should apologize for Andrew showing up yesterday or let it go and hope she forgets all about it.
At least Cindy’s cheerful and happy to see me. As she spreads foundation over my forehead, I peek up at her. “Are you doing anything after work tonight?”
“Does drinking a bottle of wine alone in my apartment count?”
“You can always come visit me. Or we can go out to a movie, grab dinner, or something?”
“You don’t see enough of me here?”
My shoulders jerk up. Maybe Cindy has enough friends and isn’t interested in socializing with me outside of work. Whatever. Please let her be free to go to Andrew’s with me tonight. After all my tossing and turning, I decided I can’t go there by myself.
“So, I have a friend who’s putting together an ad campaign for some T-shirts he designed. Are you interested in doing the hair and makeup?”
“Are you serious? God, Mallory, yes!” she squeals in my face. In a quieter voice she adds, “I could use the extra cash.”
“Awesome. Thank you.”
“No, thank you. I appreciate it.”
“Do you mind going with me tonight? He wants to check out a few spots on his property for the photos.”
In the mirror I catch her frown. “Is your friend doing this at his house?”
“Yeah, it’s all very low budget. But he said he’ll pay you your regular daily rate,” I hurry to add.
“Who is it?”
“Uh, one of Chaser’s friends.”
“Oh, okay. Sure. I can stop by for a little bit. That way I can get an idea of what look he wants. When’s the full shoot?”
“Saturday.”
“Perfect.” She bends down in front of me. “Close your eyes. Don’t blink,” she whispers as she sweeps shadow over my lids. I don’t blink, but I sneeze in her face which is worse.
“I’m sorry!”
She waves off my apology. “I’ve had worse. Maybe you’re allergic to this, let me go find something else.”
As she steps away to rifle through her makeup kit, I catch a glimpse of Pamela in the doorway. “Hey!” I wave to her. “Are you coming or going?”
Her frosty glare should send a shiver down my spine but I think I’ve built up an immunity to them. “Waiting for the chair.”
“I’ll be done in a sec,” Cindy says without looking up.
I lean forward and pick up my script, waving it at Pamela. “Do you want to run lines?”
“Sure. I’ll be right back.”
Phew. It’ll be nice if we can go back to being friends again. Although, will that be possible when she finds out I’m modeling Andrew’s shirts?
Or will it drive another wedge between us?
Chapter Thirty-Two
Mallory
I’m a mess of nerves as I leave the set.
“I’ll follow you up, okay?” Cindy says.
I’d feel better if we were going to Andrew’s together. That way she can’t leave me. But that’s a horrible thing to think, right? If I’m so damn nervous, why am I doing this in the first place?
Andrew’s a friend. He’s Chaser’s friend. I’m doing Chaser’s friend a favor. There’s no harm in that. Everything’s fine.
“Are you sure you don’t want to ride together?” I ask.
“I can’t. I need to be home by seven.”
Shit, shit, shit.
“Okay. Follow me.”
I move through traffic at a snail’s pace earning a few honks and middle fingers from my fellow drivers. Cindy stays right behind me. We pass the turn for my road and I glance at it longingly.
We continue up the short, narrow maze of tiny streets leading up to Andrew’s much plusher home near the top of the Hollywood Hills. Cindy leaves her car on the street in the perfect spot for a quick getaway.
She pulls a small makeup trunk out of her car and joins me. “Are you nervous?”
“No. Just tired. It was a long day. I should’ve rescheduled or something.”
We pass Andrew’s Ferrari, his black Chevy Blazer, his Harley, and a few other motorized toys before reaching the side entrance. I take a deep breath before knocking.
The door swings open. Andrew’s lean, shirtless body fills the space. Without permission, my gaze travels down his inked torso to the dips at his hips, disappearing under his tight, low-slung jeans, all the way to his bare feet.
“Hey, girl. Feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.” At first, he seems happy to see me. The welcoming smile fades as I shift and his gaze lands on Cindy. “Mallory, who’s your friend?”
“This is Cindy.” I wrap my arm around her shoulders, pulling her forward. “The makeup artist I told you about.”