Laguna Nights by Kaira Rouda

Madison said, shaking her head. She was such a fool. “Sure, we talked. He told me he’d never loved anyone else the way he loved me. Another lie. I mean, he had a fiancé back home. I’m so stupid.”
    “No you’re not, you’re real and trusting,” Annie said leaning back on the sand.
    “We have such a connection, it’s like an electrical current or something. Whenever he’s even in the same room, I feel him before I even see him. It’s Pavlovian,” Madison said.
    “It’s called pheromones. His alpha-male pheromones. They’re probably more intense because you guys never did it,” Annie said, laughing.
    “Oh my gosh, are we in high school? Stop it,” Madison said, blushing as she realized Annie could be right. “So if we’d slept together, I’d be over him, the pheromone power would be gone, is that what you’re saying? But I didn’t back then, so if I do it now, I’ll get him out of my system? You’re crazy.”
    “No I’m not. That’s what you should do. Why not today?” Annie said, hoisting herself up on her elbows. “Whoa, that was a big old knee or something,” She said as she grabbed her stomach. Madison watched in awe as a lump travel across Annie’s stomach under the bright yellow fabric. Being around Annie she could almost imagine being a mom herself someday, until Annie’s belly took on a life of its own.
    “I’m not sleeping with anybody if that’s what happens,” Madison said, pointing to Annie’s belly.
    “Very funny. You and Josh just need to make love, find out what’s there. Until you do, well, I think every other relationship will end wrong,” Annie said. “Like right now, with Dolby. Part of the reason you haven’t talked is because Josh is back in town. Admit it.”
    “You’re wrong. I haven’t seen Josh for a lifetime until now so he hasn’t influenced anything about me or my relationships. I’ve ruined them on my own, thank you very much,” Madison said, as a young couple walked by hand in hand. “I’m sure I won’t be seeing him, well until the screen test,” Madison said.
    “Screen test?”
    “My boss is forcing me to do a cameo on Josh’s show, extolling the virtues of the Mondrian. I’m going to suck. I haven’t been on camera since high school. They’ll be sorry,” Madison said, already envisioning the embarrassment she’d feel, and her boss Bob would feel by extension.
    “When do you have to do that?” Annie said, sitting up. “This is great. Back on television where you belong. I miss it, too. We had some good times then and you were a natural.”
    For the second time in less than a day someone close to Madison had told her she belonged on television, the exact opposite of her opinion of herself, her life, her purpose. She’d been firmly attached to living a quiet, anonymous life. “I belong in resort management,” Madison said, closing her eyes and rolling back onto the sand next to Annie.
    “Hey, Madison,” a deep voice said. Madison opened her eyes and was staring into Josh’s smiling face, and at his gorgeous, shirtless body. He was glistening with sweat, presumably from a jog on the beach. Madison sat up, suddenly self-conscious about how she looked; the pheromones or whatever it was had her skin tingling, her body alive. “Hey Annie. It’s like a high school reunion around here. You’re pregnant.”
    “You’re brilliant,” Annie said, managing to sit up and snarl at Josh at the same time. “Why’d you come back here, movie star? I thought you were happy in your ‘gorgeous Hollywood Hills home’.” Annie had used air quotes to emphasize she’d read the tabloid spread about his fabulous life.
    “LA isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. A lot of crazy people,” Josh said, sitting down next to Madison, their thighs touching. Madison wanted to leave, even as her body was acutely aware of his broad shoulders, his broad white smile, his dimple, his – stop it she told herself. “And about last night Madison. I just