“You must see yours, though, since they all live in town,” Caitlin said, not wanting to dwell on her own family any longer.
“I see my two sisters a lot. We’re all in the same neighborhood. When our parents got divorced a few years ago,it really brought us closer together. We had to rely on one another for emotional support. I couldn’t imagine my life without them.”
Dinner came and went, but the women barely noticed. Their conversation deepened, laughter grew louder, and glances lingered longer. With each sip of their cocktails, the flirting became more effortless, and Caitlin felt giddy. As far as first dates went, this one was in her top ten.
“Thank you for dinner,” Michelle said as they arrived back at her house. “I had a great night.”
“Me too.” Caitlin slowly leaned in to kiss Michelle. It was gentle, lasting longer than the first one.
“Maybe after the next date I’ll invite you in.” Michelle winked. “Goodnight, Caitlin.”
The next date.
She thought about Michelle’s words as she swayed along the winding road back toward her house in The Hills. The thought of seeing Michelle again stirred something in Caitlin, not the wild butterflies that she had once felt, but a quiet flutter. Maybe it wasn’t electric, but it was warm. The night had been fun, and maybe, just maybe, this could be the beginning of the kind of love that Caitlin had been longing for.
SEVEN
“GEMMA, YOU GOT THE PART!”
Gemma’s brain was not computing. She didn’t know what day it was, let alone what Eve was talking about, when she answered the phone. “What?”
TheNYPD Intelligencecrew had been working nonstop for the last week to finish filming the season before it was time to air. She was exhausted from working a mixture of back-to-back overnight shoots and daytime scenes.
“The role of Sarah inForbidden Love!”
Gemma winced as Eve yelled into the phone.
“Oh my God!” Gemma was ecstatic. The opportunity she had been waiting for had finally come. Her first movie.
Surprise set in quickly as she realized that must mean that Caitlin hadn’t tried to have her kicked off, and that the producers failed to notice how much she didn’t like her potential co-star.
“Congratulations, I’m so proud of you.” Gemma heard Eve say, over the phone, as the director shouted for everyone to get back into place. “The movie starts shooting in the city in two weeks, so you’ll have some time off after you wrap.”
Gemma breathed a sigh of relief. She needed that break. Both mentally and physically.
Curiosity got the best of her before Eve was able to hang up the phone. “What did the producers say after my chemistry read with Caitlin?”
Even though Gemma knew that she had acted her ass off that day, she wasn’t sure if her face had told a different story. It had never been easy for her to hide her feelings, so she suspected someone in the room would have seen the shock that coursed through her after encountering her ex-girlfriend for the first time since college.
“They told me you two had this intense love-hate dynamic happening that they liked.”
Now Gemma was officially confused. They had read through the breakup scene, which she assumed was chosen for its range of emotions—anger, hurt, and passion—all mixed into one moment. Gemma had dug deep into her past, channeling her breakup with Caitlin, so she knew that she had the hatred mastered. But love? That was a joke. If there had ever been any, there certainly was no love between them now.
“Eve, I’m sorry, I have to run.”
Gemma quickly hung up the call and shoved her phone into her back pocket. Her first movie. She smiled softly, proud of herself. If only Caitlin’s presence wasn’t casting such a dark shadow over her excitement. That was something she could deal with later, though.NYPDwas her job right now, and she needed to focus on the last few days left of filming.
A few demanding hours later, Gemma got home and collapsed onto her couch. She wouldn’t have time off until they finished the last episode, and the days were only getting longer and more strenuous. Her body hurt from filming a scene today in which she had to chase a suspect seven blocks, climbing over a few garbage cans and a chain-link fence. Soon enough, it would be over, and Gemma could finally have the time that she so desperately needed to recover.
After the big news she received earlier, Gemma had a vital date to secure. She shot off a quick text to Hayley.
Gemma:Want to meet at Tony's later?
Hayley:Yes! 8 p.m.?
Gemma reacted to the message with a heart. She could always count on Hayley to come through, no matter how last-minute the plans were.
That night, Gemma waited for her best friend at their favorite cocktail bar. They’d been going to this place since they found it during the first week they lived in the city. It was fun, low-key, and the best part—it was within walking distance of their apartments. They had spent many nights there, such as when Gemma had cried over her breakup with Caitlin, or when Hayley had to vent about a problematic client. The two had always been right alongside each other, serving as a drinking buddy or a shoulder to cry on. This place had witnessed them through many highs and lows throughout their lives.
