Page 4 of Second Act
She was stunning, of course, with auburn hair, green eyes, and a wide, generous mouth that undoubtedly incited all kinds of sexual fantasies in the male mind. And Jessica recognized her as the actress who’d been cast as Julian Best’s new love interest.
The woman’s gaze found Jessica, and she started. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize you had company. I’ll leave.”
“No,I’mleaving,” Jessica said. She zipped her coat with a flourish.
“Jess, this is Meryl Langdon, my costar,” Hugh said, his tone dry. “Meryl, meet Jessica Quillen, my ex-fiancée.”
Meryl held out her hand with alacrity, but her face held curiosity. “A pleasure,” she said, her grip on Jessica’s hand friendly. “I didn’t know Hugh had an ex-fiancée.”
“Ancient history,” Jessica said.
“Neither you nor Hugh is old enough to call it ancient,” Meryl said with a thread of laughter in her tone.
No wonder she’d gotten the part of Julian’s love interest. Even the timbre of her voice made you want to lean in to hear it better.
“Sometimes I feel older than dirt,” Jessica said, pulling on her gloves. “Nice to meet you. Bye, Hugh!” She gave a breezy wave and slipped out the door before he could react.
As she stepped down onto the gritty sidewalk, she hunched her shoulders against the slicing winter wind. Or was she trying to duck the image she had of Meryl and Hugh entwined on the big bed in the trailer? They would make a dazzling couple with clothes or without.
As she slogged off in the direction where she’d last seen the stray dog, she muttered, “I should have taken the damned sandwich.”
