Chapter Four California Dreaming

chapter four

California Dreaming

"Hey, we'll be landing soon."

That mellow, yet mature tones woke Eddie and he snapped his eyes open, horrified to find he was resting on the shoulder of the person who owned that seductively deep voice.

Lee.

Fuck .

Jerking upright in his seat, Eddie wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth and blinked back the mortification. He stared out of the window. It had been a vast ocean and clouds the last time he'd looked out of it. Now the high rises of downtown Los Angeles and the mountainous Hollywood Hills lay before him as the aircraft descended.

"How long was I out?" Eddie asked, voice hoarse.

Lee switched off the monitor screen in front of him, playing some movie with subtitles, to the image of the plane showing its trajectory to LAX. Was he watching with subtitles to not disturb him? Oh, God. He'd prevented Lee from moving .

"Few hours." Lee searched his face, drawing in his eyebrows. "Guess you didn't sleep much last night?"

No, he hadn't slept much last night. After barely being able to consume the fish and chips his dad had bought to eat in front of the tele, he'd attempted bed far too early. And he'd tossed and turned most of the night. He could have put it down to nerves about meeting the producer today, but it was about this . Being next to Lee Everett. Being guarded by Lee Everett's monolithic body. About slipping up. In the end, after hours of not being able to sleep, he'd given in to himself and wrapped his hand around his cock, wanking off while thinking about Lee, holding his gun, full Met police gear, protecting his puny arse. Only then had he passed out in his own come, blissful and content. But that had been at four-thirty a.m. The alarm had woken him at five -thirty a.m.

"No," Eddie said, rubbing his eyes. "No, not much."

"Nerves?"

"Mmm?" Eddie pretended not to hear him.

But the announcement over the speakers for everyone to fasten their seats for landing interrupted them anyway.

"You could have pushed me off, y'know?" Eddie said, securing his belt.

"Nah." Lee smiled, brightening his downcast features, blue eyes more noticeable above the dark circles and the stubble he kept that wasn't quite a beard but wasn't quite a five o'clock shadow, with scatterings of grey to match his styled hair, made him less rogue. "You looked comfy. Like you needed it. Besides, Mr Daily Express over there has been seething. Probably thinks your head was in my lap. "

Eddie snorted. Not an elegant breath of a laugh, but an actual hacking from the throat. It was the image. Of how Lee had said it so carefree. He'd thought, with how he'd reacted to Eddie's little play acting earlier, he'd be a hard nut to crack. A straight alpha male ex-Met police officer didn't take kindly to suggestions they might like a bit of cock.

"Kinda fun to watch him go redder and redder." Lee winked.

Eddie peered over the aisles, finding Mr Daily Express glaring back at him. Eddie blew him a kiss. "Prick."

"Agreed." Lee folded his arms, settling back for the descent.

Eddie couldn't have averted his gaze from those biceps if his job in Hollywood depended on it. They were huge. Bulging. Straining against the cotton of his fitted army green polo shirt with the artistic ink work of a lion with full mane leading down into a black rose tangled with thorny bushes ending at his wrist. Lee's arms were hot . The other one had an array of stars and binding, trees and stuff Eddie couldn't make out unless he stared at them, which he couldn't really do. He'd been wearing a hooded jumper when boarding, but had ripped it off once they'd taken off. Eddie had drooled then, which was why he'd tried to focus on his script, then gave that up when the meal had been served. He couldn't eat that either, and vowed to get some sleep. Because he couldn't ogle Lee all flight. No matter how much he wanted to. Lee was a cross between Gerard Butler and Chris Hemsworth. No wonder he was the one the Met drafted in to scare off the terrorists. They'd probably drop their weapons and get on their knees for him.

Right . He needed to stop thinking about his dad's best friend like that. It would do him no good. He'd fallen for enough straight men. And as he was acting straight himself in order to land the straight roles, he should probably delve into that character more than the one he was currently in.

"I reckon you'll do great, by the way," Lee said, closing his eyes as the plane bumped down another level groundward.

"Huh?"

Lee popped open one eye to look at him. "The screen test?"

"Oh." Eddie smiled. "Yeah. Thanks."

"You look like your mum when you smile." Lee then shut his eyes again.

Eddie sank down into his seat. That…was a compliment, wasn't it? Everyone remarked how his mother had a beautiful smile. Pegged to be the next Julia Roberts, her smile had graced many a silver screen. But Lee couldn't mean that. He was pointing out that Eddie was the child of his best friend and the wife he'd help secure for him. It was him saying he liked his smile because it reminded him of a woman he'd once been close to. If that didn't firmly put a stop to Eddie's idle fantasies, nothing would.

"You should smile at this co-star," Lee said. "Between that and the Tom Ford, she'll be eating out your hand."

Eddie's mouth fell open. Did straight men say that sort of shit to each other?

God, he wished he was straight. Then he'd know what was platonic bro-speak, and not have a fluttering in his stomach as if Lee saying he liked his smile and his scent was a come on.

Having Lee here might be harder than he thought. And it had been hard enough last night when it had been in his hand !

They landed with minimal fuss, along with a few cheers and claps from the more enthusiastic of passengers, then they deplaned, got through passport control, and found their way to baggage claim, where Lee's ruck sack came off the belt first and he swung it on his back. Eddie's oversized case arrived and Lee grabbed that too.

"Go on," Lee said, angling his head to the exit.

"I can take my case." Eddie held out his hands.

"The wheels are broken."

"I know. I can carry it."

Lee arched an eyebrow in disbelief.

Eddie folded his arms. "And what happens if behind those doors, five big men grab me and douse me in petrol fluid? You've got your hands too full to do anything about it. Not a very good bodyguard."

"If you think I can't stave off five men with this case alone," Lee hauled the case up in front of him as if it was no lighter than a feather, then leaned into his ear, "then you seriously underestimate me." And that low, gruff, threatening voice stirred the tip of Eddie's cock.

Yep. This was gonna kill him. Not a bunch of loonies trying to throw him off one of the great wonders of the world.

He took Lee at his word though, mostly because he'd lost the ability to speak, and they meandered through the exit doors to arrivals where a bunch of people were waiting for their loved ones, business associates, and whoever else it was people waited to exit a flight. Eddie noticed a man stood to the side, holding up a sign with his name written in black marker on it.

Eddie bounded straight to him, until Lee grabbed his arm. "Wait, hold up."

"What? "

"Are you expecting to be picked up?"

"Yes."

"By?"

"My agent sent a car. Taking me straight to meet her."

"Name?"

"Why?"

"Because the easiest way to get to you would be to hold up a sign with your name on it and you walk directly to them, then get in their car voluntarily ." He made a bomb with his hands, exploding it. " Boom . Eddie's toast."

Eddie gulped. "First, work on your communication. The toast comment was unnecessary."

"I apologise."

"Two, how do we know they're legit, then?"

"Does anyone know your agent's name? Is it common knowledge? As in, can anyone find your agent's name on the internet?

"No. I'm a new signing for her. And she'll probably only keep me if I do well here."

"What's her name?"

"Priscilla Jacobs."

"There's your answer." Lee gestured to the man clutching the sign.

"We could have had this conversation on the bloody plane."

"Amidst your snoring?"

Eddie opened his mouth. Then shut it as Mr Daily Express walked past, glaring at them both. And because he loved to mess with people and completely forgot who he was with, he wrapped an arm around Lee and kissed him.

On the lips .

Mr Daily Express grunted, stampeding past them mumbling under his breath. Eddie backed away from Lee, grinning at the old guy until he was gone. He then turned to Lee, smile faltering.

Shit .

"Sorry." Eddie swallowed. Had he really done that? Why had he done that? Lee might hit him. "That was for the old bloke."

Lee stepped around him. "First, work on your communication." He walked off.

"Not on the kiss?" Eddie smirked.

Lee grunted and approached the man holding the sign. Eddie inhaled, chest rising and he stroked his lips where Lee's stubble had scratched his skin, leaving an imprint. God, what he would give to do that properly. To have that stubble graze his skin. To delve deeper than a simple, jesting peck.

Never gonna happen.

Eddie jostled up beside Lee in front of the man holding up his sign. "Hi," he said. "Uh…" Was he supposed to admit he was Eddie Hart? Or go straight into interrogation.

"Eddie Hart?" the man questioned, looking from Lee's stern glower to Eddie's sweet sincere smile.

"That all depends," Eddie said, hand on hip. "You are?"

"Your taxi."

"Oh, how very kind. Thank you." Eddie turned to Lee for help.

"Credentials and the name of who booked you," Lee said, and he seemed broader. Bigger. Without a flicker of emotion behind the eyes, it was as though he had switched Robocop mode on .

Eddie wasn't sure which he liked more. The sweet guy who let him rest his weary head on his shoulder, or this one.

"C'mon, man, I'm on a meter."

"Which you're not paying, we are." Lee angled his head to Eddie. "You want this job, show your credentials and who booked you. Otherwise we're hailing a yellow cab."

Okay, Eddie liked this guy more.

Or, well, his cock did.

The man muttered something, Eddie believed it to be in another language, then he pulled out his taxi ID from his back pocket and handed it over to Lee.

"Cab booked by Priscilla Jacobs."

Lee perused the ID, then handed it over. "Thank you. We may go." He gestured to the man to show them to the car. Lee followed him, colossal arse strained into denim and broad shoulders rolling as he strutted ahead had Eddie glued to the spot. Until he threw a wink over his shoulder, angling his head at Eddie.

Nope. That guy was better. The one who gave him winks.

The private car was parked up in the layby of taxi pickups outside the arrivals and under the blazing California sun. It had to be hitting the top thirties and Eddie was in danger of bringing on a sweat. At least he could blame it on the temperature and not how hot Lee made him with his manly manliness.

Lee shoved the bags in the boot, hollering over the car to Eddie, "Back passenger side."

Eddie did as he was told as if he was innately programmed to do so, and Lee tumbled in the driver's back seat, phone in hand. "Where we going? "

"I know the way," the driver said from the front and starting the engine.

"That's great," Lee said back, then waved his mobile. "I'll be checking." He turned to Eddie. "Where are we going?"

"Priscilla said to meet her at the Ritz-Carlton. Venice Beach."

Lee input the address to his map. "Right, we can go."

Eddie breathed through a smile as he watched Lee, one eye on his phone, one eye on the driver. Poor bloke looked shit scared. As though, any minute now, Lee would draw out a wire and shove it around his neck, pulling tight to suffocate him while he drove. Eddie assumed that was why his dad had insisted Lee accompany him. He didn't even have to say or do anything to come across menacing. Or authoritative.

This crush was going to be the end of him.

"Have you ever been a bodyguard for someone before?" Eddie asked as the cab drove into the bustling chaos of those trying to vacate LAX airport.

"Not strictly," Lee said, eyes on his phone. "Protected many civilians though. Why?"

"Wondered if you'd like some feedback on your performance?"

Lee peeked over his phone. "The only feedback I need is you alive." He waved at Eddie. "Mission accomplished. Glowing performance review, I'd say."

"There is always room for improvement."

"How can I improve on perfection?"

"Your customer service is ever so slightly lacking." Eddie pinched his fingers together.

"My customer is your old man. And having declared your safe arrival to LA to him, I'd say that's gold standard service. "

Eddie left Lee to tracing their route on his phone.

The journey from LAX to the hotel on Venice Beach was more than a mere twenty minute trip across the city. It was a passage through a labyrinth of fate, where Eddie's dreams collided with serendipity. His mum had lived here for a while in her younger days, before meeting his dad and settling in the UK. She'd been an actress destined for great things, and as the taxi navigated its way through the concrete jungle of downtown LA, that morphed into the sun-kissed shores of Venice Beach, it was as if he could feel her warmth kissing his cheek. He knew it was the breeze from the open window, but it still made him smile. As if she'd left part of herself here and was welcoming him to her home. Who she had used to be. Before illness gripped hold of her and cruelly tore her beauty from inside out.

As they sailed along the oceanfront, Eddie dipped closer to the glass pane, lips parting. The salty tang of the ocean mingled with the blooming bougainvillea drifting through the open window and soon the grand entrance of the Ritz Carlton standing proudly at the edge of the vibrant boardwalk came into view. The hotel was a symphony of opulence and elegance, a gateway to where luxury met coastal charm with tall palm trees swaying in the breeze. The cab parked up by the entrance where a red carpet unfurling over white steps under imposing pillars of marble lured Eddie inside. To take what was his.

He planned to.

Stumbling out of the car, Eddie peered up at the gold emblem overhead, shielding his eyes from the searing sun. It should be tacky. But it wasn't. It was a symbol of prestige and sophistication, and Eddie was here for it.

Lee bundled out after, shoving a bunch of notes into the driver's hand. He said something to him too, but Eddie was off in Eddie-Land—in Hollywoodland . And when Lee joined him, nudging him forward, Eddie nearly tripped up the steps but righted himself to stagger through into the lobby where, awash in soft hues of cream and gold exuding an air of understated elegance with plush furnishings and crystal chandeliers, he was greeted by his potential. His possibility. His future .

"Now what?" Lee said, dumping the case on the floor where the broken wheels would scratch through polished marble.

Eddie snapped from his dreaming, which wasn't so bad when it was Lee who'd brought him to reality, and he meandered over to the front desk.

"Good afternoon, sir, how may I help you today?" The woman behind the desk had a bright red smile that matched the carpet draped across the floor.

"I'm meeting Priscilla Jacobs?"

The woman tapped a few times. "Eddie Hart?"

"That's right."

"She's in the restaurant. You can leave your bags with us and Simon, here, will show you to your guest."

Eddie smiled, then turned to witness Lee tussling with the bellboy for Eddie's bag. Jesus . "Lee?" Eddie whistled as if calling a dog. "Give it to the man. We're in the restaurant."

Lee let go of Eddie's bag and whipped his own off his back, handing it over with a warning stare. The busboy put them on a rack unfazed. He probably had a ton of visitors who were particular about the baggage handlers. This place didn't get normal guests. They got top notch guests.

"Please follow me, sirs." The maitre d' then guided them through the lobby to the bar, out to the restaurant where decking overlooked the sparkling marina, upon which luxurious yachts of the, no doubt, rich and famous bobbed in the water. He stopped at a table where Priscilla sat beside the glass border, full sized sunglasses, blonde bob, cocktail in hand perusing a tablet. "Your guests, ma'am."

Eddie had only seen Priscilla through a screen where she clearly used a filter, because her wrinkles were more prominent in the flesh. She was still stunning, though. Botoxed. Plastic surgery on her nose and fake boobs poking out of her chiffon bouse. She was in her sixties, been around the block as an agent for the up and coming and had the presence of someone who knew everyone and whom everyone should know.

" Eddie !" She stood, holding out her bony hand decorated with an array of gold rings and a bracelet dangling from her slender wrist. "Hope the flight wasn't too arduous."

Eddie took her hand, a delicate shake and kissed one cheek, then the next. "Slept most of it." On a hunk's shoulder, he didn't add.

"Sorry we couldn't stretch to business class, sure you understand."

"Of course."

"Take a seat, doll." She gestured to the only chair opposite her. "Order a drink."

"Uh. Thanks." Eddie sat and Priscilla's eyes flitted up to the menacing shadow behind him.

"Who's this?" Priscilla regarded Lee as if he'd been dragged off the street, rattling a cup for small change. "Your boyfriend ?"

"What?" Eddie snorted a laugh. For one, Lee was several years his senior, not to mention his dad's best mate from his school days. Of yesteryear! But two, Eddie wasn't out. How on earth would she come to that conclusion? "No. No." Eddie pulled himself back from protesting too much. "No, this is Lee." He waved a flippant hand as if he couldn't have cared less who he was or even where he was, despite every fibre of his being feeling his presence like he was on him. "There's been a spot of bother at home."

"Spot of bother?" Priscilla questioned, eyes fixed on Lee, plucking the stick from her cocktail and biting off the green olive with her veneers.

Lee cleared his throat, stepped back a few paces and found a vacant table where he sat, hand gripping the edge as if ready to use it to lunge.

"You know my dad's a lawyer?" Eddie said, in a futile attempt to stop her staring at him.

Priscilla made a noise suggesting she both did and didn't know.

"He's prosecuting a bloke, starting today, and he's a bit of a gangster type." He tried with that to make it as dramatic as possible. Priscilla was in the movie biz, she'd appreciate that. Instead, she arched an eyebrow. "Has friends and acquaintances over here who, well, let's say they don't want me to be here."

Priscilla switched her gaze back on Eddie. Stoic.

"Lee's here to make sure that doesn't happen."

"He's your bodyguard?"

"Um…not as such. He's like an assurance. Your insurance . That I remain alive. And at your disposal." Eddie smiled, sweetly.

Priscilla knocked back her drink, then clicked her fingers at the server. "Another dirty martini. And, Eddie, you'll have a…"

"Uh…a Bud Light?"

The server nodded and he directed his gaze to Lee. Lee shook his head and peered over them to the marina where sailboats swayed gently in the harbour, masts reaching the endless expanse of blue sky with white gulls soaring overhead.

Priscilla dipped closer to him. "I'd suggest you keep this little spot of bother you find yourself in between us. Should the producers discover there's a threat on their lead actor's life, they'll hire the other guy."

"Who's the other guy?"

"Nicholas Galitzine."

"Ah." Shit. He was good. Really good. Had the Britishness the Americans loved. Eddie was trying to ride the wave of him.

"But his fee is astronomical."

"I can imagine."

"Can't I say I have a bodyguard? Like, I'm literally that famous in the UK that I need personal security?"

"You want to come across like an entitled asshole then?"

Eddie pouted.

"For the sake of this film I'd urge you to…" Priscilla zipped her lips shut. "Think how to introduce the big guy that doesn't scream you have a daddy fetish or that you are under any sort of threat of being unalive in the near future."

"Right." Eddie winced. "And if I used the boyfriend thing, that would be—"

" Absurd ."

Eddie exhaled a nervous chuckle. "Of course." Absurd seemed overly harsh until he glanced over at Lee with his folded arms squeezing those delicious biceps into concrete balloons. Yeah. Okay. That was absurd . But he had no doubt Priscilla meant Eddie saying he had a boyfriend at all and not just one who looked like Atlas incarnate. Because to be out would mean the roles dried up.

"Say he's your uncle. Maternal uncle."

Eddie whipped back to Priscilla as the server returned with their drinks, offering Eddie a glass with his beer. He declined the glass and used the bottle to pour the beer straight down his throat.

Priscilla stirred the stick in her drink. "You know they're taking a chance on you because of your mom, don't you?"

Eddie's chest rose with the force of his inhalation. He should have guessed that.

"Lori Hart." Priscilla lifted her glass to her lips. "Such a beautiful waste."

The frown defacing Lee's brow indicated he'd heard. How could he not? Priscilla was as loud in voice as she was in presence. It's why she got the deals. How she remained top of the game in a competitive industry. Eddie should be grateful she'd signed him to her books. She'd represented his mum at one point in her career. She'd built her up to be the next Julia Roberts. It didn't matter that her career fell to the wayside, because now it was his turn. If he played his cards right. And to do that, he had to do whatever Priscilla asked.

"Right." Priscilla placed her drink on the table and pulled her oversized bag toward her, rummaging inside. She then handed him over a bunch of papers. "Itinerary. I shall also send you an e-copy, but as you'll be filming in the depths of the desert, signal isn't great. Hard copy." She tapped the papers. "Guard these. Or get your guard to." She angled her head to Lee. "They have sensitive information. Do not let them out of your sight."

Eddie picked up the papers, reading through the itinerary for the next few days. "I'm staying here ? "

"You are. For tonight. And I hired you a car and driver. Do you now not need the driver?"

Eddie flicked his gaze to Lee, eyebrows raised. Lee shook his head. "No. That's okay." Eddie continued to read through the locations, the timings, the places he'd be staying. "The accommodation…?"

"Has been booked with one person in mind." She glanced over to Lee. "I'll let you two decide who's top and who's tail."

Eddie refused to make eye contact with either of them, instead focusing on the printed words. Priscilla had booked it all for him, based on where they would be filming. From the luxurious hotel such as the one he was in, to the accommodation in the desert, and the personal home in Las Vegas. This was huge . She obviously thought the part was his. Or maybe there was a cancellation policy and another actor could rock up and take over?

"Is there anything you would like to ask?" Priscilla offered. "Before I leave you to it."

"You're not coming with me?"

"No, sweetheart." She laughed. "I get you here, you do the rest."

"Right." Eddie dropped the paper on the table, inhaling the panoramic views of the coastline where the sun cast golden glows upon the water and the wooden pier stretched out like his yellow brick road. He wasn't going to be tapping his red shoes together any time soon. He was living this dream, no matter what. "Advice?"

Priscilla smiled, leaned over and pressed her cold hand to his. "Be yourself. Or well, be who people expect Lori's son to be." She tapped him. "They'll love ya."