Unlucky Break (12 page)

And most of all, the girl who didn’t run over the guy in the next room.

9

‘Owwwwww.’ Andie lay on the bed, tears springing from her eyes. ‘Please. Stop.’

‘Don’t listen to her,’ Jess commanded from the side of the room. Andie half sat up and looked at her friend. Jess was texting on her phone, her fingers a blur of movement.

‘He isn’t going to see down there. Why do I need it waxed?’ Andie whined.

‘He might look down there,’ said Jess not looking up. ‘If he looks like he’s going to, you may want to consider a vajazzle.’

‘I just want to look professional, not like a professional stripper.’

‘Prude,’ said Jess cheerfully.

‘Ha, says you,’ said Andie, lying back down. ‘How much longer will this take? I’m supposed to be picking up a goji berry juice and his tuxedo from Armani.’

It was only Andie’s second day as James’s assistant and she was already taking time off.

‘This is it for today,’ said Jess, putting her phone away. ‘Eyebrow shape and bikini wax. Tomorrow, a haircut and then I’ll hook you up with my stylist friend, since you hate my wardrobe suggestions.’ She poked out her tongue.

‘I don’t hate them. I just can’t rock heels and miniskirts like you do,’ said Andie honestly. ‘I feel self-conscious in them.’

‘So why are you agreeing to the makeover now?’ asked Jess, still texting.

‘I just want to look, I don’t know … more polished,’ said Andie.

She also didn’t want to look like the girl in the mirror who made such bad choices, who luck didn’t follow, who didn’t have anyone anymore.

When the appointment was finally over, the girls walked out into the bright sunshine.

‘I can’t believe Cece put you up for this babysitting job,’ said Jess, putting on her oversized sunglasses. ‘You owe her big time.’

Andie said nothing. She hadn’t spoken to Cece since she’d moved into James’s house. She’d had no phone calls or texts from her. Cece must hate her, she reasoned. She hated herself for what she did.

‘Have you seen her?’ she asked casually.

‘Who? Cece? Nah, she’s gone to Palm Springs to a health retreat,’ said Jess. ‘Didn’t she mention it to you?’

Andie feigned remembering. ‘Oh, right. Yeah, she said something about it.’

So, Cece had run away from her screwed-up niece. Fair enough.

‘Hey, I have to go to a meeting with the director of the war movie,’ said Jess. ‘He wants to talk to me about something. I haven’t signed the contract yet. I hope he doesn’t want to dump me for the part now.’

Andie looked up from checking her two phones for messages. ‘Can he do that?’ she asked, frowning.

‘Of course he can. Anything can happen in Hollywood,’ she said. She got into the Porsche, ignoring a parking ticket on the window.

‘See ya tomorrow.’ Jess waved and drove away.

Andie got into James’s Bentley and programmed the GPS to take her to Armani.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could get a GPS for your life, she thought as she drove the car.
Turn right here, take this job, travel for six months
.
Sleep with that guy. Don’t sleep with that other guy. Listen to that conversation. Push yourself further. You have reached your destination.
Andie laughed as she parked the car and pulled out her notebook. She quickly scribbled down ‘GPS for life’ on a blank page and then realised what she had done.

She looked up to the car roof and closed her eyes, revelling in the relief she felt. She had broken the writing drought. She had thought it would never happen.

Andie stepped out of the car, noticing a few eyebrows raised in her direction. She was wearing jeans and a checked shirt, tied at the waist, and had her hair in plaits. She supposed that was unusual for this part of LA, but she suddenly decided she didn’t care. Holding her head high, she ignored the looks and walked into Armani.

The shop assistant looked up at her as she opened the door and Andie saw his eyes narrow.

‘Can I help you?’ he asked, with a tight smile on his face.

‘I’m here to pick up a tux for James Hawthorn,’ she said sweetly.

‘Are you?’ he looked her up and down. For a moment, Andie felt stupid, but then she was annoyed by his presumption.

‘Yes, I am,’ said Andie, with false bravado, giving him a look that dared him to challenge her.

They stared at each other.

‘Excuse me for a moment,’ said the shop assistant. He left Andie standing in the middle of the store while he moved to the counter and made a phone call.

The phone James had given Andie rang. Realising what the assistant had done, she answered it looking directly at him.

‘Andie Powers, assistant to James Hawthorn speaking. Stop wasting my time and get the suit.’

Leaving the store, Andie marvelled at how much celebrity was currency in LA. As soon as the assistant knew she was the real deal, he had apologised. ‘We get a lot of crazy fans,’ he said, and then he couldn’t do enough for her, even recommending the best place for goji berry juice.

She arrived back at James’s house, driving the Bentley carefully down the driveway and parking in the garage.

Taking the juice and the tuxedo out of the car, she walked in and found James sitting on the deck, reading a book. He hadn’t noticed her come in so she watched him for a moment – the way his thick blond hair fell into his eyes, the little crease of concentration on his forehead as he focused on the book in his hands. The way his white T-shirt fitted his body so well … Her mind drifted, imagining what he looked like underneath the shirt.

James ran his hand through his hair and looked up from the book. Catching sight of her, he waved.

She nodded in return, embarrassed to be caught staring.

James got up and unsteadily came over to her on his crutches.

‘Hey, get everything done okay?’ he asked.

‘Yep, all done,’ said Andie cheerfully. ‘I was just about to put the tux in your room.’

‘There’s a slight problem,’ he said, looking worried.

Andie froze, waiting for him to announce he knew who she was, that he had called the police, that she would be dragged off to jail or worse, sent back home to Australia.

‘My publicist just sent a message – she’s sick. I’m gonna need you to come with me. I’m so sorry,’ he said apologetically.

‘Oh – that’s fine,’ said Andie with relief. Then she paused. ‘But, um … I’ve got nothing to wear to a premiere.’

James screwed up his face. ‘Oh, right. Don’t worry – I’ll make a couple of calls.’

‘No, no – I can work something out,’ said Andie, embarrassed. She was supposed to be helping
him
, not have him worry about what she could wear. ‘Don’t worry about it, I’ll work it out,’ she said brightly.

‘It’s no big deal. Might as well use the offers if they’re there, huh?’ James laughed.

Andie felt like crying. He was so lovely. ‘Thanks,’ she said, looking down. ‘It’s really kind of you.’

James smiled.

‘Have you eaten yet?’ Andie asked. ‘You have to eat with those painkillers, you know.’

James shook his head. ‘Nope, not yet. I’ll ring for some take-out,’ he said.

‘No, you don’t need to do that, there’s plenty of food in the kitchen,’ she said. ‘Go back outside and sit down. I’ll bring us out something.’

It was the least she could do when he was going out of his way to help her.

James did as she asked. Andie went to the kitchen and gathered things for a delicious-looking lunch. When she took it outside, James was talking on the phone. He quickly finished the call.

‘That was a friend of mine who works at
LA Style
magazine. He’s sending over a few things by messenger.’

‘Thank you,’ said Andie again. ‘I really appreciate it.’

She set down the platter of cheeses, pâtés, fruits, olives and bread that she’d torn into pieces.

‘I can’t believe you eat so much take-away,’ she scolded lightly. ‘Your kitchen is ridiculously well stocked.’

James looked sheepish. ‘I know. I can never be bothered making food for just me. I should really just hire a cook, but I …’ he trailed off. Andie thought he looked like he wanted to tell her something, but he seemed to convince himself otherwise. ‘Well, anyway,’ he continued, ‘this is my perfect meal. Very French.’

‘
Oui
,’ said Andie as she poured him some goji berry juice with ice, then helped herself to a Diet Coke.

‘You know that stuff is poison,’ James said, nodding at her drink.

‘Meh,’ said Andie. ‘I don’t believe that crap.’

‘Oh yeah? Why not?’ asked James.

‘Because my mother believed that mobile phones give you cancer, so she never used them, and she died of a brain tumour,’ said Andie, fighting to keep her voice steady as she popped a cut-up piece of apple into her mouth.

James frowned sympathetically. ‘Sorry. When did she die?’

Andie counted back, even though she already knew the answer, down to the minute. A mini-anniversary of sadness every day. ‘Six weeks.’

‘Six weeks?!’ exclaimed James. ‘God, that’s so new.’

Andie nodded. ‘The earth is still fresh on the coffin. Except she was cremated – but you know what I mean.’

Did she sound callous? Maybe a little, but at least she was admitting what had happened, unlike her mum at the end.

James nodded and put a piece of cheese into his mouth. ‘You seem pretty okay about it all,’ he said. ‘Was it a long time coming? I mean, did you and your mum talk about it at the end?’

‘Do I?’ asked Andie. ‘I guess I am, in some ways.’ She didn’t answer his questions – she didn’t trust herself not to get angry with her mum all over again.

Andie found it oddly soothing to think that, to James at least, she seemed to be coping. It was nice to have him think well of her. Maybe she
was
doing okay.

James ate more cheese. ‘This is good,’ he said, mouth full.

Andie smiled at him.

‘My mom died when I was fifteen,’ said James casually, leaning back in his chair.

Andie looked at him. She knew his mother had died – Marissa had told her – but he never mentioned it in interviews. It was a no-go zone, according to some reports.

‘Does it get easier?’ asked Andie.

James shrugged. ‘You just get used to missing them.’

Andie nodded, afraid that if she spoke, the tears would come gushing out and she wouldn’t be able to stop.

‘How did your mum die?’ asked Andie. She figured it was safer to talk about his pain than expose her own.

James looked at his plate and then up at Andie. ‘Liver failure.’

‘That’s terrible,’ said Andie. She knew that alcoholism could cause liver failure, so she didn’t pursue the matter.

‘And your dad?’ she asked.

‘He left Mom and I when I was eleven. We never heard from him again.’ James looked angry.

Even though Andie had wondered over the years about her father, she’d never known him. It must have been so much worse for James, knowing he’d been abandoned on purpose.

They sat in silence for a moment, each lost in thought.

‘So … what are you reading?’ she asked, desperate to change the subject. She picked up the book on the table. ‘
Pride and Prejudice
?’ she said, a little incredulous. ‘Wow … not many guys read Austen.’

‘Maybe I’m not like other guys,’ he said lightly.

Sorry,’ said Andie, embarrassed. ‘I shouldn’t assume things. I do that a lot.’

‘She was one of my mom’s favourites,’ he said, looking at the cover of the book.

‘Okay,’ said Andie, nodding, because she didn’t know what else to say.

‘Yeah, she was a big reader.’ He looked away. ‘So, what’s Cece like as an aunt?’ he asked.

Obviously it was his turn to change the subject.

‘She’s okay. I don’t know her very well yet,’ said Andie carefully. She had to stop herself from confessing all her thoughts about her aunt to him. What was it about this guy that made her want to tell him everything?

‘Why did you come here to live?’ he asked, ‘Why not stay in Australia?’

Because no-one else offered and there wasn’t enough money to survive on my own if I wanted go to university,
she thought.

‘I just thought it would be good to get to know my aunt – she’s all the family I have now,’ she said, looking away.

‘So you going to stay? Go to college here?’ he asked, using the handle of a fork to scratch his foot inside the cast.

‘I don’t know. Maybe,’ said Andie vaguely.

‘Sorry about all the questions,’ he said, looking embarrassed. ‘I just never get to really talk to people who aren’t in the industry. People doing normal things, you know? Sometimes I wish my life was a bit more normal.’

Andie smiled. ‘And yet I bet plenty of people with normal lives wish they had your life.’

James made a face. ‘I know, I know. We always want what we don’t have, hey?’

‘You can have anything,’ said Andie. ‘Come on – what do you want that you can’t have?’

‘You think I can have anything?’ he asked, shaking his lovely head. ‘I can’t do anything in private. The normal stuff, the things other people take for granted like travelling, having fun – I can’t do anything like that without it being reported in the tabloids that I’m outta control.’

He looked angry and Andie frowned. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘I assumed again. I understand. That must suck.’