6. Summer
6
SUMMER
“T his is it. Are you ready?”
Was I ready? I knew Claudia’s question was rhetorical. There was no choice but to be ready. This was day one, our first day of shooting after a week of rushed rehearsals. All in all, though I would’ve liked a little more time to get to know my cast and for them to get to know each other, I was feeling positive and energized in the minutes before our first shot. The hours I’d spent meditating on it were helping.
But not quite enough since I was also a bundle of nerves and pretty sure I was going to pee myself since my bladder decided to act all nervous. I knew what I was doing. I had done it before. Okay, so I was working at a much higher level than I ever had, and this was a much bigger deal than an indie film none of us was very sure would go anywhere. That was more ofa passion project.
This? This had consequences.
“Oh, you’re kidding me.” Claudia’s soft muttering yanked me back into the present moment, where she was staring over my shoulder with narrowed eyes.
I followed the direction she was staring in, and my stomach dropped. “What is he doing here?” I asked in a strained whisper as Lex Landry climbed out of a ridiculously splashy sports car parked outside the border created by trucks, vans, andthe handful of tents set up to protect the cast from the sun between takes.
He looked infuriatingly good. That was the worst part. I might handle him looking over my shoulder so long as he didn’t have to go and distract me by how goddamn handsome he was. The pale yellow of his polo shirt accentuated his deep tan, while the sleeves were barely big enough to contain his impressive biceps. He slid on a pair of aviators, sauntering our way, one hand in his pocket, strolling like a man without a care in the world. Like I didn’t have enough on my mind, I’d have to wrestle whatever was causing the fluttering in my stomach whenever I looked at him.
“Oh, there he is.” Danica Cole, my lead actress, nudged the girl standing closest to her and nodded in his direction. She leaned against the car she was supposed to be working on in this scene, folding her arms while clocking his every move. “God, I’d fuck him senseless if I had the chance. What do you think we have to do to get invited to a party at his house?”
Of course, if I were in her position, I might think the same thing. But then, I wasn’t some desperate, grasping actress looking for a leg up.
“Down, girl.” Claudia patted me on the shoulder when I managed to pry my attention away from Danica and found my best friend scowling. “You’re not doing yourself any favors by looking like you’re going to claw your lead actress’ eyes out.”
I opened my mouth, prepared to tell her I didn’t look that way, but I probably did. Yes, I was a little irritated, but it was none of my business. Lex could sleep with whoever he wanted. No doubt he’d bed a girl like Danica, who looked like a supermodel even while wearing oil-smeared coveralls. He’d stay away from her if he were smart, but men were men. They only ignored their stupid dicks for so long.
“Coming around to make sure we’re earning our money, Mr. Landry?” one of the crew members shouted, laughing.
“You know I have to stay on your ass, Keith,” Lex shouted back. So they knew each other. Keith wasn’t the only one, either. A handful of people wandered Lex’s way, shaking his hand, and nobody was more surprised than me when he asked them personal questions about themselves or their families. He wasn’t kidding when he said he grew up at the studio.
“He has a way with people,” Claudia observed in a soft, approving voice. “I mean, would you expect a rich studio executive to know about a gaffer’s kids?”
“Whatever, so he’s a halfway decent guy.” That was unfair. I knew he was better than that, at least from what he had shown me of himself. I hadn’t told her about the talk we had, but this wasn’t the time or place to go into personal feelings. I still didn’t know why I never told her. We told each other everything, to the point where we overshared. A quarter-century of friendship meant there weren’t many things that were off the table.
But for some reason, talking with Lex was private and personal. There was something about it I wanted to guard carefully. For the first time in this town, somebody had listened and understood, and it happened to be the last person I expected it from.
I raised the megaphone to my mouth. “Okay, everybody. I need places.” The boss was here. It was time to make sure he knew what his studio was paying for and for him to see I knew what I was doing.
I’ve got this. It’s all in my head. Shot for shot, frame for frame, this is going to work. I took my place behind the monitor while the cast took their marks. A palpable energy filled the air, turning it electric as I pulled in a deep, steadying breath before calling out, “Action!”
Funny. Most people would probably lose their shit after shouting that word. It meant this was it, it was real, it was happening. No turning back. All it did was calm me. A sense of peace washed over me all at once. I was where I belonged. I knew what I was doing, and it was what I was born to do.
I almost forgot Lex was standing no more than ten feet away, watching me instead of the work going on in front of the camera. How did I know?
I felt him.
* * *
By the time the clock struck four and the crew was in the process of clearing the area after shooting, I was exhausted in the best way possible. It had been an interesting day full of working out little hiccups that couldn’t be predicted. The sort that only came up in the moment. Minor dialogue changes, blocking issues, not to mention a strong gust of wind that had blown dirt and sand in everybody’s faces and resulted in time spent fixing hair and makeup.
But the first day was in the can, and I couldn’t pretend I wasn’t flying high. I’d never have another first day of shooting my first major Hollywood movie. What a shame there wasn’t a way to bottle this feeling.
I had even managed to forget Lex’s presence as my awareness narrowed down to a single focal point. I was in the zone, completely locked in. Only now, after hours of shooting, did I remember he was watching from the background all along. His cherry red Maserati was still parked where he’d left it. Who would’ve thought he’d stay all day?
“Great work!” he called out to the gaffer and key grip as they finished taking down the lighting equipment. He then turned to take in the rest of the cast and crew, cupping his hands around his mouth so his voice would carry. “Thank you all so much for giving it your everything today.”
My heart lurched when he approached. What was he going to do? Hopefully, he wasn’t looking for a hug or anything personal. Instead, he made a come hither motion with his hand. “Can I use that?” he asked, grabbing for the bullhorn sitting on an empty chair beside me.
The way he inserted himself into the situation shouldn’t have made me grind my teeth, but they sure as hell were grinding when he turned the bullhorn on and addressed everyone. “I’ve reserved a room for us at Mystique tonight in West Hollywood. It’s an opening party, and the entire cast and crew are welcome.”
The excitement that rolled over the group had an interesting effect on me. I gritted my teeth harder, forcing a smile for the sake of everyone else. This was supposed to be my big, triumphant day, and he found a way to one-up me.
There was one person who knew me well enough to take one look at my face and sum up everything going on in my head. “Hey. Get over yourself,” Claudia murmured, standing close to me.
“Mind your own business,” I whispered, gathering my things while the crew chattered and asked for details. Eight o’clock, casual dress code, open bar was all they needed to hear.
“I’m sure this is supposed to be a kind, generous gesture,” she whispered. Because why would she ever cut me some slack for once? That was the drawback to working with somebody who knew me so well. She knew the right buttons to push and wasn’t going to back down no matter how much crap I gave her.
“Yeah, a kind, generous gesture I’m going to have to show up for,” I grumbled.
“I think it’s a good idea.” Suddenly, she stood up a little straighter, staring down at her phone, and I knew why almost before I heard his voice behind me.
“I hope you’ll be joining us.” When I lifted my head, ready to reply, I realized Lex wasn’t talking to me. He was smiling at Claudia, whose cheeks went pink.
When she glanced my way, she gulped. “I think I can clear room in my schedule as long as my boss says it’s okay.”
Oh, so we were now joking and friendly, were we? Seeing them sharing a smile gave me the sort of feeling I used to get as a kid when my sisters’ latest projects were praised while mine was overlooked. I felt like I wouldn’t measure up and had to work twice as hard to prove myself. I couldn’t imagine why that feeling overcame me at this particular moment. I only knew it made my skin feel too tight and my insides too hot.
“That’s fine with me,” I announced, though neither of them had bothered bringing me into the conversation. “But I hope nobody minds if I can’t make it. I have a lot of work to do to get ready for tomorrow.”
“Oh, come on,” Lex insisted as he lifted his sunglasses. His casual drawl made me wonder why he thought we were friendly enough for him to behave like this, like we were all one big, happy family. It had to be a matter of his image, making sure everybody saw him as the benevolent good guy. “Making an appearance for an hour isn’t going to ruin your schedule.”
“Says who?” I challenged with a tight smile that caused his dark eyes to narrow.
“Would you stop arguing?” Claudia whispered, but I pretended not to hear her.
“One hour.” He held up a finger while an almost playful grin played over his lips. I really wished they didn’t draw my attention like they did, and I wished even harder that I hadn’t wondered what they tasted like or how they would feel against mine.
It was clear I was outnumbered, and digging my heels in any more would only make me look ridiculous. “I’ll see what I can do,” I grunted out.
Claudia gave me a thumbs up, then turned away to take a phone call, leaving me face-to-face with Lex. He nodded slowly. “You did a great job today. I’m impressed.”
Dammit. My insides went warm, and my stupid pulse picked up speed. All it took was a little praise. Get it together. “Are you surprised I know what I’m doing?” I asked with a sweet and completely ingenuine smile.
“Does everything have to be a fight with you?” he asked, keeping his voice low, staring directly at me, and ignoring everyone around us. Was it possible for all of the air to get sucked out of the atmosphere? We were outside, for God’s sake, but I could barely breathe.
“Maybe I’m used to feeling like I have to fight,” I replied. He frowned but let it go, backing away without another word.
And as usual, I was left feeling like I had just been run over by a speeding train. How did he do that to me?
More importantly, why did I keep letting him?