Julie James - Just the Sexiest Man Alive

Come Sunday afternoon, having billed almost fifteen hours over the weekend, Taylor decided to reward herself with some shopping at Fred Segal. As she left the mall a mere hour after getting there, she tried to figure out why she felt good about dropping almost $500 on one pair of jeans and a small black velvet clutch. Then it hit her: she had just had her first “L.A.” experience.

As Taylor cut across the parking lot, she reached into her purse for her cell phone. She knew Valerie would be proud of this moment.

“Guess where I am right now,” she said as soon as Val answered on the other end of the line. She didn’t bother with an introduction, as Val had carefully selected a different ring tone for each of her friends. For Taylor, she had chosen the Darth Vader theme music.

Val quickly threw out a few guesses. “Lying on the beach. Hiking in the mountains. Matt Damon’s bedroom.”

Taylor juggled her phone as she took her Chanel sunglasses out of her purse and slid them on. It had been warm and sunny every day since she’d come to Los Angeles. She’d have to concede the fact that the city certainly had the advantage of weather over Chicago, which could be a miserable fifty degrees and rainy even in June.

“If I was in Matt Damon’s bedroom, I’d hardly be taking a telephone break,” Taylor joked.

“I thought you said you liked him for his intellect.”

“I caught a few minutes of The Bourne Ultimatum on cable the other night. My feelings for Matt now extend far beyond his Harvard education. Like how he looks in a fitted T-shirt.”

“Good. Because I used to think your attraction was pretty shallow.”

They both laughed. Their conversation quickly turned to Val and Kate’s visit, which was only a few weeks away. As Taylor listened to Val rattle on about hanging poolside at Chateau Marmont and dinners at Les Deux, she kept silent about the whole Jason Andrews debacle. She had decided, for now at least, not to mention it to anyone back home. At this point, she figured, it was a nonstarter of a story. What could she say, really? I was supposed to work with Jason Andrews, but he never showed up? Wow, that was exciting. Plus, she didn’t particularly feel the need to share with everyone the fact that she’d been blown off by the man.

He may have been Jason Andrews, but she still had her pride.

ON MONDAY MORNING, Taylor rushed around her apartment getting ready for work. She had the television on in her living room, hoping to catch the traffic report. Although from what she had observed in the past couple of weeks, this was a meaningless exercise. Like the weather, the traffic in L.A. was always the same. Everywhere took twenty minutes.

Having traveled fairly extensively across the country for depositions and trials, she’d had the opportunity to observe that local morning shows kept to certain schedules. L.A.’s version—appropriately named L.A. Mornings —was no exception. National news followed by local news, with weather and traffic on the “sixes.” And at precisely 7:20, Sarah Stevens, the show’s exuberant entertainment correspondent, treated Los Angeles viewers to the day’s “Hollywood Minute.”

And so it was on that particular Monday morning, as the clock struck 7:20, that Taylor happened to be in the kitchen pouring coffee into her portable mug when she heard the anchorwoman’s telltale introduction coming from the television.

“And now, Los Angeles, it’s time for Sarah Stevens and the day’s Hollywood Minute.”

Taylor had a view of the television from the kitchen, so she peered over with mild interest. She would generally watch “Hollywood Minute” if she happened to be in range when the segment came on, but it was hardly something she ran out of the bathroom with a mouth full of toothpaste for.

She watched as the television cut to Sarah Stevens greeting her public with excitement.

“Good morning, everyone! Today I have a treat for all you viewers—at least the female ones, that is.” The reporter lowered her voice conspiratorially. “This weekend, Hollywood Minute caught up with someone special as he enjoyed a four-day gambling spree in Las Vegas—none other than our favorite leading man, Jason Andrews!”

The coffee mug fell from Taylor’s hand and tumbled loudly into the sink.

She stood there and watched in disbelief as the television cut to footage of Sarah Stevens holding a microphone outside the Bellagio hotel. Just then, Jason Andrews exited through the revolving door, with some grungy-looking guy who appeared wholly uninterested in the mob of fans and paparazzi that immediately swarmed them.

The reporter pushed her way through the crowd and called out eagerly.

“Jason! Hi! Sarah Stevens with L.A. Mornings .” She barreled over to him, cameraman in tow. “Do you have a minute to say hello to our viewers?” She immediately shoved the microphone in his face.

For the quickest second, Jason appeared annoyed. But then he flashed Sarah Stevens one of his perfect-teeth smiles.

“Of course. I always have time for fans.”

“Have you been enjoying Las Vegas?” The reporter asked breathlessly.

“I always enjoy Las Vegas.”

Taylor noticed how the reporter glowed, positively basking in Jason’s presence. Or maybe it was just the blinding white light of his teeth.

“You know I have to ask,” Sarah continued coyly. “Who are you here with?”

Jason gestured to the grungy guy, who stood somewhat uncomfortably on the outskirts of the crowd.

“Sorry, no gossip to report this time. We decided to come out here on Thursday, sort of a last-minute guy’s trip. You know how it is—sometimes, the tables just call you.”

Taylor’s mouth fell open as she glared incredulously at the twenty-seven-inch prick in her living room.

A last-minute guy’s trip? That was the reason she had to work all weekend?

But that wasn’t enough. Oh no, far from it.

“I hear you’re about to start production on a new film—a legal thriller,” Sarah Stevens said. “That must be keeping you awfully busy.”

Jason shrugged this off with a breezy smile and delivered the final blow.

“Obviously not busy with anything important enough to tempt me to miss a weekend in Vegas.” He and Sarah Stevens shared a hearty laugh over this.

But back in her kitchen, Taylor Donovan was not laughing.

Jason Andrews had just insulted her in front of the entire world.

Well, fine—maybe only the people who were watching “Hollywood Minute” on that particular morning. And really only those people who actually knew he had been scheduled to meet with her last week.

Jason Andrews had just insulted her in front of at least fourteen people.

And suddenly, Taylor’s feelings toward the actor were no longer very cordial.

She grabbed the remote control and with a satisfactory push of the button, made Jason Andrews disappear.

“Asshole!”

It was the only word she could manage.

GIVEN HER FOUL mood, when Taylor walked into Judge Fowler’s courtroom that morning to argue her motion in limine, she was ready to kick some serious ass.

She and Derek took their seats at the defendant’s table. Her opposing counsel, Frank, was already waiting at the table opposite them. Seeing that all parties were present, the clerk of court called the room to order as the judge entered.

“All rise! This court is now in session, the Honorable Arlander Fowler presiding.” The clerk, judge, and court reporter all sat. Taylor and Frank approached the podium as the judge sifted through his papers.

“Frank Siedlecki, representing the EEOC, Your Honor.”

“Good morning, Your Honor. Taylor Donovan, for the defendant.”