He felt his hackles rise. “Yeah. Why?”
“Nothing. Just the first time I saw you two in the same room, she hauled ass in the other direction. Here, let me.” Emily put her hand out for his phone, demanding more than asking. He gave it to her, and she went about securing it in the tripod with a practiced ease that said she could do it in her sleep. “I thought she didn’t like you. Or, you know, anyone.”
Jasper tried to pay attention to what Emily was doing so he could do it for himself next time. “It was a misread. She’s just quiet. She’s actually pretty cool once you get to know her.”
“Huh.” Emily angled the phone just so and then tapped her fingers against her lips, pondering the area to be filmed. “Go stand over there for a sec. Be my model.”
Jasper walked over and stood in front of the white wall.
“Do you have any particular background in mind?” she asked, adjusting the phone again. “They have a green screen you can use. You can superimpose any background onto it.”
“Nah. This is just practice so we don’t need any effects.”
“Okay, just good lighting then.” Emily went to the wall and flipped a few switches. A bright ring light glowed to life. Jasper squinted in the white light as she walked back to the tripod and looked at his phone screen. “Smile pretty.”
Jasper obliged, amused by Emily’s no-nonsense instructions, and he pretended to flip his hair and bat his eyelashes. “I’m ready for my close-up.”
“Very nice. You look good on-screen. That light makes your eyes stand out,” she said with a tone a doctor would use to declare he’d passed his physical. She adjusted something on his phone screen and frowned. “You know, I have a real camera. You can borrow it if you want—as long as I can set it up, because if you break it, then I’d have to murder you.”
Jasper laughed. “Thanks but I won’t risk death. I actually bought a DSLR recently, but today’s supposed to be a quick test run. For what we’re doing, the phone is fine.”
He wasn’t even sure he and Hollyn were going to hit the record button today. Hollyn had done well a few nights ago when they’d run scenes at Fitz’s, but he suspected the post-orgasm relaxation effect had something to do with that. When he’d told her he wanted to try some camera stuff today, she’d sounded less than enthused. He smiled. Maybe he’d just have to get creative to help her loosen up again…
“Is it just going to be you two in here today?” Emily asked.
The question startled Jasper out of his dirty thoughts. “Huh?”
“Is it just going to be you and Hollyn in here?” she asked again as she futzed with the lights, her eyes narrowing each time she adjusted something.
“Uh, yeah,” he said, sensing there was a question within the question. Maybe she’d sensed his R-rated thoughts about what he and Hollyn could do in here with a locked door. “Why?”
She glanced over at him and shrugged. “No reason. I just see you chatting with Fitz McLane all the time. I didn’t know if he was part of this project.”
“Oh, no, not part of this,” Jasper said, watching her as she plugged a wire on the tripod into something that made the camera view come up on a computer monitor. “But we’re old friends, and I’m staying at his place.”
“Wait.” Her attention jumped his way, her ponytail whipping around. “You’re his roommate?”
Jasper’s eyebrows lifted at her breathless tone. Oh. He hid a smile. “Yeah, why?”
She bit her lip and then straightened as if remembering her normally perfect posture. “No reason. I was just…curious.”
He folded his arms. “Curious.”
“I mean,” she said, pushing a stray hair away from her face, clearly flustered. “I was only wondering because I’d like to interview him for my vlog. You know, he’s gotten so much accomplished so young, and I know he’s probably got a ton of productivity hacks to share.”
Jasper looked down, hiding his laugh as he stepped away from the lights. The idea of Fitz having some detailed productivity system was amusing, but more entertaining was Emily’s paper-thin story. Ms. Put Together was blushing to her roots. “Well, I can get you an introduction if you want. I don’t know his schedule, but I bet he can make some time for you.”
She lifted up on her toes like an excited kid. “Really?”
“Of course.” He went to the camera and checked the view. Perfect. He turned back to Emily to thank her for her help, but she surprised him by throwing her arms around him in a hug.
“Thank you so much,” she said, giving him a squeeze.
A little startled by the normally formal Emily being so effusive, he awkwardly patted her on the back. “No problem.”
“Oh, um, hey,” a familiar voice said. “I–I can come back.”
Jasper looked over to the doorway, his arm still loosely around Emily, and found Hollyn staring at them, a frown on her face, her cheek twitching.
“No, you’re right on time,” Jasper said.
Emily released him immediately and gave him a chagrined smile. “Sorry. I’ll… I’m going to go. Just let me know. Do you need my number?”
Hollyn looked off to the side, her hands clasping her elbows tight. “Really, I can—”
Oh, hell no. That resignation in her voice wouldn’t do. Jasper stepped around Emily to get to Hollyn. He reached up, cupped her chin to turn her face toward him, and planted a quick kiss on her lips. “Hey, gorgeous. Just give me a sec.”
She blinked up at him in shock, and he turned back to Emily, whose eyebrows had disappeared beneath her bangs. “Just bring me a business card the next time you get coffee. I’ll pass it along.”
Emily gave a little nod, her curious gaze darting between him and Hollyn. “Great.”
Jasper smiled. “Thanks again for your help.”
“Anytime.” Emily moved toward the door, offering Hollyn a conspiratorial smile. “Good luck with the project. I’ll put the Occupied sign on the door.”
Hollyn’s nose wrinkled and she grimaced, her tics making her look annoyed. “Thanks.”
Emily slipped out of the room, letting the door shut behind her. Hollyn’s cheeks were pink when she turned back to him. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“You didn’t,” he said, reaching past her to lock the door. “Emily was helping me set up the camera.”
“Sure,” she said, sounding skeptical. “That’s…nice of her.”