Page 18 of Hollywood Humbug

“That’s them,” he says, giving me a wink. “Come meet my family.”

“I should get dressed first,” I say. Then skirt away from him. Once I’m back in his room I put my bra on under the scrub shirt I’d already tossed on. My panties from yesterday are in less than great shape so I put them on inside out, then pull up my scrubs.I toss my dark hair up into a messy bun, then quickly wash my face.

I creep out into the living room and listen.

“I still can’t believe you’re not coming home until after New Year’s,” one of them says, his sister, maybe. “I think this is the first time you’ve missed.”

“No, there was another year when he couldn’t come because all the flights were cancelled due to weather,” an older man says. Probably Andrew’s father.

“But he’s got the narwhal to keep him company,” the sister says again.

Narwhal? What kind of narwhal is he going to be spending time with?

“When do we get to see her for ourselves?” an older woman asks.

Wait. Her?

My breath catches in my chest as it hits me.

I’mthe narwhal.

Wow, he called me a fucking narwhal? Like, okay, I guess that’s better than just being a regular whale because narwhals are pretty cool with their horns. But still, a whale.

He called me a whale.

This guy that I thought was so amazing. So kind and funny. Too good to be true.

Right.

What’s that old saying? If someone seems too good to true, they probably are. Well, that’s certainly true.

I can’t believe I fell for his bullshit, and here he is telling his whole family he bagged a fat chick.

I step into the room.

“There she is. Come meet my family, sweet thing,” Andrew says, holding his hand out to me.

The contrast between his tone and his words is so sharp it’s like a slap in the face. For one horrible minute, I don’t think I can walk out of here. Certainly not without bursting into tears.

But I can’t do that. I can’t let him get the better of me.

“The set just called and there’s some kind of medical emergency, so I’ve gotta get going, actually.”

“I’ll go with you,” he says. Concern etches his features.

“No. You need your rest. I’ve got this.” Then I turn on my heels and leave.

Nine

ANDREW

Iquickly end the video chat with my family because something is very wrong with Maxine and I need to find out what it is. I toss on some shoes and grab a travel neck pillow—advice from my mother—for me to sit on in lieu of a donut pillow. Stupid ass injury. So that slows me down more than I’d like.

By the time I pull into the lot at the studio, I’m nearly two hours behind her.

I barge into the main studio and there she is, standing at the craft services table talking to Scarlett and Laura. There are a few other of the main actors and crew members around as well.

She looks up and sees me and immediately starts shaking her head. She tries to set aside her plate of food, but she’s trapped by some equipment, the table, and me.

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