Waiting in the Wings (24 page)

I was amazed. In fact, my hands were shaking. I didn’t know what to say. It might have been the most thoughtful thing anyone had ever done for me. There was a lump in my throat, and I wasn’t sure I could speak without betraying the emotion I felt, so I made an excuse for a quick exit. “Thank you,” I said simply. “Um, I better go. I think they’re ready for me.”

We shot the scene in just under an hour. Adrienne sat in her chair and watched the whole time. In actuality, she didn’t have to be on set. She wasn’t scheduled to shoot until later that day, but instead of relaxing in her trailer, she watched my scene and sent an occasional smile my way. She was a silent source of support, and for a little while I remembered what that felt like to have someone in my corner.

“Ladies and gentleman, that’s a wrap for Jenna McGovern!” Dylan called out. I smiled as the crew broke into applause, hugging me and patting my back as I passed. I looked around for Adrienne to say good-bye, that I would see her at the wedding in a few weeks, and to thank her again for the beyond thoughtful gesture, but she was gone. Probably for the best, I thought as I ran my thumb over the folded sheet of paper in my back pocket.

C
hapter
t
en

P

aige was true to her word and arrived at my hotel at eight thirty sharp the next day for our date. She was a refreshing

sight, a reminder of my former life in LA and somewhat of a calming presence. Plus, she looked great. Her short brown hair was pinned back in a fashionable clip, and the black cocktail dress she’d selected was killer. I was thrilled to see her. We’d embraced warmly and walked the ten blocks to the restaurant I’d selected for us, catching up along the way. I’d made the reservation at Ciao the week before and even then had to pull a few strings to get us in. I’d heard it was the up and coming Italian restaurant in the city, nestled outside the theater district in Hell’s Kitchen.

Once we arrived, there was only a moment’s wait for our table, and I studied the décor, finding it just the right spot for a little one- on-one time with Paige. The tablecloths were white, the chairs were sleek and black, and the intimate two-tiered dining space was moderately illuminated with a soft glow from the two open fireplaces in each corner of the room. It was perfect for the evening I had in mind for Paige and me, or at least the first part of the evening I had in mind.

I placed my hand on the small of her back as we were directed to our table by the very serious looking maître d’. He brought us to a two-person table at the back of the restaurant, and though the place was small, we were slightly distanced from the hustle and bustle of the doorway and its traffic with only a few neighboring tables. Nice. It wasn’t until we were seated and handed our menus that I

caught Paige blatantly staring at the table closest to ours. Curious, I followed her gaze and froze on what, or rather who, I saw staring back at me.

“Isn’t that Adrienne Kenyon from your shoot?” Paige asked loudly, always one for decorum. Over at Adrienne’s table, it looked like she was having a very similar conversation with her companion who’d obviously noticed us as well.

“Um, yeah, it is. I wonder what she’s doing here.” But in truth, I knew immediately what she was doing there. She was seated with an attractive redhead. This was clearly the dinner date Adrienne had alluded to with Kimberly, the woman she’d been seeing. I cringed inwardly and was close to suggesting to Paige that she and I find another restaurant, but didn’t know how I would explain my reasoning to her, or Adrienne for that matter.

“You know, I’ve always wanted to meet her,” Paige exclaimed. “Everyone I know who’s worked with her always says how great she is on set. Do you mind introducing me?” I wasn’t afforded the opportunity to say no, however, as Paige was already up and moving before I could open my mouth in response. My good mood deflated like a popped balloon. I took a deep breath and followed her, hoping to make a quick introduction and get out of there.

I outfitted myself in one of my best smiles as I approached the table, standing to the side of Paige. “Small world,” I said playfully to Adrienne.

“I guess we both have good taste in restaurants,” she answered politely. I could tell she was as unnerved as I was by this unexpected encounter.

“Adrienne, this is Paige Connally. She was the cinematographer on
Tenth Avenue
, which is where we met. Paige is in town for the evening, so we thought we’d catch up. Paige, meet Adrienne Kenyon, actress and a good friend of mine.” Adrienne stood and greeted Paige warmly, as only she could do. I turned to Adrienne’s dining partner and extended my hand. “Hi, I’m Jenna.”

“Kim,” the redhead answered, taking my hand and smiling broadly. Strong handshake, I thought.
“
It’s nice to meet one of Adrienne’s friends. What a coincidence we’re all here.”

“A coincidence, indeed,” Adrienne said.

“Well, we better let you all get back to your meal.”

“Oh, we haven’t ordered yet.” Kim placed her hand on my forearm. “You two should join us. It would be great, wouldn’t it, hon?”

First of all, I didn’t like the sound of Kim calling Adrienne “hon.”
At all.
Secondly, it didn’t sound “great” by any stretch of the imagination. I took the opportunity to save us all. “Oh no. We don’t want to intrude, plus Paige and I—”

“Oh, I don’t think we’d be intruding. It might be fun,” Paige said. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“Not at all,” Kim said. She signaled the maître d’ and quickly explained our new dining plans. In no time at all, our tables were pushed together with Paige and me seated on one side and Adrienne and Kim on the other. I looked diagonally across the table, making brief eye contact with Adrienne, who looked less than thrilled with me. How was this my fault? If she was upset with our new dining arrangement, she had none other than her date to thank for it.

We made small talk until the waiter came to take our drink order.

“Some wine for the table?” Kim asked. I could tell she was a take-charge kind of girl. Not offensively so, but there was a definite aura of confidence there.

“Definitely,” Adrienne said.

“Yes,” I answered at the same time.

Paige smiled. “Sure, whatever everybody wants.”

Kim scanned the wine list briefly and turned to Adrienne. “You

like white wine, right?”

“Red. She likes red,” I said evenly. It was out of my mouth before I could stop it.

Adrienne glanced briefly at me in annoyance. “Either would be fine though.”

A short time later, we placed our order with the waiter. Our table was now outfitted with a carafe of merlot and we wasted no time breaking into it. I sipped my wine and watched as Kim took Adrienne’s hand in her own and rested them both on her lap. I

narrowed my gaze and took another drink, scooting my chair closer to Paige who smiled back at me.

“So, Kim, I hear you work in fashion. That sounds exciting.” “It can be,” she said, very eager to talk about her work. “Mainly

I work in public relations for some of the big hitters in the fashion industry, but I also do some styling for some of the higher end shows. It’s pretty fast-paced, but I love it. I’m not a famous movie star, but I do okay.”

“Kim’s being modest,” Adrienne said. “She’s at the top of her

field.”

I nodded, doing my best to look impressed. “Do you ever do any styling for the entertainment industry?” I asked, trying to find a way to tie our worlds together.

“I don’t,” she said. “I’ve always found show business a little

superficial for my liking. Actresses can be quite shallow.”

I raised my eyebrows.

“Present company excluded.” She laughed and brought the back of Adrienne’s hand to her lips for a reassuring kiss. I might have rolled my eyes; I’m not sure.

Paige stroked the back of my neck protectively. “Well, I can attest to the fact that Jenna’s an amazing actress and person of substance, and though I’ve never worked with you firsthand, Adrienne, I love your films. Actually, if we’re being honest, I was a religious
Highland High
watcher back in the day. It was my favorite show.”

Adrienne nodded graciously. “Thank you, Paige. That’s very sweet of you to say.”

“What about you, Kim?” I poured myself a second glass of

wine. “What’s your favorite film of Adrienne’s?”

At the question, Kim inhaled and turned to Adrienne, searching. “You know, I’m not a big movie buff. I’ll have to get back to you on that.”

“You haven’t seen
any
of her films?” I asked with maybe a little

bit of judgment in my voice.

She buttered her bread. “Not as of yet. But not to worry. It’s on my to-do list.”

Our food arrived and the conversation hit a lull as we delved into our respective dishes. “How’s yours, sweetheart?” I asked, turning to Paige.

If she was surprised by the term of endearment, she didn’t show it. “It’s probably the best food I’ve ever eaten in my life. We should consider ordering dessert.”

“You know, I had a bit of a different scenario in mind for dessert.” Okay, so I was acting a little obnoxious.

Paige leaned in and whispered quietly into my ear, her breath giving me goose bumps. “That could be arranged.” I laughed quietly and raised my gaze to the table only to be met with the coldest stare I had ever seen Adrienne dole out. I quickly decided I didn’t care. I was out to enjoy this evening and that was what I intended to do.

“So, Paige,” Adrienne said, “you’re a cinematographer. Does that mean you’re based in LA?”

“For the most part, yes. My family is also in California, including my nephews, who I’m very attached to. I try to stick close to home as much as I can, but in my line of work, that’s not always possible.”

“It can be tough in this business,” Adrienne said. “Kim’s family is from Connecticut.”

“Do you visit much?” I asked.

“On occasion. There are three girls in my family and both my sisters have four children apiece. It’s a little bit of a zoo when we all get together. I guess you could say I put in my time and get out of Dodge. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family, but that’s just not my scene.”

I nodded my head, beginning to figure this woman out. “Are you interested in a family of your own someday?” Adrienne’s eyes widened and she looked like she might reach across the table and strangle me at any moment, but after two and a half glasses of wine, I was feeling courageous.

“I would love to find that special someone and settle down,

yes,” Kim said eagerly.

Adrienne smiled at Kim and glanced smugly in my direction. “And kids?” I asked, going for what I knew was the jugular.

“Uh, not so much. They’re great in small spurts, but that’s not how I imagined my life.”

“Makes sense.” I returned to my meal like the cat that’d just swallowed the canary.

But Adrienne wasn’t finished. “I’m sure Jenna can identify.

She’s a career girl first and foremost,” she said simply.

“What does that mean exactly?” I shot back. Paige placed her hand on my knee beneath the table to rein me in a tad.

“It just means your career is your first priority. There’s nothing wrong with that,” Adrienne said, her tone overly sweet and borderline patronizing.

“Maybe you shouldn’t presume you know what my priorities are,” I said, matching her tone.

“Why don’t we order some coffee?” Kim asked. She glanced curiously from Adrienne to me as we stared at each other in a showdown. Paige nodded her agreement while I politely excused myself from the table, needing a minute.

I found myself alone in the ladies’ restroom, or rather the sitting area that one often encounters in advance of the ladies restroom. I wasn’t sure what to do with myself. I was angry, and now that I was on my own, staring at my reflection in the mirror, I wasn’t sure why and that made me angrier. Possibly it was because my date with Paige had been hijacked, or maybe because I was jealous of Kim, or even more likely was the fact that Adrienne was treating me with barely a modicum of respect. Probably all three, but the bottom line was I needed to get out of there, and I made up my mind to do exactly that.

The door opened behind me and I turned, ready to head back to my table and come up with a fantastic reason for Paige and me to skip out on coffee and head immediately back to my hotel room. I refused to admit to myself that alone time with Paige was not going to make me feel any better and might make me feel worse in the scheme of things. As I turned to exit, however, I found myself face- to-face with the sitting room’s new inhabitant, Adrienne. She didn’t waste any time. “What the hell was that?” she snapped.

I matched her glare, incredulous at her accusing question. “I could ask you the same thing.”

“Hardly. Jenna, you were completely out of line out there.” “Because I was trying to get to know your date? I’m sorry. I

didn’t realize you’d set rules for our dinner conversation.”

“You weren’t getting to know her. You were practically interrogating her and embarrassing me in the process.”

“What does it matter? She’s completely wrong for you,” I scoffed. I was putting on a lot of bravado, but in actuality, I was feeling more than just anger. I was feeling desperate, frustrated, and for the first time in a while, honest.

Adrienne’s eyes were blazing at this point, but all I could think about was how beautiful she looked. “And why do you get to decide that? You have no idea what’s right for me and what’s not. Who do you think you are?”

In that moment, I knew who I was. I acted quickly, moving to Adrienne and crushing her mouth with mine. The intensity from the fight was very present in the way I kissed her, commanding, rough, and passionate. The force of my forward movement had pushed Adrienne up against the wall and my body had followed, leaving her little room to escape. Surprisingly, she didn’t try to, and it was only a moment before her lips were moving against mine. Her mouth opened slightly and it was all the invitation I needed to deepen the kiss as my tongue moved purposefully into her mouth. Her hands trailed up my neck into my hair, holding my face firmly in place, and I pressed my body more firmly against hers. “Adrienne,” I gasped between kisses, wanting more. But at the sound of my voice, the spell was broken. Adrienne stilled her movement and placed her palm on my chest, effectively pushing me away and moving out of the space. The expression on her face was one of alarm. She backed away further, her fingers touching her lips as if they’d been burned. “What am I doing?” she asked no one in particular. All I could