a guy like Teague.” She raised a red eyebrow. “I hope you’re aware of his track record.”
Kate gave her a great big smile. “I’m not worried about the women he’s dated.”
Justine widened her eyes. “You should be. Most of them are going to be at the Sunshine Film Festival. Better have Monica sharpen your claws before you go. Simone Peters will be thrilled to see you.”
Simone Peters. Voted People’s Most Beautiful Person last year. The beauty who’d reportedly prompted Teague to get that tattoo on his butt. Dread coiled through her belly as Monica, Justine and the crew filed out to the delivery van.
The black leather couch in the living room beckoned, and she flopped onto it to check in with Dina. Fifty-six voice mails and text messages waited for her. She read one. You’ve got some major ’splaining to do, Tonya had texted her. Exactly. She tapped out a quick message for her friends. Surprise! We’ll have lots to talk about when I get home. Until then, XOXO. If Tonya or Jeanne got her on the phone, they’d have the truth out of her in two seconds flat.
She called Dina, but got her voice mail, so she left a message. “Hope you’re okay. I have one crazy story to tell you when I get back, probably in a week or so. Call if you need anything and if you can’t reach me, try Tonya and Jeanne.” She hung up. And what would she do if Dina did need something? She was a world away. But Dina had never come to her before for anything more than a ride. She’d have to pin George down for a lift to work now. Unable to deal with the other messages, she turned off the phone and wandered toward the kitchen.
She heard Teague talking on the phone. “Morty, I’ve been over this with June. This is my life. I date who I want, no matter what you think. And it’s not a long term thing. You know me.”
The words stung, and Kate chastised herself for being silly. It wasn’t a long term thing—she had insisted on it. And it wasn’t even a “thing.” It was part of their deal, for crying out loud.
Teague slammed the table with his fist. “Enough. This is not going to blow my chances with Stan Remington. He wants me in his next flick. Trust me. Doesn’t anyone trust me?” He ended the call and tossed his wireless on the table.
Kate stepped into the room and cleared her throat. “Never trust anyone, wasn’t that your advice yesterday?”
He jumped when he realized she was in the room.
She wore one of the casual outfits the crew had brought her: the dark, skinny jeans Oprah had named one of her favorite things, and a silky pink t-shirt she loved enough to wear forever. The outfit was probably slumming it by Hollywood standards, but she still felt like she was showboating. It would fetch hundreds of dollars on eBay. Maybe she could take the clothes with her to sell later after she left this fantasyland. “So what am I screwing up for you now?”
“Nothing.” He walked toward her. “That was my agent. He freaks out whenever I show up with someone new. Just like my publicist and my stylist did. And you’re not only new, you’re different. Unlike anyone I’ve ever gone out with before. They don’t know how to handle you.”
Kate wondered if he regretted their agreement. She walked toward the window overlooking his pool. Several chaise lounges sat underneath a white pergola alongside the long, narrow swath of turquoise water. A fountain in the middle sprayed arcs of water into the air. Potted palm trees dotted the concrete patio. “When do we leave?” She’d be happy spending her month right here, hiding. “And where is the Sunshine Festival, anyway?”
He followed her to the window and laughed. “It’s in Maui, and we leave at six in the morning.”
She sank into a chair at the table. She couldn’t remember when she’d last eaten anything besides that apple. “Do you have any food?” The walls were lined with dozens of huge mahogany cabinets in the kitchen. Surely one of them held some
Kate gave her a great big smile. “I’m not worried about the women he’s dated.”
Justine widened her eyes. “You should be. Most of them are going to be at the Sunshine Film Festival. Better have Monica sharpen your claws before you go. Simone Peters will be thrilled to see you.”
Simone Peters. Voted People’s Most Beautiful Person last year. The beauty who’d reportedly prompted Teague to get that tattoo on his butt. Dread coiled through her belly as Monica, Justine and the crew filed out to the delivery van.
The black leather couch in the living room beckoned, and she flopped onto it to check in with Dina. Fifty-six voice mails and text messages waited for her. She read one. You’ve got some major ’splaining to do, Tonya had texted her. Exactly. She tapped out a quick message for her friends. Surprise! We’ll have lots to talk about when I get home. Until then, XOXO. If Tonya or Jeanne got her on the phone, they’d have the truth out of her in two seconds flat.
She called Dina, but got her voice mail, so she left a message. “Hope you’re okay. I have one crazy story to tell you when I get back, probably in a week or so. Call if you need anything and if you can’t reach me, try Tonya and Jeanne.” She hung up. And what would she do if Dina did need something? She was a world away. But Dina had never come to her before for anything more than a ride. She’d have to pin George down for a lift to work now. Unable to deal with the other messages, she turned off the phone and wandered toward the kitchen.
She heard Teague talking on the phone. “Morty, I’ve been over this with June. This is my life. I date who I want, no matter what you think. And it’s not a long term thing. You know me.”
The words stung, and Kate chastised herself for being silly. It wasn’t a long term thing—she had insisted on it. And it wasn’t even a “thing.” It was part of their deal, for crying out loud.
Teague slammed the table with his fist. “Enough. This is not going to blow my chances with Stan Remington. He wants me in his next flick. Trust me. Doesn’t anyone trust me?” He ended the call and tossed his wireless on the table.
Kate stepped into the room and cleared her throat. “Never trust anyone, wasn’t that your advice yesterday?”
He jumped when he realized she was in the room.
She wore one of the casual outfits the crew had brought her: the dark, skinny jeans Oprah had named one of her favorite things, and a silky pink t-shirt she loved enough to wear forever. The outfit was probably slumming it by Hollywood standards, but she still felt like she was showboating. It would fetch hundreds of dollars on eBay. Maybe she could take the clothes with her to sell later after she left this fantasyland. “So what am I screwing up for you now?”
“Nothing.” He walked toward her. “That was my agent. He freaks out whenever I show up with someone new. Just like my publicist and my stylist did. And you’re not only new, you’re different. Unlike anyone I’ve ever gone out with before. They don’t know how to handle you.”
Kate wondered if he regretted their agreement. She walked toward the window overlooking his pool. Several chaise lounges sat underneath a white pergola alongside the long, narrow swath of turquoise water. A fountain in the middle sprayed arcs of water into the air. Potted palm trees dotted the concrete patio. “When do we leave?” She’d be happy spending her month right here, hiding. “And where is the Sunshine Festival, anyway?”
He followed her to the window and laughed. “It’s in Maui, and we leave at six in the morning.”
She sank into a chair at the table. She couldn’t remember when she’d last eaten anything besides that apple. “Do you have any food?” The walls were lined with dozens of huge mahogany cabinets in the kitchen. Surely one of them held some
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