Throb(13)

“I wouldn’t put it past you.” She squints, assessing me.

“He picked Jessica.” I sigh and sit on the stool on the other side of the counter.

Sadie leans in. “Aren’t you violating your contract, disclosing who he picked to me?”

I sip my wine. “My attorney advised me to violate that pesky thing every chance I get.”

“Good advice. I bet your lawyer’s got a great rack too.”

“The weird thing is … I really thought he was going to ask me. He pretty much told me he was going to.”

“So what happened?”

“I don’t know. Guess he changed his mind when he got a load of Jessica’s boobs in that dress.”

“Well, he doesn’t know what he’s missing.” Sadie holds the second glass up, an unspoken toast to me before drinking.

“It’s okay, I needed to bring the Jeep into the shop tomorrow anyway. And I’m going to see if I can grab a shift at the casino tomorrow night, since I’m off till Monday now. Think you can give me a ride to the studio in the morning? I can find someone to give me a ride back to the shop after it’s done.”

“Sure. But if Mr. McNiceAss is there, you have to introduce me.”

“Miles?” But I know who she’s talking about. She’s been obsessed with his ass since she came with me to the interview portion of the application process for the show. Some women have a weakness for dimples, others have a thing for broad shoulders or height. Sadie is most definitely an ass girl.

“Who else?”

“There’s something weird about that guy. He’s nice and all, but I don’t trust him. I keep my distance.”

Sadie shrugs. “I don’t want to marry him. I just want to get him naked.” She sips her wine. “And dig my nails into that fine ass as he plows into me.”

“How do you practice in entertainment law? Aren’t most of your clients handsome actors? It must be difficult for you to get any work done, with your brain constantly in the gutter all day.”

“Tell me about it.” She exhales loudly and together we finish the bottle before going to bed. We’ve both had a long stretch of self imposed abstinence. Sadie’s to recover from a broken heart her fiancé left her with when he broke things off. But my broken heart doesn’t come from the hands of a man. Well, not one in the same respect as Sadie anyway.



I’m early for the production meeting when we pull into the studio parking lot. The silent click of the minutes on the dashboard catches my attention as the number changes. 11:11. Four of a kind. I close my eyes and make a wish. Today may turn out better than I expected after all.

“Thanks for the ride.” I reach for the door handle and Sadie cuts the engine.

“I’m coming in with you.”

“You really want to meet him? He’s a womanizer.”

“I’m hoping he’ll womanize me.”

We walk through the studio toward the conference room where the remaining contestants are meeting this morning to discuss the shooting schedule. Of course, Flynn and Jessica won’t be there—they have the day off to recover from their stranded date. I’m guessing any man needs a day of recovery after a date with that woman.

Walking down the long hall to the conference room, I stop in my tracks as I catch sight of someone barreling down the hall, typing away on his iPhone, about five seconds from crashing into me. Sadie walks right into me as I halt. “What the …” She’s just about to yell at me when she spots the man that has halted my path. She gasps, instead of finishing her sentence. The sound catches the attention of the otherwise occupied man.

The casual appearance and demeanor of the other night gone, Cooper looks every bit the picture of power and authority in a custom-tailored three-piece suit. His longish hair grazes his collar, giving him the appearance of a model dressed for an Armani ad. My stomach flutters before he even utters a word.

“Kate.” He closes the distance between us, holding out his hand to me, palm up. Shaky from seeing him again without warning, I place my hand in his. My pulse reacts on its own accord, my stomach churning nervously, like a damn schoolgirl’s. I stare at him wordlessly, my mind filled with racing thoughts I can’t seem to make sense of and pull into words.

“Kate?” he repeats, concern in his voice.

“Cooper. I … I … you caught me off guard, I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“I didn’t expect to see you either.” He smiles. “But I’m glad I did.” Amusement dances in his eyes, obvious male satisfaction at my being flustered.