Page 28 of Beyond the Red Carpet

What if Vanessa knew?

The buzz of her phone made her jump. A text from Elliot with the address for the cabin. Kate added a light jacket toher suitcase, picturing cool evenings on the deck. Alone. With Vanessa. For an entire weekend.

Kate clicked the link in Elliot’s text, opening photos of Logan’s cabin. Her thumb swiped through images of a cabin tucked away in the woods. Pine walls and exposed beams gave way to sleek furniture and updated appliances. The kitchen opened to a great room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a wooded valley.

She paused on a photo of the master bedroom. A king-sized bed dominated the space, draped in crisp white linens. The second bedroom appeared smaller but it would do. At least there were two bedrooms.

The next photo made her pause. A jacuzzi on the back deck, steam rising into the mountain air. Kate walked to her dresser and pulled out a black bikini. The fabric slipped through her fingers as she considered whether to pack it. She tossed it into her suitcase before she could overthink it.

She just hoped this weekend wouldn’t be too awkward. There was the real possibility that everything was fine, that Vanessa really had just wanted time to herself after all of the headlines, after seeing Lauren again, and maybe Vanessa had no idea how much Kate actually cared about her.

That was all Kate could hope for.

She finished packing and zipped the suitcase closed, her stomach in knots. A whole weekend of pretending her heart didn’t skip when Vanessa smiled. Of reminding herself this was all for show, no matter how real it felt.

17

Vanessa wandered through the cabin’s open-plan living area. Pine beams stretched across the vaulted ceiling, and a stone fireplace dominated one wall. The furnishings struck a balance between rustic and modern luxury - plush leather sofas in deep brown, accented with faux fur throws and pillows. Built-in bookshelves lined the walls, filled with leather-bound classics and art books. The kitchen opened to the living space, all gleaming stainless steel and polished granite.

Her footsteps echoed in the empty space as she crossed to the kitchen. The black countertops gleamed under pendant lights, and the wine fridge hummed softly. She pulled out a bottle of Chardonnay, the glass cool against her palm.

The cork released with a satisfying pop that broke the cabin’s silence. She poured herself a glass, carrying it out onto the wraparound deck. The afternoon sun painted long shadows through the trees, and a light breeze stirred her hair.

Vanessa lifted the glass to her lips, the crisp wine doing little to settle her restless mind. Her gaze drifted to the winding gravel driveway below. Kate would be here soon, and she had to figure out what she was going to do about all this.

Not wanting the photographer that Elliot had tipped off to catch her looking nervous, she went back inside. She walked down the hall and paused at the entrance to both bedrooms. The master suite sprawled to her right, its king bed dressed in crisp white linens. The guest room was across the hall, smaller but no less luxurious. She’d left her bags in the master without thinking when she arrived, but now she wondered if she should move them.

She took another sip of wine and checked her phone. 4:17 PM. Kate could be here any moment. She’d told Elliot that she would be there between four and six.

Vanessa sunk down onto the bed in the master bedroom. What was she going to do? She could let this weekend play out, get more photos of them together, and then end this whole thing. Or she could talk to Kate when she got here and finally just tell her that she couldn’t handle doing this anymore. But then why had they even bothered coming up here? She could have had that conversation at home, like she almost had the last time they were together.

She took another drink. This was a disaster. Well, not from Elliot’s point of view, and not from hers either if she’d been able to keep this arrangement professional.

Vanessa swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat.

What would Kate think if she knew? If she knew that every time Vanessa had kissed her, that it had meant something to her, that she wasn’t acting. That it had been Vanessa that had deepened the kiss, not as part of the act, but because she wanted to.

She sucked in a breath. She had to sort this out. The guilt was getting worse by the day. She’d thought that not seeing or speaking to Kate in the last two weeks would help, but it hadn’t. It had nearly made things worse.

Vanessa drained her glass and set it on the nightstand. She unzipped her suitcase, pushing aside neatly folded clothes until she found her black one-piece swimsuit and got changed.

She stood in front of the mirror, checking her reflection before gathering her dark hair, the strands slipping like silk through her fingers as she pushed them up into a loose bun. A few wisps escaped, but it would do. She grabbed a plush white towel from the rack in the bathroom and reached for her empty wine glass. She padded into the kitchen and poured another generous glass of wine.

Outside, the late afternoon sun had softened to a golden glow. The jacuzzi sat on the back deck, and when she pressed the control panel, the jets burst to life, churning the surface into white foam. The display showed the temperature rising.

Vanessa placed her wine glass on the wooden ledge and draped her towel over a nearby chair. The mountain air prickled her exposed skin, and she took in the view as she waited for the water to warm, knowing that the photographer Elliot had tipped off was out there somewhere.

Steam curled off the water’s surface as Vanessa dipped her toe in to test the temperature. Perfect. She stepped down onto the first seat, the heat seeping into her muscles. Another step down, and the water rose to her thighs. She lowered herself into the deepest part of the tub, a small gasp escaping her lips as the hot water embraced her shoulders.

The tension in her neck began to dissolve. She leaned back against the curved edge, positioning herself near her wine glass. The jets pulsed against her lower back, working out knots she hadn’t realized were there.

Vanessa closed her eyes and tilted her head back. The mountain air cooled her face while the rest of her body surrendered to the warmth. For the first time in weeks, her mind quieted. No thoughts of Lauren, no worries about the press, noconfusion about Kate. Just the rhythmic bubbling of water and a chilled bottle of wine.

18

Kate pulled up to the cabin, gravel crunching under her tires, and her heart thumped against her ribs as she cut the engine. She took a deep breath before she got out of the car. She could do this. But Kate was starting to wonder if she should find a reason to leave L.A. for a week or two, disappear just like Vanessa had. That would make the next few weeks easier, and then before she knew it, their arrangement would be over, and Kate could stop torturing herself like this.

Kate took her suitcase out of the truck and walked up to the impressive cabin. She found the door unlocked and stepped into a grand open-concept living area. Exposed beams stretched across vaulted ceilings.

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