"Okay. When do you want to reschedule?"
"Leave it open ended. I'll get back to them."
"Yes, sir."
Sebastian hung up. Not one to believe in signs or luck, he was glad it had worked out this way.
Fly Away Home
Sebastian watched Juliet glance at her phone and ignore the call.
"Who was that?" he asked. The blonde looked up at him, startled. "That's the fourth time you've ignored a call this morning. You never ignore calls. Who was it?"
"Mariss Red." She looked down at her hands. "If you want me to call her back-"
"Why are you ignoring her calls?"
"She's pissed about canceling the shoot today. She wants a definite date for reschedule and I don't have one to give her."
He nodded.
"Was I wrong to ignore her calls?"
Sebastian looked his assistant in the eyes. "The next time she calls, reschedule for next weekend or the weekend after," he told her. "I'll be back in New York for a meeting with them then anyway."
Sebastian turned away from her as Hellena climbed aboard his private jet.
"Hello, Hellena." He rose to give her a hug and a kiss.
"Sebastian." Her demeanor was still cool. She greeted Juliet much more warmly with a mini makeout session before she took a seat with Juliet between them.
He was able to keep Juliet as an assistant because she had no sexual attraction to him at all. He'd been through a lot of assistants over the years. Juliet had been with him for a year and a half now, the longest by far.
"Where are we going?" Hellena asked, disinterested.
Sebastian sighed. "Does it matter?"
"I asked, didn't I?"
"I'm going to get coffee." Juliet stood and walked to the front of the plane.
Sebastian scooted over a seat and pierced Hellena with a stare that she dare not look away from.
"This attitude of yours has to go, Hellena. You can have your feelings hurt all you want, but you're not going to talk to me like you're a spoiled child who couldn't get her way. My decisions are my own. If you don't like them, you have two choices: deal with them or leave. What's it going to be?" He kept his voice level and cool, but she knew the danger when he was calm and angry.
"What did she do?" Hellena asked.
He took a deep, calming breath. "What have I told you about meddling in my affairs?"
Hellena shrugged. Her eyes were devoid of thought or emotion, but her shoulders were tense, waiting, scared.
"Hellena, this is your last warning. I can have your job at the snap of a finger. Keep pushing me. I am trying to make amends for the other night, but you're making me regret that decision."
"Regret?
Is that even something you feel?"
Sebastian sighed. He rubbed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Get off my plane."
"What?"
"You heard me. Get off my plane or stop talking."
"Nice to know she doesn't have you by the balls just yet." Hellena picked up her bag from the floor and stood to leave.
She was right. Regret was something he didn't feel often, nor was guilt, but he couldn't let her leave. Not this way. Not again.
"Hellena, wait." Sebastian stopped her as she was about to step out the door. "Come back. Sit down."
"Are you going to apologize now?" She turned back to him. Her tone was bitter, but her eyes full of hurt.
"No, but I'm not going to make you leave. Come here." He pulled her into his lap when she was close enough and let her pout. "I'll make it up to you." He pushed her hair away from her shoulders and took in her black leather corset with red and purple embroidery. "Is this new?"
"Yes. I'm surprised you noticed."
"Did you buy it for me?"
"No." She wasn't convincing.
Sebastian fisted his hand in her hair and pulled her head down so his lips just barely grazed her ear. "Stop questioning me and my decisions, Hellena. You're not my mother and I am a grown man. I will make my own choices when and how I want. Are we clear?"
She nodded. "Yes."
"Good." He loosed his grip on her and smoothed her dark hair. "Now, kiss me like you should have when you got on this plane and go get some coffee."
He pulled her to him once again. Sebastian kissed her hard, feeding off her taste and scent and hunger for him. He pushed away memories of Mariss' feel and taste and touch. He almost recovered from the night before, but Hellena moaned and the sound was so reminiscent of Mariss, yet not quite the same. He had to push her away.
"Get your coffee," he told her. "We're going to the Bahamas."
***
Sebastian had enough time to drop his luggage in his room before he had to be to hair and makeup. When he got there, the woman scowled.
"That beard needs to go. They want you clean shaven for this."
He nodded and took his seat. She was an older woman with a scowl that didn't fade.
"Elba should be here any minute," she told him. "I wasn't supposed to say anything, but I know how you two don't get along."
"Thank you for the heads up," he told her.
"You have wardrobe in half an hour." She handed him an electric razor. "Shall I do it?"
"No, thank you, sweetheart. I think I can manage. You should smile," he told her, flashing his own charmer. "You're a lovely woman."
She scoffed. "This is my happy face."
Sebastian laughed.
"Fair enough."
He clicked on the razor and set to freeing himself of facial hair.
She
gelled
his hair and slicked it back. It wasn't his favorite look for himself, but when he was brought the three piece suit, he understood the look they were going for - sleek, modern, and well put together.
His blue eyes stared back at him from the mirror, but before he had a chance to inspect further, there was a knock and the door pushed open.
Juliet shook her phone at him. "Mariss Red called back.
Again.
She said not to worry about rescheduling and they canceled the meeting for next weekend. She said she understands that you're busy and buying into her company probably isn't a good idea either."
"That's non-negotiable. Juliet."
"Yes, sir."
"In your opinion, is she mad?"
"Uh, she's furious. What did you do to her?"
Sebastian shook his head.
"For another time.
You and Hellena put your things in my room. I'll see you both later this evening. I will probably be here a while. Did you know I was working with Elba?"
Juliet shook her head, a wry grin on her face. "No, but I'm sorry you are. Good luck with that. I'm going to go have doughnuts." She winked and closed the door, knowing his weakness for sweets.
Sebastian met the crew in the hotel lobby, but Elba was nowhere to be seen.
"We're going to get a few shots of you here," the director said, "then we're going to take it to the outdoor location while we wait. She hasn't even caught her flight in yet."
Sebastian sighed. Elba was a beautiful woman. Her long, blonde hair always shone like gold and her clear, green eyes were bright and alert, but she was the biggest bitch he'd ever chanced to meet. She was known throughout the industry as being notoriously "hard to work with" and that was a gross understatement. By the time she sauntered onto the beach set, the sun was starting to set.
"Ah, you," Elba addressed him. "I see they were desperate." Sebastian's distaste for her was mirrored by hers for him.
He didn't bother to answer her or even acknowledge she'd spoken to him. There was nothing nice to say, and he wasn't going to be known for being like her. That pissed her off and she stomped away. He hoped she was going to wardrobe.
Sebastian hated to admit that there was some history between them. He'd fucked her once, a long time ago when they were both just getting started. He had no intentions of taking it beyond that one excursion and she couldn't separate a relationship from a one night stand. Sebastian had spent the next six months ignoring her calls and avoiding her when she popped up at his events claiming they were together. And heaven forbid he should have a woman with him. He shook his head remembering the one time she'd slapped his date in the face. It took a whole night of "convincing" to keep her from pressing charges.
The sun was sinking farther when Elba came out of wardrobe in nothing but a white bikini. Her platinum blonde hair flowed freely about her shoulders. Sebastian didn't have to look to know she kept her body at peek physical condition. She was more muscular than he liked his women and very thin. Her spray tan was evenly applied and her makeup was in natural shades. As far as beauty went, she was one of the more natural ones in the industry. It didn't take much makeup to accentuate her features.
Unlike Mariss who was more shapely through the hips and chest and didn't need any makeup to be lovely.
As thoughts of Mariss surfaced, Sebastian turned back to the woman crossing the last few feet of sand to stand in front of him.
"I am sure you worked hard to get this job, yes?"
The disgust in her eyes implied he may have had to sleep with a few men and kill some women to do the impossible feat of working the same project. He allowed her to believe that they were on a different level, when in
reality,
he wanted nothing to do with her and would rather not work with her if at all possible.
"Of course.
That's the only way we could possibly work together." His tone was sour and she noticed. He was above this. Sebastian took a slow, deep, calming breath and let a small smile play across his lips.
"What?" Elba wanted to know. "Why are you looking at me like that?" She shifted her weight and her eyes widened.
Sebastian pulled his lower lip between his teeth and watched Elba's pupils dilate as her arousal got the best of her.
A whinny brought Sebastian's head up as a beautiful, pure white horse came into view.
"What is that for?" Elba asked. Her voice
shook,
her body rigid with fear.
"You'll be on the horse for the shoot. Come on. Hurry up! You wasted all of our light as it is."
The man leading the horse put the reins in Sebastian's hand and walked away. Sebastian turned to Elba.
"I guess you'd better climb on up." She was shaking like a leaf. Despite his dislike for her, Sebastian hated to see her so frightened. "It's not going to hurt you," he tried to assure her.
"You don't know that."
"I'll make sure of it," he promised. "I'll be leading it the whole time. Get on." Sebastian stroked the horse's neck. There was no saddle and no reins, so he had to give Elba a hand up. Her bare foot stepped tentatively into his hands. Sebastian lifted her and she swung her leg over the horse, settling awkwardly in the crook of its back.
"Get your balance," he said as he held the animal steady. "Hold on to the mane here."
"Won't that hurt it?" Elba asked.
"No. He'll be fine. Just hold tight, but don't squeeze your legs too tight or he'll take off."
"On your marks!" the director shouted. "For this shot, I just want you to walk down the beach slowly. Ready?
Action!"
Sebastian walked Elba and the horse down the beach, careful to keep it on more sturdy ground so Elba wouldn't be jostled too much. It went well for a couple yards, but he didn't see the crab snapping at the horse's leg. The animal sidestepped into the crashing surf.
"Sebastian!" Elba cried. Her hands tangled in the horse's mane as she wobbled, her legs stretched straight out. She had no balance.
"Hold on with your legs," he told her. Elba squeezed her legs around the horse's ribs and tugged at its mane. It reared up, tossing her off before it charged down the beach.
There were several cries of alarm and the crew rushed over to help. Sebastian knelt beside the fallen woman as a wave crashed over her, drenching her body. He scooped her up quickly in case she was unconscious, but he needn't have worried. The water jostled her awake and she coughed, her hair stringy and wet across her face. Red bathed one side of her head and Sebastian pushed her hair aside to see a nasty gash.
"Are you alright?" he asked. "Perhaps you should see a doctor."
Elba nodded and started to cry.
***
By the time Sebastian made it back to his room, it was well after dark. He considered just going to bed, but images of Mariss' sleeping form crept in and he was reminded why this was so important for him right now.
Hellena lay across the bed in her new corset and some boy short panties that barely covered her ass. Juliet was propped on the floor with pillows watching something stupid on TV. When they saw him, they both moved, rolling to the side so they could see him.
"How was the shoot?" Hellena asked.
"I'm not going to answer that question. I'm going to let you two
figure
out what I want. You have thirty seconds."
Juliet blinked at him.
"Twenty-five seconds."