Grounded By You Page 11

  Sam spent every night that he could get away at her place since the photographers seemed to be always camped out at his apartment. It was their secluded little love nest, and he looked forward to every minute that they spent there together. Inside its cozy walls, they were just two people talking, laughing, and making love at all hours of the day and night.

  But Sam knew that the fairy tale would soon come to an end. In less than a week, he and Delaney were headed to North Carolina to start filming the movie. It made him anxious to think about being away from Millie, even though he was going to be home in Bleckerville. He hadn’t seen his parents or little sister since he moved to the city. The idea of seeing them again should have made him feel better, but it didn’t.

  Millie, for her part, wouldn’t give him any indication that she was upset or even concerned about his impending departure. The cocktail party that he had reluctantly agreed to was planned for the evening before he left, which he thought was horrible timing. He hated the idea of wasting their last hours together in the company of a bunch of stuffy socialites.

  “It’s okay. You can fly up here for the weekend whenever you have a break, or I’ll come down there. It’s the perfect excuse to spend some time with Kate too,” Millie admonished whenever he brought it up. “It’s going to fly by. This is a huge deal for you, Sam. I don’t want you focusing on me. I’m not going anywhere.”

  He appreciated her support of his career, but he couldn’t help but think about the impact his time away would have on their fledgling relationship. It weighed heavily on his mind the morning of the cocktail party. Then he received a cryptic text from Victoria summoning him to her office.

  She looked up at him as he walked into her office and pointed at the seat across from her. For the first time since he met her, he thought that Victoria looked tired. Her reading glasses were pushed up into her hair, and several pieces stuck out in various directions. There were shadows under her eyes.

  “Thanks for coming over. I’m sure you’ve got a lot on your plate getting ready to leave tomorrow,” Victoria said. “This shouldn’t take long.”

  “Not a problem,” Sam said. He waited for Victoria to get to the point. It wasn’t like her to beat around the bush.

  “I’ll be honest, kid. You’ve been doing the rounds like a champ. Playing it up for the cameras, charming the press, handling the tough questions. It’s all been really good. I’m proud of you. You’ve come a long way already.”

  “I have no idea what I’m doing, so that’s good to hear. Thanks,” Sam said honestly. “It’s been pretty overwhelming.”

  “Lee tells me that you and Delaney have been going the extra mile making sure that you’re ready when they start filming.”

  Lee Preacher was the film’s director. It had been a huge coup for the studio to lure him out of retirement. The legendary director had been quoted on record many times saying the movie that eluded him his entire career was Where My Heart Breaks. Lee tried unsuccessfully for years to convince the Moolen estate to let him buy the film right to the novel. No one knew why the estate’s executors suddenly changed their minds, but it was speculated that nothing else would have gotten Lee away from his fishing boat.

  “He’s a fan of yours no doubt, which is a good thing” Victoria said. “But some of the executive producers are starting to have some questions. The kinds of questions that you don’t want them asking.”

  Sam felt as if the floor dropped out from beneath him. “What kinds of questions are those?”

  “Look, I told you that they have a very specific idea of how they want to market this film. After all the saga of getting the film rights to the book, they feel like they have one shot to make the splash they want. They want all the glory, all the accolades, and all the awards that they can get. They’re spending a lot of money to do it. They need to feel like everyone, particularly the actors that are fronting the film, is on the same page with them. They aren’t seeing what they were hoping to see from you, and that’s making them question your motivation and loyalty to the film, especially given your inexperience.”

  He stood up and slammed his hand down on the desk. “This feels like a threat, Victoria.”

  “Sit down,” Victoria said. Her voice was cold.

  Sam sat down, his heart beating wildly in his chest.

  “I’ve been around for a long time. I get it. It feels unfair and like someone is trying to control your life. But this is what you signed on for. I’m not going to sugarcoat this because it’s important that you understand what’s going on. It’s really simple. Get on the bus or get off. They’ll cite creative differences and you’ll part ways. You’ll go on your merry way, and they’ll find someone who will do what they need him to do. Not to make you feel paranoid, but I think they already have someone in mind.”

  “This is my part,” Sam sputtered. “Are you seriously telling me that they will fire me because I refuse to date my co-star? This sounds like some backward Hollywood bullshit.”

  “It’s all about image and perception. That’s what movies are, Sam,” Victoria said. “The producers want an epic romance, on-screen and off. They want every woman in the world to imagine she’s Delaney Rose, and thereby be the luckiest woman in the world because she’s with you. Your numbers with the public are off the charts. You intrigue people, and with Delaney on your arm it’s going to catapult you both to a whole new level. It’s your choice.”

  Sam felt sick. “I have a girlfriend,” he said. It was the first time that he put a label to his relationship with Millie, but he had to fight for her and for what they had. He couldn’t believe that it was coming down to this.

  “The blond socialite, right?”

  Sam looked up in surprise.

  Victoria rolled her eyes. “I make it a point to keep tabs on my clients. And you haven’t been as discrete as you might think which is definitely part of the problem. Again, I get it. I’m sure she’s a lovely young woman, and from what I understand she comes from a very well-respected family. In any other circumstance, I’d be thrilled for you. But the producers don’t want their lead actor with a pretty socialite. They want you with Delaney.”

  “You don’t understand what you’re asking,” Sam said.

  “I do,” Victoria replied. She looked away then. “Take some time and think about it, but don’t think too long. Your flight is at eight am. If you are on the plane, the expectation is that you’re going to give it your all. And I mean everything. You’re an actor. Make this thing with Delaney look real, then when the film comes out, you can do whatever you want.”

  Sam walked out the door without another word.

  “You’re late,” Delaney said when he walked into the practice studio. Even with her hair pulled up in a sloppy bun and minimal make-up, she looked fantastic, but Sam barely noticed. “What’s wrong?”

  Sam threw his backpack on the floor and ran both hands through his hair. “You mean other than the fact that I was just told they’re going to fire me if I don’t pretend date you until the movie comes out?”

  Delaney grimaced. “Oh, yeah. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that.”

  Sam paced the room. “You know that I’m with Millie. I don’t even know how to explain this to her. Sorry, I can’t see you anymore because my bosses are forcing me to date someone else so that they can get the publicity they want for their movie? It’s archaic.”

  Delaney leaned against the wall and watched him. “It’s show business. We give up a piece of ourselves and our lives for a shot at that elusive pie in the sky.”

  Sam let out a burst of air in frustration. “It’s not about being famous for me. It’s about getting the chance to do justice to a character that so many people have loved and hated over the years. It’s about doing what I’ve always loved to do. The fact that I’m getting paid for it is a bonus.”

  Delaney nodded. “I understand. I do. But if that’s truly what you want to do, there’s a price for it. If you explain it to Millie, I’m sure she’ll
support you.”

  Sam shot her a look. “So you’d be fine with your boyfriend dating another woman all in the name of his job?”

  “Look, Sam,” Delaney came closer. “I might have come on a bit strong that night we all went out, but you shot me down. I’m not thrilled about having to fake date somebody either, but at least we get along. I wish I had somebody who cared about me enough to make this entire situation feel wrong and inappropriate, but right now I just have me. And this is the thing I’ve been aiming for my whole life. I’m willing to do what it takes, but I’d respect your boundaries. It’s all for show, and that’s it. I’m not thinking it’s anything else, so you wouldn’t need to worry about that. Millie wouldn’t have to worry about that. If she’s half as crazy for you as you are for her, she’ll wait it out.”

  Sam covered his face with his hands and groaned. “I can’t believe I’m seriously thinking of doing this.”

  “I know what you need,” Delaney said with a smile.

  “What?” Sam looked down at her wearily.

  She held up the script. “You need a little taste of Jackson Monroe.”

  Jackson Monroe was Sam’s blessing and curse. Delaney was right. He needed the not so subtle reminder of what he’d lose if he refused to go along with the deceptive ploy. He dug his script out of his backpack. “What scene do you want to do?”

  Delaney’s eyebrow rose. “Under the circumstances, I think we should read scene twenty-eight.”

  With a sigh, Sam flipped to that section and read the first lines of dialogue. “This is the scene where Jackson tells Camilla that he let his feelings for her cloud his judgment. Are you trying to make me feel worse?”

  Delaney shook her head with a sad smile. “I’m trying to help you see that you can’t back out now. Trust me. I’ve been watching you for the last few weeks, and you were born to play this part. You know it. I know you do. Take a lesson from Walter Moolen. If love is meant to be, it will find a way.”

  “We both know how the story ends for Jackson and Camilla in Moolen’s story,” Sam replied.

  He dodged as Delaney tried to swat him with her script.

  “You have the chance to write your own fairy tale. This is a bump in the road. Really, it’s a minor one, and you are making way too big a deal out of. Now focus and read.”

  Sam thought about what Delaney said. Maybe she was right. Maybe he was making too big a deal out of it, and Millie would understand. So far, she had been nothing but supportive of his career, and he had no reason to believe that once he explained the reasoning behind the insane ask, she wouldn’t agree to wait for him.

  Forcing himself to focus, Sam looked down the script and then put it down. Delaney was staring out the window, and he sensed that she had already moved into character.

  “I thought I’d find you here, Camilla,” he said, letting his voice boom into the air. Carter Samuel Groveson faded away as Jackson Monroe stepped toward the woman that he adored, knowing that he was about to break her heart.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Millie was a nervous wreck, and it showed in her ability to do her work that day. Something was completely off, and although she couldn’t quite put her finger on it, she knew it had to do with a combination of the impending cocktail party and the fact that Sam was about to leave for almost two months the next day.

  She had been playing it cool with him on the topic. She could tell how anxious he was about leaving her, and she didn’t want him to feel like she was the clinging kind of girl. Except that the turmoil she felt every time she thought about his departure made her ill. Sam had a huge opportunity being cast in Where My Heart Breaks, and she couldn’t stand to think that she’d be the cause of any distraction. So she kept telling him it wasn’t a big deal, even though with each passing day, her own sense of dread about the inevitable increased.

  It didn’t help to know that he was spending hours of every day with the comely Delaney Rose. She trusted Sam, but there was still something about the actress that bothered her. As Millie contemplated getting ready for the party, she couldn’t help but feel as if she was about to walk into her doom.

  She wasn’t quite sure how she was going to explain Sam to her parents. As yet, they hadn’t spoken about what was going on between them. A passionate love affair to be sure, but other than that first night together, they hadn’t talked about their feelings or anything about the future. It was as if they both knew that to invite such talk might bring about more complications than their fragile, newfound relationship was ready to handle.

  “You are a cruel, cruel woman,” Kate’s voice reminded her when she spoke to her friend earlier that day. “You’re throwing Sam into a pit of vipers, and you know it. I’m still having nightmares about the party you dragged me to three years ago.”

  Millie hadn’t figured out a way to tell her best friend about what had happened with Sam yet either. It was the first time she had hidden something this big from Kate, but she just wasn’t ready to talk about it yet. She was afraid that Kate would tell her that whatever she was feeling was false in some way. Kate had watched Millie date many men over the years, and had expressed her opinion about Millie’s original interest in Sam early on. It hadn’t been a positive one.

  “You’ve seen him on those TV shows,” Millie replied coolly. “He’s an actor, Kate. That’s what he does. He plays to the room. He’ll be fine, and maybe my mother will get off my butt for once.”

  “So they’ve accepted that you aren’t joining the family business after all?” At least Millie had told Kate about her strange confrontation with her father.

  “Things have been quiet on that front,” Millie admitted. “Too quiet. I’m sure they’ve got something else up their sleeves, but for now they’re leaving me alone, and I’m not questioning it.”

  “How’d your meeting at the gallery go?” Kate asked.

  “Evelyn was out sick, so we had to reschedule for next week. That’s okay with me, though. I’ve been working on a new piece that I’m hoping to have done before that. I think it’s my best work yet.”

  Millie’s eyes drifted over to the canvas. She brought it home even though it was incomplete because she wanted to show it to Sam before he left for the film set. He had been its inspiration, and she thought it conveyed how she felt about him in a way that was non-threatening and yet hopeful.

  “I know you’ve got a lot on your plate, but I’m hoping there’s one more thing you can work into your schedule,” Kate said hesitantly, snapping Millie back to the present.

  Millie took a wild guess. “He asked you didn’t he?”

  “I can’t go into everything right now, but mark your calendar for June 27th next year. A girl can’t get married without a maid of honor,” Kate said with a squeal.

  “Congratulations, Kate! I wish I was there to hug you right now.” Millie was delighted for her friend. “You must be over the moon.”

  “Speaking of you being here, Patrice is insisting on an engagement party. Things are going to be so crazy with the filming for the next few months that I told her that we should wait, but she won’t hear anything about it. So it’s a month from tomorrow night. I know that’s short notice, but do you think you can make it and maybe even help her plan it?” Kate’s words came out in a rush.

  “You know I wouldn’t miss it,” Millie said with a small smile. She couldn’t help but think that it was also a perfect excuse to visit Sam. Maybe the feeling of dread that she had been having was just a case of nerves. They could do long-distance, just like she told Sam.

  “Fantastic! I’ll email you the details.”

  They talked for a few more minutes and then Kate had to go. Millie looked at her watch and realized that she was late for starting to get ready for the party. Her mother wouldn’t be pleased if she was late.

  Originally, Sam suggested that they could go to the party together, but Millie vetoed that idea. She needed to figure out a way to broach the topic with her parents, and arriving with Sam would definitely se
nd the wrong message. She wanted them to get to know him first and see how fantastic he was before she sprang it on them that she was involved with him. She wasn’t even sure if Sam was okay telling people there was something going on between them. That was another conversation they still needed to have.

  She pulled out her phone. The screen was blank, and that was odd. She and Sam had fallen into a routine of texting several times a day. It was a nice way to stay connected even in the midst of their busy schedules. But she hadn’t heard from him since he left that morning to go to the gym. Her feeling of dread returned.

  You all set for tonight? She decided that was a safe enough message.

  Piece of cake was the reply a minute later.

  She knew that she should put the phone down and finish getting ready, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

  Can’t wait to see you.

  This time, it took several minutes before the reply came through.

  Me too.

  It was what she wanted to hear, but at the same time, it didn’t sound like him. She wanted to call him, but she had to get used to the fact that Sam might not always be free to talk to her. He was about to leave for at least two months. She fought the urge to dial his number. She was being silly.

  She put the phone down and went to her closet. She wanted to look killer for Sam, and she intended to make sure that his last night in the city was a night that neither one of them would forget.

  Two hours later, Millie stood in her parents’ living room listening to a boring rendition of one of her old schoolmate’s weekend festivities in the Hamptons. She had already made a circuit of the room and heard the exclamations from everyone about how fantastic she looked in her silver mini-dress. She hoped that Sam felt the same way.

  She glanced at her watch and wondered again where Sam was. She couldn’t believe he’d change his mind without telling her. So far her mother seemed unaware of the guest star of the evening’s absence, but she knew that dinner was slated to start soon. It would be an embarrassment if Sam didn’t show at all. And then that would be her fault.