California Girl Chronicles: Brea's Big Break, Chapter 1

The following is an excerpt from the forthcoming book California Girl Chronicles, Brea's Big Break due out this winter. For more information on the book, visit our website at www.3LPublishing.com. 


1
I arrived at the pristine offices where, as usual, Erin the receptionist, greeted me with a warm smile. Every time I saw Erin, I intended to ask her out to drinks. She was so sweet and charming. I knew she would make a great girlfriend. She offered the requisite Perrier and brought it out and placed it on a coaster in front of me. I was nervous. I had not seen Kale in weeks. He had been in Arizona on the set of his new movie. I missed him even though I had no right to miss him. I had thought about calling him several times, but realized he needed time and distance away from me. As I sipped my Perrier, Erin smiled at me.

“You look so pretty,” she offered.

I looked down at my collared, white blouse and silver-colored skirt. I had dressed conservatively but sexy enough to remind Kale of what he was missing. I was a screenwriter now, after all, and I ought to dress the part. I had long since ditched my bikini shop dresses with the awful, suggestive slogans on the front.

“Thanks,” I replied and shifted uncomfortably. “You know, Erin, we should go out for drinks sometime,” I offered. “You know, a girl’s night out.”

Erin smiled and replied, “Yeah, I would like that.”

Then a handsome man with dark hair and sophisticated, squared-off glasses came to the doorway and waved at me. “Brea?” he asked.

I stood up, “Yes.”

“Come on in,” he said as he moved back into the office.

I got up and followed behind him. What I saw from behind was impressive, and I found myself staring.

He glanced over his shoulder with a broad smile. “My name is Curtis. I’m also one of your executive producers. I’m glad to meet you,” he said with a grin and a wink.

The wink threw me. It was flirtatious, especially combined with that grin. This Curtis guy was super hot, too. I had to literally unglue my eyes off of his sculpted backside. I didn’t want him to catch me looking – not a good start to my new job. I imagined that Kale might not appreciate this attraction right now either. I walked into an empty conference room. Kale wasn’t there yet and I sat across from Curtis, who couldn’t suppress his smile.

Curtis was so obviously smitten it was almost embarrassing. I couldn’t help it. I had to smile back. Our eyes locked for a moment, and then I felt Kale’s energy enter the room first, followed by his physical body. My back was to him, but an electric surge went through my entire body and made me quit smiling. I shifted and looked. There he was: my blond, handsome, tall, lean and muscular man. He looked so stunningly radiant, it was hard for me not to touch him or go to him. I shoved my hands under my butt and shifted hard on them.

Unfortunately, behind him followed a short, cute brunette. More female energy in the room calmed me down, but I wondered who she was. She looked fresh with silky, unblemished white skin, radiant and pretty in a natural way. She followed closely behind Kale, and I wondered immediately about their intimate distance, as she was in his personal space. He didn’t seem to notice or mind, which raised my sensitivity to the potential that my lover had moved on. I felt like crying, but I quickly got my emotions under control.

Kale looked me straight in the eyes as he said, “Brea, this is Monica. She is the script supervisor. She will be working with you directly on script notes.” As he said this, his blue-green eyes stayed fixed on mine. It felt intense, and I wanted to look away, but I committed to maintaining eye contact.

“Okay,” I replied quietly as insecurity raged through me – not just because of my fear that he had moved on, but also because here was Monica and something about “script notes” and whatever that meant, good or bad. I figured I would find out soon enough.  I looked shyly down and asked, “How was Arizona?”

“Good. Look, we have some notes for you,” he said and shifted toward Monica, who handed me a script with different colored pages.

I glanced at the first set of colored pages, which were typed out notes regarding pieces of dialogue. I closed the script with the intention of examining it privately later and not falling apart in front of these people. “Okay, can I look at these in my office?”

“Speaking of,” said Kale, “your new office is down the hall, last door on the left.”

“Oh,” I replied surprised. I hadn’t realized they were going to give me an office.

“You can work from home or use the office; it’s up to you,” said Kale. “Now I have another meeting. Any questions?”

I shook my head. As Kale got up, our eyes locked in a searing gaze. Monica looked from me to Kale. She grabbed her briefcase to avert her eyes. She looked uncomfortable. I again had an impulse to grab him, kiss him and do him right on the conference table, which of course, was not going to happen. Then he lifted his gaze and walked out. I stood there like a star-struck child – that is, until I felt Curtis walk up behind me. 

Curtis was taller and leaned over to whisper in my ear, “You shouldn’t stare so hard.”

“What?” I asked as I regained my senses.

“Girl like you, wasting your time staring at that guy? You should go out with me instead,” he said with a quiet laugh.

“I don’t think so,” I replied as I turned and met his eyes. “Bad idea, don’t you think?”

“Probably,” he said and laughed again. “But undoubtedly worth it. Let me show you to your office.”

He walked me up the hallway, opened the door to a cute corner office with big picture windows, and stepped aside so I could walk in. A big-screen iMac sat on the barren cherry-wood desktop with a phone next to it. The office was devoid of personality. I would soon rectify that.

“We need your revisions by Friday,” he said flatly. “A current copy of the script is on the network in the intranet file labeled “Calif. Girl.”  Just pull it over, and you’re good. If need any help, ask Erin.”

I walked in and sat down. Curtis followed and before I knew it, he had aggressively turned my chair to face him. “If you need anything else, call me. Extension 12,” he said and winked in that sexy way again.

He was stunning and shocking all rolled up into this dark, sexy man. He had just made his intentions quite clear. I wasn’t planning to enlist his “anything else” offer, but I filed it in my memory for future reference if I needed any kind of favor. I turned to look at my new view – the hazy outline of buildings and palm trees in the afternoon smog and the rolling Hollywood Hills in the foreground. I sighed and smiled. It felt like a real “I-made-it” moment.



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