Resisting Love

Chapter 1-1

1

Leanne stood in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom and smoothed down the bright sundress she wore. It was yellow with large sunflowers, a farewell gift from her mother when Leanne had headed to LA two years ago. Even though she was only supposed to be gone for a three-month apprenticeship, her mom had insisted it would give Leanne something to remember home by. It had only taken an airplane ride for Leanne to realize how much she would need it.

On her first day in LA, Leanne had been so overwhelmed by all the people, the noise, and the chaotic nature of the city, her nerves hadn’t let up, telling her she didn’t belong there and making her question her decision to accept the prestigious position she had been selected for.

Leanne had changed into the sundress, needing a little bit of home, and courage, before leaving to meet her mentor, the famous screenwriter Frederick Berkheiser. She had been mistaken in thinking the dress would give her what she lacked. Before he’d even learned her name, Frederick Berkheiser had made it very clear what he thought of Leanne’s attire. He had told Leanne that if she wanted people to take her seriously, she needed to play the part. And that did not include sundresses.

When she had returned to her apartment, the dress had been shoved to the back of a drawer. And it had sat there, crumpled, for the past two years.

But tonight was different.

She swished from side to side, watching the dress in the mirror. It brought out the warmth in her dark eyes—a warmth that had been missing for some time. Seeing herself as she had been, without the glittery dresses and heavy makeup she’d learned to live with, she missed her mom and her home in Starlight Ridge—the beachside bonfires and nosy neighbors, everyone knowing everything about everyone else. They weren’t just a town. They were a community. Who cared for one another. And at that moment, like many moments since she’d left Starlight Ridge, she missed Isaac, her boyfriend. Or ex-boyfriend. She wasn’t completely sure what he was, considering they had never officially broken up. They’d just…stopped talking. She still didn’t know how three months had turned into two years.

Most of all, she missed recognizing the woman in the mirror—the woman she used to be.

A knock on the door startled her out of her reverie. Leanne tilted her chin, making sure her eyeliner hadn’t smudged, before moving quickly to let Frederick in. He was right on time, like always. And she wasn’t ready. As usual.

She plastered on a smile and swung the door open. “Hi,” she said. “Come on in. I just need to grab my sandals.”

Please don’t say anything about the dress.

Frederick walked in, towering over Leanne, his gait smooth, his neatly pressed suit hardly moving. To top it all off, his graying hair was slicked down in a way that made him look like a slimy gangster from a Frank Sinatra movie. Of course, Leanne would never tell him this.

Frederick had taken her under his wing as an apprentice and introduced her to a world she had only dreamed of. And becoming a successful screenwriter had been all she had dreamed about since the second grade. Like a veil had lifted, she’d realized that in her favorite movies, there were people behind the camera—that the actors were only smoke and mirrors obscuring what was really going on. From that moment on, she had known she wanted to be a part of it.

And Frederick had taken a chance on her—given her everything. Of course, he never stopped reminding her of it, particularly when she wasn’t living up to his expectations. It was how he got her to work harder. Even now, she could tell from his expression that she’d disappointed him, once again. His gaze roamed over Leanne. “You can’t wear that.” He didn’t need to say more for Leanne to understand that he wasn’t asking her to change—he was telling her to.

“You said it was a backyard barbecue,” Leanne dared to protest.

Frederick leaned down so their eyes were level. “Eli Hunt’s backyard is bigger than your entire town. Haven’t you learned yet that you aren’t playing in the kiddie pool anymore?”

“E-Eli Hunt?” Leanne should have realized that Frederick wouldn’t invite her along unless he thought it could further her connections. And Eli Hunt was definitely a connection worth having. Not only was he one of the hottest names in Hollywood, but there were also rumors that he wanted to start producing his own films. And he was going to need a screenwriter.

Frederick smirked, like he knew he had just won. He straightened back up. “And you can bet that he won’t be the only one worth getting to know at this little barbecue.”

“You should have told me who had invited you,” Leanne called over her shoulder as she hurried into the bedroom to change.

“I didn’t think I needed to,” Frederick said. “I thought you knew me well enough by now.”

Leanne did know him, or at least the version of him that he wanted her to see. Which was why the fact that she was now changing her clothes to please him, yet again, wasn’t at all surprising. She couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret as the dress fell to the floor and she reached into her closet for one that was a pale pink. She’d had to save her paychecks for six months so she could buy it to wear it to a charity auction. At least she’d get a second wearing out of it.

But she couldn’t bring herself to put it on. The silky fabric slipped through her fingers and the dress fell to the floor, next to the sundress. A deep longing punched her in the stomach, causing her to collapse onto the bed. This wasn’t her. None of it. She had no idea where she’d taken the turn that had led her so far from where she wanted to be, and she wondered if it was even possible to find her way back.

“Are you about done?” Frederick asked from the living room. “I know there’s a saying about being fashionably late, but if you want a chance to talk to Eli before everyone else arrives, we need to—” He poked his head around the doorframe and his words faltered. “What are you doing?”

Leanne knew the scene before him must be pathetic, her clothes on the floor, and her crumpled up on the bed in nothing but her bra and underwear. But she felt so miserable, she didn’t even try to cover up. “I can’t do it,” she said. “I can’t keep pretending I’m someone I’m not.”

Frederick’s complexion darkened to a deep red as he spluttered, trying to find the right words. She’d never seen him speechless before, but she had a feeling that once he figured out what he wanted to say, she wasn’t going to like it much. “I know talent when I see it, and there were two thousand other applications that were garbage before I got to yours. I wouldn’t have wasted my time with you if I didn’t believe it.”

“I know,” Leanne said, her voice soft. “I’m sorry.”

He rubbed a hand over his eyes. “Fine. Put on that yellow monstrosity. Just please do it quickly.”

It was Leanne’s turn to be speechless. She just stared.

Frederick rolled his eyes. “I’m not being nice.”

Of course not.

He continued. “If you refuse to believe me when I tell you that dress should have been burned the day you arrived, maybe some first-hand experience will help you understand. It will be a painful evening, but maybe one that can get us back on track.”

Frederick didn’t wait for a response this time, instead hurrying from the room to allow her to get dressed.

Leanne jumped from the bed and pulled the sunflower dress over her head. Frederick thought he would be teaching her a life lesson, but she didn’t believe everyone in Hollywood was as shallow as he liked to make them seem. And tonight, she was going to prove it.