Get a Grip (Hollywood Nights) by Cara North Page A

She bolted upright and then rushed out in a near panic to find him. She had been such a mess last night. Her emotional balance was teetering and she knew he was not going to put up with it for much longer. She didn’t want to put up with it much longer either. She needed some sense of control and she was grasping for it, but couldn’t find a strong hold.
                  She searched through the house and could not find him anywhere. Her heart thundered in her chest as the realization that he was gone began to set in. The worst possible thoughts flooded her brain. He was already done with her antics. Why shouldn’t he be?
                  She gripped the counter and took a deep breath as the room started to spin around her.
                  “You’re up.” His voice demanded her attention and everything stopped spinning and centered on him as he walked into the kitchen. He had been out in the back yard.
                  She was so relieved she practically moved him back two steps when she ran to hug him.
                  “You all right?” He returned the hug, but not as fiercely as she held him.
                  “I thought you left.”
                  He stroked her hair from the back of her head to where it ended as he said, “I’m not that guy.”
                  She eased her grip and asked, “What were you doing out there?”
                  “Stretching, thinking, breathing. That kind of crap.” He laughed.
                  She wanted to kick herself for calling it crap. He would never let her live it down it seemed. He patted her on the butt and then let her go.
                  “You want breakfast?” he asked.
                  “Do I have anything here you will eat?” She was doubtful.
                  “You know you do.” His voice dropped just a notch. The look he gave her sent heat flooding throughout her entire body. She knew she was blushing. He smiled at her and winked as he moved on to the refrigerator.
     
    Later…
     
                  Ivy had taken the time to make a call to New York when Bo went to gather some clothes from his house to bring to hers. He was in the best of moods. It was familiar to her. He was relaxed, comfortable, and so much like the man she knew from work. His ease always helped to make her feel at ease. He had not taken her back to bed as she hoped, but they did have a long day ahead of them and she couldn’t very well ask him to tie her down to the only place she felt remotely sane. It freaked her out that sex had brought such thoughts into her head. She pushed out naked thoughts and focused on the task at hand.
                  Ivy called the one person she knew had struggled with identity longer than anyone. Shay was gracious about it all. She talked to her without judgment and listened to the whole story. At the end of it Shay gave her the same advice Ivy had given Frankie when the media had started to take an ugly turn. Frankie wasn’t even an actress. She just happened to be the girlfriend and then wife of Jonas Gunner.
    Remembering how twisted the Hollywood lifestyle could be did help her to get some perspective. She wanted to remember what it was like before she was famous, when she was just Ivy. Ivy had forgotten what it was like before she couldn’t buy groceries without people taking her picture. Shay left the conversation with a suggestion and an invitation.
                  The suggestion was to find a yoga class to take and the invitation was to the opening of the play Shopoholic. Ivy had already signed up for one and planned to discuss the other with the man that just walked in.
                  “Hey,” she said and moved to smooch him on the lips.
                  “Well hey to you.” He seemed a bit surprised.
                  She