Page 21 of One Pucking Chance

Bethy returns to the table with a bottle of wine, halting our joyful outburst. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes, Bethy. Everything is amazing,” I say.

“These lightly fried breaded mozzarella di bufala are insanely delicious.” Simon holds up his hand and presses his thumb and finger together in the A-OK sign.

The guy has a sense of humor. Maybe I was too quick to hate him.

We give Bethy our food orders, and the mood at the table sobers. Over the past several days, I’ve worked very long days with little sleep and even less food. Miranda would say that this is a bad habit of mine. I get too involved in a project, neglect myself, and ultimately have a breakdown. It’s unfortunate that my breakdown occurred in the presence of my father, as I don’t think he will forget this any time soon.

“Well, now that the moment of insanity is gone. Shall we talk about why I brought you two here?” my father asks.

His question causes the hairs on my arms to rise. The same ones that have warned me my entire life that the next few moments aren’t going to be pleasant ones. I was so naive to believe he flew here just to visit, as if he missed his only daughter or something resembling parental instinct.

Simon and I exchange glances, and my father continues.

“I’ve been thinking about the best way to tackle the promotion for your upcoming movie. There’s a lot of buzz surrounding it, and biopics are always very popular come awards season. But if I’m to be frank, we have damage control to do.” My father looks at me, and my heart sinks. “Annalise’s last film was an epic failure. Somehow a movie that was meant to gain acclaim garnered nothing but appreciation from porn addicts.”

“Dad!” I cover my mouth, my eyes filling with unshed tears.

He holds up a hand and gives me a stern look that warns me not to say another word. “It’s true, Anna. Your reputation took a hit with that one. There’s no sugarcoating it. However, you come from a good family with a respected legacy.” He motions toward Simon. “As does Simon. The Blackwood and Sterling names are well respected, and that means something. We need to focus on that.” He places his palms down flat against the table. “So you two will date.”

“What?” I gasp.

He glares, shutting me up. “It doesn’t have to be real. It just has to look real. We’ll orchestrate some positive photo ops in the area. Get your pictures in all the magazines and news sites. Everyone will be so excited about this new relationship, finding love on the set of such an inspiring film. The gossip sites will devour this kind of news. It’s sure to be a success. You’ll attend the awards season together and put on the front that you’re the most in love Hollywood couple there is. Once this film is a success and awards season is over, you can announce your amicable break. By that time, everyone will have moved on from your last disaster and think of you in a positive light. I refuse to stand by and allow your blunder to tarnish our name. This is how we accomplish that.”

“Dad…no.” My lip trembles.

“I’ll do it. I think it sounds like a great idea.” Simon gives my father a knowing smile, and I realize now that this announcement doesn’t shock him. The pair of them have already discussed the details. I guarantee Simon is getting something out of this arrangement. He wouldn’t have agreed to it otherwise.

“No, I’m not doing this,” I say with as much strength as I can muster.

“You are,” my father states. “This is nonnegotiable, Anna. The Sterlings have been Hollywood royalty for decades, and you’re putting our good name in jeopardy with your choices. This is how you fix it. And you will fix it.”

My entire body trembles as I force a tsunami of tears to stay at bay. I will not give either of these men the satisfaction of my tears. “I will not, and I cannot.”

“Why is that?” my father growls.

“I cannot fake date Simon because I’m already in a serious relationship with someone else.” The words leave my mouth before I can work through their consequences.

“What?” Simon and my father ask in unison.

I clear my throat. “I’m in love with someone else, and I will not jeopardize what I have with him to fulfill your sick scheme. And I will not apologize for my film choices. I am proud of everything I’ve done.” My voice cracks. “I pour my heart and soul into my roles, and I’m good at what I do. I don’t need you to believe it to make it true. It would be nice if my father were proud of me, but I’ve known you long enough to know that will never happen. So I’m done trying.”

I stand from the table as Bethy arrives with a tray of our food. I take the ceramic bowl of angel hair pasta and the basket of warmed French bread from the tray and thank her before I walk away, food in hand.

“Come back here, Annalise. We are not finished with this conversation.” My father raises his voice.

“I am,” I call back over my shoulder.

I’m so done.

I instruct the limo driver to drive me to the hotel. I left my lines for tomorrow in my trailer on set, but I don’t want to go back there right now. That’s the first place my father will look for me. He knows that I get oddly attached to my trailers. I rarely spend time at the five-star hotel suite. It takes me out of the role too much. For some reason, staying on set in my trailer keeps my head in character. It’s where I like to work my lines and prepare for the upcoming day.

Outside the hotel, I tip the limo driver an obscene amount to tell my father that he dropped me off at the studio, and I head inside.

“Ms. Sterling,” the doorman Walter greets me. His gaze wanders to the large food dishes in my hands, but only for a moment. “Can I help you carry anything?”

“No, I’m fine. Thank you. However, please don’t allow anyone up to my suite. If anyone comes, especially my father, please tell him I’m not in.”

---