The Contract // H.S.

Chapter Twenty //

Navigating the winding roads through the mountain pass on my way out of Los Angeles is surprisingly calming. It's the first week of March, and the first week of filming. The air is dry and the further the ocean gets behind me, the warmer the desert air becomes. The winding roads bookended by mountains slowly change into the flat, barren landscape of the desert. Towering white windmills start cropping up in the distance. First only a couple, then miles of the electricity-producing beanstalks until I finally reach my destination. 

I pull into the La Quinta Resort & Club where I hand my keys off to a valet and walk into the lobby with my suitcase. Right away I spot Sarah with her fire engine red hair, talking to a couple of other cast members. I glance around until I spot Sadie and head over to her, hoping that she has my room keys. 

"Chloe," Sadie greets me as I venture into her line of sight. She hands me a small envelope with a hotel room key inside of it. "Here's your key. It's a villa with some of the other female actors."

"Oh, okay. Do you know which ones?" I ask her. Please don't say Sarah, please don't say--

"Sarah, Emily, and I believe Zoe are all in the same villa as you are." Great.

As much as I'm not looking forward to having to stay in the same vicinity as Sarah, I figure I might as well make the most of it and not let it deter me from getting to know the other girls in the villa. I feel someone bump into my shoulder to my left and when I turn to look at who it is, familiar green irises smile back at me. 

"Hey, you," Harry says, wrapping his arm around me in a friendly side-hug. 

"Hi." I hold on to the hug maybe a bit too long and when I glance toward Sarah again she is staring at the two of us, one eyebrow raised.

"Who're you rooming with?"

"Sarah, Emily, and Zoe. You?" I respond to him pointedly. 

"Ooh, well I won't be visiting your room," Harry laughs, "that sounds like way too much estrogen for me." 

"Are you sure? Cuz, I know someone who would love to have you around."

"Yea? And who would that be?" Harry says in amusement, obviously thinking I'm talking about myself. 

"Yeah. She's right over there," I motion my head to the direction where Sarah has been standing.  Confusion crosses over his face as he realizes I'm not talking about myself. He gives me his amused smirk.

"Ah, well, unfortunately for her there's only one woman here that captured all of my attention."  Harry bends down slightly, tipping my chin up to him with his fingers. Before I know what's happening he has planted his lips on mine in a public display of affection that I was definitely not expecting.  When his lips break away from mine, I look around to see who might have seen that. 

"Relax," Harry says dismissively, "What do they call it, method acting?" He winks and strolls off in the direction of his own PA, I assume to get his own room situation ironed out while I'm left in the middle of the lobby with a bewildered look on my face and about fifteen other faces wondering what they just witnessed. 

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I'm happily surprised when the villa has four bedrooms, meaning each of us get to have our own rooms. It's spacious and filled with amenities like a kitchen, living room, eating area and a sliding glass door leading to a patio with four chairs surrounding a decent sized fire pit and an in-ground hot tub.  After we've all called dibs on a room, I start unpacking my suitcase. There's a small knock at the door and before I can answer, Sarah strolls into the bedroom, glancing around inspecting the bedroom I've chosen and choosing to plop herself on the end of the bed.