Chapter 5 Lila #3
“Great first day,” Carol said. “Lila, we’ll need your design proposal by Thursday. We’ll film some scenes in your studio. Vance, we’ll want confessionals with you later this week. Really dig into the emotion—what this house means, what having your daughter come home means.”
He nodded, but I could see the tension in his shoulders.
“Great!” Kenzie bounced on her toes. “This is going to be amazing.”
The crew started packing up equipment. Beau gave me a friendly wave and headed out to his truck. The producers disappeared into the kitchen, reviewing footage on a laptop.
And suddenly it was just me and Vance, standing in his living room.
“So,” he said quietly, “I feel like an idiot. How did we not figure this out?”
“They told us not to tell anyone,” I said.
“Right. But seriously, we’re not too smart.”
I laughed. “I guess we’re not. You said you inherited your mother’s house—I just didn’t put it together.”
“To be fair, we’ve been a little distracted.”
“That’s one way to put it.” I looked back toward the kitchen, where Carol and Kenzie were still huddled. “Are you okay with this? With me designing your house? Because if it’s too weird, I can—”
“No.” He stepped closer. “I want it to be you. I trust you. And think about it. You’re going to make this into a place I can bring Margot. That’s very special. Maybe meant to be?”
“I’ll make it perfect for you guys. I promise.”
His hand found mine, brief but warm. “And I get to be around you even more, which is pretty lucky.”
“With cameras following us around.”
“There’s that.” He grimaced. “And apparently you’re supposed to have chemistry with Beau.”
“That’s just for the show.”
“Is it?”
“A little bird told me I only have eyes for the homeowner.” I squeezed his hand.
He smiled faintly. “Dangerous words to say on a set where they want you to flirt with another guy.”
“Pretend flirt. For ratings.” I stepped closer. “I know it’s hard, but you can trust me.”
“It is hard.” His thumb brushed across my knuckles. “I’ve not felt this vulnerable in a long time.”
“Me either.” I glanced toward the kitchen. “For now, we’re professional—designer and client. That’s all anyone needs to know. What we do after this is up to us.”
He brought my hand to his lips, kissing my knuckles briefly before letting go. “Your daughter was right about that algorithm.”
“Only ninety-eight percent compatible, remember?”
“The other two percent is how complicated our lives just became.”
I laughed despite everything. “Yeah. Pretty much.”
“I’ll be leaving now for the meeting with Nicole in Cliffside Bay,” Vance whispered. “Good luck with the rest of your day here.”
“The same to you with your meeting,” I replied.
“Lila.” Carol called from the kitchen. “Can you come look at something?”
I squeezed Vance’s hand once more—smiling my encouragement up into his eyes—then headed toward the kitchen. When I glanced back, he was watching me with an expression that made my heart skip.
This was going to be complicated. Messy. Probably the worst timing possible. But I didn’t care. I wanted him in my life, and I wasn’t going to let anything wreck it—not even a reality television show.
By the second day of filming, the house was buzzing.
Cameras, cords, and crew filled every corner, transforming Vance’s quiet cliffside home into a working set.
Mia was in heaven—Kenzie had given her a behind-the-scenes tour, and she’d been darting around all morning with a headset far too big for her, chatting with the camera crew like she was part of the team.
Vance’s mother, Irene, had stopped by too, curious to see the chaos for herself.
I’d heard she was there, and caught glimpses of her earlier, chatting with the sound guys and marveling at the equipment with the wide-eyed delight of someone who’d just stepped into a movie.
The scent of barbecue chicken and roasted vegetables drifted from the craft services table, mixing with the salt air and the low hum of laughter. Crew members lounged wherever they could—stone steps, folding chairs, low patio walls—plates balanced on knees, sunglasses pushed up on heads.
I sat with Beau and Vance at one of the folding tables the crew had set up, a breeze lifting the edges of the paper napkins and rustling the eucalyptus in the distance.
I nibbled on some chicken as Beau launched into a story about filming in Baja with a rattlesnake loose on set and a camera operator who refused to stop rolling.
“Swear to God, the guy kept filming while the rest of us were halfway up a rock wall,” Beau said, grinning.
I laughed, shaking my head. “I’m really glad we don’t have any snakes on this set.”
Beau turned to Vance. “How you doing? Ready for this to be over?”
“I don’t mind,” Vance said. “But I doubt Hollywood will call any time soon.”
“You were good earlier, man,” Beau said. “Both of you are naturals. You’ll be surprised what they can do in editing. They’ll make it seem like we’re a thing if they think it’ll sell the show.”
“Oh. Well, that’s kind of weird,” I said. “I don’t know if I like that.”
Beau shrugged. “You’ll like the paycheck.”
“I always thought these shows were real,” I said.
“Like I said.” Beau held his hands up as if her were about to break into a jazz routine,” “Editing. It’s our friend.”
“Do you have a girlfriend?” Vance asked.
Beau shrugged. “Nothing serious. But I get some action.”
“Action?” Vance asked.
“Yep. One of the perks of the job. Wait until this airs. You’ll both be getting marriage proposals in direct messages on social.
I’ve met a few ladies that way.” Beau grinned.
“You have to be careful, though. There are some real psychos out there.” He stood, grabbing his plate.
“Speaking of ladies, I have a few calls to make. I’ll see you after lunch. ” He gave a brief wave and headed off.
“What do you think of him?” Vance asked.
“He’s nice.”
“Sure. A little too slick, for my taste.”
I smiled, tilting my head. “Are you jealous?”
“In the worst way.”
“Don’t be. I only have eyes for the homeowner,” I said.
Before either of us could speak again, Kenzie’s voice called out across the patio. “Vance, your mom’s here.”
He stood immediately. “I didn’t know she was coming. But she probably couldn’t resist seeing the crew and filming.”
“It would seem exciting.” I said as I stood, too, brushing invisible crumbs from my lap. “I actually caught a glimpse of her earlier conversing with the crew.”
“Come on,” he said. “I’ll introduce you.”
I followed him out to the front of the house. A petite woman with perfect posture and a swingy silver bob stood on the patio beside Kenzie, who was explaining the filming process.
“Hey, Mom.”
Her face lit up. “Hello there. I hope you don’t mind me barging in. I just had to see all this for myself.”
“It’s no problem.” Vance pulled her into a hug. “This is Lila Morgan—the star of the show. Lila, this is my mom, Irene.”
I stepped forward to shake her hand. Surprise flickered in Irene’s eyes, quickly followed by warmth.
“Lila’s the designer?”
Mia came running up, cheeks flushed with excitement. “Mom, the camera guys showed me a whole bunch of cool stuff. It’s so much fun.”
“This is Mia, my daughter,” I said to Irene.
“Hi, Mia. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Vance’s mom.”
Mia looked from one to the other, nodding. “You have the same pretty eyes.”
“Thank you,” Irene said. “You look like your mom.”
“Only we have different eyes,” Mia said.
“Mine are brown—I get them from my dad. But that’s all.
The rest of me is all my mom.” She paused for a second, clearly avoiding meeting my gaze.
“We’re having a party next weekend to celebrate Mom’s new show and everything.
It’s at our friend Seraphina Sinclair’s house, and it’s totally sick.
She’s basically on the beach, with this huge deck and everything.
All my mom’s best friends will be there. You guys have to come.”
Irene glanced at Vance, who glanced at me.
“I’d love it if you’d come,” I said.
“Seraphina Sinclair, the author?” Irene asked. “I love her books.”
“She’s Mom’s best friend,” Mia said proudly. “And kind of like my aunt. You’ll meet Esme, Delphine, and Gillian too. The five of them are thick as thieves. And I’m best friends with their kids. It’s kind of like a big family—which means there’s always room for more.”
“Well, goodness me, that sounds wonderful,” Irene said. “I’ll have to try and keep myself together, though. It’ll be hard not to embarrass myself in front of Ms. Sinclair. Her books got me through a lot of hard times.”
“Me too,” I said. “And a lot of other people too.”
“Vance, you’ll come, right?” Mia asked.
So much for subtlety.
“Sure. Sounds like a blast. I’m never one to miss a party,” Vance said.
“Yay! I’ll text Seraphina and let her know,” Mia said before bouncing away like Tigger on his best day.
“She’s adorable,” Irene said. “Old soul.”
“How did you know?” I asked.
“As a teacher, I observed a lot of young people over the years,” Irene said. “I know a good kid when I see one. Good job. Vance told me you’re divorced and have done all the hard lifting by yourself.”
I shrugged modestly, even though her words pleased me. “Yes, just like you did.”
“It wasn’t always easy, but I wouldn’t trade those years for anything,” Irene said. “We made a lot of memories in this house.”
“Mom, do you want to look at Lila’s design boards?” Vance asked.
“Could I?” Irene asked, lighting up. “I cannot wait to see what you do with it. I’d have loved to remodel, but it was never in the budget. I’m embarrassed at how bad it looks.”
“Not at all,” I said. “It just needs some updates. The house itself is wonderful.”
We walked into the house and went over to the table where my plans were still laid out. Irene studied them carefully, smiling. “This is going to be lovely. Very Vance.”
“Right. France meets the California coast,” I said. “Maybe we’ll start a trend.”
“Wouldn’t that be something?” Irene said.
Kenzie came running up. “Irene, Carol had the best idea. How would you feel about letting us film a little segment with you and Vance? It would be special to see you two together.”
“Me? On camera?” Irene touched her hair.
“We have hair and makeup ready for you,” Kenzie said. “Just come with me.”
Before Irene could protest, Kenzie had taken her by the arm and led her away, giving suggestions about what kinds of commentary they were looking for.
“This day just keeps getting odder and odder,” Vance said, smiling at me.
“I hope they know what they’re doing. Your mom might be nervous.”
“She taught seventh graders for thirty years—she can handle a few questions from the producers.”
That made me laugh. Having had a seventh grader and her friends in my home not long ago, I knew exactly what he meant.