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Emma handed Lucas an open, perfectly chilled bottle of water. She literally did everything for him. She’d told Caleb once that she was very well paid to do everything, including the ridiculous stuff, and that’s why she didn’t mind. But he had to wonder if Lucas was beginning to take Emma for granted.

‘I’m staying with an old friend at the hotel. She’s the one who helped me with Baz – her name is Hannah, and she’s your extra medic.’

Lucas raised an amused brow. ‘Ahh yes, the extra medic you insisted we needed.’

‘You did need her. Jackson was being tight for some unknown reason.’ In fact, Jackson was grating on Caleb’s nerves.

‘No worries,’ laughed Lucas. ‘So, how are you finding reconnecting with your old friend, Hannah?’

‘Fine, we’re just friends,’ he grumbled, not entirely happy that he had no need to lie in that regard. Usually, he stayed in a hotel until Lucas arrived, and then he moved into whatever mansion he was renting to help him train. But the past few weeks had made him think twice about leaving.

‘Pity,’ sighed Emma dramatically. ‘You need a girlfriend. You’ve been single forever!’

‘You can talk!’ laughed Lucas, before turning to Caleb with a dramatic shrug of his shoulders and arms. ‘I keep telling her, she needs to arrange some dates for herself for a change, rather than trying to save me from myself! I’m never gonna change.’

Emma blushed bright pink, and Caleb quickly intervened. ‘Who’s piqued your interest this time?’

‘My beautiful leading lady. The chemistry is undeniable!’ Lucas winked mischievously, and Caleb chuckled. Lucas had a habit of falling in and out of love fast.

Lucas sighed, pouting at his assistant like a naughty toddler. ‘Although Emma thinks it’s a bad idea.’

‘It is a bad idea. Think about press tours and—’ Emma replied with a resigned shrug, as if she already knew Lucas wouldn’t listen to her anyway – which, in fairness, he never did. ‘You’ll have to do the press junkets and interviews together after the film is released, which takes weeks, so it could be incredibly awkward later. Especially if things don’t end well between you. If you want to see someone while you’re here, I can easily set up some dates for you. Maybe with some high-profile Australian celebrities, someone who won’t mind overly much when you leave. How about that singer—’

‘The heart wants what the heart wants,’ interrupted Lucas. The conversation reminded Caleb of his own situation with Hannah, and he shifted awkwardly in his seat.

Emma began flicking through the tablet she carried everywhere with her, already starting work again after a long flight.

Caleb assessed Lucas’s physique. ‘Well, you’re in good shape.’ He was pleased to find they were about the same level in definition and build – it would make continuity’s life easier.

‘Yeah, your regime has been working well. I should be good for the love scenes in a month’s time. How is the shooting schedule coming on? Jackson has sent me half a dozen revisions for the stunts, and production are close to losing their minds.’

Caleb couldn’t even argue in defence of Jackson. ‘He’s a bit green.’

Lucas scowled. ‘Why the fuck is he the stunt co-ordinator then? This is a multi-million-dollar production, and we’ve got some idiot that Robert recommended running stunts. Why aren’t you doing it?’

Caleb shrugged. Robert was the second executive producer, and Caleb wanted to remain out of the Lucas vs Robert pissing contest that seemed to be rattling between them via email. ‘Paperwork isn’t part of my skillset, you know that.’

Lucas didn’t seem impressed by his answer. ‘Fine, but you should know that in the month that you’ve been here, the communication between the relevant departments has improved ten-fold. Franco believes you’re the reason why.’

Franco was the director, and had been in several production meetings with Caleb and Jackson, finalising their plans and shooting schedule. ‘Jackson has everything ready to go. He’s just a little inexperienced. I’ve only guided him on the process, not done the work. I’m useless with all that stuff.’

Lucas shrugged. ‘I’d still rather trust you than some dude whose last feature credit was as a co-ordinator for his dad’s Robot Tornado film.’

‘We’ve all got to start somewhere,’ laughed Caleb.

‘Some start higher than others,’ Emma said quietly, bent over her screen as she tapped it with a stylus.

‘True,’ agreed Lucas. ‘Jackson wouldn’t be a co-ordinator this early in his career if it weren’t for his dad being in the industry.’

‘That’s Hollywood for you,’ said Caleb. He genuinely didn’t care that Jackson had had a hand in his career. Hadn’t Caleb also gotten his first break in the industry from a personal connection, one that had led him to being taken under Baz’s wing?

Lucas made a grumbling sound before asking Emma to go through his plans for the rest of the day.

‘Well, you insisted on immediate introductions on arrival. So, we’ve got the studio straight away. First, we’re meeting Robert, Franco—’

Caleb switched off and stared out of the window at the passing city. The bright sun was only slightly dimmed by the blacked-out windows. He found his mind wandering back to Hannah, and her avoidance of him. She’d always been painfully shy in school. But she seemed to be far more extroverted these days, what with all her clubs and activities. She was broadening her friendship group too. He’d seen her more than once eating with Kirra and other members of the crew, while Caleb had had to return to their flat alone to eat his high-protein, macronutrient meals.

The boredom was making him restless. He needed some excitement and a change of pace. Thank God they’d start filming soon.