“You’re on,” he replied, a smile lighting his face and sparkling in those famous green eyes. “Let’s go.”
Chapter Eleven
Katrina began jogging toward the costume trailer, which was parked on the other side of the picnic pavilion. Ren, politely, didn’t run ahead of her but kept pace solicitously, as if ready to catch her if she fell. Unfortunately, that was an all-too-real possibility, running in a long gown that kept wanting to slide out of her grasp.
She felt younger than she had in a very long time, reaching the trailer out of breath and laughing like a kid. Ren, of course, physical specimen that he was, wasn’t even breathing hard. He went ahead with one of the helpers that would take his costume from him and care for it. There were separate little cubicles for each of them, to give them a little privacy while they changed.
Catching her breath, Katrina went into hers and quickly changed into her own clothes, giving the gorgeous dress to another helper, who would clean it, if necessary, and hang it up for her. She found Ren waiting for her outside, at the steps of the trailer. They’d both changed quickly and were right next to the pavilion, so they were able to get to the buffet before too many of the crew had arrived.
“Good timing,” Ren observed, looking around the pavilion. “You’re faster than I thought you’d be.”
“I’m not exactly sure how to take that,” she quipped, making a face at him, “but if it means we get first pick of lunch, then it has to be a good thing, right?”
“Absolutely right,” he agreed and ushered her to the very short line forming at the end of the buffet line.
Ren handed her a plate, and they both took their choices from the spread in front of them. Ren, she noticed, loaded up with meat, of which there were many varieties. She made herself a decadent salad with hard-boiled egg, chickpeas, cheddar and a dash of ranch dressing. Not quite what she normally ate, but she was done filming for the day, so she felt a little indulgence was in order.
“I see you’re really going to town with that ranch dressing,” Ren observed with a glint of humor in his gaze as he looked at her plate.
They had sat down a table on the outskirts of the pavilion where others could join them, if they wished. As the place filled up, Katrina was sure they’d have company at their table, but for now, they had it all to themselves.
“I honestly don’t know how you eat the way you do and still look as good as you do,” Katrina replied.
Ren puffed out his chest, looking very pleased with himself. “So, you think I look good?”
She punched his shoulder playfully, exasperated. “You know you do. You’ve made a career out of it. But I still don’t get how you—and a lot of the cast and crew—can eat the way you do and not be rotund. If I ate like you guys, I’d explode.”
He laughed, but his eyebrows lowered as he seemed to consider his reply. “There is a reason we’re the way we are,” he told her in a quiet voice. “I just can’t tell you what it is right now. Soon, I promise, okay?”
“Please don’t tell me you’re all on some kind of drug,” she said, putting her fork down, aghast.
“No, no. It’s nothing like that. I promise.” He told her quickly. “If you come to the island this weekend, all will be revealed,” he said, surprising her. “And I promise you we’re not some kind of cult or anything. Or, at least, not much of one.” He laughed at his own words. “No pressure, but if you want to know our secret, there’s your opportunity. Of course, I’m not trying to talk you into anything.”
“What is he not trying to talk you into?” Franny asked as she sat down beside Katrina, placing a heaping plate in front of her.
“Going to Jaguar Island this weekend,” Katrina answered immediately, wondering just how many people constituted the bunch Ren had claimed were going.
For a moment, Franny looked at Ren then shifted her focus back to Katrina. “Well, if Ren invited you, then you really should join us. It’ll be educational, I’m sure. Plus, the island is gorgeous, and Mark and his wife really know how to make invited guests feel welcome.”
Katrina wondered, with an inner spark of humor, how they made uninvited guests feel, but then, she remembered that the Pepards were among the richest people in the world. They probably had bodyguards or even a private army ready to defend their home.
“So, you’re definitely going?” Katrina asked Franny, just to be absolutely certain.
“I wouldn’t miss it,” Franny confirmed. “I think the plane Mark’s sending seats a dozen, at least, and you can bet that every seat will be filled. A lot of us know Mark and never pass up an invitation to hang out on the island. You should come,” Franny enthused. “You’ll love it. I promise.”
Others joined them at the table at that point, all with heaping plates of food. Katrina wanted to take Ren up on his offer just to find out how they managed to eat so much and not gain a pound. Franny announced to their tablemates that Ren had invited Kat to the island, and suddenly, she was subject to a lot of questions and encouragement. A few of the men even slapped Ren on the back, which made little sense to Katrina. It was as if they were congratulating him on something, but if so, she was in the dark.
One and all were friendly toward Katrina and promised she’d have a great time on the island. A few went on to describe the mansion, the lush jungle atmosphere, the warm weather, and the other amenities, all encouraging her to come along with them.
By the time lunch was over, Katrina was leaning mostly toward going on the trip to the island. It would mean not seeing her parents over the weekend, as she’d planned, but this job was really the adventure of a lifetime. She was pretty sure her folks would tell her to go to the island and meet all the famous people, and that she’d be home with them again soon enough.
Honestly, the fact that the movie star Sullivan Lane was going to be there was incredibly tempting. Katrina was a genuine fan and didn’t know if she’d ever get another chance to meet the highly accomplished actress. Sully, as she was known, had real acting chops. She starred in dramas and period pieces with equal aplomb. She really made you feel what the character was feeling, and after the first scene or two of one of her movies, you forgot you were watching Sullivan Lane and a bunch of other actors, and you really began to believe she was the character she was portraying. She had that knack of drawing the viewer in and making it all believable. It was her gift.
Katrina didn’t pretend to have that kind of talent. She aspired to it, of course, but she didn’t think she’d ever be as good at the craft as Sullivan Lane. Still, to meet her was an incredibly rare opportunity. To meet reclusive billionaire Mark Pepard and his wife was also a rare thing. And, even though she’d spent the morning kissing Ren, being in his company was going to come to an end at some point. She might as well spend what little time they had working together around him as much as she could.
Maybe she’d learn something that would help her acting. He’d already coached her into better performances. She could feel it.
She steadfastly refused to examine the massive crush she’d always had on him that was only getting bigger and more intense the more she was around him. The fact that he was such a great guy—if a bit confusing, at times—was not helping her get over her infatuation. In fact, it was only getting stronger. If she wasn’t very careful, she could find herself madly in love with the guy, which she knew was a road that could only lead to heartbreak.