Chapter Four
Freddie
Andreas had a way of stepping on my last nerve while smiling at me innocently.
First, he’d gone out both last night and the night before.
I couldn’t say how I knew, but I just knew.
Scouring his social media hadn’t netted me any hits, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t hit the town.
His hotel was a nice one near Lonsdale Quay.
From the Quay, he needed only to hop the SeaBus to get across to downtown Vancouver.
Then a quick bus ride to Davie Street and he’d be in the heart of gay living in our fair city.
A trip I did infrequently.
I lived in a nice townhouse in North Vancouver.
An inheritance from a maiden great-aunt I’d spent a lot of time with as a kid netted me her home when she passed.
I never had a thought about what might happen to her things when she died.
I’d only ever cared about making her smile whenever we were together.
She lost her battle with cancer while I was away at school in the States. I didn’t blame California—or Andreas. She hadn’t told me she was sick. Likely because the diagnosis was terminal and, just as likely, because she thought I was having such a great time.
And I had been.
Until Andreas dumped me.
I watched as he held hands with Norah and they strolled through a busy street on our first day of shooting. Vancouver was, of course, standing in for Seattle. I loved when movies filmed here were also set here, but we’d been many different places over the years.
Andreas had tomorrow off while Norah did some solo work.
Then the filming schedule called for us to shoot more scenes outdoors for the subsequent two days.
Then three days in the studio, and then off to Mission City where several small-town scenes were going to be shot.
The town was close enough to Vancouver that we could commute.
So, lots of time with Andreas in my SUV over the next week or two.
Yay.
Fun.
Movement coming from the left caught my eye.
Before I could react, Andreas tugged Norah out of the way of a bicycle courier.
That wasn’t in the script. Thank God for his quick actions. Losing either of them to a dumb accident would be horrible.
I expected the director to call cut, but filming continued.
Andreas cupped Norah’s cheek, cheating toward the camera.
She gazed up at him with luminous emerald-green eyes.
He lowered his head.
She went up on her toes.
Their mouths connected.
My heart stirred for just a moment. I remembered, of course. What kissing him was like. He was an amazing kisser. Like, perfection. I had it all once. Then he dumped me and my life went in a different direction.
I always tried to take life’s pivots as a positive. Clearly I was on the right track, but now I was heading in the right direction.
Yeah, although I couldn’t regret where I was today, I could acknowledge some rough terrain to get here.
“Cut!” The director bellowed her instruction and, fortunately, everyone heard. Traffic from the nearby street filtered through to us—including a bus laboring up the hill from Lower to Upper Lonsdale. I didn’t envy those drivers. I found the route harrowing enough in my very sturdy SUV.
Andreas met my gaze.
Then looked away.
Guiltily.
Yeah, he was out last night.
“How are you doing?” Valentino Langston, our executive producer, positioned himself beside me. “I always love the first day of shooting.”
“I admit, it’s exciting.”
“Are you enjoying your new gig? Hallstein said he felt you were better suited to close protection rather than access control.”
“I hope to prove him right.”
“Well, you’ve got your hands full.” He grinned. “Andreas is a spitfire. Not well-known, but I’m hoping this movie will change that. The kid’s got talent.” He eyed me. “Sorry. You’re about his age, right?”
“Three years older.”
“Right. And you’re about my husband’s age, and I definitely don’t think of him as a kid. He’s a production assistant on Vigilante Justice. Heck, if you do well on this production, I might ask Hallstein to transfer you there.”
“That would be…amazing.” VJ, as everyone at the studio called it, was a big deal. Top rated network show, heading into its sixth season. First-rate cast and crew. “I’m up for whatever you can offer.”
“Along with your PhD?” Valentino grinned, his blue eyes sparkling. “I thought parenting was a multi-tasking nightmare. I can’t imagine doing a doctorate.”
“Most of my classes are completed, so I’m working on my dissertation and self-study. Tons of reading. Fortunately, I’m a speed reader.” I had my body angled toward Valentino, while still keeping an eye on Andreas.
The day was warm, and he was sipping a bottle of water. “Does he look flushed?”
Valentino squinted. “A little. They’ll cool him down before the next shot. I have to run, but I wanted to say great job.” He nodded and headed off toward the director.
Great job? I haven’t actually done anything. And he wouldn’t be saying great job if he knew Andreas had snuck out last night. I pursed my lips.
Eight hours later, I was driving him back to the hotel. The actual distance was only a few blocks, but he appeared plum worn out.
Colette was driving Norah as well.
I didn’t comment that Norah’s accommodations were…more upscale than my charge’s. I hoped he didn’t notice. “I’ll come upstairs with you.”
He placed a hand on my arm. “No, you won’t. I can manage to take an elevator to my floor without a problem. I swear I’ll stay in for the night and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I glanced from his hand to his face and back to his hand.
He withdrew it.
“I know you went out last night.”
“Nope.”
“I’d appreciate if you didn’t lie to me.”
“Not lying. Didn’t go out. Stayed in and learned lines. I know—tonight while I’m doing that, we can be on the phone together. Then you’ll believe me.” He glared. “You’re always going to hate—”
“I don’t hate—”
“Right.” He shoved the door open, hopped out, slammed the door with way more force than necessary, and stalked off.
I held my hand on the handle. Logically, I should be following him. He wasn’t trustworthy. All I had to do was imagine the video—with him trussed up in women’s underwear and handcuffed to a bed—and know he wasn’t a responsible person.
Still, I sat and waited.
What, precisely, are you waiting for? He said he’d call you tonight, and you could go over lines. Of course, that was before he took off in a hissy fit.
My phone buzzed with his name, and I tapped to accept the call. “Ready to do lines already—”
“There’s someone in here.”
The line went dead.
I ran.