCERT HALL – EVENING SUNSET.

WILLIAM – late thirties, dressed in jeans a leather jacket goes to Roxy and puts his hands on her waist, pulling her in for a kiss.

WILLIAM

Tell me to break a leg.

ROXY

Break a leg.

(Wipes her lipstick off his lip)

You’ll be perfect as always.

WILLIAM smiles, raises his eyebrows and gives her another kiss, this one more intense that the first one.

WILLIAM

Tell me again.  If it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t even be here.  You got me singing you told me to audition.

ROXY

You had the talent.

WILLIAM

So do you.

ROXY shakes her head and looks down.

WILLIAM hooks his fingers under chin and makes her look up at him.

WILLIAM

Come on you know it’s true.

(winks)

MAN (O.S.)

Will, three minutes!

WILLIAM

Roxanne, look at what we’ve built.  We have the dream.

ROXY stares into his face.

ROXY

We do, we have everything, who would have ever thought we would end up here, but –

ROXY toys with WILLIAM’S collar.

WILLIAM

But nothing.

MAN (O.S.)

Two minutes!

WILLIAM grabs her hand and kisses it.

WILLIAM

I know you’re nervous with everyone coming to the concert, but this is your chance.  You’re a star, my star, maybe not in the way you thought, but this is it, we made it.