Page 8 of Beyond the Fame

I can't stay in Mylan and Lana’s room because her grandparents are flying in tomorrow and staying with them in their two-bedroom suite. Maybe I could crash on their couch?

What about Eloise? No, I mean, we’re cool, but I really don’t know her that well. I met her when she was Mylan’s personal assistant. Now she’s a successful photographer. She shows up to the gatherings Lana forces us to attend, but mostly, Eloise keeps to herself and doesn’t really share her life with any of us.

There are other resorts on the island, but I don’t have a car to drive back and forth between hotels.

“Fuck!”

The clerk jumps at my outburst, and I immediately apologize.

“Would you like me to get the manager?”

I rub my temples. “What will the manager do? You said there are no rooms to put me in.”

“You can stay in my room.”

My heart leaps into my throat.

I recognize that voice. The last time I heard it was a year ago when Bruno and Ginger got engaged. It belongs to the man who drives me crazy. Who I constantly find myself thinking about.

Jensen.

I turn around and find his light green eyes, surprisingly, not hidden behind black-rimmed glasses. He also liked to hide his brown hair underneath beanies, but he’s ditched that too. His hair is cut short at the sides, longer on top, allowing for those loose curls to fall perfectly across his forehead.

And now he has a beard.

Fuck me, it’s a sexy beard.

He’s not even wearing a long-sleeved flannel top. Instead, going casual with a black graphic t-shirt with some science fiction design on the front. The fabric stretches across his meaty chest and broad shoulders.

During the filming of Tyler’s Team, the tension between us grew. We avoided each other as much as possible, only speaking if it involved discussing the script or the camera shots. Even when I saw him at the movie’s premiere, and then again at the Oscars, we both refused to speak to each other.

It wasn’t until last year that... something happened between us.

Something that has my thighs clenching, remembering. My heart beats faster with need. I hate how much I want it to happen again.

“You,” I growl out.

Chapter 3 - Jensen

Last Year

LAX is literally hell.

Between thirty minutes of taxiing to the gate, to dodging the crowds walking through the airport just to get stopped by people who recognize me either from my acting roles or my directing jobs, I finally make it to baggage claim. It’s nearly an hour after my flight landed from New York City where I was doing press for my new movie: Galaxies of Enzine. I’d always wanted to direct a science fiction movie, ever since watching Star Wars as a kid and aspiring to be George Lucas one day. I started prep work on GoE shortly after wrapping Tyler’s Team. It took a year to film and another two years to edit and add special effects. I’ve been doing press junkets for the past couple weeks ahead of the film’s release this month.

Interviews I should still be doing, but Mylan’s girlfriend basically threatened violence if I didn’t show up to their little get-together.

I find my luggage on the carousel and make my way to the line of drivers holding signs with names written on them.

“He got a flat tire?”

Wait the fuck up. I recognize that voice.

“Can you send someone else?”

My feet move against my will and follow Rebecca freaking Taylor’s soft Southern accent. I hadn’t seen her since the Oscars last year. I had every intention of avoiding her, but of course the Tyler’s Team cast sat at the same table and Rebecca was directly across from me. Both of us had dates too. Dates neither of us paid attention to because my eyes kept wandering to her, and I'd catch her eyes on me every time.

The only time we spoke all night was when she congratulated me on winning the Best Director statue. She even sounded genuine about it, despite her not getting nominated in the original screenplay category.

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