Page 1 of Undone By The Mountain Daddies

Chapter 1

Sienna

One thing most people don’t know about being a Hollywood star is that the acting doesn’t stop when the movie is over.

I climb out of the car with a practiced smile and not an ounce of excitement to be here tonight.

Fans cheer, cameras snapping, all for what? I’m a human being who bleeds the same color as everyone else here. I don’t deserve to be celebrated any more than the poor woman behind the red carpet holding a sign with my name on it.

I’m no superstar. I was just a little girl with a big dream and the motivation to go after it. And now here I am…

The gown I’m wearing is almost the same bold red as the carpet, which I'm immediately told to walk down.

I keep my smile steady, careful not to look too eager. Coming across too strongly gets you accused of being a drug addict or worse. That’s what happened to a friend of mine in the industry when she smiled a little too wide once.

People like to make a story out of everything, so it’s crucial you pay attention to the little things. It gets exhausting, but the day people stop cheering for me is the day I’m out of a job.

“This way, Sienna,” says a man behind the camera. “One hand on the hip, the other at your side. Turn to the right slightly for me.”

Like a soldier, I follow the command without questioning. I flash a curated smile and hope I don’t look stupid.

I wish I could feel excited, but instead I’m dreading watching this movie. People know me as a top-rated star, but that’s all about to change when they see my horrible acting in this movie.

I was exhausted throughout the entire filming process. Jet lag was a bitch, and so were the producers for telling me I should be used to the fatigue by now as a professional actor.

Paparazzi throw themselves at me, and it’s a battle of microphones and of who can stick theirs closest to my mouth.

“Do you get Botox, Sienna?”

That’s a question I’ve never gotten before.

I tighten my smile, trying to keep it from becoming a grimace. “Not yet. Maybe in a few more years.”

“Some plastic surgeons recommend you start looking into it at twenty-four. And you’re twenty-six now, Sienna, isn’t that right?”

I desperately want to roll my eyes. Somebody has to comment on my age at least once a day. Not only is it boring and repetitive, but it’s also a real punch to the gut. You reach the age of twenty-five, and people start looking at you differently, running their eyes up and down your body, determined to spot the first signs of aging.

Speaking of age, my ex, Holden Gray, is here with a woman who can’t be more than twenty. She isn’t even in the movie, yet she’s still finding a way to steal the show by cozying up to my co-star. She can fuck off. Both of them can.

I stand on the red carpet, my heart pounding in that all-too-familiar way every time I see my first love. Holden exudes confidence and knows exactly what he’s doing in front of the cameras.

For some reason I can’t figure out, I still totally want to get back together with the asshole, even though I know more than anyone how he treats women.

We’re designer handbags that he wears to enhance his appearance. That’s why he swaps us out as frequently as possible. He’s figured out that’s the way to stay relevant.

But I miss the feeling of being wanted by him. There was a time we attended movie premieres together and posed together the way he and this Valentina chick are doing now. Things were amazing back then. Until they weren’t…

If only I were a few years younger…

I keep my smile locked into place as I walk further down the red carpet. My throat constricts as I get closer to my ex.

We starred in this movie together and did several sex scenes. It seemed like it was a lot of fun for him, but it was absolute agony for me.

Hope was what got me through the filming—not the unlimited sushi or the delicious green juices I would wake up to every morning. It was him. Holden fucking Gray, with his heartbreaker eyes and his charming way with words.

I was even more of a mess after the filming than during it. I landed back in LA, still single as ever. I was so stupid to think I ever stood a chance of getting back together with him.

But I still cling to the hope, even now as I walk past Holden and feel his eyes on me. We share an intimate glance that goes way deeper than just working together.