Small Town Girl (17 page)

“I have some errands to run today and a
meeting with my manager,” Hudson told me Thursday morning over breakfast. “I
don’t want you to be left alone. Alec is going to take you shopping again. You
can borrow one of my cars.”

I peered up at him from across the table.
A month in L.A. and I’d still never set foot behind the wheel of a car. There
was too much traffic.
Too many people.
Too many roads.

“Don’t look so scared,” he laughed. “Alec
can drive.”

“Okay, good,” I said with raised
eyebrows. “I’m not ready yet.”

“You need to learn how to drive in this
city eventually,” he said. “Everyone drives here.”

“I know,” I sighed, dreading it. I was
perfectly fine with Hudson doing all the driving, but I knew I couldn’t depend
on him forever.

“I’m leaving tomorrow for my shoot,” he
said.

He still hadn’t mentioned he was filming
with his ex, Ava Fox.

“What movie is it?” I asked as I opted to
play dumb.

“The sequel to Heavenly Love,” he said.
“I thought I told you that already?”

“Nope,” I said, my eyes locking into his.
“Isn’t that the movie you did with Ava?”

He smiled a knowing smile. He knew
exactly where the conversation was headed. I couldn’t help but wonder if that
was the reason for the impromptu shopping trip. Was he trying to butter me up?

“Brynn,” he said in the most reassuring
tone. “You have absolutely nothing to worry about. I promise.”

“How long will you be gone?” I asked.

“We filmed the movie earlier this year.
Now we’re just doing retakes and a few extra scenes,” he said. “I’m thinking
maybe a couple weeks.
Too long if you ask me.
I don’t
want to be away from you that long, trust me.”

“So I won’t see you at all for two
weeks?” I asked.

“I’d fly you out, Brynn, but I’ll be
shooting all day, every day,” he said. “It would be a waste of your time. Why
don’t you fly Piper out here to spend some time with you? Show her the city.
Convince her that she’s missing out on a life far greater than the one she’s
got back home. Maybe she’ll be nicer to you?”

Piper. I hadn’t spoken to her since I’d
abruptly left Rock River earlier that week. I didn’t even know if we were still
friends anymore.

“I can’t just come out and hang out in
your hotel room or trailer or whatever?” I asked. I couldn’t believe he didn’t
want me near him for two full weeks.

“You would be bored out of your mind,” he
said. “There’s so much more for you to do here.”

I wasn’t winning that argument.

“Is it because you’re going to be around
Ava?” I asked. I couldn’t help myself. The question flew from my mouth so
easily.

He cocked his head to the side, almost
offended. “Definitely not. Why would you even ask that?”

“It just seems weird that you couldn’t go
a weekend without me but now you’re okay with not seeing me for two weeks,” I
said. “It’s sort of a red flag. If I’m being honest.”

“I thought I lost you last weekend,” he
said in all seriousness. “You came back. You’re here. I know you’ll still be
here when I get back. You have certain…temptations back in Rock River. That’s
why I didn’t want to be away from you for too long when you were there. If I’m
being honest.”

“Temptations?” I knew he was referring to
Luke.

Once again, he had a point. He always
did. I had no intentions of leaving him this time.

“Listen,” he added. “We can Face Time
every single night before bed, and I’ll text you every free second I get.”

“Okay,” I said, settling.

“Mr. Smith,” Flor said as she walked by.
“Ms. Dawson’s guest is here.”

“That must be Alec,” he said. “Send him
in. Brynn, why don’t you go get ready for your big day on Rodeo Drive.”

I stood up slowly, trying to dissect what
had just happened. All I knew was that he was leaving for two weeks, filming
love scenes with his ex, and trying to buy me off with a shopping spree and a
visit from my friend.

I ran back to the room and quickly got
ready, ensuring that I was in an Alec-approved outfit. I wrapped my hair into a
topknot and patted on some Chanel foundation, creamy pink blush, and mascara.
Some quick contouring and I was ready to go.

“Hey, Alec!” I said excitedly as I walked
back out to where the guys were standing around the kitchen chatting. He was
pretty much the closest thing I had to a friend out in L.A.

“Hey doll,” he
said
as he looked me up and down. He smiled at my skinny jeans, blouse, and boots
ensemble, and I was grateful for his approval. I still knew nothing about how
to be stylish. “Shall we jet?”

“We shall,” I said as I walked past
Hudson who held out his black credit card. I was becoming a kept woman, and
while it might have been a dream come true to some, I was feeling a little more
unsettled about it.

I kissed Hudson goodbye and followed Alec
out to the driveway where we hopped into his white Volvo convertible.

“Top down?” I asked. “Really?”

“It’s beautiful out today,” he snipped.
“And it’s not my fault you put your hair up. I think you’ll live.”

Alec’s candor was always equal parts
amusing and refreshing.

We jetted towards the freeway and
navigated the streets that led us to Rodeo Drive. We had shopped there once
before, during my glam makeover, but I hadn’t been back since.

“So today I’m thinking we should hit up
some of the super posh boutiques,” he said. “Last time we did department
stores. This time, let’s see what we can find in the smaller shops.”

“Okay,” I said. “You just tell me what to
try on, and I’ll do it.”

“That’s my girl,” he said as he pulled up
to a parking spot and took it before any of the oncoming traffic had a chance
to cut us off. He was so saucy.

We walked
into an
adorable little boutique just steps
away from our parking spot. The
blast of icy cold air conditioning felt good on my hot face. It was a beautiful
day out, but the sun in my face on the drive there had taken a toll on me. I
patted my hair back down into place as Alec ran around like a giddy
school girl
, pulling various items and slinging them over
his left arm. He clearly loved spending other people’s money.

“Did Hudson give you a budget for this?”
I asked out of curiosity.

“Ha!” he laughed. “Hudson and budget are
two words that never go together.”

“Oh, like is he bad with his money or
something?” I asked. “Big spender?”

“Hardly,” Alec quipped. “He’s got more money
than God. Okay, not really, but he’s one of the highest paid actors in
Hollywood. Trust me, clothes are not going to make him go bankrupt, my dear.”

“Look at that,” I whispered to him as I
spotted a few men outside with cameras. They had long lenses and they were
pointing them directly into the store windows towards us. “Why would they want
pictures of me? I’m not with Hudson.”

Alec turned towards them then quickly
turned back to what he was doing. He was hardly fazed.

“They’re such idiots,” he said. “Ignore
them.”

I was beginning to hear their shouts
through the glass, and the constant flickering of flash bulbs was starting to
remind me of the night I fell outside the restaurant. As a sales woman flew
outside to deal with them, I could feel my face growing red hot. My hands were
clammy and sweat began to bead on my forehead. It was happening all over again.

I took a deep breath then turned back to
see if they’d left yet. The sales woman was locking up the front door and
lowering some automatic shades so they couldn’t see inside.

“Now why would they be doing that?” Alec
muttered to me. “They only do that for celebrities. No offense.”

“Maybe Hudson made a call?” I wondered.

“Look, the guy might look like Superman,
but Superman he is not,” Alec said. “I’m thinking we’re not alone in here.”

He peeked his head up above racks and
peered around the store. It was quiet except for a few other voices coming from
across the way.

“Oh, shit,” he said. I watched as his
face fell and he spun back around on his heel.

“What? What?” I asked as I tugged his
arm. “Why’d you say that? Why are you being weird?”

He pursed his lips together and refused
to answer as I suddenly felt a tap on my shoulder. Fully expecting a sales
person, I spun around only to be faced with none other than Ava Fox herself.

“Hello,” she said with the most
condescending smile I’d ever seen. “You must be Brynn.”

I half-expected her to extend her hand,
but she held it firmly on the strap of the calfskin satchel that hung sideways
around her torso. Her eyes were icy cold, colder than the air conditioning that
blew throughout the store that day.

“Y-yes,” I stammered.

“I hear you’re with Hudson Smith these
days,” she said. She swallowed as if saying his name made her uncomfortable or
instantly irritated.

“I don’t know how that’s any of your
business, but yes I am,” I said. “Did you follow me here?”

Her eyes grew wide and a little crazy
before she responded, “Oh, no, no. Honey, don’t get it twisted. This is where I
shop. Isn’t that right, Alec?”

She turned her body just enough so she
could see Alec, who was cowering behind me. He didn’t answer her as his eyes
focused on the pretty garments hanging in front of him.

“From one girl to another,” she said, in
her still condescending tone. “I just wanted to give you a fair warning about
Hudson. I’m sure he’s swept you off your feet. I’m sure he’s treated you like
royalty. Taken you to fancy dinners. I’m sure he’s treating you to this
shopping spree right now.”

So far she’d nailed it.

“But be warned,” she said as she put a
slender hand on her narrow hip. “He’s a joke. You can’t believe a word he says
about anything. Ever.”

“I think that’s for me to figure out,” I
retorted. “But thanks.”

I suddenly noticed her little posse of
friends standing behind her, watching everything. They all gasped when I spoke
back to Ava as if I’d just done the unspeakable.

“Look, I’m just trying to do you a favor,
sweetie,” she said as she looked me up and down.

Up close and personal Ava looked exactly
like she did on screen. Her skin was a flawless shade of bronze. Her eyes were
sparkling and blue. Her teeth were blindingly white. And her body was
incredible. Not a strand of her shiny, flaxen hair was out of place.

“No need,” I said to her as I turned
away, trying to end the conversation. “Are we done here, Alec?”

“It’s only a matter of time before he
gets bored with you and moves on to the next girl,” she sputtered. She knew she
wasn’t cracking me just yet. “He does that. He gets bored.”

“Maybe he just got bored with you?” I
said with a smirk. I couldn’t believe I was holding my own against her. What
had gotten into me?

Her jaw dropped. “You bring nothing to
the relationship. You’re
a nobody
. Where are you from
Ohio? Iowa? Oklahoma?”

“Iowa,” I said. “I see you’ve done your
research. I’m flattered.”

She squared her shoulders and puffed out
her chest as she took a step closer to me.

“The moment his career needs another pick
me up, guess where he’ll be?” she asked. “Right back with me. Where he belongs.
He’s not over me, you know.”

I rolled my eyes at her. “I’m pretty sure
if he wanted to be with you right now he would be. Didn’t you stop by his house
unannounced a few weeks ago? And he wouldn’t let you in?”

Her face turned a shade of crimson as she
turned to her friends and shook her head, insisting she didn’t do that. This
woman was spinning a web of lies, not only to herself but to her friends as
well.

“Listen,” she said as she turned back
towards me with the most menacing smile I’d ever seen. “I’m going to be with
him for the next two weeks. Just remember that. When you’re at his house lying
in his bed
all alone
, he’s going to be in my hotel
room fucking the shit out of me. When you’re taking a shower in his bathroom,
he’s going to be taking a shower with me. When you’re eating dinner all by yourself
like some pathetic loser, he’s going to be enjoying a candlelit dinner with
me.”

I shook my head. I didn’t want those
images in my head. I didn’t want to think like that. I knew better than to
believe a word she said, but now I was going to be nothing but a mess of
nervousness over the coming weeks.

“Let’s go,” Alec said as he finally came
to my rescue. He grabbed me by the hand and led me out of there and back out to
his car, where he said nothing. He put the roof up on his car and got me the
hell out of there.

“What the fuck was that?” I asked Alec
through clouded, teary eyes as soon as we got the hell away from Rodeo Drive.