I jump up from the sofa. The walls close in around me. I take two steps, and bam! Someone knocks my drink out of my hand, sending it crashing to the ground. When I finally have the nerve to look up, Archer and Wren are both staring at me.
I high tail it out of the room, claustrophobia setting in. I need air. Now.
On wobbly knees I make it out to the lobby. My hand’s on the exit door when a firm hand grips my shoulder. “Billie, wait.”
I turn on Archer, fighting tears. “How could you do that to me?”
His blank expression is almost genuine. “Do what?”
“You hired me because I’m fat?”
“What? No.”
“Don’t play dumb. I heard you talking to Wren. What am I? Some kind of joke?” All of the excitement of the last three weeks leaks out of me like a balloon. “I thought…” I huff out a humorless laugh and wipe a stray tear trickling down my face, feeling like an idiot for actually believing that I earned this on merit, and that Archer had genuine feelings for me. “It doesn’t matter. I was wrong.”
I throw the door open, hoping to God there’s a cab nearby. Although being this far west, it’s a fat chance. I don’t even make it down the steps before Archer spins me around to face him. Dammit, he’s so strong. I can’t fight him, and deep down maybe I don’t want to?
“Listen to me, Billie, and listen good. The minute I saw you on that screen, I knew you were the one.”
“Save it, Archer. I heard Wren say it wasyouridea.”
“And you trust Wren so much?” His eyebrows knit above his clear eyes. “He’s a dick, Billie.” I open my mouth to speak, but he keeps going. “I insisted we hire you because you captured my heart from the second I saw you.” He releases his grip, his face smoothing out. His cheeks flush, and he runs a hand through his hair. “Sorry for grabbing you like that, but I couldn’t let you walk away like that.”
My breathing starts returning to normal. “It’s okay,” I whisper. His Adam’s apple bobs when he swallows. I hang on every tension filled moment of the silence as he gathers his thoughts.
“It sounds like pure bullshit, but I’ve never been in love before.”
“Never?” My eyes widen. “But what about all of your former co-stars in all the gossip magazines.”
“They were mostly paid promo stunts by the studios. You think all Hollywood relationships are real?” He scoffs. “Most of them are business transactions. Especially the ones that don’t last long.”
My body melts, mind swimming. Is he saying what I think he’s saying? “So why are you saying this to me?”
He takes my hands in his and I stumble slightly as he pulls me closer. “Billie, I love you. I’ve been waiting to tell you, hoping that you feel the same way about me. When you made me wait, it only made me want you more. In fact I was a little nervous that you wouldn’t feel the same way after being apart for so long. That maybe you only wanted the Archer Bain that everyone sees on the screen.” He bites his inner cheek, accentuating his impeccably strong jawline. “I would never do anything to hurt you. You’re all I think about. I love you, Billie Wyatt.”
The tears fall faster. In all of my daydreams, this flirty affair with Archer never ended like this. I can hardly believe my ears. My arms fly around his neck and I rise up onto my tippy-toes. My lips caress his. Warmth and calm wash over me as he hugs my waist and pulls me closer.
“I love you too,” I whisper against his mouth. “I think.”
“You think?”
“Yeah,” I giggle, and lick my lips. “I’ll let you know after you take me out on a real date.”
Archer pulls away, still holding me in his strong arms. “We’ve been on a real date.”
“A dive bar in the East Village does not count, babe.”
“Babe, huh?”
“It slipped.”
“I like the way you say it.” His smile sends waves of white hot fire into my core. My panties drench, and right now I don’t care about having an official first date. Right now I want him to take me back to his room and ease this pulsing ache—the itch that only Archer Bain can scratch.
“I like it, too.” I say, not knowing what the future will hold for us, but knowing that we’re off to a pretty stellar start. I let MYmovie star kiss me senseless in front of the Jane hotel, knowing that this is the beginning of our very own made for TV love story.
Epilogue: Billie
Six Years Later