Hollywood Flirt - Alexa Aston Page 0,24
auburn that skimmed the tops of her bare shoulders. The bright sunlight falling on it brought out a rainbow of rich reds. It was the perfect shade—for the perfect woman.
“Hello,” Sydney said primly, her eyes falling to her feet.
Was she shy?
“Hey, I didn’t know you two knew each other,” Rhett said as he began sliding burgers from the grill onto an oblong platter.
“We met at Monty Revere’s house,” Dash revealed as Cassie and Melanie appeared with other dishes for the meal. “I wanted to talk to Monty and let him know I was interested in auditioning for No Regrets.”
Cassie set a large bowl of fruit on the picnic table. “How did you even know about it?”
Leo raised a hand, a sheepish smile on his face. “I’ll take the blame for that one. You were so excited about the screenplay, Cassie, and double excited when Monty signed on. I mentioned it—in passing—to Dash.”
“So a trainer isn’t like a stylist?” Melanie asked. “You know, the secrets women reveal to their hairdresser never get out. It’s like Vegas, only ten times more.”
“I’m not usually a blabbermouth,” Leo protested. “And I know zero about the script. Just that Monty agreed to direct for your production company.”
“I’ll give you a pass, Leo,” Cassie told him. Then she scrutinized Dash for a minute. “I know we just met for the first time today. But . . .” Her voice trailed off and then her eyes cut to Sydney.
Dash watched a look pass between the two women. He hoped it meant something good. “I do have to thank Leo for the tip. I guess Monty is intrigued enough to have me read because I’m auditioning on Thursday at ten.”
He watched Sydney mouth “Paul” to Cassie. Both women nodded.
Cassie turned back to Dash. He dragged his eyes from Sydney to concentrate on his hostess. “I’ve only seen one movie you’ve been in so I don’t want to make a judgment call here. Or give you false hope. I’ll just say good luck to you, Dash. I hope you knock the audition out of the park.”
“Thanks.”
Rhett placed two platters piled high with burgers on the table, one with melting cheese covering the patties and the other plain. Melanie added a Lazy Susan filled with condiments and add-ons. Sydney put down the salad bowl in her arms. The three women retreated to the kitchen to gather the remaining items.
“I’m really sorry,” Leo told Rhett. “I didn’t mean to break any confidences. I’ll understand if you want to let me go.”
“No way, Leo. It’s not a problem,” Rhett told the trainer. “Cassie practically took out a billboard when Monty agreed to direct her screenplay so it wasn’t any big secret. If Dash took the initiative and followed up, more power to you.” Rhett bumped fists with Dash in a display of male solidarity.
“It’s just an audition,” Dash said as the women returned and set more items on the table. “I have no idea what the role is about or who I’m up against. I’m ready to give it my best shot.”
Everyone took a seat on the two benches. Dash made sure to watch where Sydney decided to sit and claimed the spot next to her. With that many people, they had to squeeze together. His thigh brushed against hers, while their arms from shoulder to elbow touched. As before, Dash felt the spark between them. Sydney ignored it—but he knew she’d felt it. How could she not?
Dinner proved to be lighthearted. Dash enjoyed getting to know this group. He could tell the Corrigans and Camerons were tight. Leo also seemed to know both couples fairly well. Only he and Sydney seemed to be the outsiders and they were welcomed into all of the conversations with ease.
He liked that they didn’t merely talk work. He got enough of that in social situations. Instead, the group spoke about the upcoming fall presidential election and why they favored certain candidates. Melanie and Cassie discussed an upcoming charity ball sponsored by Rhett’s foundation, which would benefit breast cancer research. They talked about the California wildfires last summer and how they hoped this summer would prove better. They talked about music and sports. For the first time in a long time—probably since he’d arrived in Hollywood—Dash found himself around people that he wanted to get to know better. People he wanted to be friends with.
And one woman he wanted to get to know in the worst possible way.
As they ate, the subtle smell of vanilla kept