"He did not pick me up," I tell her, my voice clipped. "We were both here at the lot, and you know it's murder to park down there. We just carpooled."
My interjection does nothing to slow her down.
"He was on set for the table read."
How does she know that?
"He introduced you to Hazel."
"We were at the Oscars," I reply, folding my arms across my chest. "We were walking the red carpet together when she came up to greet him at the end. I don't think he had a choice in that."
She ignores me again.
"He's apparently driving you out to Santa Clarita for hikes in the mountains," Jess says, her eyes narrowing like she's just presented her final piece of evidence in a courtroom.
I roll my eyes and turn to walk toward the staging area behind the set, but she follows.
"And he's offering his guest house to you. As far as I can tell, nobody's even been to Grant's house, much less stayed in his guest house."
I stop. My pulse ticks in my jaw as I slowly turn to face her.
"Jess, I know you're besties with Blair, but that doesn't give you an all-access pass to my life." I cross my arms, and my nails dig lightly into my forearms as I let my words settle between us. "I can appreciate that you're curious, but there's a line, and you're trampling over it."
Jess blinks but doesn't back down.
"Living in Grant's guest house is a practical solution to a problem, not a romantic getaway," I continue, my voice firm. "And honestly? That you think you have the right to pry into my life like this is pretty damn bold."
I ignore the flicker of amusement in her eyes and sort through the stacks on the table, looking for today's shoot schedule. My face remains neutral, but something in my gut twists with satisfaction at the flicker of resignation I spot on Jess's face. It's not that I owe her—or anyone—an explanation. But there's something about the way she's digging, like she knows something I haven't even let myself consider.
My logical brain tells me this thing with Grant can't work. But I've grown up in a world of make-believe, and sometimes, it's easy to imagine a different ending just for a moment, a happily ever after that isn't part of a script. One that's real. But I also know better. Real life doesn't work like that. Not for someone like me.
I force my gaze back to Jess, leveling her with a look. "So, he's nice to me. Did you ever think maybe it's to his benefit to keep me close? I'm a sought-after actress who brings in the box office numbers. Maybe that's all it is."
Jess studies me for a long beat, and for once, she doesn't have a comeback.
"Fair point." She grabs a donut off the opposite table and shoves it in her mouth. "Hey, I'm not after a story here. I'm just nosey. And you and Grant are two of my favorite people. I'd love it if there were some kind of love connection happening."
She licks her fingers before she pulls out her phone—to check for any missed messages, I'm assuming. I guess the interrogation is over.
"Besides, if anything were happening, I would've gotten it out of Lucas already. He's terrible with secrets."
Note to self: tell Grant not to tell Lucas anything.
"Well, thanks. I appreciate that. And I'm happy to share all the love that's happening with this movie. I can't believe how well it's turning out. We're on time and on budget. When does that ever happen?"
I take Jess on a tour, and she visits with some actors already on set. I know she'll mention this as an unofficial visit on her podcast, so I want to make sure I'm pointing out all the elements that will tease her audience without spoiling the plot for everyone.
Just when I think I've shut down and escaped Jess's obsession with Grant and me, we run into him on the way out of the sound stage.
"Hey, Soph. Hey, Jess," he says.
"Hey, Grant! What brings you out to the set today?" Jess asks with way too much glee on her face, and she's probably getting whiplash from the back-and-forth her head is doing as she looks from one of us to the other.
"Oh, I just wanted to connect with Sophia on a few budget items."
"Right. Well, I better head back to the office. I'll leave you two to figure out how you're going to make all the big things fit."
She's shameless, and she giggles at her terrible joke as she walks away.
