If All Else Fails

Chapter 2 - Pairs

// BREANNA HARMON'S POV // 

I rose up earlier than usual – even before the alarm clock on my nightstand sounded. Tiredly, I began to walk into the bathroom, turning the handle to our shower right as water started to pour out of the head faucet. As I was waiting for the shower to heat up, I examined myself in the mirror with disgust. 'I don't want to go to the meeting today,'  I thought as I stripped my clothing off. As my alarm clock started to beep, I shivered. I heard my husband groan lowly behind the closed bathroom door, and that's when my eyes shifted in the mirror from my dark messy hair to my swollen mouth and eyes. 'Jesus Christ. It's hideous,' I frown absently.

After showering and drying myself off, I threw on a stylish knee-high black-and-blue dress with a gorgeous pearl necklace laced around my neck. When I was finished throwing some makeup over the wound and a little on my face, I stepped out of the steamy room and into my bedroom, where I locked eyes with Austin as he sat up on the bed.

"Stunning," He murmured as he rose, trailing his hands down my back and curled around my waist, pulling me close. I smiled solemnly, but kept noticing his eyes observing the corner of my mouth. I pulled out of his grasp gently, hopefully not for him to take any attention to. I ruffle my hair subconsciously as I turn away and start towards the door.

"I'll see you in the afternoon Austin, I have to go," I say.

"Wait a minute, who are you all dressed up for?" His lips settle into a firm line.

"I told you, baby...I need to attend a meeting with my bosses and co-workers," I responded, my hand on the door frame.

"I doubt they have meetings for porn industries. Are you cheating on me, girl?" He started to raise his voice strictly, walking over to where I stood in the entrance. He grasped my chin roughly, turning my face to make me look into his eyes. He narrowed his eyes, and I cringed. "Austin, please...You know I wouldn't. I need to go," I started to whimper.

Austin was scaring me, so I began pull back away from him, hoping the fear I felt wasn't noticeable. I kissed his cheek quickly and started down the stairs to our front door. I yelled up a goodbye from the end of the stairs and slammed the door. I opened my car door parked in the driveway, and turning the keys to accelerate.

// Lux Inn

"Well! Hey there, Breanna. Hope you missed me," A gentle face greeted me at the Lux Inn's buffet restaurant doors. Her voice resonated the thought to my brain of what my husband was watching when I came home last night.

She held open the door for me with a pleasant grin molded onto her face. I walked in, not offering a 'thank you' to Leona. Far as I'm concerned, she doesn't really deserve one. I strode past waiters and porcelain plates to our Industry's reserved private room, as she walked behind me.

"You're not talking to me? That's not nice," She said quietly as our boss – Emmett Larson – turned his head to greet us around piles of other women in leather chairs, hands folded in nice clothing. 'Bet he must like that,' I thought bitterly.

"Breanna, glad to see Leona found you. Happy you could make it," He offered a smile as he ordered everyone up and to get what they wanted from the buffet before talking business.

'What? Why was she looking for me?' I thought, moving out of the way so our other female coworkers could get to the main hall. I recognized some of them that gave me a smile – Chloe, Lila, Hannah – and I offered a wave back. As I remember, all of them weren't as stuck up as Leona, the girl with the forever smile. I then looked up at her, and she was staring right back down at me, eyes transfixed.

I blushed bright realizing she was staring at me and walked past her, grabbing a fancy plate from the pile, picking food from open pans. I made my way quickly back to our Industry's private table so Leona wouldn't follow my tail; This could be over in no time, hopefully. Moments later, she sat right next to me joined by Emmett. 'God. This is the worst.'

Once all of our coworkers gathered back around the long marble table, our boss folded his hands with a wide grin. I watched his thinning grey hair fall behind his ears as his eyes went to all of us. "Girls, the public seems to really enjoy watching what our Industry and I have been slowly attempting to do. They really seem to love when you two are in pairs, not switching to other stars. So, this month..."

'I think I know where this is going.'

"I want you girls..."

'Stop. No. I don't want this at all.'

"--to pair up with the other girls we've assigned to you. Lila and Max, Chloe and Hannah, Leona with Brianna..."

'I fucking knew it.' My face turned pale A piece of food stuck to the end of my fork, as Leona grabbed my hand, eating off my utensil as she smiled at me. I could just read her face, 'Together again, Breanna!' Larson was then applauding us, as our other acquaintances looked around the table at us.

"Yes! That is exactly what I want you all to have with your pair – Friendship and Intimacy."

Oh, I could come over there and strangle with him with his own tie. Why Leona? Why me?

After the exhausting meeting, it was almost dusk as I turned on my iPhone. 'Austin is going to be so pissed at me,' I sighed as I unlocked my silver car. When I began to open the driver's door, a hand with painted purple fingernails interfered and closed the door behind my back.

Before I could turn around, even though I knew who it was, she began to gently pull back my hair to whisper in my ear. "You know, Bre, I can still tell even with the amount of makeup you put on," she spoke in a hushed voice, her lips brushing against my ear softly.

I grit my teeth, my face reddening. She ran her hands around my waist and turned me around to face her slowly, pressing her body against mine, as my back went up against the car door. I felt my knees start to give out as I searched her face, only trace of glow from the moonlight. "Did he hurt you? Your boyfriend?" She asked in a stern voice, her swimming blue eyes looking deep into my brown ones.

"Stop it, Leona!" I yelled as I pushed her off of me, her hair falling into her face. Despite that, it still managed to make her look beautiful. As she was brushing the blonde away by the roots, she said, "Em wanted me to get your number so we can hang out," she smiled a little, giving emphasis to the last words.

'Em? How is she so familiar with our boss?' I thought agitated, but the sooner she would have my number the sooner I wouldn't have to be near her. So I handed her my phone, under my contact for my cell number. When she was done typing it into her phone, she handed it back to me and stuck her tongue out.

"Thank you, Bre! Have a great night," She grinned at me. 'I wish I wasn't so jealous of her looks,' I thought as I was driving home to have a light meal, kiss my husband goodnight, and go to bed by his side, whether if he was in a good mood or not.

As soon as I parked into my driveway, my phone buzzed alerting me of a text. I nervously picked it up, thinking it'd be Austin, about only the only person who has contact with me other than my family and job.

Text received: 10:34 p.m.

New Message: Leona Bostwick

I frowned, opening up the  app to see what she had sent. Probably details of when we should shoot our next video, sadly. I stared at the screen, my car door open as I hopped out, and then I stood where I was at.

"See you soon Bre, our next shoot is at my house! Get some rest! ;) –xoxo Leona!"

Oh. This is going to be an adventure.