Page 62 of Behind the Scenes

“I’m just curious about your going with Hunter. You barely know him. Are you sure about going away with him?”

Alexis looked away, avoiding her gaze now. “Well, I know him a little better than you think.”

Lauren sat silently for a few moments before pushing hard on her arm and exclaiming, “Shut up! When? How? Where was I when all this was happening?”

As much as she wanted to gossip with her, Alexis didn’t have the time. Hopping off the bed, she returned to packing her bag.

“I don’t have time to tell you all the juicy details. It was last night, though.”

“You have to give me something! You can’t leave me in the dark like this.”

Lauren bounced on the bed like a kid dying to hear where she was going that day. Alexis stopped packing and shook her head.

“We’re not in high school anymore. We should be more adult when we talk about sex.”

“Nonsense! Now give me the dirt.”

Whenever she thought of Hunter now, Alexis couldn’t help but smile. “It was different from everyone I’ve ever been with, and yes, I know. I haven’t been with that many men. Don’t remind me, okay? I can tell you this. He was a thousand times better than Jackson.”

Eager to hear more, her assistant leaned forward toward her. “Go on. And don’t worry about not having a lot of past lovers. I didn’t need to eat that fudge the other day more than once to know it was heavenly. Some things you just know when they’re good.”

She always had a unique way of bringing her back to the focus of her thoughts. She loved that about Lauren.

“You know what it was? For the first time, I was with someone who didn’t care who I was to the rest of the world. I liked that.”

“I love that! Okay, I need to know more. What was it like? What does he look like under those clothes? I bet he’s got a great body, right? Come on! You have to tell me more.”

But Alexis ignored all her pleas for more details about her time with Hunter. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to share things with Lauren like she always had, but something felt different this time.

With this man.

Just as she stuffed her favorite pink sweater into her bag, she heard her phone vibrate in her pocket. It was Hunter telling her it was time to leave.

“I have to go. I need you to get everyone away from the elevator doors so I can get out of here.”

Hopping off the bed, Lauren headed for the bedroom door. “Okay, I’m on it. Just promise me you’ll let me know you’re safe. Don’t make me worry, Alexis.”

“I promise.”

That didn’t feel like enough, though, so Alexis rushed over to the door and hugged her best friend. “I can’t believe I’m doing this! Tell me I’m not crazy.”

“I’ve never thought you were crazy. It’s not crazy to want to live your life the way you want to. Just be safe, okay?”

Squeezing her hand, Alexis smiled. “I will. Together we’ll make everyone think I’m spending the next few days hiding out in my room. Temperamental actresses do that all the time, right? Sounds like something someone like me would do.”

Lauren cradled her face as she shook her head. “You’re nothing like that, and you know it. Leave that nonsense in the tabloids. Now go and have some fun. I’ll be here playing my role.”

“Now who’s the actress?” Alexis joked as she watched her best friend walk out into the hallway.

The elevator doorsopened, and Alexis looked around the garage for any sign of Hunter. Alone, she stood nervously waiting as the smell of engine fumes made it hard to breathe. After about a minute, she began to wonder if she’d made a mistake. She hadn’t been alone for more than a minute or two in so long that she didn’t know what to do. What if someone approached her? She’d have no way to protect herself.

With every second that passed, Alexis became more and more frightened. She never should have agreed to do this. She barely knew Hunter. What if he was behind the stalker and just wanted to get her alone in this garage?

As every horrible possibility ran through her mind, a grey sedan drove toward her. She strained to see the driver but couldn’t through the tinted windows. Frozen in place, she didn’t know if she should run back to the elevator or stay there.

The car stopped, and she held her breath, praying to God she could run away fast enough if it was someone who wanted to hurt her. The darkened driver’s side window slowly lowered, and she saw Hunter smiling at her.

“Ready to go?” he asked with that sexy smile she loved.

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