“He probably won’t be at work tomorrow. All the after parties last well into the morning.” Rachel clicked on E! and hit mute.
Natalie headed for the DVD player and hit the eject key. “You’re right. It’s not like he’s around that much. I’m sure he’ll start work on something soon, and I don’t have to work late anymore since the new CFO starts Monday. I’ll just sit at my desk and do my work.”
She lifted If Only out of the player and pushed it back into its case. She’d walked away from Chase Booker, and even though her heart was broken, she felt like she could do anything. She opened the freezer.
Rachel glanced over her shoulder. “Are you sure you want to do that?”
“Yes, I’m sure.” Natalie put the DVD case with Chase’s face in the freezer and took out a carton of chocolate ice cream. Even though she’d gone back to her boring life, not everything could stay the same. She dropped the ice cream in the trash and rubbed her hands on the back of her sweats. “I’ll get by.”
“You’ll do fine. Even if you see him, I’m sure everything will be okay.”
For a week, Natalie’s heart jumped every time someone walked past her desk. No one really talked to her, which was par for the course. Robert had called her into his office to make sure she wasn’t quitting and restated that they both thought she was good to have on their team and would hate to lose her.
She’d reassured him that she wasn’t going anywhere. After all, where could she go? She had two months of experience, right out of college. She sighed and tabbed back over to the spreadsheet. Chase was in London for the next month or so, which should give her plenty of time to get over their short affair.
Why did it feel like more than just a month had passed? Why did her bed feel empty? And her heart ached for what? A month? She shook her head. There was no room for such thoughts anymore. She’d get over Chase Booker and act as if nothing happened.
Her phone had been turned off to external calls, which had been a blessing. Everyone wanted to know what happened to the flash affair between Chase Booker and his lowly accountant. She brought her lunch and only left with Robert walking her to her car.
An e-mail pinged in the background. Natalie automatically flipped over to the e-mail. It was from Jared Anderson. Her mouse hovered over the delete key, but curiosity got the better of her.
If you need to talk to someone, off the record, give me a call. I’ve been following Chase for years and have some information that might help.
Might help what? Make him not famous? Make her not shy? Make her trust in him beyond the tabloids? The dull ache stayed in her chest, constantly reminding her that she’d lost the only man she’d loved. Not because of who he was, but because of who he was.
The reporter couldn’t tell her anything that would change her mind. This was the life she’d chosen. She hit the delete key.
Chase guided Amanda Rogers into the dining room.
“It really has been a pleasure working on this film with you, Chase.” Her finely manicured nails pawed at his suit jacket.
“It’s a great movie. I was glad the lead dropped out.” He smiled down at her. After years of acting, he would have thought he’d learned to hide his true feelings, but he could feel the cracks on the edge of his smile. Hopefully no one else could tell.
He held out her chair and took the one beside her. The rest of the cast and crew were already seated around the table at the old castle where they were filming. The period piece wasn’t exactly helping him get over his relationship with Natalie.
He played a hero trying to save the heroine from the clutches of an evil sorcerer. Every time he stared down into Amanda’s beautifully overdrawn face, he saw Natalie’s pert nose, wide brown eyes and constant blush.
“Do you think you’ll stay in London after the filming ends?” Amanda had been dropping hints all week about starting an affair or a flirtation or anything.
He was confident Natalie was probably hearing that he and his costar were involved in a tawdry love affair. When in reality, he lay in bed at night staring up at the ceiling knowing Natalie was awake and wondering what she was doing. Robert had told him that Natalie had decided to stay on at Pandora Productions.
“I’m not sure what my next move will be.” Chase waited for the wine to be poured. “We still have a few months of filming.” A few months for him to get over Natalie. Then he could get back to dating women who were used to fame.
“To getting to know each other better.” Amanda’s red lips curved into an inviting smile. She held up her glass of white wine.
He wished Natalie were here as he tapped his glass against Amanda’s. He would have loved to show her England and Europe. They could have escaped up to Scotland for a weekend. Maybe he should take what Amanda was offering. Maybe then he could get Natalie out of his head.
“Chase?”
He lifted his eyes to Amanda’s bright blue ones.
“You aren’t over her, are you?” Her usually plastic face was soft and knowing. “It’s okay, you know. If you want to talk about it?”
Chase glanced around the table. Everyone was involved in their own conversations, enjoying the wine and the food.
“Look, Chase, we need to stick together here. You can’t go all moony-eyed on me every time someone mentions her.”
“I don’t go all-” He turned to catch Amanda’s teasing smile.
“I’m not above stealing a man from another woman, but not when he’s desperately in love with her. So why don’t you tell me about it?” She stabbed a piece of carrot and chewed on it with her attention completely on him.
“She’s not one of us.” Chase took a swallow of wine.
“You mean she’s an alien or something.” Amanda’s eyebrow rose.
“No, she’s not used to being in the spotlight.”
“Oh.” Amanda chewed another piece of carrot before responding. “So, she’s like me before I became an actress.”
“I highly doubt that. You probably loved attention. She’d prefer to stay in the background.” Chase smiled softly, remembering Natalie’s shyness.
“True. I was made for Hollywood. But so what? Why should she adore the spotlight? What’s wrong with having someone in the background cheering you on? Instead of having to manage two careers?”
“Because it’s part of my life, it’s part of who I am. If she can’t be in the light with me, when else am I going to see her?” Chase’s fork clattered on the plate.
“My God, Chase. What a snob you are.” Her eyes twinkled in the candlelight. “You’d give up a chance at happiness because she didn’t want to be in front of the silver screen. Do you know how many actors and actresses would kill to find a relationship where they knew the person was after them and not using them to get a leg up in the business?”
Chase stared down at his plate. Her words echoed through his head.
She placed a hand on his arm. “Love doesn’t come around all that often in this business. If you’ve got it, why the hell would you let it go?” Her words rang through the hall.
The din of conversation stopped. Chase looked around the table to all the eyes turned on him. Could it really be that simple? Would it all be right if he went back and asked her to be with him any way she wanted? Just as long as she was in his life?
“Well?” Amanda’s voice drew his attention back to her. “What are you waiting for?”
“Yeah, Chase. Go get her,” came from the end of the table.
Chase pushed back his chair. “I’ll see you all in a few days.”
Natalie pushed up her glasses as she tried to concentrate on the binder in front of her. Her contact had torn that morning, and she’d had to put on her glasses at work. Things had gone pretty much back to normal.