When he dropped me off at my trailer like a gentleman, I went right inside and flopped on my bed. Turning, I wrapped myself in my blankets like a burrito.
I was finally alone; I could finally have time to think. So much had happened — Leo admitted he had feelings for me. Well, more feelings than plain lust. I knew that much from when we kissed near the cliff.
With a great sigh, I realized that I didn’t even do what I set out to accomplish tonight. I still had all of the torn out pages from my journal crumpled up in my pockets, and I still hadn’t apologized to Reese.
The more I thought about how I stormed out of his trailer like that, the more embarrassed I became. I was definitely overreacting — I didn’t know what came over me.
But when all of my thoughts were spiraling out of control and I descended into slumber, one face came to my mind: Mason.
The next day, I felt like people were avoiding me. Everyone except Alina, who was back at my side like nothing had ever happened between us.
Before she shot any more of her scenes, I got to work treating her hair. We both agreed that no stylist could do what I did — the last one that she had work on it left her with black roots. And I had nothing else to do that day, so I pulled out my salon bag and sat her down in a chair.
I couldn’t bring myself to tell her about my encounter with Leo last night — it still felt like even the memory of it was draining me. Instead, I asked her about the evidence.
When I was painting her black roots with a brush dunked up with bleach, I leaned in close to her ear and whispered, “Did you talk to Rachel?”
“I couldn’t get ahold of her,” Alina said worriedly. “I don’t think she wants to talk to me.”
“Why?” I asked, incredulous. “You didn’t even do anything!”
“I don’t think it’s her decision,” Alina admitted. “I think she’s scared. Like, imagine if you had someone hovering around you all the time, breathing down your neck, keeping an eye on your every move. And if you toe out of line, he—”
Alina was blinking rapidly, sparkling tears clinging to her black eyelashes.
“Is she still in the town?” I asked, looking up at the village on the cliff.
“I don’t think so— I think they flew back to L.A. yesterday,” she said nervously.
“Okay, so there’s nothing we can do now about this,” I said, trying my best to comfort her. “All you can do is what you do best: Play Lady Brynn with all of the magic that you’ve been able to bring to the camera so far.
“That I can do,” she said, steeling herself.
I distracted her by talking about surface-level things and giving her a pep talk. She was so nervous about everything that she didn’t catch the faltering in my voice or the shaking of my hands.
While I was finishing up her curls, my eyes kept darting around the set, looking for any sign of the starboys. Before long, my eyes fell on Reese.
Today he looked calm and collected, his silvery eyes sharper than ever as he took command of the crew.
I narrowed my eyes, wondering what happened after I left his trailer last night. Did the rest of the guys comfort him? Tell him what he was doing was right? Did he kick them out? Did anyone back up what I said; that harboring his cousins was wrong?
Leo tearing out of the trailer came to mind.
Whatever was going on in there after I left, Leo didn’t want any part in it. He also kept glancing back over at the trailer when we were talking on the beach…
I was jerked out of my train of thought when the sound of a cracking apple snapped through the air. I turned and saw Mason Vayne leaning up against a nearby trailer, his mouth around a juicy yellow apple, watching me with his glittering blue eyes.
He was up to something.
I couldn't forget that last night in the gelato shop; how he stormed out when I began to ask questions about him and Reese. How he claimed that no one believed him.
A sinking feeling came to me as I thought of what it might be like to be him in that situation: In a relationship with a famous director, but trying to keep it on the down-low. It couldn’t be easy dating your boss.
He stood there watching me wordlessly as I finished up Alina’s hair. His eyes were boring into me the whole time; I could feel them creeping up my spine.
After I was finally done and Alina left the chair to go to talk to Reese, I turned to Mason.
“Can I help you with something?” I asked.
“Just watching,” he said quickly as he took one last bite of the apple. “All my scenes are done — this is our last day on set.”
“I’m aware,” I said, packing my hair supplies back into my stylist bag.
“We should do something special,” he said with that Cheshire Cat grin of his.
I was conditioned at this point to know that that type of look on Mason’s face meant trouble. But still, I couldn’t deny him. He was simply too beautiful. As much as I hated them, I couldn’t stop the butterflies from fluttering around in my gut.
“What did you have in mind?” I asked cordially, cursing the blush rising into my cheeks.
“Did you bring a bathing suit?” He asked with a smile.
Forty-five minutes later, I was carrying my purple beach bag with my Ru Paul beach towel and red and black speedo inside. I was walking next to Mason through the center of the town, still feeling uncomfortable with all of the eyes on me.
Mason seemed to notice. “Come
