Here is Chapter 4 of the tentatively titled "Her Leading Man"

I cannot believe how fast November going! NaNoWriMo has passed the midway mark and I'm a bit behind on my word count, but I'm not panicked. Oh no, I'm not. I'm only about 10,000 words behind of being on track.

Did I mention that I'm not worried?

It's true! I haven't even gotten to the first kiss yet and there will definitely be a love scene or two, which is joyfully easy writing for me.

So, without further ado, I hope you enjoy Chapter 4 of my WIP.

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Get caught up:

• Chapter 1
• Chapter 2
• Chapter 3

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Chapter 4

“B’gory, where’re you running half-cocked like that?”

Ella was bent at the waist trying to swallow the bile back. “Go away.”

“No harm in checking on you and… Oh.”

She staggered further into the alley trying to find distance between them and promptly threw up. Ella did not want to think about what the hell that sticky goo was she’d put her hand in when grabbing the brick wall to steady herself, but she didn’t think she could bare humiliating herself any more in front of this man.

To her dismay, she felt his large, warm hand rubbing her back and gratefully took his proffered handkerchief to dab at her chin with the passing thought: Who uses handkerchiefs anymore?

“Feeling better?”

She nodded and tried to avoid eye contact. Ella used the kerchief to cover her mouth and hopefully block her fetid breath. “Ahem, I’m just gonna hold onto this and call us even, okay?”

She saw his lips twitch but had the decency not to laugh outright. “Come on back in. We’ve got time to kill before that drink at O’Grady’s.”

“Yeah… About that? I think I’m gonna go straight home.” She navigated around his hovering presence and intense gaze, making sure not to make any more contact before heading toward the theater door to procure her bag.

“What’s this? You’re not backing out on me, are you?”

“Look. I’m sure you were a major influence in offering me the part. Maybe you felt bad for knocking into me or something. I don’t know. What I do know is I’ve got shit for a resume and I didn’t even get to finish my lines.”

“Now hold on a sec. Get it through your wee brain that the only influence I had was picking the order of auditions, nothing more.”

“HA!”

“Come on then.” His jaw was set and his eyes flashed as he took her arm and escorted her to the control booth where the video camera and notes were. “Sit.” Then he slapped Tom’s notes on the table in front of her. “Read it.”

With her lips pursed, she glared at him and willed the aura of her displeasure all over him.

Unperturbed, he pointed at the papers. “Read it,” he demanded again.

Like a recalcitrant child, she was animated in straightening the papers before turning her eyes toward the doodles on the back of her head shot.

Inexperienced was underlined several times. Carefree. Charisma. Good stage presence. Articulate. Magnetism. A+.

She read them over a couple times. Then Lane sat next to her with the video camera. “Now watch,” he commanded and pressed play.

The woman on stage was a little disheveled looking, but natural and easy-going. She watched with fascination when Lane hopped on the stage and read through the small bit of dialogue. Ella was wont to admit it, but there was something there. It really was a good audition, or at least passable. She didn’t know what to say.

“Now how ‘bout a celebratory drink? Gentleman’s quarter, I’ll have you on the train home to make dinner for your…family.”

Her thumb fiddled with her wedding band again. Yes, she thought. It was better to have him think she was happily married. He was quite endearing and that brogue, irresistible. Ella needed some kind of safeguard to resist his charms. It was, after all, not very often that she got to rub elbows or knock heads with a Hollywood hottie. Besides, it wasn’t like he was actually flirting with her. Ella knew he was still trying to make up for their collision earlier in the day. She smiled and nodded his way. “Okay. One drink. Maybe two since I don’t have to drive.”

“That’s m’girl,” he grinned.

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Ella lazily stretched, trying her best to hold onto the wonderful dream before it disappeared like a morning fog. Rolling to her side, she spied the clock. 6:00 AM.

“No. I’m not ready to get up,” she moaned aloud, snuggling further into her pillow to close her eyes and go back into dreamland. But no matter how hard she tried, she could not seem to kick the habit of rising early even though she didn’t have to live by the obnoxious buzz of an alarm clock anymore. Then suddenly there was a buzzing noise. It was too early for anyone calling unless…

Her heart raced as she snatched the phone from her night stand and saw an incoming call from her daughter.

Please be okay. Please be okay. Please be okay. She chanted.

Her sleep-swollen hands hit the receive button. “Cara? Is everything all right?”

There was a beat of pure silence before her daughter’s voice sounded strangely interrogative. “Mother, is there something you need to tell me about?”

“Uhh…” Adrenaline snapped her awake, but her daughter’s question discombobulated her. Getting out of bed, she headed toward the kitchen to flip the pre-set coffee machine. “Good lord, Cara. I thought you were in some sort of accident. You never call me this early.”

“Quit stalling and spill the beans, mom.”

Ella scratched the itch on her hip and was still baffled by her daughter’s inquiry. She couldn’t recall telling her about the audition, so she certainly wouldn’t be calling to ask how it went.

“Child, I had a long day, a short night, and I haven’t had my coffee yet. If you’re all right, what are you calling me about?” Damn, but that coffee was taking too long to brew!

“A long day and a short night, huh?”

Ella put the phone on speaker and swapped the coffee carafe for a mug, then grabbed another mug to pour herself a cup of coffee, feeling pretty smug about not making a mess about it. “What’s this about?” she asked, taking a sip of the hot brew, enjoying the liquid gold warming her throat all the way to her stomach.

She heard the animated frustration from her daughter. “Okay, mom. Let me read the headline. Finally off the market. Oh! And there’s a huge photo of you on page six of the Post…with Lane Tuloch. Shall I go on? Hm. Okay. 'Who is this mysterious lady sharing an intimate moment with our favorite bachelor? Walking side by side from the park to the Theater District, the world’s sexiest and elusive man could barely keep his eyes - and hands off this mystery lady.'”

Ella stopped breathing and was seemingly caught in suspended animation as her daughter read the news blurb. Then the coffee began to overflow because she was still holding the large carafe.

“Fuck!” Snapping into action she turned the coffeemaker off and swapped the mug for carafe again, all while her mind raced. “Fuck!” she repeated. Grabbing a towel to mop up the mess on the counter, she yelled, “Can’t talk now,” and hung up on her daughter.

Ignoring the immediate call back, she grabbed her purse and drove to the nearly mini mart to grab a paper, completely oblivious of the fact that she was still in her pajamas and slippers.

Sitting in the car, she flipped to page six and sure as shit, there was a picture of Lane and her clinking their coffee mugs. Anyone who didn’t know the events leading up to that photo would see two people smiling intimately at one another.

Her phone rang again. She answered quickly with a “Still can’t talk right now,” and promptly hung up, which was followed immediately by her phone ringing again. Vexed, she answered, taking a big breath to start yelling at her daughter about being rude when the voice on the other end began speaking with a familiar deep brogue.

“I wanted to call and warn you…”

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I hope you're enjoying Lane and Ella's story so far!

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