Release the Stars (23 page)

Ava had brought her hands to Charlie’s back and dug her nails in deep. Then, Ava pulled up her legs, and folded them across Charlie’s lower back, and Charlie felt so extremely close to her—such a stark contrast to how far she had removed herself emotionally from Ava to protect her wounded ego.

Charlie increased the pace and force of her strokes. Ava drew a heavy breath, head thrown back, eyes mere slits, and her neck long and exposed. She turned Charlie on even more. Every bit of Ava sparked arousal in Charlie. The patrician line of her nose. The thought of her painted fingernails digging into Charlie’s flesh. The syncopated sighs coming from her mouth. How her heels dug into the flesh just above Charlie’s behind. They were one now. And Charlie reached that space where her body took over, where she was only feeling and sensation and fire. The fire came from somewhere deep inside her body, and was stoked every time Ava uttered another cry of pleasure. Charlie was right there with Ava.

Ava brought one hand to the back of Charlie’s head and pulled her close, her mouth brushing Charlie’s ear. “Oh, God, Charlie,” Ava whispered. “Oh—” Then, along with her body, her voice stilled for a moment, her legs tightening around Charlie’s middle, her nails digging into her skull.

Charlie gave one last thrust, delved deep inside Ava one last time. Her clit rubbed against the panel, which was now soaked in her wetness, and she cried out at the same time Ava did.

Ava’s legs fell away, but her arms remained curled around Charlie’s neck. Charlie fell against her, her body stunned by this orgasm. Hers and Ava’s—but mostly hers. When she came to her senses, she remembered she was still inside Ava, and levered herself up again, looking down from Ava’s face to between her legs. The sight of the dildo slipping from Ava’s swollen lips ignited a new fire where the previous one had started. She understood now why Ava had woken her. Charlie, too, wanted to repeat variations of this all day long.

“Come here.” Ava waved impatiently with her arm.

Charlie didn’t bother taking the harness off and landed half on top of Ava.

“Did you come?” Ava asked, bringing her hands to Charlie’s cheeks and positioning her face in front of hers.

“You know me. Easily combustible.” Charlie grinned.

“Oh, Charlie.” Ava craned her neck and planted a kiss on Charlie’s lips. “That was so incredibly hot.”

“Tell me about it.”

“I think you deserve your breakfast now.” Ava smiled one of those wide, toothy smiles. “You must keep up your strength. It’s going to be a long day.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

“Even I can get star struck,” Ava said. “Elisa Fox belongs to the big league.”

They were on their way to the wrap party of season one of
Underground
. All ten episodes had been filmed. A fact that excited Charlie disproportionately. Regardless, if a season two of the show was commissioned, Charlie wouldn’t be part of the writing staff, making this party an even more emotional event for her.

“Are you okay?” Ava asked. She squeezed Charlie’s leg.

“Yeah, just, I don’t know… Coming to Hollywood and witnessing the birth of Underground the TV show has been quite the experience. It has exceeded my expectations in many ways, even though some of those ways were highly surprising.” Charlie cast a glance at Ava, who, despite the brief to not dress up, looked über-glamorous in a tight, red dress and matching lipstick. Charlie suspected the presence of Elisa Fox had something to do with that. “I’m also nervous because I’m to give a speech, which is hardly my strong suit.”

Ava curled her lips into a smile. “When you’re giving the speech, focus on how wet you’re making me just by standing there and being all gorgeous and cute… and mine.”

“Oh, Christ, Ava.” Charlie rolled her eyes. “That’s not helping at all.”

“Hm.” Ava clutched her fingers around Charlie’s knee a little more tightly. “Let me try again.” Her fingers loosened and started walking upward, in the direction of Charlie’s crotch. “The advantage of living in Malibu is it takes long enough to get anywhere to take off the pressure.” Ava’s fingers had reached the apex of Charlie’s upper thighs and remained there, stroking lightly. Charlie could barely feel anything through the fabric of her jeans, yet her clit responded to Ava’s words and actions by swelling and pushing against the confines of her underwear.

“Again. Not helping.” Charlie put her hand over Ava’s between her legs, flattening it.

Ava sighed. “Okay then, let me try something else.” She pulled her hand away and put it on Charlie’s shoulder turning to face her as best she could in the backseat of a car. “Without you, this show would not exist. It came from your brain. You conceived of it. You wrote it, and then came to Hollywood to help shape it. You’ve done your part, whether you give a speech or not—and I’m sure no one will hold it against you if you don’t. Your work speaks for itself. Besides, you’re a writer. You can always use that as an excuse.”

Warmth spread through Charlie’s chest. “Hot, sweet, and wise,” Charlie said. “How on earth did I end up with someone like you?”

“Definitely because I choose to only see the best in people.” Ava’s face was serious, but there was a smile in her voice.

Charlie chuckled, but quickly succumbed to nerves again. “It would be different if I didn’t feel as though I also had to say a sort of goodbye.”

“Then look at it differently. This is not goodbye. It’s only the beginning. You’ll have the premiere party in a few months. You’ll have a few promotional activities to do. And if the show does get renewed, you will still be a part of it, even if you choose a more limited role. You’ll always be a huge part of it.”

“I guess.” Charlie pursed her lips.

“I know you a bit by now, Charlie Cross. You’re nervous because this whole journey has been so overwhelming for you, and this wrap party marks some sort of ending for you. I understand. And I’m with you every step of the way.”

Charlie grabbed Ava’s other hand, brought it to her mouth, and kissed it. “More than that, it marks a big transition for me. For the longest time, I believed that this was what I wanted. The glamour that comes with working on a TV show, with being on set as someone like Elisa Fox recites lines I came up with, to gaze up at the Hollywood sign and feel as though I belong. But I was wrong. All I want is to sit in a room by myself and make up more drama.”

“Such is life.” Ava cupped Charlie’s jaw in her palm. “Everything is a process, and the process never ends. God knows where we’ll be in a few years’ time. Where life will take us.”

Ava’s use of the word “us” when talking about the future dislodged a knot in Charlie’s stomach. It was Ava who made her feel as if she belonged. Ava, and Nick and Jason, and Liz and Sarah, and her softball team, and now even Jo. It was the people, not the place and its connotations and the gravity Charlie had awarded to it for years, that anchored her here.

The car slowed, and they pulled into the studio’s parking lot.

“Everything’s going to be all right, Charlie. I promise you,” Ava said. If anyone else had spoken those words to her under any other circumstances, Charlie would have instantly cataloged them as bullshit, but coming from Ava, Charlie believed them.

* * *

Elisa Fox had brought her fellow A-list husband to the party, and the pair of them were the center of attention. Even though this was a private event, it was also the first time Charlie and Ava had stepped out together. Charlie had been beaming with pride since they’d arrived. She’d introduced Ava to Liz and her fellow writers, making her feel like part of a proper couple again.

“This has, by far, been the most amazing experience of my life,” Liz said.

“Hey.” Sarah elbowed her in the biceps.

“Apart from marrying my lovely wife, of course.” Liz rubbed her upper arm as if Sarah’s jab had actually hurt.

“How long have you been married?” Ava asked.

“Three years and a few weeks,” Sarah said.

“Wow.” Ava grinned at Liz and Sarah. “That must be—”

The sound of a piece of cutlery being tapped against a glass silenced them. “Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please?” It was Michelle, the showrunner. “Unfortunately, it is now time for the speeches.” She pulled up her shoulders as if apologizing. “I know it’s dreadful, but it needs to be done.” The crowd laughed. Some even applauded. Charlie’s stomach contracted in an unpleasant way. “I’ll go first,” Michelle said.

While she regaled the people around her with some anecdotes of the shoot, Ava moved behind Charlie and put a hand on her shoulder. “You’ll be fine,” she whispered in Charlie’s ear. “I love you.”

Ava’s words connected with the ball of nerves in Charlie’s stomach, and managed to undo some of it.

Michelle ended her speech with, “I’m going to keep it short, and I hope the people who will speak after me will do the same.”

Even Elisa chuckled at that one.

Michelle turned toward Charlie. “Next, I will give the floor to the person without whom none of us would be here. Charlie Cross.”

Ava’s hand slid off Charlie’s shoulder as she stepped forward. The venue for the party was a back room on the studio lot, with the lights dimmed and the tables shoved to the side. The only really glamorous attributes were the endless supply of champagne, the presence of Elisa and her husband. And, of course, Ava. There was no spotlight trained on Charlie, nor was there a stage she needed to step on. The casual nature reassured her somewhat. She waited for the mild applause to die down, and for Liz to stop whistling before starting to speak.

“I came up with this character a long time ago,” Charlie started. “And to now stand here before all of you, knowing that within months Aretha will be a person of flesh and blood, so expertly embodied by the wonderful Elisa Fox, being broadcast into millions of people’s living rooms,” she shook her head gently, “is a bit of a strange feeling, I must admit.” Charlie gave a nervous chuckle. “It has been a real honor and privilege to work with each and every one of you. You’ve taught me so much. When I first arrived here I didn’t know much about how any of this TV making business worked, and it’s been a dream come true. I’ve learned so much, made a few friends along the way—”

“And picked up Ava Castaneda,” someone shouted from the side. It was Diana, the second camera woman.

“Yes, and there’s that.” Charlie refused to feel mortified about that. She looked to her right, to where Ava was standing. Ava gave her a big, comforting smile. “All in all, it has been an unforgettable experience. You’ve all been amazing to work with and… Thank you for making this girl’s dream come true.”

People started clapping. Charlie gave a quick, courteous bow, and headed back into the crowd. She didn’t speak of how
Underground
had changed her in ways she would have never imagined. How, when she’d written the first pages of the first volume, not long after falling head over heels in love with Jo, in her tiny apartment in Greenwich Village, this outcome was the least likely one. But here she was, at a wrap party in a studio in Hollywood, about to listen to Elisa Fox’s speech.

“I’m going to reward you for that,” Ava whispered in her ear. Charlie hadn’t said anything extraordinary or especially invigorating. She’d basically said what any contestant on
Knives Out
says once they’re booted off. But Ava knew what it all really meant to her, and the two of them silently sharing that knowledge was more than enough for Charlie.

EPILOGUE

“Come on, I just put this on,” Charlie said, but didn’t make any moves to push Ava away.

“I don’t care, Charlie. I want you so much right now, I might explode if I don’t have you.” Ava unbuttoned the shirt Charlie had just put on. It was freshly ironed for the big occasion: the book launch party of her first post-
Underground
novel
Release the Stars
, for which they would now probably be late.

Ava went to work on the button of Charlie’s pants next. They were made of leather and clung so closely to Charlie’s skin, she was worried about how long it would take to peel them off and then slip back into them again. But, apparently, Ava didn’t need to see a lot of flesh. She just flipped open the button, undid the zipper, and regarded Charlie with lust filled eyes. She pushed Charlie’s shirt slightly off her shoulders and plunged her hand inside Charlie’s underpants.

When her finger dipped low enough to feel how wet Charlie was, Ava asked, “Was it the pants, Charlie? Does leather make you horny?”

“It’s you,” Charlie said between short bursts of breath. “Anything you do always drives me wild.”

“I am so, so proud of you.” Ava slipped her finger lower and, despite the limited wiggle room, managed to avoid grazing Charlie’s clit. She went straight for Charlie’s entrance. Her other hand rested on Charlie’s neck, her thumb on her clavicle. “Besides, I know what you’re like when you have to address an audience. Just taking off the pressure for you, baby.” She flashed Charlie a smile, and let her finger go a little deeper, not slipping all the way in, but deep enough to cut off Charlie’s breath for a split second.

Charlie pressed the flat of her hand to the wall for support. As Ava’s finger found its way farther inside her, she thought of the dedication she’d included in her book. It was Ava herself who had said, “I think this one is for Jo more than for anyone else.” By ‘anyone else’ she’d meant herself.

To Jo, the only one who could tell me what I needed to hear.

It was simple but clear. Charlie didn’t know if she would be here, standing against a wall in Ava’s house, where she’d as good as taken up residence, with one of Ava’s fingers inside of her, coaxing her to a quick orgasm, if Jo hadn’t set her straight that day.

Ava added another finger and, in the process, let her thumb drift along Charlie’s clit. The nails of her other hand dug into the flesh of Charlie’s neck in a wordless demand. It didn’t take much for Charlie to meet it.

Ava’s breath rushed over her face. Her eyes narrowed with every stroke she delivered. Ava deserved a dedication in
Release the Stars
just as much as Jo did. Starting to write again the way she had always done, had freed her. She’d been able to reconnect with all the feelings she’d stowed away, and poured them out through her fingers, onto her computer screen—and now onto the pages of the book. Charlie wasn’t sure she could have done that for anyone other than Ava.