“Sometimes we get chilly weather. A few years ago it dipped down to the 50s on Christmas. That was nice.”
“Mostly I’m surprised that you’ve gone so long without the opportunity to wear real winter clothes. You’d look ravishing in a knitted scarf.”
“You’re quoting your script. Time to rest.”
Monty grinned as Hilliard tugged him off the set and to their labeled chairs. He accepted the cup of water Hilliard fetched for him and studied the man over the edge of the cup as he sipped.
They were heading into a busy weekend. There was a big fundraising event they were expected to attend, and Edie Haywood’s movie was slated to premiere the night after that. As Ezra had explained to Monty that morning, it was a prime opportunity for him to prove that he was better behaved now. Unspoken had been the warning that if he couldn’t prove that, he’d be in trouble.
Monty took a sip of water and then tilted his head back, smiling a little under the warmth of the sun. He wasn’t as nervous about the upcoming events as he might have been before this arrangement with Hilliard began. Sure, there was a lot of pressure. But he was confident he’d be fine. He wanted to behave in a way that made Hilliard proud of him, and that was oddly less intimidating than behaving in a way that didn’t irritate the studio. He wanted to walk the red carpet with his best friend and not have the other man worrying about him the whole time. He wanted to see Hilliard relaxed and enjoying himself. The prospect of making him proud gave Monty a fizzy feeling in his chest. It was the motivation he needed.
He’d spent the days since their dinner party with Jesse and Cal thinking about what it would take to win Hilliard’s heart. He had come to the conclusion that it would never happen if he kept making the other man take care of him so much. It was obvious that his friend liked taking care of people, which was deeply rooted in a generous and tender magic such as his, but probably not to the extent that had been necessary of late.
If he could prove to everyone, but especially Hilliard, that he could put his past behavior behind him, then maybe Hilliard would take a chance on him, and let this friendship turn into something more.
“What are you thinking about over there?” Hilliard asked, smacking him lightly in the chest.
Monty smiled. “You.”
Hilliard’s eyebrows raised. “Oh? Still imagining me in a scarf?”
“That reminds me, what are you wearing tomorrow night? I want to make sure we don’t clash at the fundraiser.”
“I never clash,” Hilliard said loftily. “And you usually wear neutral shades. So I expect we’ll be fine.”
Monty studied his friend, giving into a fanciful imagining of them appearing at an event in coordinating outfits. Hilliard would wear something flashy and colorful and he would wear something staid, with hints of the colors Hilliard was sporting to tie them together. So opposite to their personalities in many ways. But Monty couldn’t shake off the idea that he and Hilliard fit together in a manner most people didn’t.
The man in question tapped his nose. “You’re wool-gathering, sweetheart.”
Monty shook off the fanciful ideas and stood. “You’re right. Should we get back to work?”
Hilliard smiled and tweaked Monty’s tie. “Let’s.”
“Cut!” Director Chen stepped past the cameras and up to where Monty was standing by the horse-drawn carriage.
He already knew what she was going to say. They’d been shooting for seven hours. The cameras had been repositioned for their third setup; he was exhausted, overheated, and the collar on his wool coat was starting to make his neck itch. Not to mention the fact that he was standing next to the horses, and he was a little uncomfortable with the close proximity. All in all, it wasn’t surprising that his performance was under par.
“You’re still giving it too much.”
“I know,” he groaned. He wanted to rub the fatigue from his eyes, but then the makeup tech would have to fix his face, and he really didn’t want to deal with that.
“This is meant to be the calm before the storm. A pause in the chaos. You’re too agitated.”
“I know, I know.”
She put her hands on her hips and squinted at him in the sunlight. Then she shouted over her shoulder, “Break for ten!” Before he could be relieved, she turned back to him and said, “Take off that coat and grab a cup of water. You’re taking a walk with me.”
Taking a walk was the last thing he wanted to do in the afternoon heat, but he happily shrugged out of the coat and handed it over to the costume assistant, who started applying a boar bristle brush on the garment the second it was in his hands. Monty could tell the assistant’s magic was helping him to catch every speck of dust and snow-soap from the fabric. A cup of cool water was placed in Monty’s hands, and he barely had time to take a sip before he had to scurry to catch up with his director, who had already started to walk away from the set.
He matched her pace and they walked in silence for a few minutes. He was just beginning to wonder if she intended to simply take a quiet stroll with him, until they left the Main Street part of the backlot. She turned onto the residential street and pointed to a two-story house with a gabled roof.
“Do you recognize that building? It’s made an appearance in multiple films, but it’s famous for something particular.”
“Uh…” He looked at her questioningly and then said, “Isn’t that the house where they filmed the Best family series?”
“That’s right,” she said, sounding pleased. “All for the Best was my first picture as a director.”
“Oh. I didn’t know that.”
