Read Causing a Commotion Online
Authors: Janice Lynn
Tags: #Humor & Entertainment, #Humor, #Literature & Fiction, #Romance, #Contemporary, #Romantic Comedy
“Rob and I were discussing my last audition, and I slipped into my role.”
“You’ve landed a part?” Jill’s face lit. She squeezed Jessie’s hands. “Oh Jessie. I’m so proud of you.”
Heat filled her face. And shame. How could she have been worried about the sorry state of her love life and a handsome stranger in a taxi cab on Jill’s night to shine? A night when the network was celebrating its fortieth anniversary. Celebrities from all walks of life filled the hotel ballroom. Celebrities such as her sister and Rob. A fame her sister hadn’t wanted, but Jessie thrust upon her. Invisible hands clutched at Jessie’s throat and breathing became difficult.
No, she was not going to think about all the roles she’d auditioned for, only to be told she looked too much like her sister. Nor would she think about all the roles she’d been offered for the same reason–-only they’d wanted to reveal every secret she’d been born with.
“Not yet, but I’m working on it.” She spotted J.P. chatting up a brunette babe less than a third his age. “Y’all have fun, ya hear? I’m going to go talk to the best man and see what kind of mischief we can plot for y’alls big day.”
The Southern twang rolled effortlessly off her lips. She really should land the Petunia Peaches role. She’d always wanted to act, to make it big, and she didn’t intend to give up until she made it. Even if she had panicked, gotten engaged to a man twice her age who she’d thought she could love, and sent Jill in her place as the star of the mega-hit reality show
Jane Millionaire
.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jill and Rob melt together on the dance floor. At least one of the Davidson sisters, the deserving one, really, had found her soul mate and could enjoy the sappy music.
Not that Jessie really wanted a soul mate. What she wanted was a Golden Globe. An Emmy. An Oscar. Her name up in lights. A few hours alone with Mr. GQ Smooth from the taxi to show him what he’d been missing out on his entire life. No biggie.
Right
.
The dude from the taxi cab would be a nice cherry on top, but her career came first. That’s the promise she’d made to herself. No more putting men to the forefront of her world. No matter how great, good looking, sweet talking, son-of-a-guns they were. Of course, that promise never entered her mind during her brief taxi encounter.
She’d thought of him all afternoon. He didn’t deserve her fascination. Unfortunately, he’d made an impression she worried might last a lifetime.
“Hey there, Gorgeous.” She winked at J.P. and flashed her most dazzling smile at the brunette hanging onto his every word.
Must be an actress
. “Those snazzy shoes got a dance for little ole me? That is, if I’m not interrupting.”
J.P. enveloped her in a bear hug. “This is Tamara Harrison. I was just telling her about my
Jane Millionaire
adventures.” He gestured in her direction. “This is Jill’s little sister, Jessie.”
Jill’s little sister
. Was it evil to think how much she resented being referred to that way? She wasn’t jealous of Jill’s success. She’d always wanted good things for Jill. Goodness knows Jill sacrificed enough trying to make sure Jessie found happiness, but sometimes living in the shadow of her talented sister was a hard pill to swallow.
“Nice to meet ya.” Jessie stuck her hand out and gave the girl a friendly shake and a heapin’ dose of Southern charm.
“You’re from the South, too?” The girl’s accent dripped heavier than molasses poured over cornpone. “That’s wonderful ‘cause I’m from Alabama and have been feeling so homesick.”
“What’s a sweet young thang like you doing out here in L.A.?” Jessie asked, ignoring the girl’s question.
“I’m an actress. Just moved here last month when my agent lined up an audition for a role he says I’m perfect for. I must really be, cause,” the girl flashed a Southern Belle smile, “I’m going to be Petunia Peaches in Redneck Rousers.”
You don’t say
. Jessie tried not to let her smile slip too far. Wouldn’t want to trip over her lower lip when she sulked away. “That’s nice,” she fibbed.
“How about you?” The girl’s accent grew sickeningly more twangy. “Have I seen you in anything?”
“Not unless you watch porn flicks,” Jessie said flippantly and grabbed J.P.’s hand. “Dance with me. Now.”
Laughing, he hooked her elbow. “Maybe you can tell me about those porn flicks because, as your friend, I should support you by checking them out.”
“Get real.”
When on the dance floor, J.P. playfully scolded, “Now you know you probably just shocked the hell out of that sweet youngin’.”
“Which is a whole lot better than what you planned to do to that youngin,” she sassed, enjoying dancing even if she hated the love song playing in the background. Crazy slow music.
“I’ll have you know my intentions were honorable. I’m searching for number seven.”
“Honorable my behind.” Jessie snorted. “Or her behind, as the case would have been.”
“If she got lucky.” J.P. waggled his bushy white brows, and spun her in a move that outdid the music’s rhythm.
“Men.” Jessie teased, matching his upbeat steps despite the fact they danced to a tune of their own rather than the dawdling music. Dancing always made her feel better and although occasionally catching a glimmer that his arthritis might be bothering him, J.P. seemed to be enjoying himself, too.
“So, what’s put a bee in your bonnet?” J.P. asked, watching her closely. “I thought you’d invited Steve to come with you tonight. Where’s he at? I was looking forward to catching up. I haven’t seen him since we taped the last episode of
Jane Millionaire
.”
The requisite rebound. Steve had been one of the last two bachelors on the reality television show. Her sister hadn’t chosen him, hadn’t chosen either of the two remaining bachelors since she’d fallen in love with the producer, but Jessie hit it off quite well with the hunky ex-military man. Physically.
“I’m not seeing Steve anymore.” She’d known this question would be asked, had been prepared for it earlier. But that was when she’d still had a prospective acting job to fall back on. One where she had more than a shake-her-boobs-and-scream role. One where she’d have an income to support herself.
“Oh?” J.P. pulled her close, where he could see her face.
She met his gaze and didn’t waver. “We weren’t seeing things eye-to-eye.”
“In other words, he couldn’t compete with your love for Jimmy Choo?”
Jessie shrugged, glancing down to admire her feet. She did adore a great pair of shoes. More than most of the men she’d dated. “Some might say that.”
She refused to let the sigh leave her lips, despite the heavy urge. As always, she kept her expression bright, cheerful, determined to keep the world at bay, thinking Jessie Davidson’s life wasn’t in the process of falling apart because she’d soon be truly alone for the first time. She wasn’t falling apart. Not really. No man. No job.
“Others might say that he couldn’t keep up with my zest for life and ran before big, bad me gobbled him up.”
J.P.’s expression became more serious. “What others say doesn’t interest me so much as what you say.”
A new song came on. A fast, upbeat one. Finally.
Good, because she was tired of this blah mood. Of bemoaning that her sister would be moving to the outskirts of San Padre to shorten Rob’s commute, that she’d soon be facing an empty house night after night, that she had no upcoming acting job prospects and would likely end up waitressing again.
She pulled back from J.P. and began to move to the music. “Steve’s gone to D.C. to work as a consultant of some branch of the military. Our government needs him more than I do.”
“Oh?” J.P. twirled her, then dipped her back.
“He wants to settle down in some suburb outside the capital and have a good little wife to give him two point five kids. In between his military stints, that is,” she admitted, feeling her spirits lift with each twist and turn of her body. “Can you imagine me in Washington, D.C. and having to deal with all the political bull?”
“No,” J.P. answered. “You’d paint our nation’s capital red and convince them all that it looked better that way.”
Jessie grinned. J.P. knew her too well.
“Well, I refused to go just as he knew I would when he asked.” She gave a “so what” shrug, never missing a beat with her body. “His asking me to go was merely a formality. He’s a great guy, but we’re not meant for each other.”
“You looked pretty chummy the last time I saw you.”
Jessie shimmied toward him, then hooked her fingers with his. “That was lust.”
“Isn’t it a beautiful thing?” J.P. swirled her around.
She laughed. She’d known Rob’s best friend and mentor would make her laugh. From the time they’d met when she crashed the castle during
Jane Millionaire
filming, J.P. went out of his way to make her smile. Well, only semi-crashed since J.P. paid for her trip and arranged for her perfectly timed interruption of the show’s grand finale. The conniving rat. She adored the older man all the same.
“You know it,” she agreed, wondering why her chest hurt. “Now I’ve just got to find Steve’s replacement.”
“I’ve got to find number seven.” J.P. tugged her to him and winked. Not a serious wink, but a flirtatious one all the same. “You don’t think we should give it a try?”
“No, I don’t.”
He was teasing. Just as she’d been teasing about searching for Steve’s replacement. That was not one of her new goals. She planned to stay away from men.
Which wouldn’t’ be easy since she
loved
men. Loved the way they sounded, the way they smelled, the way they could hold a woman and make her feel like she was their entire world, even if they didn’t really mean it. She wouldn’t mind the real thing, like what Rob and Jill had. But with the loneliness creeping in even before Jill moved out, settling for less than the real thing didn’t seem like such a bad way to go and that wasn’t right. Jessie was tired of settling.
Larry had been settling. Steve had been settling. All the men she’d ever dated had been settling.
No more settling.
The man’s blue eyes from the cab twinkled into her mind.
He and his stiff arrogance most certainly would have been settling.
J.P. twirled her to him. “We need to talk business.”
That caught Jessie’s attention. “Business? What kind of business? For the record, I was kidding about the porns. Although if things don’t improve soon, I’m going to reconsider a few recent offers to pose nude.”
J.P.’s white brows shot up. “You’re kidding?”
“Maybe not.” She’d taken her clothes off for a lot less than a role in a movie or a fat check. Following her parents’ death she’d have done most anything for the complete attention of another person. Sex had been no big deal. Just a means to end the loneliness clawing at her insides. She’d sought other more destructive means to ease that loneliness, too. None ever worked, not in a way that lasted more than the moment.
“Jill would strangle you,” J.P. unnecessarily informed.
“Hey, if taking off my clothes would get me noticed, dude, I’m so there.” She flashed him an I’m-jerking-your-chain smile. “Besides, it worked for Paris, so maybe it’ll work for me, too.”
“Paris doesn’t have a thing over you,” JP assured.
“Except a few million.”
They walked off the dance floor, and he offered a drink. Jessie shook her head. She’d had two glasses of champagne and that was enough. She rarely drank these days.
“Wolf gave me a new show. A talk show.” J.P.’s pale blue eyes took on a serious hue. “I need a female co-host.”
She put her hands on her hips and glared. “You know I don’t want any favors.”
“You’ll be doing me a favor. You’re exactly what Wolf is looking for. What I want for the show.”
“A talk show? Me?” For the briefest of seconds, she considered it. After all, she couldn’t do hair commercials and thriller walk-ons where she shook her boobs, screamed, and then got killed for the rest of her life. How many times could she die a bloody on-screen death in some horror flick? Apparently a lot, but she really wanted to be an actress, not a talk show hostess. “Thanks, but no thanks. You’ll find someone else to co-host with you.”
“I’m producing the show, not hosting it. Wolf is doing an overhaul on one of its current programs.”
“Sounds great, but I’m not interested.” Ready to network, find a job lead on her own, she visually canvassed the room.
That’s when she saw him.
Despite her acting skills, she inhaled. Deep and sharp and shocked.
He was here.
Why was he here?
She was glad he was here.
J.P. turned to see who caught her eye. “You know Colin?” A sly smile curled his lips. “It’s his show you’d be co-hosting, you know?”
No, she didn’t know, nor did she acknowledge J.P.’s words or even move. Just stared at the gorgeous, brooding tuxedo-clad man leaning against a wall and scowling as if he’d rather be anywhere but where he was. Perhaps he dissed the whole world and not just actresses he happened to share a taxi cab ride with? Sure appeared that way.
“The job’s yours if you want it.” J.P.’s words echoed in Jessie’s ears. “And before you say no, do yourself a favor, and think about it.”
Murmuring what he could do with his job, Jessie’s gaze didn’t budge when J.P. walked off.
Nor could she believe he’d just offered her a job co-hosting a show with the Mr. GQ Smooth from the taxi.