Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
NOLAN
“ Goddamn . How is it possible for her to actually be even finer in person,” Aiden groaned under his breath, talking to his sister.
“I told you she would be,” Nadia replied. “Now since I was right about that, how much you want to bet I can get her number?”
Aiden scoffed. “Before me? Zero chance.”
“I’m pretty persuasive.”
I dropped the facade that I wasn’t paying attention to them, looking up from where I’d been studying script notes on my tablet to frown. “You’re twenty years old, and that is a grown-ass woman,” I told them, attempting to squash their mutual lusting over Vanessa Kirkland.
Aiden raised an eyebrow. “I’m not catching your point.”
“Yeah, Daddy,” Nadia chimed in. “Like you said…we’re twenty, which is grown too.”
I sucked my teeth. “Technically, yes. But you aren’t that grown, that I’m about to sit up here and listen to this,” I explained. “Besides…neither of you have enough game to take her from Alec Everett. Hang it up.”
“I don’t know…that kinda sounds like a bit of a challenge to me.” Nadia laughed and all I could do was shake my head.
They were absolutely not grown enough for a twenty-seven-year-old, but they were too grown for me to actually expect them to heed my words about it.
There wasn’t anything I could do but let it go, as much as I hated it.
They’d only been here a day and were already running my nerves in the ground with this particular set. Kinfolk wasn’t their first time on a star-studded studio lot, but this one was full of the young Black stars that were hot right now.
So instead of focusing on actual intern-type things, which they would usually be at my side for while I was at work, they were both on straight-up fan behavior.
But…this was their spring vacation, after all.
I couldn’t fault them for having their fun.
We only had a few days left on set, so the energy was different anyway—yes, we were still focused on getting it done, but there was a sense of excitement and finality that permeated every next thing.
Every step closer to the final “ cut! ” before we were officially wrapped.
It felt… good .
Especially since we were free to do as we wanted.
Someone had gotten in the higher-ups ear about Matt and his shenanigans—I honestly didn’t know if he’d been sidelined or full-blown fired, but either way, I was glad to not have to deal with him anymore.
There was zero pressure about “going viral” or any other bullshit that had never been the point in the first place—and ironically, our latest episode to air had gotten our largest viewer numbers for the first night since the show premiered.
We had this down.
Charlotte had this down.
Speaking of her—damn near as soon as she crossed my mind, there she was, approaching Vanessa and Alec on set. There were shooting their last scene together of the show—of this season, at least—and Charlotte was even more hands-on than normal.
Nerves were getting the best of her.
I wanted to step in—wanted to offer some words of encouragement, but after the conversations we’d been having lately, I knew better. She didn’t need anything from me, especially not any pandering.
And I didn’t have any feedback.
So I stayed right where I was.
“That’s Charlotte Fox, isn’t it?” Nadia asked, tugging at my arm. “Dad—you have to introduce us to her.”
I pulled my attention away from Charlotte to offer it to my daughter with a raised eyebrow. “Why, so you can flirt with her too?”
“No.” Nadia laughed. “I mean…unless…is she into women?”
“She’s thirty-five. ”
“What’s your point?”
“I’m leaving y’all at home next time,” I chuckled, shaking my head. “This is not a fucking dating show—or a place for you to find a damn sugar mama.”
“I don’t know, Pops,” Aiden said. “Kinda sounds like you might be a little jealous because the ladies don’t want you. ”
Nadia bobbed her head. “Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking too. Notice how he keeps saying everybody is too old for us? Projection at its finest.”
“Yeah, okay.” I laughed. When I looked away from them to where Charlotte had been standing with the director, she wasn’t there anymore. It only took a slight shift to see that now, she was headed straight toward me.
Us.
To the outside of observer, nothing about that was unusual, but I happened to know better.
Charlotte usually made a point—even when she wasn’t actively ignoring me—to keep a wide berth. She claimed I was always talking about the budget or ruining the fun, so she didn’t want to create any opportunities.
Her walking up to me—and with a smile at that…shit.
Had to be a direct result of how deep in her pussy I’d been just last night.
“Nolan—forgive my interruption, but I wanted to let you know—I’m having craft services do a soul food spread for tomorrow—it’s a little expensive, but I figured we could afford a little splurge from wrap day, right?”
Not really.
But…fuck it.
“Yeah, of course—that’s fine.” I nodded. “While you’re here though—these are my kids, Aiden and Nadia. They’re college sophomores,” I added, earning dirty looks from both twins.
I knew Charlotte wouldn’t be checking for either of them anyway, but I couldn’t pass up a chance to seem like a hater.
“Oh wow ,” Charlotte gushed. “I knew you had kids, but damn—they’re whole adults.” She laughed, extending a hand to Nadia first, then Aiden. “And you all have the same beautiful smile.”
“So you think I’m sexy is what I’m hearing?” I teased, prompting an eyeroll from her and Nadia.
“Corny,” Nadia muttered at me then turned to Charlotte. “Ms. Fox, I am a huge fan of your work. Your series about the Black ranchers out in Montana? Whew, I was living for the drama. I was so sad when I realized it only got two seasons.”
Charlotte’s eyes went wide. “Wooow, Branded is a deep, deep cut.” She laughed. “I didn’t realize people were still watching it—that was my first show!”
“I know, which makes it even more impressive!” Nadia cooed.
“We got canceled a little too soon if you ask me.” Charlotte sighed. “But…if you promise to keep it to yourself, I can tell you a secret.”
“Please do,” Nadia whispered, leaning in to hear it.
“I’m writing a spin-off…thinking about just producing it myself.”
“That would be so dope !” Nadia squealed as I just stood back, watching.
I made a mental note to find and watch Branded myself, since clearly it was something Charlotte was passionate enough about to circle back to.
And producing it herself?
That was major.
“If you need any production assistants or anything, consider us down,” Aiden spoke up, and his sister gave her agreement via enthusiastic nod.
Charlotte tipped her head aside. “Oh really—it’s something y’all are interested in?”
Aiden and Nadia both looked at me, disgusted.
“ Really , Daddy—you don’t tell people you have kids who want to be in the business?!” Nadia asked.
Aiden shook his head. “How are we supposed to live out our nepotism baby dreams if you won’t even put us on?”
“In your father’s defense,” Charlotte laughed, “he and I are not exactly…uh…we don’t really do much talking outside of what’s absolutely necessary. Right?” she said, meeting my gaze in a way that reminded me—yet again—of the night before.
When her eyes had been locked with mine while she did her very best to suck the soul out of me through my dick.
Charlotte Fox was a very, very dangerous woman.
“Yeah,” I agreed. “Ms. Fox thinks I’m mean.”
“Then stop being mean to her—I want to work on her show,” Nadia insisted.
“I’ve learned not to take it personal.” Charlotte grinned. “But, it’s very cool that you both want to get into the business—and you’re in a perfect position to do so. After college, of course.”
“So you’ll wait for us?” Aiden asked, making Charlotte laugh.
“I’ve gotta put a few dollars aside here and there to make it happen, so…yes, kinda. By the time you finish college, maybe I’ll be ready to put the project in motion by then.”
“You hear that?” Nadia asked me. “Stop getting on her nerves so she doesn’t skip over us.”
“I will make no such guarantees.” I laughed just before the signal for quiet on set went on.
The scene was starting.
While Nadia and Aiden were enthralled with that, I made a point of pulling Charlotte aside.
“You realize you’ve made their whole day, right?” I asked her quietly, gesturing to where the kids were standing.
She looked at them then back to me with a smile. “Well, I know for a fact that you’d do the same, so…it’s nothing. Really.”
I nodded. “You didn’t tell me you were planning a show. Especially not one you want to do on your own. Why?”
“Well…it’s not like you asked.”
“Would you have shared that with me if I did ask?” I countered, eyebrow raised as I waited for an answer.
I could tell she was giving it real thought, which I appreciated, before she shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean…we’ve been doing what we’ve been doing, sure, but…I didn’t think we had a relationship like that .”
“What if we did, though?”
Her eyes went wide. “Are you saying that’s what you want?”
“Honestly…I don’t know,” I chuckled. “That depends on what we’re really getting at.”
She bit her lip. “Uh…I don’t know either.” She shrugged. “I’m not really looking to be partnered, not right now. And if I was…I don’t know that you… ”
I waited, and waited for her to actually finish that statement, but she just looked stuck, with a bit of a disgusted look on her face.
“Damn…I’m that bad?” I asked, and she held that expression for another beat before she laughed.
“No, I’m fucking with you,” she admitted. “But I don’t know that I’d consider you like…boyfriend material. Partner material. Whatever we call it now. You don’t exactly give settle down vibes.”
“I’d love to know exactly what that shit means.”
“Get somebody else to tell you.” She laughed, shaking her head. “It’s not an insult, though—you’re like me, married to the job. This business is the love of your life, just like it’s mine.” She shrugged. “Difference is, now I have a young kid that I’m responsible for, and between that, and trying to maintain my friendships, and have time for me …I don’t think I’m partner material either.”
I nodded. “I think I can understand that— not that I was quite asking for that anyway.”
“Okay, so…what then? What are you looking for from me outside of the very intimate access to my body you’ve already weaseled your way into?”
“Damn, weaseled ?”
“I said what I said, and I stand by it.” She giggled. “But seriously…what is it?”
I pushed out a sigh. “I…want to know that you’re working on a spin-off of your first show, seeking redemption. I wanna know about you having the guts to just do it yourself, approval from anybody else be damned. I want…hell, I want to work on your show too—I want to help you create the magic we’ve made what…five or six times now for other folks?”
“Are you offering to volunteer your time?”
“ Hell no,” I chuckled. “But I could be talked into…pay on a sliding scale. Some skin in the game, something like that.”
“Nolan—I’m shocked to hear that. You are one of the most sought-after names in this business, you don’t have to do stuff like that anymore.”
“You’re right,” I agreed. “I don’t. But I could be convinced that part of my compensation was getting to see a talented young writer make her dreams come true. I mean…for a friend, that is.”
A little smile started to creep over her face, but she immediately suppressed it.
Mostly.
She couldn’t keep it out of her eyes.
“So…is that want you want, Nolan? For us to be… friends ?”
“Yes.”
“ Just friends?” she asked with a smirk, and I shook my head.
“Nah. Not just . The ‘with benefits’ kind.”