The Redhead Plays Her Hand Read online

  “Oh, please, we haven’t used condoms since we first were together.”

  “You’re being careful, though, right? Although Hollywood babies are a great accessory . . .”

  I laughed. “Ha! And yes, we’re being careful. Would your rule also apply to purchasing multiple containers of whipped cream at a time?”

  “Yeah, don’t do that. Oatmeal is safe, though. No one cares if you’re buying oatmeal.”

  “Does Michael like oatmeal?”

  “Nah, he’s a Cheerios guy. He— Dammit. Well played.”

  “Spill it!” I screamed into the phone, thrilled that she had given up the dirt so easily.

  “There’s nothing to spill, actually.”

  “Bullshit, spill it.” I giggled, pushing her. It was nice to be the pushy one.

  “There’s nothing really to tell. It just, sort of, happened.”

  “Exactly what happened?”

  “It’s just, it’s good. Really good, okay?” she replied, a smile evident in her voice.

  “What about Lane?”

  “I adore Lane. He’s a great guy, but that was never going to be anything beyond what it was.”

  “Amazing sex?”

  “Amazing sex, yes.”

  “How’s the sex with Michael?” I asked, knowing full well how good it was from our one-night stand back in college. This wasn’t weird for me, and I hoped it wasn’t going to be weird for them.

  “Um, well, the thing is . . .”

  “You haven’t fucked him yet?” I shrieked.

  Jack padded down the hall from the bedroom, towel around his waist, still dripping. “What are you yelling about?” he asked.

  “Tell you later,” I mouthed, and he went back into the bedroom.

  “Weren’t you the one who told me you couldn’t believe it when I said Jack and I hadn’t had sex yet?”

  “Grace, let me just—”

  “Get on that stick I think were the actual words you yelled at me in front of a shocked Starbucks, in fact,” I teased, loving every second of this.

  “Oh, suck it, asshead.” I could tell she was still smiling.

  “But you like him?” I asked, thinking back on how long we had all been friends. I never would have put those two together, but in my mind, he was always in my past, not hers as much. Yet there was something to be said for being friends as long as they had.

  “I really think I do.”

  We both sighed.

  “If you haven’t slept with him, how do you know he takes Cheerios?”

  “He fell asleep here one night a few weeks ago when we were watching a movie. That’s all. I may have slept on the couch next to him.”

  “How cute! Anything else happen?”

  “Not really. We’ve kissed, but that’s about all.”

  Holly never took this long to pounce on anyone. This was different.

  “So are you officially an item?” I asked, trying to get more juice. She wasn’t having it.

  “Okay, back to business. Just have Jack call me as soon as he’s out of the shower?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I fibbed. I’d let him at least put pants on before he had to face another firing squad.

  “And heads-up, I’ve got a call with the producers tomorrow about your paparazzi session last night. I’m sure they’ve got some thoughts.”

  “Great.”

  “That’s my job. You let me worry about it.”

  After we hung up, I sat on the couch for a bit, coffee now cold.

  What would the producers want to talk about with Holly?

  That your personal life is exploding all over the Internet?

  Oh yeah . . .

  That day started tense and ended lovely. Jack and I lazed around the house all day, watching TV, drinking coffee, doing laundry, just having a day where we didn’t have to do a thing. It was nice. Toward the end, we talked about going out for dinner but realized that eating somewhere in public was not the kind of thing we were up for, not after last night. We ordered in Chinese, ate it at the dining room table off my new dishes (a splurge after I saw what Holly had negotiated for me), and then decided to take a drive. Bryan had already brought my car back from the parking garage.

  It was risky, heading out in a car we knew was easily recognized, but I didn’t want to be trapped in the house, and I could tell Jack was getting antsy. At night, it wouldn’t be as obvious who was in the car, and if we kept the top up during most of the trip, we decided it was worth that very risk.

  Jack drove our favorite drive, Topanga Canyon all the way to PCH, pulling over at a little canyon store for hot chocolates and to drop the top. With the tunes on, the night breeze in my hair, and Jack’s hand on my knee, I could finally relax in my favorite city in the world. As we turned right onto the coastal highway, the ocean scented the air. The moon hung low in the sky, and while the stars twinkled over the water, my star relaxed as well. He squeezed my knee as the music switched to an old favorite, “Into the Mystic.” I smiled to myself as I thought of the first time we’d taken a drive like this, this song and this man next to me making for a very sweet memory. I chuckled, letting my hand drift out of the car and into the night, rolling it along imaginary hills and valleys. I sang softly along with Van Morrison, Jack’s voice joining in on the chorus. My left hand dropped down to his on my knee, and I nestled my fingers in his.

  In this moment, in this car, on this stretch of highway, we were a couple in love. We were not an older woman and a younger man, Jack wasn’t the Sexiest Man Alive, but he was the sexiest man in my world. I wasn’t an up-and-coming actress who’d been asked about the size of her boyfriend’s dick the night before by a total stranger, I was a girl in a convertible in my pajamas, holding hands with the man I was in love with.

  And for the record, it was perfectly sized.

  Word.

  “What are you smiling at over there, Crazy?”

  “How can you see me smiling? It’s almost pitch-black out here!” I laughed, this part of PCH was all curves and cliffs.

  “I can tell when you’re smiling. I don’t need to see it to know it’s there. What are you thinking about?”

  “You. Us. The first time we went for a drive. I was totally falling for you by then.”

  “I was falling for you the moment you pushed your boobies in my face, even with the sparkle.” He laughed, untangling his hand from mine as he turned off into a scenic overlook.

  “Parking? How Beach Blanket Bingo!” I laughed as he turned off the engine.

  Now I could hear the surf, not too far below us. Van Morrison, waves, and my Sweet Nuts. We sank back into our seats, faces turned up to the Milky Way. We talked and laughed, held hands and sighed into the night. We really were so far removed from anything Hollywood, only the barest hint of light from Santa Monica Pier was noticeable in the distance as the highway curved back in on itself.

  I leaned in and stole a kiss. Soft, gentle, lips and mouths caressing and pressing each other in quiet affection.

  Another car pulled into the overlook, headlights breaking our bubble and reminding us where we were and what we were doing. Another couple had the same idea we did. Checking them out, we backed away, leaving them to their passionate necking.

  “Home, or drive on?”

  “Take me home, Jack,” I answered, stealing just one more kiss.

  He held my arms above my head, teasing my body with his tongue. I arched up underneath him, writhing to bring me closer to his mouth, to him. Naked, under the man I loved more than anything else in the world, I whispered to him, telling him how much I adored him, how much I needed him.

  “Soon, Crazy, soon,” he chided, letting his mouth envelope my right nipple as my hands strained to touch him.

  My skin was on fire. His good weight pressed down on me as I longed to wrap myself around him, in every way possible. As his teeth nipped, his lips spoke to my skin, told me I was beautiful, I was sexy, I was his. I could feel him, heavy and wanting between my twisting legs. I tried to bri
ng him inside, inside me, where I needed to reach him the most.

  He released my hands but slid down my body, head nestled between my legs, prodding me open with his hands, nudging me with his nose, laughing into my warmth, and biting down hard on my Hamilton Brand, making it stronger, indelibly marking me once more. He licked and sucked patiently, persistently at me, and I came hard on his tongue, sent above and beyond by his sweet smile once more. The scruff on his head roughed more than pleasantly at the inside of my thighs, making me so sensitive to his every touch. His strong hands held me still, pushing my hips down into the mattress, meeting my thrusts with gentle but intense pressure, covering my sex with his face and his mouth, nibbling and humming through me, causing a chain of orgasms that made me call out his name over and over again.

  Crashing up my body to join me again, his mouth now assaulted my own, my taste and his tongue joining with mine. He flipped me quickly, positioning me to straddle his hips as I rose above him.

  “Brilliant,” he chanted in the moonlight, watching me as I sank down onto him, taking him deep inside me, nothing between us, nothing else existing in the world except for the exquisite feel of him. His hands spanned my waist, thumbs dipping down to circle just above where we were joined, applying pressure as we spun out of control together. I rode him hard, like he loved me to, squeezing him inside and out, touching my own breasts the way I knew he wanted to, bouncing and letting my head tip back, my hair tickling his thighs as I felt him growing impossibly harder inside me.

  “Grace. Jesus, Grace.” He groaned, guttural and explosive below me as I came all around him, his hips thrusting up into me, driving us together over and over again, primal and gentle all at the same time. He came hard, and loud, prayerlike obscenities spilling from his mouth. His head tilted back against the pillow, brow furrowed and jaw clenched, in the way I loved him most.

  I collapsed onto his chest, both of us breathing heavily, sweat slick and warm between us. I lay on top, his arms wrapped around my back, drawing images on my body that I couldn’t see but knew were there.

  “I wish I could stay here forever, just like this, inside,” he whispered in my ear.

  He went back to the desert the following morning.

  ten

  Variety Magazine

  Production continues on the new Venue show Mabel’s Unstable? Billed as a musical comedy with strong adult themes, this marks the first of its kind on the new network as well as the television debut of Grace Sheridan. The show is a look at Los Angeles through the eyes of a former beauty queen struggling to find her place in a town where youth is valued above anything else. Set against the backdrop of Beverly Hills, the main character Mabel (Sheridan) is pitted against her ex-husband’s new wife, Bianca (Leslie Franklin). Although Sheridan is new to the scene, early reports are that she’s exceptionally strong in this role and is winning over any naysayers opposed to the casting of an unknown in such a high-profile role. Originally set as a stage musical written by Michael O’Connell, Sheridan originated the role of Mabel in the workshop production late last year. The network accelerated production of Mabel’s Unstable? for a summer debut when producers axed Pickpocket, a series that debuted to low ratings last fall.

  Twitter

  From @Jackinmybox 9:37 p.m. OMG! Jack Hamilton just walked into the restaurant I am in! Holy shit, I’m dying! 9th Street Tavern in Las Vegas. Get here now!

  From @Jackinmybox 10:17 p.m. Hamilton is sitting 20 ft from me at 9th Street Tavern. Kasen is here. I want to be his beer bottle so badly . . .

  From @Jackinmybox 10:55 p.m. Jack Hamilton is leaving the bar, heading out with other guys he’s with. Going to follow in my car!

  From @Jackinmybox 11:42 p.m. Damn! Outside Ghostbar at Palms, trying to get in! Hamilton is inside! Need to get inside!!

  People

  Out on the town and in your face, Adam Kasen was overheard yelling at a bartender and seen throwing a beer bottle at the popular watering hole Tease in Las Vegas last night. On location nearby shooting the gritty war drama Soldier Boy, Kasen was there with several members of the cast, including Jack Hamilton. Looking somewhat embarrassed by his costar’s behavior, Hamilton nevertheless coaxed Kasen back into the VIP section of the club, where the group partied well into the night. Kasen, a longtime party boy, is said to be one of the reasons Hamilton has been photographed out on the town so much in recent weeks. Meanwhile, rumored girlfriend and older actress Grace Sheridan is back in Los Angeles, working on her new series, Mable’s Unstable?, for cable channel Venue. While the two have never commented on their alleged relationship, Sheridan is said to be unhappy with Hamilton’s recent behavior and blaming Kasen for the new party-boy persona. Kasen’s rep made this statement following the incident: “Adam was in attendance at that club that evening, but the incident reported never took place. Adam would never behave that way.”

  InStyle

  Who wore it better? Photographed at a promotional event for her new movie, Jennifer Aniston sported a black tank dress by Michael Kors, the same dress worn by curvy newcomer Grace Sheridan. Sheridan, the rumored girlfriend of Jack Hamilton, wore the dress to a Kate Spade event in Los Angeles. Curvy hourglass or athletic build—who wore it better? What say you, InStylers?

  Twitter

  From @Jack’sFavoriteGal 11:17 p.m. OMG waiting for Jack Hamilton to come outside. I want to ask him to sign my arm! Or something else . . .

  From @Jack’sFavoriteGal 11:23 p.m. Holy shit! Just saw Adam Kasen look outside! I think I can see Jack’s head! I’m going to vomit!

  From @Jack’sFavoriteGal 11:42 p.m. I’m so pissed! I waited here for 3 hrs when I heard he was here, and he wouldn’t even sign my-cont.

  From @Jack’sFavoriteGal 11:43 p.m. cont.-arm! I had a Sharpie and everything! He wouldn’t sign anything, just cussed and Bryan made us all move! He-cont.

  From @Jack’sFavoriteGal 11:44 p.m. cont.-didn’t even look at us! There were about 30 of us. He owes us something! SO PISSED

  Us Weekly

  Jack Hamilton snaps at fans! Surrounded by autograph seekers while leaving a nightclub on the Las Vegas strip, the normally quiet and reserved star snapped at fans as they asked for pictures and autographs. “He seemed really out of it. I got his autograph last year when he was on Good Day LA, and he was much nicer! He barely spoke to any of us and when he did, he told us to move out of the way.” Reports also note that Hamilton was staggering out of the club after an evening of partying and losing a bundle earlier that night at the Palms Casino Resort. Sexy Scientist Guy is a jerk? Say it ain’t so, Hamilton!

  Twitter

  From @LAXforHamiltonSEX 2:31p.m. I swear to God I just saw Jack Hamilton pull into the parking lot at Top of the Glen in Bel Air. I think it’s him and that redhead!

  From @LAXforHamiltonSEX 2:37 p.m. Fucking right it’s him! OMG Jack Hamilton is going into the pharmacy. I’m totally going in to see what they’re getting . . .

  Access Hollywood

  Still wondering about whether Jack Hamilton is single? Let’s break this down. New pictures have emerged from what looks to be a date night for the Time heartthrob and rumored gal pal Grace Sheridan, herself an actress and starring in a new series for Venue, set to premiere this summer. Dressed casually in T-shirt and jeans, the young star was snapped walking closely with Sheridan outside Top of the Glen. The two appeared to be laughing and sharing an ice cream, until they noticed photographers and quickly separated.

  While no recent pictures have been taken of the pair, they were photographed repeatedly last year, when they were decidedly less guarded. What follows is what we know:

  Sources close to the couple have confirmed that the two met at a party last summer hosted by manager Holly Newman (both are now represented by Newman). The first picture of the two of them together was snapped at Malibu eatery Gladstones. Additional photos were circulated later that week of the two at Japanese restaurant Yamashiro. The following week they were spotted shopping at Whole Foods, grabbing lunch at Fatburger, and whi
le there are no pictures to confirm, hotel staff have reported the two spent a weekend at a luxury hotel in Santa Barbara.

  Flash forward several weeks to pictures that surfaced of the two holding hands in New York’s Central Park, where we now know Grace was living while working on her new musical/now TV series Mabel’s Unstable?

  The next time we saw the couple in the same place at the same time was at the premiere of Time, Hamilton’s breakout role. Walking the red carpet, a smart photographer recognized Sheridan, who until this time had been known only as the unidentified redhead. She gave her name to one of the photographers, and the entire press line was abuzz that she was the redhead Hamilton had been seen with so many times.

  Since then, mum’s the word. The camera-shy couple has refused to speak about their relationship, and no incriminating photos have surfaced since the pictures in New York City. When asked to comment, their shared rep Holly Newman has only said, “They’re great friends. They met at a party I hosted for several of my clients months ago. They’re thrown together a lot. They’re not a couple.”

  Others have a different opinion.

  “They have to keep it quiet; Jack’s fans would flip if they knew he was unavailable,” says a source close to the couple. Fan sites of the actor have been musing for months about whether the two are a real life couple.

  “Of course they aren’t. It’s all publicity! Think about it: Grace has the same manager as Jack does. She’s behind it all. Press for Jack means press for Grace. It’s all about raising her profile. If you ask me, he can do a lot better,” says Molly Hunter, who runs the Southern Girls for Jack Hamilton blog, whose readers are in the they’re-not-dating camp.