She shifted on her leg, giggling, and grabbed her briefcase. “You’ll come around.” Her shoulder bumped his as she moved past him. “Read the script and let me know.”
Sick to the bones, he shuddered as she left the trailer, bracing himself against the desk.
He’d hoped he could keep the past buried, but he wouldn’t take Andrea’s threats lightly. Even if he knew she wouldn’t dare expose him now. Not after he’d threatened to take away everything she cared about.
Someone banged on the door. “Mr. Gennaro, makeup, please.”
“I’m coming.” He got his cell out of his pocket and texted Maggie, asking her to forgive him, guilt pulsing through his veins. He’d just snapped at her for hiding things from him, when he was the one with secrets. Now, he needed to find the courage to tell Maggie everything and earn her trust. Before she found out the truth—or the lie—from the wrong person.
Scene45
Mike
FOUR DAYS LATER
“Amore, you home yet?” Mike asked, his phone on his ear, his hand flashing a keycard at the door of a hotel room.
“Actually, I’m staying at a hotel tonight,” Maggie replied.
“Hotel?” He took his hood off his head, getting out of his shoes. “Paps that bad?”
“You have no idea,” she mumbled.
“Checked in with your name?”
“No. Samantha took care of the whole thing. I even switched cars from set to here. Anyway, I took tomorrow off so we can have the whole day for ourselves.”
“Um…thanks, sweetie. You really didn’t have to do that.” Biting his lip on a smile, he checked his outfit in the mirror and gave his hair a light toss.
“What? Oh, please tell me you’re still gonna be here tomorrow.”
“Well…there’s something that I need to tell you.”
“No. Fuck.” She huffed. “A week was too long already. Now you’re staying longer? Shit.”
“Amore, you’re breaking up. Just call me when you get to the hotel, okay?” He checked his chin to see if he needed a shave and decided it was good the way it was. Maggie liked heavy stubble.
“I’m already in the elevator… Whatever.” She hung up.
He chuckled at his reflection, and then he brought a pair of black sneakers from the suitcase on the bed and put them on. Waiting for her to call back, he headed to the wardrobe and punched in the pin code to open the safe inside. Then he grabbed the two jewelry boxes tucked in there and slid them in his pockets. When his cell chimed, he jogged back to the dresser and answered.
“So what the fuck was it that you wanted to say?” she asked, and he could easily picture her face now. The hitch of her brows. The twist of her lips. The fire in her eyes.
He laughed as he sauntered to the edge of the bed and picked up the flower bouquet laying on it. “Um…is it safe to talk to you right now?”
“Not exactly.” She paused. “I was really looking forward to tomorrow.”
“I’m sorry.” He left his room and started down the hallway, hiding his face with the bouquet.
“So when are you coming?”
He stopped at a room down the hallway and checked the number. 511. “Sooner than you think.” He took a deep breath as his fist knocked on the yellow door.
“Give me a date.” He heard her feet approaching. “Shit. Hold on. There’s someone at the door.”
“Does someone know you’re there?” He feigned shock.
“Not that I know of.”
