Page 43

He headed out of the studio, speeding up when he realised that Hannah and the tall, brown-haired medic had said goodbye to Kirra, and were now heading towards the entrance of the studio complex, presumably to board the shuttle bus.

Heart racing, he sprinted forward as they began to board the minibus. ‘Hey, Hannah!’ he called, and was rewarded when she spun around, and waited for him to reach her, letting the tall medic board first.

‘Oh, hey,’ she said, visibly startled. ‘I’m getting the bus. You don’t need to give me a lift.’

‘I don’t have my car. I’m getting the bus too.’

Hannah blinked back her surprise and nodded. ‘Oh, I see.’ She then clambered into the minibus and sat beside the brown-haired guy with a friendly smile. For some reason, the fact she’d chosen to sit with another man put his nose out of joint. He took the single seat across the little gangway between them.

A few other people boarded, and he shifted his long legs a little to let them pass.

‘When filming starts, they start using a bigger coach – for all the extras,’ said the brown-haired guy. He had a strong Australian accent. The cast and crew were a myriad of nationalities due to the European director, but there were still a lot of Australian locals on the team – especially with the studio crew and extras.

‘Air conditioned?’ asked Hannah, tugging off her fleece to reveal a tank top Caleb suddenly found very distracting. ‘Outside, it’s lovely, but the studios are always freezing! I can’t get used to it.’

‘Yeah, I know,’ drawled the guy, and he took off his own fleece, revealing a muscular physique beneath in a skin-tight white vest.

He noticed he wasn’t as broad or as muscular as Caleb – which was pure vanity and ridiculous. He wondered if Hannah even liked muscular men. If anything, he’d seen her peeking at him far more in Sydney and the drive up than during their time living together when he’d been training daily; it was disconcerting.

Hannah chuckled and then glanced at him as if a little worried. Crap! Was he openly scowling at her friend? ‘You need to put your seatbelt on,’ she said firmly.

Caleb did as he was told, and the guy next to her chuckled. ‘Alright, bossy!’

The blatant teasing made Caleb relax a little. Perhaps they were only friends after all, like he was with Hannah.

Why did that depress him?

‘She’s right to tell me off. Hi, I’m Caleb – Hannah’s roommate,’ Caleb said cheerfully, raising a hand in an awkward hello-salute, as it felt wrong to stretch over the gangway and shake the man’s hand across Hannah’s middle.

Hannah flushed with embarrassment, and he wondered what she’d said about him – if anything. The man leaned around Hannah. ‘Awr yeah, how’s it going, mate? I’m Zach. You’re Lucas Richards’s double, right?’

‘Yep.’

‘Awr, far out!’ declared Zach. ‘Hannah says you’re always busy training. You look good. How d’you do it? Must be a tough regime, ay?’

Caleb chatted to Zach for a short while about his gym routine, as he was obviously interested in fitness, and Caleb didn’t mind sharing tips. But his mind still spiralled in the background, wondering what kind of a friend Zach was, and if Caleb had some competition for Hannah’s affections. Which was ridiculous; Zach would make a great partner for Hannah – he was local, at least, and wouldn’t be leaving Australia anytime soon.

‘I can’t seem to cut that far. You look good,’ sighed Zach wistfully, leaning slightly to get a better look at Caleb’s chest in an admiring way. Caleb slowly began to realise that Zach wasn’t interested in Hannah, or even women in general. As they continued to talk, he picked up no flirtatious vibes from Zach directed towards Hannah; he’d even called Lucas hot at one point.

Caleb was delighted to discover that his rival probably wasn’t a rival at all, but gay. Which was such a relief, he wanted to cheer.

‘This isn’t normal,’ said Caleb, gesturing to his muscles, and feeling a little put out that Hannah only gave a cursory glance. ‘I do it for the filming and then go back to a healthier weight range after. I wouldn’t aim for this if I were you. It’s not realistic or manageable. I love my food, and filming is always a pain in the ass because my diet is so miserable and boring.’

‘That’s what I’ve been saying,’ said Hannah, a little exasperated.

‘That I’m boring and miserable?’ teased Caleb, although a part of him was worried she did think that.

‘No.’ She exhaled slowly and smiled at Zach. ‘I can’t speak for men, but most women prefer a bit of padding.’ She blushed, glancing back at Caleb, and then biting her lip added, ‘I mean, muscles are great. But if you’re always in the gym or eating miserable food trying to achieve them, is it really worth it? Especially, when you’re already fit and healthy?’ She cleared her throat and turned back to Zach. ‘Anyway, you look great just as you are.’

Caleb wasn’t sure if he should be offended or pleased she preferred his normal body. He decided to be pleased; normal was achievable.

‘Awr, cheers, mate,’ said Zach, giving her a playful and very much platonic nudge with his shoulder.

Nope, Zach was most definitely not a rival.

The driver of the minibus started the engine and pulled out of the studio towards the main highway and Surfers Paradise.

‘Do you have any plans this weekend?’ Caleb asked Hannah quickly, taking the lull in conversation as an opportunity to test the waters about the beach day at Lucas’s house.