Page 44 of Faking It

With the slice of pizza hanging in midair, Ana throws me a cutting glare. “Iamthick-skinned. Next.”

“For someone asking for advice, you sure are demanding.”

She chuckles, the effort softening her face as it lights up like a Christmas tree in Times Square.

“You should do that more often,” I comment.

“What?”

“Smile. Laugh. Being friendly…” I list.

The light fades, making me regret saying anything at all. “Not much to laugh about, trust me.”

“Care to elaborate?” I ask when she says no more. I twist the stem of my water goblet, watching her.

After a slight headshake, she cocks her head to me. “Next advice on surviving Hollywood, please.”

Surviving is a strong word, but I won’t tell her that. She deserves to be her own judge of this industry, make mistakes and learn the valuable lessons. Hopefully, her mistakes won’t affect her as much as mine affected me.

“Keep enhancing your craft. Learn new languages, new skills. The more well-rounded you are, the greater your value. You’ll be so in demand, there won’t be enough time to scratch your hair.”

She nods as the hostess leads a group of women to the table next to us, two blondes, a redhead and a stunning brunette with butt-length hair. As they sit, the redhead looks over and sees us, then mutters something to the other women who turn their attention to us, too. I give them a slight wave, triggering schoolgirl-like giggles as they wave back. The brunette’s gaze lingers. She tucks her hair back, her lower lip caught between her teeth. I know a come-fuck-me stare when I see one. If this were a few weeks ago, I would lean into that. She’d be in my bed tonight. Now, there’s no appeal.

I shift my focus back to Ana, who’s wearing a perplexed expression while she fiddles with the slice of pizza, prompting me to ask, “Is the food okay?”

“Yeah.” She drops it to the plate. “I’m full.”

With that, I wave to the server for the bill, but I notice she stills looks withdrawn. Her cell phone chirps as I tap my credit card. She mutters a curse after reading whatever it is on her screen, then drops the phone in her purse.

As we rise to leave, the brunette approaches me with a coy smile, cell phone in her hand. “Hi, James. I’m Sarah. I’m literally your biggest fan. Loved you inEclipse!”

“Thanks for your support, Sarah,” I reply with a smile.

She lifts the phone, looking hopeful. “Do you mind taking a photo?”

“Sure.” I beckon to Ana. “Come on, princess.”

At the term of endearment, Ana narrows her eyes at me. I stare back at her with an amused smirk. I’m so looking forward to pressing her buttons like this.

“I’m sorry, but do you mind if it’s just you and me?” Sarah asks.

She throws a glance at Ana. It’s brief, but I catch the cattiness within her eyes. Ana brows raise. She noticed it, too, and as she eases back, I pull her to my side, slipping my arm around her waist.

“Sorry, Sarah. Ana and I are a combo deal. It’s me and her, or no photos at all.”

Sarah goes red, and for a moment, I thought she would walk away, but she finally nods with a forced smile. “That’s fine with me.”

She stands between us, leaning into me as the redhead takes our photo, then I oblige a group pic with all her friends. I hold Ana’s hand as we exit the restaurant afterwards, and I feel some tension there.

“I’m sorry if that made you uncomfortable,” I comment when we hit the sidewalk.

“Maybe a little.” Ana shrugs. “I haven’t forgotten what I signed up for. Fake or not, snagging Hollywood’s most eligible bachelors usually comes with a price. I’m lucky that all she gave me was that catty look.”

I’m hardly eligible when I don’t even have a decent net worth. I’m not sure if women would be falling over each other to get me if they knew how broke I was.

“How about we focus on getting this movie out there, so you can be free to go back to—no offence—man-whoring again? The ladies already miss you, obviously,” she teases.

I snort. “Playboy sounds more exquisite, don’t you think?”

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