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And we did. We drank three bottles of wine, passed out on the couch, all three of us snuggling so we fit. When my alarm went off hours later, I groaned in protest but managed to drag my ass into Austin’s shower and downtown to today’s location with minutes to spare.
And to my surprise, Eli was waiting for me at the guarded entrance with a smile on his face and a large coffee in his hand.
The first threedays of shooting are hectic. Nothing seems to go right. A trend I’m starting to notice that’s making my stress level skyrocket. Scenes aren’t coming together for one reason or another. A few fans found out where we were and tried to sneak on set, once in the middle of a scene that was going too well. The weather doesn’t want to cooperate, forcing me to rearrange the schedule multiple times. But then, on day four, our luck drastically changes.
Celia shows up on time. Sober. Nails every one of her lines.
The missing pieces of Eli’s wardrobe are delivered.
Security finally has a grasp on the growing crowd, keeping the screaming teenagers at bay until after we’re done shooting for the day. As promised, Eli spends over an hour signing autographs while I meet with Steve to go over the remainder of the week.
On top of work taking a major turn in the right direction, the girls have fallen head over heels in love with Eli.
Hayden extended her trip so we could all hang out longer. The four of us have spent every night at Austin’s new place since arriving, consuming copious amounts of alcohol. The girls have told just about every embarrassing story of my life. Eli’s shared more about his upbringing and family with all of us.
And me?
I’ve sat back and soaked it all in. Watched as the awe in their eyes faded.
Eli will always be an actor, a movie star, gorgeous beyond words. It’s true. But he’s also a person, and I’ve gotten to know that person well over the last few months. The real Eli Simms. Now Austin and Hayden have as well, and the stars in their eyes have more to do with how sweet and caring he is and less to do with his social status. With only one more day in Seattle, Eli wanted to take us out to dinner tonight, so Austin pulled some strings and booked us a last-minute reservation at her favorite restaurant.
“He’s late,” Hayden points out as she browses the menu.
“Five minutes,” I shoot back, not letting her comment get to me.
“Is he always late?” Austin asks, adding, “He seems like the kind of guy that doesn’t keep a woman waiting, let alone three.”
Eli’s never late. Ever.
He’s on set before I am most mornings. Was showered before I even woke up the night I stayed at his trailer. Woke up before I did the night I stayed in his villa.
He’s definitely a morning person. Timely. Responsible.
“Not usually. I’m sure he has a good reason. I’ll shoot him a text.”
ME: Are you almost here?
Staring at my phone while I wait for him to reply, I feel Austin and Hayden’s eyes on me. I’m about to send him another message when my phone finally chimes with a response.
ELI: Yes. Ansen called a last-minute meeting. I just left. My driver says we should be there in twenty minutes. I’m so sorry. Feel free to order without me.
Ansen called a meeting? Isn’t that something I should have done for him, or at least been aware of? A part of?
“What is it?” Austin asks. I can hear the concern in her voice. I don’t need to look up to see the worry on her face, but it’s etched in her features when I do.
“Nothing. He had a meeting and is on his way. Twenty minutes out.”
I keep my voice flat, void of all emotion. I can’t let myself get worked up right now. I don’t know for sure he’s lying to me. It might be nothing. I could be overthinking it. I won’t know until I talk to Eli and find out what the meeting was about.
My phone chimes in my hand, startling me.
ELI: I can hear you freaking out from across town. Take a deep breath. I’ll see you soon.
ME: I’m fine. We’ll wait for you. See you when you get here.
ELI: Promise me you won’t jump to conclusions.
ME: I’m not. We can talk about it later on.
