“Obviously, he didn’t.” I hopped down from the counter and tossed the now empty juice box into the garbage can.
“Well, still. It seems like he is a ticking bomb. I just hope that he won’t ruin your movie, too.”
The apartment door opened, and Marcus and Lucy walked in.
I focused on Char. “He is a damn good actor, Char. He can have any role he wants. They’ll forget about the video in a few weeks when some other celebrity cheats on his wife with the nanny, then everyone will focus on them instead. What’s gotten into you today?” I asked, frowning at her.
“What do you mean?” she mumbled, not looking at me.
“Hi, Liv,” Marcus greeted me on his way to the fridge and oh-so-casually brushed a kiss on my hair.
Startled, I turned to him as he took a water bottle from the fridge and walked right out. “What was that?” I asked to his back, pulling myself together.
He glanced back over his shoulder. “I said hi. Or is that banned, too?”
Lucy bugged her eyes at me from the doorway.
“Something is wrong in this apartment today,” I announced.
My phone pinged.
Thank god!
“My Uber is here. I’m leaving.”
“But I just got here!” Lucy whined. “You didn’t even hear what Jameson did to me today.” She widened her eyes at me. “In an empty classroom!”
“He rocked your world?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
She gave me a wolfish grin. “That he did.”
“See, I’m all caught up now. Text me when we’re leaving for karaoke night, and I’ll get back here to get ready.”
I grabbed my purse and walked out the door, not meeting Marcus’ eyes.
***
Finally reaching the building where the auditions were being held, I got out of my Uber and stood there to stare at the building for a moment. Was I excited because I was about to see my characters come to life? Or was I excited because I’d get to spend some time with Jason again?
“Olive!”
I turned around to see Jason getting out of his car. The way he stepped out and closed the door of that ridiculously sexy car of his…then, as if in slow motion, put his Ray-Bans on…
Damn…
Mini orgasm attack.
Then he got closer and closer, and I got an even better look at my dimple—mine, because I was staking my claim on that damn thing. After all, I’d seen it before all of his loving fans. First come, first served, right?
“Hi,” I managed to sputter when he reached me.
“Hi to you too.”
We just stood there and stared at each other for a moment, his smile getting goofier.
Should I hug him? Could I hug him? Was that even allowed? Why was I so weird?
Finally, he laughed and said, “Come here.” He gave me a sideways hug and looked down at me. “I might have missed you a bit more than you missed me, little one. It’s good to see you.”
Not the best thing he could’ve said, but then again I’d take anything that came out of his mouth when he was hugging me.
With my head tilted back, I looked up at him. Reaching up, I lifted his sunglasses and finally looked into his eyes.
“Nice to see you, too, Mr. Jason Thorn.”
Laughing, he kissed my temple. Had his lips lingered for more than two seconds, or was it just me? Did those two extra seconds mean something? Why go for the forehead and not the cheek? Did it have a different meaning?
Different meaning or not, my heart gave a happy sigh and the butterflies pretty much fainted from all the excitement Jason was giving them. I closed my eyes and savored the moment.
After we reached the floor where the casting crew was situated, he took his time to introduce me to everyone. The whole setup had a relaxed vibe, nothing scary at all. The casting director, Bryan, his assistant, and a cameraman to tape the auditions were the only ones left behind, and Jason seemed to know them all.
“I’m not late, am I?” Jason asked after shaking hands with everyone.
His eyes on the papers in front of him, the casting director waved his hand over his head. “Just on time, as always. Have you looked through the script we have ready?”
The script is ready?!
Jason nodded at Bryan and took the papers the assistant handed him. “I got them this morning.” After turning a few pages, he asked, “Which scene do you want to go over for this?”
“We’ll try the first time he finds his way back to Genevieve.”
“Ok. Great.” Glancing at the corner where I was sitting, Jason looked at me and winked.
I gave him a lame thumbs up and smiled.
Clearly amused, he shook his head and turned back to the director.
“Who’s coming in for Evie?” he asked no one in particular.
“We’re down to three names. We’ll see how you do on camera and then go from there.”
When I saw the first actress, Claudia Colbert, walk in, I was very proud of myself for not losing my cool. Even though nobody was paying attention to me, I still thought I deserved a pat on the back.
She was wearing a simple white tee with black jeans and Toms. Her hair was in a ponytail that was effortless in a way I could never achieve, and from what I could see, she had no makeup on. While us mortals had to have at least some concealer on, of course she’d been blessed with great skin on top of everything else.
She shook hands with Jason, talked with the director for a few seconds, then took her place in front of the camera with her script in her hand and waited for Jason to take his place.
“You guys ready?” Bryan asked, giving them all his attention as he got up and sat down next to the cameraman.
Both Jason and Claudia nodded.
“Let’s start reading from the top. I want to record the ending from two different angles so we’ll stop and take the last part again.” When they started reading their lines, Bryan was watching them through the little screen that was on the table. I tried to lean to my left to take a peek, but they were in my way, so I settled back and focused on hearing Isaac and Evie for the first time.
“How could you leave me, Evie?” Jason asked, already sounding like a different person—tired, broken, hopeless. He was becoming Isaac right in front of my eyes.
Claudia took a step toward him and tilted her head to the side. “I’ve never left you, Isaac. I tried, but I can’t leave you. But I won’t come after you either; I won’t force this on you.”
Jason’s voice turned harsh as he laughed. “Force this on me? What is this, Evie? Is there even anything left of us in you?”
She took another step toward him and lifted her hand, but then dropped it as both of her hands formed fists.
“Do I disgust you now? Is that why you can’t touch me?” Jason all but spit the words at her as his eyes took in her movements.
Claudia flinched and shook her head, her voice beaten and small. “I don’t want to hurt you any more.”
Jason dropped the papers and clasped Claudia’s wrists, lifting them up and pulling her against his chest in one quick move I wasn’t expecting. “You think your touch can hurt me? You killed me the moment you let me go in your heart, Evie.”
“Isaac,” Claudia murmured, and when she looked up at Jason, there were tears swimming in her eyes.