Page 32 of Hot Mess

There wasn’t much snow on the ground, but I was so done with it. It was going to take a very lucrative offer to get me to ever want to film in the snow again. And something a lot more impressive than that to ever get me to do a butt-naked ass shot in the snow.

I don’t know what I had been thinking when I accepted that role.

I stared out the car window at the bleak gray day. The house we parked in front of was a typical split-level mid-century style. Some woman opened the door. The driver stepped inside. The trunk popped open behind me and then he appeared carrying a large cardboard box. After stowing that he returned to the house, went inside and this time he had two suitcases with him.

I still hadn’t seen Kayla. All I had was one out-of-focus photo and my memory.

I held my breath waiting for her to appear. I was too old to be acting this way. I forced myself back into the plush car seat and turned to look out the other window. All bleak, all gray, and the Christmas decorations looked pitiful against the stark white of the snow and the dark dead branches of trees.

I turned to glance at the front door and wanted to eat my words. Kayla stepped from the house, and she was golden light herself. She was worth every uncharacteristic giddy thought.

She hugged the woman quickly, it wasn’t a lingering tearful farewell, and then she was skipping down the walkway toward the car.

The driver put the rest of her bags in the back and closed the trunk. He barely had time to open the door for her. She didn’t seem to notice me until she was inside and settling into her seat.

She looked up at me with a gasp. Neither of us said anything, we just stared at each other.

Damn, she was more beautiful than I remembered.

Her lower lip quivered, and I wanted to wrap my arms around her and crush her to me.

She broke her gaze away first, looking down and struggling with her seat belt while a furious blush colored her cheeks. A lock of her auburn hair fell in front of her face.

I reached out to brush it behind her ear, so I could see her face better. As I was about to touch her, I pulled back. She continued to look down and away from me.

“Hello, Kayla,” I finally said.

“Mr. Sadler,” her voice was barely above a whisper.

This time when I reached out, I did touch her. I hooked my finger under her chin and lifted her face so I could see into her eyes. She shivered.

“Nick. My name is Nick, not Mr. Sadler.”

She nodded and looked very nervous.

“I missed you in LA. I had hoped to see you after the party.”

Her eyes flashed wide with horror and then she was blushing more and looking away.

What the hell?

“Kayla, what did I do wrong?” I knew what I had done, but she had known all the actions and reactions had been in an attempt to protect her. “You never gave me an opportunity to apologize.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” she started. She kept her face averted, looking out the window, and not at me. “I’m sorry all of that was my fault. I’ve been too embarrassed. I mean”— she turned and faced me— “how could you look at me after that? How could I face you?”

Had she been avoiding me because she was embarrassed?

“Kayla, all of that—”

“Can we not talk about it? I’ve never felt so uncomfortable or embarrassed.”

“Okay, okay. For the record, then I’ll drop it. All of that was my fault, and I am very sorry I did not protect you better.”

She bit her lip and nodded.

“I’m done. That’s all.” I held out my hands in a giving-up gesture. I let out a heavy breath. “It’s good to see you again. Thank you for answering Isaac’s call. I know you weren’t taking mine.”

She opened and closed her mouth a few times as she appeared to struggle with what to say.

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