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“Oh, god.” Ashleigh busted into Gabrielle’s kitchen, laughing. “Wait a
minute.” She lay over the island on her stomach, dying from amusement. “Did
you say you came onto Hugh and he rejected you?”
“It’s not funny.” Gabrielle unwrapped a sticky bun from plastic.
“The hell it’s not.” Ashleigh kicked.
“It was weird.” Gabrielle patted the side of her head. “It was like he’d turned into me and I’d turned into him. Am I losing my touch?”
“With Hugh?” Ashleigh’s laughter calmed into a snicker. “Nah. That man’s crazy about you.”
“Then what’s the deal?” Gabrielle sucked icing off her thumb. “He’s pissed at me.”
“Please, that man isn’t pissed.” Ashleigh got off the island. “He’s playing with you. He wants you to think he’s growing disinterested so you can fight for him.”
“Ah.” Gabrielle winked. “It’s all about the challenge with him. Part of me wondered that but, I’m not sure.” She went into the living room, chewing sweet, gooey bread. “He seemed hurt. I’d never seen him that way before.”
Ashleigh meandered from the kitchen.
“Usually, nothing I do deters him. The man’s relentless to a fault.”
Ashleigh nodded, sitting on the coffee table.
“But, what if he’s tired of fighting for me?” Gabrielle took a bite out the bun but it didn’t taste as good as a second ago. “What if I’ve pushed him to the limit?”
“No way. HuMac never gives up on anything he wants.”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this.” Gabrielle chewed. “I think I’m in love with him.”
“I’m shocked you admitted it.” Ashleigh’s mouth dropped. “I could tell he got to you when you played basketball that night.”
“This is terrible, Ash.” Gabrielle tossed the bun on the table, fingers sticking together. “I can’t be in love with Hugh Macintosh.”
“Too late.” She hit Gabrielle’s leg. “You want him so now it’s your time to fight.”
“I don’t fight for men.”
“Is Hugh worth it?”
“How is it gonna look for me to make a play for him after I’ve been pushing him away all this time?”
“It’ll look honest and like you care.” Ashleigh crossed her arms with command.
“Ugh.” Gabrielle rolled her eyes. “Now I feel like the bad guy in this. Got any advice?”
“Yeah, stop overthinking this and go for it. Just give in to passion once and for all.”
“He’s gonna check out a location tomorrow for the film. I think he’s going alone.” Gabrielle chewed her thumb. “Maybe I could show up...looking so irresistible that he couldn’t say no to me coming along.”
Ashleigh nodded, pointing. “Now you’re talking.”
****
The Next Evening
“It’s so beautiful out here.” Gabrielle became lost in the grassy plains and valleys of the secluded Carpentaria Bluffs Nature Preserve located an hour outside Los Angeles. “The smell.” She inhaled the fresh air sprinkled with a hint of grass and weeds. “Why can’t L.A. smell like this?”
Hugh took another photo of the Santa Ynez Mountains from his phone. “This is one of my favorite places in the world.” He checked out the picture. “Sometimes I drive out here when I wanna be alone.”
“Really?” Gabrielle held her hair away from her face as a cool breeze swept by. “You do that often?”
“Not enough these days.” He took another picture, impressing her by how professional he remained. “You wanna come clean and tell me why you came out here with me today?”
“I told you. This movie stuff is interesting.” She held her hand to her face, blocking the glare of the sun. “If people knew how hard you worked they’d be more appreciative.”
He put on his shades. “People like Felix Craft? I doubt it.”
“Felix can’t wait to see Fatal Honor. That should excite you.”
“The movie hasn’t even been filmed yet.” He sat in the grass. “Wait until it’s out and he murders the whole thing.”
“Be positive.” She sat beside him, grunting. “Anyway, why do you care what Felix thinks? You’re a great director and you put your all in everything you do.”
He tore off a blade of grass.
“Seeing how hard you work up close has surprised me.” She turned from his gaze. “Makes me see you in a whole other light.”
“Why?”
She leaned back, planting her hands in the grass. “Seems like when you’re doing your films, it’s the only time you let your guard down and let people see the man behind the persona.”
“I’ve always seen myself as two people.” He propped up his knees. “HuMac the famous director and then just plain old Hugh.”
“I’m the same way.” Gabrielle pulled on the laces of her white Keds. “Guess we hang on to our true selves by separating from the persona.”
“Hm.” He twirled the grass between his fingers.
“How come you stopped acting? When Barbara Walters interviewed you, you said you did a little acting before directing.”
He snickered. “I sucked. That’s why I stopped. I have the looks but not the chops. Some people belong behind the camera and some in front.” He watched her through his shades. “You belong in front of it. You ever thought about acting before this?”
“Never. Hollywood is too much of a rat race and I have enough of that with modeling. Look at what Sierra is going through. I hate the way they treat you in the industry when you’re not the cat’s meow anymore. It’s like you’re not even a person but something to mock.”
“Entertainment industries exist to make money.” He pushed his shades to the top of his head. “It’s that simple. Fallen stars bring in more publicity dollars for the media than when the person is doing well.”
“It’s disgusting how Hollywood tries to make money off every aspect of a person’s life. No wonder many stars end up drunk or on drugs.”
“That’s how it is, Gabby.”
“What about the damage people go through when they aren’t the big thing anymore?” She played with grass. “No one stays on top forever.”
“That’s right.” Hugh stuck his finger in the air. “That’s why when we have opportunities we need to be smart and appreciate them. Sierra took things for granted.”
“She can’t help she’s an alcoholic.”
“She had the world at her feet and...” He sighed. “I don’t wanna talk about Sierra.”
“We can’t act as if she doesn’t exist. You were right yesterday. We can’t keep going around in circles.”
“We wouldn’t have to if you’d admit we belong together.” He threw grass. “Why are you so afraid of making that step? It’s not just because of my reputation. Someone hurt you, didn’t he? Was it that guy you mentioned before?”
“Same old story.” She stared at the grayish-blue outline of the distant mountains. “I thought he was the one, but he couldn’t keep his hands off other women.”
“When was this?”
“About three years ago. I’ve never had a serious relationship since.”
“In three years?” He scratched behind his earring. “Who was this guy?”
“He isn’t in the industry or anything.”
“He lives in L.A.?”
She nodded.
“So, he cheated on you and you sympathize with Sierra so that’s why you’re dragging your feet with me? I can buy that, but it doesn’t explain why you haven’t had a serious relationship in three years. Something else had to happen.”
She glanced at her watch. “Wanna get something to eat? We’ve been out here a while.”
“Gabby.” He touched her wrist. “What happened?”
“I gave him everything I had. I was so gone over him I couldn’t see straight. He was my universe. I put so much into the relationship. Long story short, I got pregnant.”
“Pregnant?”
“I was so happy because in my mind we’d get married and live happily ever after.” A shaky smile covered her mouth. “Turns out he wasn’t as serious as I was and when I told him about the baby, he dumped me.” Her eyes tickled from the start of tears. “He said he wanted nothing to do with me or the baby.”
“Gabby.” Hugh put his arm around her. “I’m sorry.”
“I’d never been hurt like that by a man before.” She exhaled. “On top of that, it threatened by career. Since I made a name being a role model for young girls, Futero wasn’t too thrilled that I got pregnant out of wedlock and gave me an option. Either I handle the situation or they’d drop me.”
“I got rid of my baby.”
He loosened his hold on her. “Gabby—”
“It was the biggest mistake of my life, Hugh. I loved being with Futero, but I wanted that baby. I wanted it so much. Every day I feel guilty for that decision.”
“You made the best choice for you.”
“I was selfish.” She wiped tears. “I could’ve kept it and raised it on my own. It’s not as if I didn’t have the money, but I chose my career over my baby. Who does that?” She poked her chest. “What kind of person am I, Hugh? Huh?”
“Sh.” He hugged her. “You’re a wonderful person.”
“When he left, Futero was all I had.” She shuttered in his arms. “I’ll regret the choice I made but I was so desperate to keep all I’d worked for.”
“What kind of man leaves a woman who’s having his baby? I’d never, ever do something like that.”
“After the abortion, he had the nerve to send me a card saying he was sorry for what I had to go through.” Gabrielle’s damp lips trembled. “He didn’t even have the respect to come see me after everything. He just walked off as if he wasn’t ever involved. That’s when I knew he never loved me.”
“Whoever he is, is a fool. I hope everyday he regrets how he treated you.”
“It’s been three years.” She moved from him, wiping her eyes. “And I haven’t forgiven myself.”
“Things happen for a reason. You weren’t meant to have the baby.”
“But, I wanted it, Hugh. That’s what’s so hard. If I didn’t want it, doing what I did would’ve been easier but—”
“You did what you had to do.” He held her face still and stared into her eyes. “You’d be surprised how many actresses, models, and female athletes have done the same thing. It’s sad that women have to make such a choice just to keep their careers. You’re a good person, Gabrielle. You would’ve been a wonderful mother.”
“Are you shocked?”
“I’m glad you told me something so personal.”
“I’ve hidden it from the media. If this gets out, it could ruin me. People are so judgmental.”
“I wouldn’t tell a soul.” He kissed her hand. “I’m glad you let me in. Why did you?”
“I guess it was important for me to show you I wasn’t perfect.” She sniffled. “To see if it would change how you feel about me. Does it?”
“Yes.” He stroked her cheek. “I’m even more attracted than I was before.”
She smiled.