Page 5 of Rocks You Like a Cabernet

“Ha! So you do remember.” Looking over at him I expect to see realization on his face. Maybe even embarrassment or shame. What I don’t expect is pure confusion. He’s looking forward, staring into space as if he’s trying to put something together.

“You almost ruined me,” I say with more malice than I was intending. That gets me his full attention again.

“Just because we didn’t cast you?”

The car stops and excited screams begin to sound from all around us. Taking a deep breath to prepare myself for what’s to come, I then paste a big smile on my face.

As the car door opens, someone’s hand stretches out to help me. I direct my last words over my shoulder.

“If that’s what you need to think to sleep soundly again at night, sure.”

If he can’t admit the real reason to himself, then I’d rather not waste my breath. We only had a couple of months of filming before us. We could continue as we were. Pretending we could tolerate each other and that we were friendly.

It seemed we were both experts at it.

Flashes start as soon as I’m standing. Smiling, I wave out to the crowd as my name is called in every direction. The hand that steadied me as I got out of the car slipped away as I took my first steps onto the royal blue carpet–the color of the main charity we’re here for tonight.

There is so much noise and light I find myself stunned. My heart jackhammers in my chest.

I jump a little, my grin only slipping a little, when an arm comes around my waist and gives me a squeeze. Even with my last words still lingering on my lips, Henrik is giving me a squeeze of reassurance.

Looking up at him, my heart takes on a new fluttering beat. I try to ignore it. Pushing forward, I continue the charade and laugh up at him. Like we’re having the time of our lives. He smiles back down, but there’s something hard in the edges of his lips. I can’t look away.

Sensing again that I’m stuck in place, Henrik moves us down the carpet.

“You have me all wrong,” he whispers, ducking his head so that his lips are right by my ear. It’s hard to keep my smile in place as the gentle touch. I gaze out at all the photographers in a haze.

Turning to him and grabbing his free hand, I laugh in his face. “Whatever rockstar.”

“Fine. Just hit your damn mark.”

“Lights,” someone calls from behind us. “Cameras!”

“Bitch,” I mumble, as I give Henrik’s side a hard pinch. To everyone else it probably looked like a friendly, joking nudge.

“Smile,” he grunts out in a pained huff.

And this time my smile is genuine. I was going to win this hating game.

Chapter Four

Henrik

“CUT!”

I hang my head, letting out a slow frustrated breath. Turning from where I’m standing an inch apart from Bryn, we both storm off in opposite directions.

“Jesus fuck,” I growl to myself, running a hand through my hair and ruining the styling that the makeup artist had spent time creating…and fixing in between every take. And there had been many, many takes at this point.

“You two, follow me.” I spin around just in time to see Cameron point at both me and Bryn before storming off the set. Shit. This wasn’t good.

Sharing a quick look of dread with Bryn before her gaze turns fury-filled, we follow in silence. Cameron storms past a closed off section of the set that reads “No Entry” and I find myself questioning his decision for a second before nudging the door wider.

Before we’ve even stopped walking, he turns on us. Hands in the air, he pleads.

“What the fuck do I have to do to get you two to knock this the fuck off?”

“Excuse me,” Bryn asks, looking shocked and a little afraid. I’m feeling the same.

---