Page 67 of Best Served Hot
She hoped Alex wasn’t going to be too pissed off with her for this. It was going to be her choice. Nicole couldn’t make anything happen that Alex didn’t want. But she hoped Alex might take a chance on herself. With just the lightest push.
‘Err…’
‘Well, I’m gonna google that,’ Kendal said, smiling. ‘But areyouavailable, Alex? Or will you be assisting Nicole?’
Alex was still at sixes and sevens. ‘Well, umm…’
‘Obviously, I’d like to keep her as my assistant, but if she gets an opportunity that’s too good to pass up, I won’t stand in her way,’ Nicole said quickly.
Alex simply couldn’t get her shit together. ‘It’s… I’m not sure…’
‘Look, let me email you the script, and we’ll talk later. I don’t want to make this evening about work stuff. Enjoy the party,’ Kendall said, dashing off.
The second she was gone, Nicole started apologising. ‘I’m sorry. I don’t mean to… I’m not trying to force you to be a director again, and you don’t have to read that script. But I have to confess that I dug around and found your showreel a while back, and honestly, I was kind of stunned.’
‘I thought I’d taken that bloody thing offline,’ Alex grumbled.
‘You were good,’ Nicole continued. ‘You shouldn’t give up on yourself.’ She stopped, waiting to see if Alex was about to chew her out. It would have been warranted. She hoped she wasn’t blowing this. But the problem was that she believed in Alex too much to let her stop believing in herself.
Alex was quiet for a moment. Eventually, she said, ‘You’re a pain in the arse about this. Do you know that?’
Nicole nodded, contrite. ‘I do.’
‘But I don’t know. Maybe… Oh, I don’t know!’ Alex said, exasperated.
Nicole’s eyes widened. ‘You’re tempted, aren’t you?! Iknewit.’
‘Don’t be so pleased with yourself!’ Alex told her irritably. ‘I probably won’t get the offer. She’ll want someone with more experience. Like you.’
‘I don’t think so. I think this is gonna work out,’ Nicole beamed.
Alex rolled her eyes. ‘I could kill you right now.’
‘And I could kiss you right now,’ Nicole replied. ‘You’re hot when you’re annoyed.’ She meant it.
Alex with a bee in her bonnet was very sexy. Her natural pout was even further pronounced, her brow in a hard line that was doing it for Nicole big time. She wanted to leave the party right now and drag Nicole straight to bed.
Alex couldn’t keep up her irritation. Her mouth slipped into a smile. ‘Goddamn it,’ she muttered. ‘I’m pissed off at you. I don’t care if I’m smiling.’ She sighed. ‘I am. I’mveryangry with you.’
‘Keep it up. Seriously. It’s a win-win for me. That angry pout, good God.’
Alex pursed her lips. ‘Stop buttering me up.’
‘You don’t like me telling you that you’re beautiful?’ Nicole asked.
Alex, who’d been struggling to stay mad, lost her rage completely. She started grinning, looking at the floor. ‘No,’ she very obviously lied.
‘Tough. You are. I can’t do much about that,’ Nicole shrugged, taking a sip of her champagne.
Alex shook her head, quitting the game. ‘Fine. You win. I’m not mad. As long as you don’t make a habit of trying to fix me.’
‘There’s nothing about you that needs fixing,’ Nicole said, getting a little more serious. ‘That’s the whole point. You’re talented and amazing. And I can’t keep that fact to myself. The world must know.’
‘Damn, you know how to win me round. That might be a problem. You’re too good at wrapping me around your finger,’ Nicole sighed. She sipped her drink.
Nicole was surprised. ‘Yeah?’
Alex gave her a look. ‘You must know that. I think that’s how we got here. I haven’t been able to say no to you even once.’
