Chapter One
Lucy
Six Years Later…
"Please Micah."
"You made your decision, Maggie, when you were snuggling up to your ex."
"It was just a hug goodbye."
"I know what I saw, Mags. That wasn't just a hug."
"It wasn't," she says with a lone tear sliding down her cheek, her head hanging in defeat.
"I hate that Maggie had to hurt Micah in the end," I say with a sigh as Sera and I reread some of the final lines from "Always You", a movie I just got done shooting.
As we head to downtown Los Angeles Sera shrugs. "She ended up with her happily ever after soulmate and Micah found his happy with Becca in the end. They were just using each other to get through the shit until they could get back to the place they each belonged."
"True. I really am glad that movie is done though and if I never have to work with Aiden Jensen again it'll be too soon."
"Don't even get yourself worked up."
I nod. "I won't. The cokehead."
Sera looks at me.
"That's all I'm going to say."
"Mhmm."
I never said I wouldn't steam on the inside. Let me tell you about Aiden Jensen. He's a phenomenal actor and when I got up there as Maggie and he got up there as Micah, we sizzled. But he was a nightmare. He ruined what started out to be one of the most fun and beautiful movies I've ever been a part of. See, Aiden's addicted to cocaine so he's twitchy, bitchy, constantly hot and sweaty, and an all around pain in the ass. He set us so far behind our deadline, I barely got any time off in between jobs. Jackhole.
As we pull into the lot where we're going to be filming the music video, I breathe a sigh of relief that my mother is in Paris right now. She calls incessantly when she knows I have a new project starting and if she was here instead of in Paris, she'd continue to throw her objections at me over this project.
This will be the first time that Sera and I would be working together in nearly nine months. Sera gets on film, just not for movies or television. She mostly models but she gets on camera for music videos. If we decide to get involved in a video, we always do so together. It's our one way of connecting to music together like we used to in high school. Sure we still jam out in private but it isn't the same. We'd both give anything to be up on that stage singing and performing to tens of thousands of people, to hear them singing our lyrics back to us. Yeah, that's my goal and my mother knows it.
Regina Russo wanted what she wanted and expected everyone else to fall in line and I've done so all my life--until now. I'm twenty-three years old. I'm an adult. It's time for my mom to cut the freaking cord already and let me live my life. She can focus on Joey's career. He's a phenomenal actor and he loves it, all of it--the fame and fortune, the media attention--whereas I look at it as merely a job. Yeah, I'm successful but it isn't what I want to do for the rest of my life.
"Did you ever find out what band the video was for?"
"No. Irene was supposed to get back to me but she's been dealing with the Aiden fiasco." Irene is my agent and she's nothing less than sensational. I pity her having to deal with Aiden as a client right now.
She nods. "It doesn't really matter. Irene and Cage only let us do videos with big-name bands anyway."
"True that. I don't mind going in blind so long as we get to jam a little."
"I heard that."
We get out of the car and make our way inside the studio. There are multiple scenes set up for filming. Looks like this is going to be a really good video. It must be a massively popular band. I just hope it's rock and not rap. I love all kinds of music except for scream metal, techno/rave, and rap where every other word was f*ck or bitch.
We're greeted by a familiar woman with a headset and clipboard dressed in a navy pencil skirt with a white short-sleeved straight-line sweater and an amazing pair of navy slingbacks.
"Miss Russo. Miss Manzini. I'm Marci Benson. It's a pleasure to see you again," she holds out a hand and both Sera and I shake it in greeting.
"Marci. Call us Lucy and Sera."
She nods at me. "The crew is here and setting up. The band won't be arriving until later. I'll take you back to the conference room where they'll let you know what their plan is for the day."
We trail behind as she continues to talk.
"There are no trailers for hair, makeup, or wardrobe. Since Mr. Nichols purchased the building, he added rooms in the back for all of that."
"Nice," Sera chimes in.
"There's coffee and some pastries available so feel free to help yourselves. If there is anything you need throughout the day, don't hesitate to ask someone to get in contact with me."
"Thanks."
I see movement out of the corner of my eye but I'm too late to see who it is.
"Holy God, Lucy. Did you see who that was?"
"No. Who was it?"
"I can't be sure but it looked like Xander Mackenzie."
"From Falling Down?"
She nods.
"I don't think so. Kennedy is seeing that model. There's no way they'd need us if that were the case."
She tsks. "You of all people believing what they read in a gossip rag."
"It's not from a gossip rag. They were on Entertainment Tonight doing some red carpet thing. They even talked to the reporters together and confirmed they were on a date."
Sera shrugs. "Well okay then. It just looked like him, but then again there are a lot of rockers with tattooed arms and black hair with an amazing ass."
"True that." Jesse Kingston comes to mind. Yum.
We head into the conference room which is empty and I'm actually grateful. It's seven-thirty in the morning and I've only had one cup of coffee. This morning, all Sera and I managed was to get up, shower, and throw on comfortable clothes. I'm not a morning person and if I have to be up this early, I better be receiving a source of caffeine on a regular basis. I don't care what I look like before I get on set so no one better bag on my yoga pants and Deftones concert shirt either. That was one hell of a concert.
I head straight for the coffee, mix in some French vanilla creamer and sugar. Ah, thank God for Cage. He knows what I like. I pull back one of the plush black chairs at the table and take a seat. Then, only then do I savor the first sip of coffee. Oh my God. It's so good. It's strong, just the way I like it.
I must moan aloud because Sera starts laughing.
"Good?"
"Oh yeah." We're both sitting at the table, nibbling on pastries and drinking coffee. It's when I start to drink my third cup that Cage Nichols walks in with three people trailing behind. I elbow Sera who wiggles her eyebrows.
Cage Nichols is one of the most amazing video directors ever. He's also so super hot that women pant when he walks in the room. Take Sera for instance. Panting, right now.
His hair is cut short and he's semi-casual today in dress pants and a dress shirt. His body is to die for. I've been lucky enough to see him shirtless and the man is ripped. His dark brown eyes are twinkling as he walks over. I get up from the chair.
"Oh my God!"
He chuckles and gives me a hug. "No, darlin', just Cage."
I snort and Sera mumbles, "God works."
Pine. He smells like pine and soap and man. It's a comforting scent.
He smiles and I swear I can hear Sera's heartbeat speed up. "Sera, my love."
He pulls her into a hug and she jumps up, wrapping her legs around his waist. I burst out laughing.
"If I was your love, Cage, I wouldn't be single," she says with a pout, then lays a loud smacking kiss on his lips.
We've worked with Cage at least half a dozen times on different videos with different bands and he's always made it fun for everyone and the videos were phenomenal.
Sera protests lightly when he sets her down and takes a seat at the head of the table.
"You remember Amanda, Dave, and Gina."
Sera and I nod. "Great to see you all again."
"Likewise," Dave says. Cage has amazing assistants who are loyal, professional, and I would love to steal them from him.
"So, ladies. We've got a special video we're going to start shooting today."
We both nod.
"I gave you a half hour to fuel up on your caffeine, Luce," he says with a wink. He looks at his watch. "The crew's already setting up and the band should be here in a little over an hour. I figured you both could go get all prettified before they get here so they don't have to wait."
"Temperamental artists?"
"Nah. There's just no reason for them to sit around here."
"You're awesome like that," Sera says with a purr. Cage winks at her.
"Get a room already. Sheesh." I'm not sure why they haven't already hooked up for as hot as they are for each other
They both look at me blankly. Yeah, uh-huh. We all know. As if they're fooling anyone.
"It's eight-fifteen in the damn morning. How the hell you two can be up for flirting, I have no clue."
Gina gets up and gets me more coffee.
"Bless you."
She smiles. "You're welcome."
"Dave, pass me that jelly filled doughnut."
Sera laughs.
"What?"
"You're going to hate yourself later when you've got to run extra to burn off those calories."
"Hell no. We're going to be shaking our asses out there for the video, right Cage?"
He nods. "Oh yeah."
"Well, there you go. Exercise. Calories and doughnuts burned off." I take a big bite then lick the raspberry filling.
"Pig," Sera says with a laugh.
I take another bite.
"Alright, ladies. We start filming at ten. Head on over to makeup and get yourselves made up for our rock stars."
"Whose video is it?"
Cage smiles. "All I'm going to say is they're a big name and I know you definitely like them. I'll let you be surprised."
"Hmmm."
With a wink, he and his assistants leave the room.
"Well, let's get started."