Read Online Hard & Fast (Rules to Break #1) by Ana Gabriel - Free Book Online
Authors: Ana Gabriel
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Cole is smiling at me: not his big, public Cole Dean smile, or the devilish grin he uses to seduce me, but an earnest, sincere thing that makes his green sparkle with warmth. A smile just for me. It gets me to thinking that whatever crazy thing it is I’m feeling right now, maybe he feels it too.
Cole’s phone rings. I notice the name “Kenzie” flash across the screen before he gets up.
“Sorry, I have to take this.” He slips back through the patio doors.
I take another bite, and another. Cole’s silhouette paces around the pool deck outside, the phone pressed to his ear.
I wonder what they’re talking about. My stomach churns. Cole slips into the gym and closes the door behind him. Long minutes stretch out in silence. I finish my meal and lay down my fork. The tea lights grow dim, Cole’s plate untouched across from me. It’s been over half an hour.
Pressure builds behind my eyes.
I’m such an idiot. I can’t believe I even for a second thought that Cole making me dinner meant something. I’m just another lay to him. Cole has hordes of hot women around—why would he ever want to be with me? I should have stuck to my rules. Shouldn’t have humiliated myself like this.
I dump my plate in the sink, the utensils clashing loudly in the silence, and go upstairs to my room.
Chapter Six
Kate’s phone rings out in my ear. Maybe it’s because I smashed my own phone on the side of Cole’s pool not two hours ago and she doesn’t recognize the number. I’m using the phone Val gave me. And even that’s making me angry because the damn thing tethers me to Cole.
I’m pissed at Cole and I’m pissed at myself for being pissed at him. I’ve backed myself into such a corner taking this stupid job and I feel like a child having to sulk in my bedroom because I don’t even have my own place anymore.
Fuck him, and fuck everything. I sling the phone on the bed and take a scalding hot shower. As soon as I step out of the bathroom again, the phone rings. It’s Kate and I stare at it, because now she’s calling, I don’t know what to tell her.
I pull on some old clothes and answer it anyway.
“What’s with the new number?” she asks, when I tell her it’s me.
I sigh. “I broke my phone. This is the one Mr. Dean gave me.” Something else I can’t afford to replace.
“How’d the audition go?” she asks.
I don’t answer. I wanted that part so badly.
“Oh. I’m sorry, Rose. Shit, you were perfect for it too. Never mind. It will be a dumb show that we’ll never watch anyway. That’ll teach them to screw Rose Weatherston over. Tell me good things instead. How’s the job going? How’s the hottie boss?”
Usually Kate can drag my sorry ass into a better mood any day, but now I can’t bear to tell her just how epically I dropped the ball on this one.
“He’s . . . not the easiest to work for,” I say.
There’s a pause on the other end. “Is it really bad?”
I sigh and throw myself on the bed. “Yes. I have no money and I gave up my apartment, which I couldn’t even afford anyway and now I feel like shit about myself all the time. I can’t get anything right. I can’t get a part, I can’t do this job without . . .”
“Without what?” asks Kate.
Without having sex with my boss, I think. I can’t bring myself to say it though. Kate’s always admired my refusal to compromise myself to get a role and I can’t stand the idea of her thinking less of me on top of everything else.
“I’m so sorry, Rose. I never would have suggested it if I thought it would make you this unhappy.”
“It’s not your fault at all,” I say. “I needed a job. And it’s not that I’m unhappy. I’m just mad at myself and mad at the situation.” It hits me how angry I am. I’ve been strung along on call-backs only to be told I’m not quite right for the part; I’ve been outright told to do things I’m not comfortable doing to get parts. I even had someone suggest I get
Cole’s phone rings. I notice the name “Kenzie” flash across the screen before he gets up.
“Sorry, I have to take this.” He slips back through the patio doors.
I take another bite, and another. Cole’s silhouette paces around the pool deck outside, the phone pressed to his ear.
I wonder what they’re talking about. My stomach churns. Cole slips into the gym and closes the door behind him. Long minutes stretch out in silence. I finish my meal and lay down my fork. The tea lights grow dim, Cole’s plate untouched across from me. It’s been over half an hour.
Pressure builds behind my eyes.
I’m such an idiot. I can’t believe I even for a second thought that Cole making me dinner meant something. I’m just another lay to him. Cole has hordes of hot women around—why would he ever want to be with me? I should have stuck to my rules. Shouldn’t have humiliated myself like this.
I dump my plate in the sink, the utensils clashing loudly in the silence, and go upstairs to my room.
Chapter Six
Kate’s phone rings out in my ear. Maybe it’s because I smashed my own phone on the side of Cole’s pool not two hours ago and she doesn’t recognize the number. I’m using the phone Val gave me. And even that’s making me angry because the damn thing tethers me to Cole.
I’m pissed at Cole and I’m pissed at myself for being pissed at him. I’ve backed myself into such a corner taking this stupid job and I feel like a child having to sulk in my bedroom because I don’t even have my own place anymore.
Fuck him, and fuck everything. I sling the phone on the bed and take a scalding hot shower. As soon as I step out of the bathroom again, the phone rings. It’s Kate and I stare at it, because now she’s calling, I don’t know what to tell her.
I pull on some old clothes and answer it anyway.
“What’s with the new number?” she asks, when I tell her it’s me.
I sigh. “I broke my phone. This is the one Mr. Dean gave me.” Something else I can’t afford to replace.
“How’d the audition go?” she asks.
I don’t answer. I wanted that part so badly.
“Oh. I’m sorry, Rose. Shit, you were perfect for it too. Never mind. It will be a dumb show that we’ll never watch anyway. That’ll teach them to screw Rose Weatherston over. Tell me good things instead. How’s the job going? How’s the hottie boss?”
Usually Kate can drag my sorry ass into a better mood any day, but now I can’t bear to tell her just how epically I dropped the ball on this one.
“He’s . . . not the easiest to work for,” I say.
There’s a pause on the other end. “Is it really bad?”
I sigh and throw myself on the bed. “Yes. I have no money and I gave up my apartment, which I couldn’t even afford anyway and now I feel like shit about myself all the time. I can’t get anything right. I can’t get a part, I can’t do this job without . . .”
“Without what?” asks Kate.
Without having sex with my boss, I think. I can’t bring myself to say it though. Kate’s always admired my refusal to compromise myself to get a role and I can’t stand the idea of her thinking less of me on top of everything else.
“I’m so sorry, Rose. I never would have suggested it if I thought it would make you this unhappy.”
“It’s not your fault at all,” I say. “I needed a job. And it’s not that I’m unhappy. I’m just mad at myself and mad at the situation.” It hits me how angry I am. I’ve been strung along on call-backs only to be told I’m not quite right for the part; I’ve been outright told to do things I’m not comfortable doing to get parts. I even had someone suggest I get
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