"I don't know! I mean, I do know, obviously he's hoping to get back together, but this is a surprise, I didn't invite him!"
"I should hope not! What about Jordan?"
Kayla, although shaken by Boone's appearance, had to pause at that, and gave her assistant a wry little smile. "That obvious, is it?"
"You've spent every minute we're not filming with him," Trina said dryly. "It's pretty obvious, yeah. So?" she asked after a heartbeat's pause. "What about him?"
"Boone and I are not getting back together," Kayla said softly. "I just don't know how well he's going to take that. He's not a jerk, but…"
"But he flew all the way out here." Trina, unexpectedly, gave Kayla a hug. "It'll be okay. By which I mean, wow it's going to suck and boy I'm glad I'm not you right now, but…you should see the way you look at Jordan, Ms. Walsh. I think you get actual stars in your eyes."
Kayla couldn't help a laugh. "Thanks. Very reassuring. And yeah," she added, even more softly. "Jordan's the one. I know that sounds nuts, since I only just re-met him a couple days ago, but..."
Trina pulled back and eyed Kayla with genuine incredulity. "I'm sorry, but don't you know what kind of movies you make? Of course it doesn't sound nuts. It sounds romantic!"
"But those are movies!"
"Speaking of which…" Trina shooed Kayla the rest of the way into the building and for the next few hours, she barely had time to think about anything that wasn't her job. Scripted flirting with Anderson was much easier than dealing with what the back of her mind nicknamed 'The Development,' though dealing with it was really just going to be a matter of trying to let Boone down kindly.
"Meeting your paramour for the market?" Anderson asked cheerfully after they'd wrapped for the day. "Or shall I invite him out myself?"
Kayla mumbled, "Oh my God, that would solve everything," and although it was pretty obviously performative, Andy's eyes lit up.
"You're joking. Surely you can't intend for me to go flirt with your new man."
"No, I was thinking of sending you to flirt with Boone, and stop calling me Shirley."
Anderson laughed out loud. "You're an old films nerd, my dear, and—wait, Boone?" A rather endearing expression of complete bewilderment settled into Anderson's classically handsome features. "I thought you and Boone broke up."
"We did. But he's here."
"Oh my God," Andy said in vicarious delight. "He's making a Grand Gesture."
"He's creating a Development!"
They stared at each other a moment before Kayla dissolved into a high-pitched laugh. "Oh my God. I'm actually living a romcom, aren't I? Oh, no."
"No, no, it's wonderful, it means you get a happily ever after! And," Anderson put the back of his hand to his forehead dramatically, "I shall willingly throw myself on my sword and go flirt with your ex to salve his broken heart."
"I have to break his heart, first," Kayla said, less happily. "Aaah, God, Andy, this is a lot easier when it's a script."
"In your defense," Anderson said gently, "you did break up with him once already. The grand gesture is…well, it's a grand gesture, but it's not your fault that he didn't take the no for an answer. That's on him, not you."
Kayla squinted at her co-star. "Of all the things I wasn't expecting today, Ethan Anderson being the voice of reason wasn't among them."
He crinkled his eyebrows in return. "And your ex showing up three thousand miles away from where you left him was?"
"Well. No."
"Tell you what," Anderson said. "You actually have a date with Jordan, don't you?"
"Yes? I said I'd see him to walk around the market, at least."
"You go do that. I'll keep Boone distracted."
Kayla shook her head. "I should just deal with him, though."
"Yes, you should, and you will, but Kayla, his showing up to demand your attention doesn't actually mean you have to give it to him. Does Jordan know he's here?"
