We were supposed to chastely give each other a peck, but Chad’s mouth came down on mine in much more than a peck. I shoved him back, and he fell off his stool, growling at me as he stood and brushed off his clothes.
Thane groaned and ordered us to do it again.
“A peck on the lips, Chad,” I warned.
He shook his head, his smug smile now back in place. “You sure you’re not trying to prolong the magic? How many times do you want to repeat this scene, princess?”
Ugh, he was right. I gave it everything I had on the next take, so ready to move on to the food fight. The Strength Warriors must have every normal high school experience when they’re not battling monsters.
Doug walked in an hour later, sixteen takes into throwing food at each other, and it was all I could do not to break scene and see what he was up to. He headed into Randy’s office and closed the door. Interesting. What was he doing meeting with the head producer?
I didn’t catch when he came out, but at some point Doug found a spot against the wall behind the cameras and watched us finish up.
The producers made him keep his hair long so he could slick it back, giving him the typical villainous hairstyle, but he was not filming today, and the way he’d styled it suited him. It was as if he’d transformed from Snape to that hot dude onDr. Quinn Medicine Womanwho never wore a real shirt.
He caught my eye as I was walking off set, covered in food. “Can we talk?” he murmured, low enough to not draw attention to us.
“Wait for me,” I told him before the set crew began pulling the worst of the muck out of my hair and off my clothes. Wrapped in a beach towel, I headed straight to my trailer and took a quick shower.
If Doug wanted to talk, did it mean he was reconsidering my offer? Or did he think we were friends now because I invited him to my trailer yesterday and confided in him?
I didn’t really do friends anymore. I could fake it when necessary, but to truly let someone into my life? That hadn’t happened in a long time. Even my last roommate and I lived separate lives for the two years we shared my house. Last week she gave up on Hollywood and moved back to New Mexico, promising she’d send me what she still owed in back rent. I’ll never see that money. It’s not worth pursuing, and the saddest part? I don’t miss her, and I’m not angry either. It was a business transaction gone wrong. Nothing more.
I looked for Doug when I came out, and spotted him by my car. Unlocking it, I motioned for him to get in.
We needed to go somewhere private, and I knew just the spot. It was still on the property, but away from all the nosy set people who might see us together. I drove us to the koi pond in the back of the studio lot and got out, walking around and looking at all the overfed fish. They lazily approached the surface and then retreated when they realized I wasn’t there to feed them.
“I didn’t know this was here.” Doug ran his hand over a cattail and moved to sit on the cement bench near the water’s edge. “I thought about what you said, and I talked to my agent and to Randy. I’m cleared to do another TV project as long as it doesn’t interfere with next season.”
“I thought you didn’t want to do it.” I sat down next to him and wrapped my arms around my knees.
He gave a hard laugh. “I don’t. I hate talent shows. But I trust you. And I tend to say no to most things at first. It keeps me out of trouble.”
The man was full of surprises. “That is strangely the most intelligent thing you’ve ever said.”
“What, that I trust you?” He grinned at me, and I rolled my eyes.
“No, that you say ‘no’ to everything at first. A cautious man. I like it.”
He made a face. “Probably too cautious. But why do you want me to be a judge on your show?”
“Why would you agree to do it if you’d hate it?”
He stared me down. “This conversation is getting circular.”
I was liking him more and more. He’d do nicely as a fake boyfriend. But I wasn’t ready for him to know that part yet. He had to sign all the paperwork first and negotiate his salary. Then I’d tell him.
Doug
I wanted to say yes, but there was a lot I still didn’t know. Yes, I trusted Willa’s judgment and her instincts about people, but there was only so much she showed people about herself. I knew she didn’t despise me the way she did Chad and some of the other clowns on set, and I felt like I understood Willa about as well as anyone could, but she was a mystery wrapped in an enigma surrounded by intrigue, or however that quote goes. Of all the people better fit for this kind of role, why was she asking me?
She looked away, and I studied the pond. A white and gold streak disturbed the water and then dived down deep. I should get fish. They were relaxing to watch.
I sighed. “Randy was very concerned about the type of roll I might take. You’re right, he wants to preserve my bad boy image, and yet keep me wholesome.”
“He doesn’t have control over that.”
“Yes, but Randy and Thane could make my life miserable if they wanted to. Is this show of yours a done deal?”
