Hollywood. Not on the terms she had wished for so long ago but she was making a nice salary and had a boss who seemed to value her opinion.
Then why did she feel so miserable?
◆◆◆
Rhett rolled out of bed and decided to hit the weight room. Yesterday blurred in his memory. Randi dominated the whole afternoon with her whining and snuggling. She had to be the most insecure person on the planet. She demanded that he fire Cassie, which he absolutely refused to do. They’d had strong words about it but when Randi saw he wouldn’t budge, she’d cozied up to him.
He wanted to end things with the model but he couldn’t find a good reason why he should. It wasn’t as if he would turn around and pursue a romantic relationship with Cassie. Besides, Randi was convenient.
Better yet, she left town early last night, after he’d finally broken down and taken her to eat at a sushi place around four. The place was off the beaten path and empty at that time, so he felt certain that their relationship was still under wraps. Randi had a shoot in Rome, followed by one in the Caribbean. She would be gone until the morning of Christmas Eve. Rhett would have breathing room for over two weeks, something he sorely needed. Maybe when Randi returned, they could have a heart to heart. He could explain that things just weren’t working between them. Knowing Randi, she’d latch on to someone else in the meantime and he would get a quick brush-off from her.
At least that’s what he hoped would happen.
Rhett went through a forty-five minute workout. He was irritable from lack of sleep. He hopped into a hot shower and then decided to grab a Starbucks skinny latte to sip while he worked the New York Times Sunday crossword. If he found women challenging, the Sunday puzzle was downright impossible.
He’d take the crossword over a woman every time.
He dressed and drove through the drive-thru for the coffee and then stopped at a newspaper stand a few blocks away. Rhett was paying for the paper when his cell rang.
It was his publicist.
“Rhett? I hate to bother you so early on a Sunday.”
“No bother, Becky. I was up at five-thirty. What’s up?”
“I’ve gotten a call that the People website will have pictures of you and Randal James dining on sushi within two hours. They wanted to know if you care to comment on your relationship with Randi.”
His mouth instantly formed the word “deny”, but it died on his lips. They already had the pictures, so it was a simple courtesy to admit to a relationship.
“Tell them no comment,” he said curtly. “I don’t want to discuss this topic again, Becky.”
Rhett had never felt more trapped in his life.
CHAPTER 13
Cassie walked over to the main house, thinking she could get used to this kind of life. She enjoyed her Sunday off, even though she’d read through two of the scripts Rhett gave her. Reading was a pleasure, though, so the day passed enjoyably.
She was sleeping well in her new place. No gunshots going off at crazy hours or arguments heard through paper-thin walls made her feel like a new woman. With no commute, she decided to go for an early morning run around the estate. Shep joined her and Cassie decided to make it a daily routine. Running gave her thinking time and released stress. Lately, she’d been too busy trying to do her job and Manny’s to work in a run, not to mention her neighborhood wasn’t safe enough to indulge in a three-mile jaunt. Too many hookers and junkies to dodge along the sidewalks.
Cassie looked forward to her day. She wanted to run a few ideas by Becky Bloss before her afternoon meeting with the American Cancer Society regarding the upcoming charity event. She’d enjoyed her phone conversation with Rhett’s PR person her first day on the job. Becky seemed efficient and had Rhett’s best interests at heart. Maybe she should ask Becky to attend the meeting with her. They could grab a bite to eat beforehand.
She set the scripts down on the kitchen counter. She’d made notes in the margins for Rhett, but she’d also typed up a synopsis of each script and shared her thoughts on both screenplays and the character he would play if he agreed to terms. Cassie heard the kitchen door opening and turned to find a smiling Mimi entering.
“Good morning, Cassie.” Mimi set her purse and tote bag