SLEAZE: A Hollywood Comeback Story (Book #1)

Chapter 36

I'm not sure if it was the angry shrieking of my apartment's smoke detector or the smell of something burning that woke me up the next morning, but either way, I fumbled for my glasses and leapt out of bed, noting as I dashed out the door that Sophie had disappeared from where she'd fallen asleep beside me during the night. 

"Sophie," I said as I burst into my living room, afraid of what I'd find. "Are you okay..."

The rest of the sentence died on my lips while I looked around in horror at the ruin that had once been my kitchen. Egg shells and flour lay strewn across the countertops and a giant puddle of off-white liquid seeped out from a mixing bowl that had landed on the floor. The base of the bowl looked like it had melted off and dark smoke billowed from a frying pan still on the stove. The putrid smell of charred plastic hung in the air and, even worse, it looked like the same beige goo on the ground had splattered onto the walls. Sophie stood staring at the disaster that surrounded her with the same guilty look on her face as a dog that'd been caught eating garbage.

I covered my eyes with my hands, not wanting to see anymore. "Oh, God," I said with a groan and a sinking pit in my stomach. What would my landlord say if he saw my apartment now? "My deposit."

"I'm sorry," Sophie said and I could hear the nervousness in her voice. "I was trying to make breakfast."

"Yeah?" I said, still not looking at her. "And what happened?"

"A few things went wrong."

I lowered my fingers from my face and stared at her incredulously. "I think that's an understatement."

"I know, okay? I'll clean it up."

"Forget it," I said. "I'll take care of it."

As soon as the words left my mouth, I winced at how harsh they'd sounded. A strange expression flickered over Sophie's features and I sighed, hoping that I hadn't hurt her feelings. She'd dug a pair of slippers out of her suitcase the night before and now stood shifting from foot to foot like a child afraid of being scolded. Her slender frame swam in the collared shirt I'd given her to wear to bed and as I watched her fiddle with a button on the shirt's front, my heart swelled with such a strong surge of affection that I bit my tongue before I could say anything stupid.

"Hey," I said gently, moving over to take her hand in mine. She looked startled when I bent to kiss her on the mouth. "I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just not great with surprises first thing in the morning, that's all."

"They were supposed to be pancakes," Sophie blurted, pointing accusingly at the stove. I peered over at the mess, and tried to keep my expression neutral.

"Oh," I said. Even if they hadn't been burnt to a crisp, I had little faith the charred lumps of coal on the frying pan would've ever been classified as anything other than a health and safety hazard. "I see."

"I'm guessing you don't want to try them."

Like hell I do, I thought, shuddering at the idea. Still, Sophie looked so hopeful that I knew I couldn't refuse. "Sure," I said hesitantly. "Maybe one."

"Great," Sophie said, grabbing a spatula from the countertop. "I'm sure they taste fine. They're just a little crispy."

"Right."

I turned on the extractor fan and then watched Sophie struggle to scrape the blackened mess from the pan, her face screwed up with concentration while she chipped away at one of the ruined pancakes. After doubling her efforts, one finally dislodged--and went hurtling towards the wall opposite where we stood. I watched as it bounced off and onto the floor, leaving behind a dark stain on the beige paint. Sophie smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "Maybe not."