Page 27 of The VIP Doubles Down
Gavin dodged the air kiss the actress aimed at him. “You look like you just came out of the hair-and-makeup trailer,” he said with a snarl that indicated it wasn’t a compliment. “Now get out.”
Allie gasped, which swung both of their gazes around to her. The actress scanned Allie from head to foot and dismissed her without comment, turning back to Gavin and resting one graceful hand against his chest. “I know we had a little spat the last time we were together, so I came to apologize.”
Gavin stepped around Irene to approach Allie. “We’ll resume our discussion tomorrow under the same terms. And you’ll receive payment for the hour I didn’t use today.” He rubbed at the back of his neck. “Let’s hope Irene doesn’t undo all your good work.” He turned away. “Ludmilla, will you help Allie with her coat?”
Allie felt Irene’s gaze on her as she walked to the office door. It made her acutely aware of her soiled shirt, her messy hair, and her lack of makeup. Honestly, though, even on her best day ever, Allie couldn’t compete with the actress’s glossy raven locks, huge brown eyes, and perfect porcelain skin. So what did it matter that Allie looked the worse for wear?
She lifted her chin and met Irene Bartram’s gaze straight on, giving the actress a friendly smile. Irene’s reaction was to narrow those doe eyes.
As she and Ludmilla stepped into the hallway, Allie heard Irene ask, “Who’s the little nurse?”
Chapter 8
“She’s none of your business,” Gavin said as he spun away from the door to face Irene, triggering a spasm in his back. He gritted his teeth until it passed. “And you and I did not have a spat. We had a knock-down, drag-out fight, during which I told you to remove yourself from my life permanently.”
He paced to the fireplace and picked up a poker, jabbing at the fire before he looked at her again. “You do understand the meaning of the wordpermanently.”
Irene eyed the poker with a half smile. “Are you planning to thrust that through my heart?”
“No, it’s an antique, and I don’t want to break it on a flinty object.” Gavin hung the tool back on its brass stand, growling as his shoulder twinged.
Irene made a fluid gesture acknowledging the insult without looking insulted, and he understood a little of why he’d fallen for her so hard and fast. She embodied all that was most fascinating about his character Samantha Dubois. Or maybe he had just projected those qualities onto her because Samantha was his creation, and, like Pygmalion, he was already halfway in love with her.
Allie felt that Julian deserved better than Samantha, but Gavin wasn’t sure he agreed with her.
“Darling, I came to help you.” Irene drifted down into a chair, tucking her endless legs to one side and crossing her slender ankles in a way that drew attention to them.
Gavin choked on a humorless laugh. “Well, thatisunexpected.”
She curved her painted lips into a pleased smile. “I thought we could try some role-playing. I’ll take the part of Samantha, of course, and you’ll play Julian. We can do a little improv to get your creative juices flowing again.” She gave him the same smoldering look she used to tempt Julian on-screen.
“Too bad the cameras aren’t rolling. That would have been a great close-up.” Gavin shoved his hands in his pockets. “Was it your idea to come, or did someone send you?”
“I’m doing an interview withGood Morning America, so I thought I’d drop by.” She floated to her feet and glided up to him, her eyes clouded with concern. “I’m worried about you.”
“You’re worried about your part in the movie.” Gavin reached out and took a curl of her hair between his fingers, marveling at the near blackness. It was natural, as he knew from intimate experience. He wondered if Irene was born self-centered or if her extreme beauty had warped her character.
She mistook his aesthetic appreciation for something warmer and plastered her body against his from knee to chest. To his disgust, physical attraction flared inside him. However, his ardor was quickly doused by a bucket of cold memory. He gripped her shoulders and peeled her away from him. “I’m no longer interested.”
“But we can still be friends, and friends help each other,” she said, accepting his rejection without batting an eyelash. “So I’m here for you.”
“Was this Greg’s idea? Jane said he’d called last week.”
“Greg is also concerned about you,” Irene said. “It’s not surprising, given that he’s been the executive producer on every one of Julian’s movies.”
“I guess you didn’t tell him about our last encounter or he might have ordered younotto come.”
“Greg does notorderme, ever.” Irene shot him a look that would have left him dead had it been a dagger.
“Just deliver your message and go,” Gavin said. He dropped into the armchair he’d been sitting in earlier and massaged his tense neck muscles. That brought forth the memory of Allie and how exhilarated he’d felt at the prospect of discussing Julian with her.
What a contrast to Irene, whose presence sent a shock of self-loathing spiraling through his soul. He was the idiot who’d proposed to her. And had gone to bed with her again after their breakup when she’d shown up for his father’s funeral weekend. He had felt utterly alone, and she had offered the illusion of solace. Until he’d overheard her chatting up his stepsister Ruth about the possibility that his unfinished Julian Best manuscript might be somewhere at his father’s house.
“Were you planning to steal the manuscript?” he asked. “Or persuade me to finish it?”
“Are we going to rehash that? I was just making conversation with Ruth.” Her eyes shimmered with tears that didn’t quite spill over. “I came to the funeral to support you, because I know how your stepmother is. I didn’t want you to face her without someone by your side.”
He reminded himself that she was a far better actress than she got credit for. “You left in a hurry.”
