by Tasha Black
“It’s just,” she began. “I don’t know. It seems like the kind of thing a grateful person is supposed to say. But I can tell you mean it. That’s… awesome.”
“Well what kid wouldn’t want to grow up in an apple orchard?” he teased.
But of course that hadn’t been the best part of growing up at Harkness Farms. Kate Harkness could have raised them in a fiftieth-floor apartment on bread crusts and rainwater and they would have been happy and content.
“I’m thinking it wasn’t just the orchard you loved,” she said with a knowing smile, as if echoing his thoughts.
“How did you guess?” he laughed.
“I’ve talked to your Mom,” she said lightly.
Oh, right. Lucy had worked the phones for him when she first came to William Howard as an apprentice. She would have spoken to Kate when she called in to talk with him.
“So how did you wind up in Glacier City?” she asked.
“I wanted to be a writer,” he said, remembering those days of living in a fourth floor walk-up and trying to write the great American novel. “I ended up writing copy for commercials.”
“That seems like fun,” Lucy said, wrapping her arms around her legs as if she were settling in for a bedtime story.
“It was fun,” he said. “But the problem was that no matter how good the creative concept was, or how perfect my copy, it all came down to the actors.”
She nodded. This was their world - of course she understood.
“Anyway, we had an account with a cereal company,” he went on. “We had a really clean concept for a funny kid, the copy was ideal for staccato delivery. I asked if I could sit in on a casting session.”
“Nice,” Lucy said.
“And then,” he laughed, “I was hooked. Quit writing copy the next day, lived on savings and Ramen until the internship with the casting director was done. Then he hired me. And here we are.”
“Wow, you were hooked,” Lucy said, impressed. “Who was casting that day?”
“Mr. Howard,” he said.
Her eyes got big and she nodded.
Mr. Howard was a big deal. Adrian realized how lucky he was.
“He took me under his wing,” he said, shaking his head, still disbelieving it. “He made my career.”
Lucy smiled.
“It’s true,” he told her.
“I know,” she said softly. “That’s how I feel about you.”
Adrian shook his head. That was altogether different.
“Please don’t shake your head,” she insisted. “You gave me this chance when I had no other options. You trusted me with your clients and your own reputation. I will always be grateful to you.”
A thousand emotions ripped through him.
He remembered the young girl who had turned up on the office doorstep, desperate for an apprenticeship. She had been willing to do anything - fetch coffee, type email, clean up databases. She was grateful for a kind word, never asking for opportunities, but always ready to jump in and help.
Her words made his heart ache. Though he knew they weren’t meant personally, he felt them that way. He couldn’t help it.
But they were all the more reason he couldn’t have a romantic relationship with her.
“You came to me talented, and willing to work hard,” he said gruffly. “I didn’t have to do much.”
“That’s not true,” she laughed. “I didn’t know the first thing about casting.”
“When you handled Brad Silver, I knew,” he said.
Adrian had discovered Brad in an after-hours production of Hamlet at a black box theatre in Chelsea. He was unbelievably talented with almost tragic good looks.
Adrian had brought the kid in for two auditions but he couldn’t hold it together in front of the camera. A lot of actors were bad auditioners and great performers. It was the equivalent of being a bad test taker but still really smart. Nonetheless, without good footage for the client, there was really no point in pushing an actor.
He’d decided to bring Silver in for one last go just two weeks after Lucy started working for him.
“All I did was talk to him,” she said. “And bring him a bottle of water.”
“You say that because you didn’t see his other auditions,” Adrian laughed.
Brad’s audition had gone from nervous bordering on robotic to warm and confident with Lucy in the room. There was something about her that set people at ease, made it easy for them to take in her soft-spoken yet insightful direction. Silver had booked the job and made them all look really good.
“I’m glad you were happy,” she smiled. “I still say I didn’t do anything, but if Brad was the reason you handed me my career, I’ll take it.”
Adrian hadn’t handed her anything, she’d worked her ass off for it. But there was no point arguing because every word that came out of her mouth was melting him. And he needed to stay cold.
“We’d better get some sleep,” he said.
“Oh, yeah,” she said, “of course.”
He almost felt bad for cutting the conversation short. But he leaned over and turned off his bedside lamp.
A moment later she turned hers off as well.
Leaving nothing but soft moonlight in the room.
6
Lucy
Lucy awoke happy, snuggled in a warm embrace.
For a moment she had no idea where she was, then her brain caught up to her body.
Adrian Harkness.
She opened her eyes slightly.
Yes, she must have rolled over in the night. Her cheek rested on his chest, and his arms were wrapped around her. One of her thighs was flung possessively over his hip.
Mortified, she slipped out of his hold immediately.
He groaned in his sleep and she dashed into the bathroom with her bag without looking back.
After a quick shower she was ready to face him again. They would laugh it off, no big deal.
But when she emerged from the bathroom he went right in without comment, leaving her to fret about how to handle the awkwardness of the morning.
Honestly, she’d gotten weird vibes from him last night when she thanked him for his help with her career. But everything she had said was true, and he knew it.
The phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. It was the double ring that told her it was business and Adrian hadn’t picked up his line. That made sense, seeing as the shower was running.
“William Howard Casting, this is Lucy,” she said, picking up and hoping it wasn’t an actor stuck at the airport.
“Hello, Lucy,” Kate Harkness’s voice was warm and cheerful. “Is my son around?”
“Oh, hi, Mrs. Harkness,” Lucy replied. “He’s in the shower.”
There was a moment of silence, and then the terrible half second during which Lucy realized how that sounded.
“I- I mean,” she stammered.
“Quite alright dear,” Kate said, humor evident in her voice.
“No,” Lucy said. “No, we’re on a business trip and one of the rooms wasn’t available, so we had to share.”
“Oh,” Kate said.
If she hadn’t known better, Lucy would have thought that the odd note in Kate’s voice was disappointment.
“He’ll be out soon, I’m sure,” Lucy continued brightly. “Can I give him a message for you?”
“Oh, no, dear,” Kate said warmly. “Just tell him I called to check in. How have you been?”
“Oh, I’m fine, thank you,” Lucy answered.
“I was sorry to hear about your grandmother,” Kate said.
Lucy felt the familiar pang of sadness. Her grandmother had been her anchor all the times her mom couldn’t stick around and be a mom.
“Thank you,” she replied. “I miss her a lot.”
“You always will,” Kate said, the wistfulness in her voice telling Lucy the other woman knew her pain. “But it will get easier in time.”
“Yes,” Lucy agreed. After almost six months, she was already feel
ing more at peace with losing her Nana, though the pain that had defined those first few weeks still reared its head anew from time to time.
“Adrian tells me you spend a lot of time at work,” Kate continued. “I hope you’re not pushing away friends or family while you’re grieving.”
“He - he told you that?” Lucy was stunned that Adrian was concerned, and that she had been a topic of conversation with his mother in the first place. She’d taken a few days off after Nana died, so it made sense his mom might know about that. But the rest of it…
“He worries about you, Lucy,” Kate said. “He cares about you.”
Just then the bathroom door opened.
Lucy nearly dropped the phone.
Adrian stood in the doorframe, billowing steam puffing out into the room from behind him like he was in a scene from an eighties movie.
He was naked but for the towel slung low around his hips. Lucy could see the individual droplets running from his dark hair down his chest, over chiseled abs and the trail of hair that led right to…
Stop that, Lucy Wren.
She managed to snap her gaze back up to meet his eyes.
Her thoughts must have been plain on her face.
His eyes flashed and he clenched his jaw.
“Lucy?” Kate Harkness’s voice sounded so far away.
“Oh, er, Adrian’s here,” Lucy stammered, closing her eyes and holding out the phone in Adrian’s direction.
He took it, the air sizzling between them as his fingers brushed hers.
She grabbed her bag and dashed outside.
“Hey, Mom,” Adrian said as she left.
Lucy swore there was hidden playfulness in his voice.
7
Lucy
Lucy was gazing into the woods from one of the rockers when Adrian burst out onto the porch.
“Lucy,” he said, a smile finding its way to his eyes when he spotted her.
“Hey,” she said, arrested by the warmth in his greeting.
“Are you ready?” He gestured toward the rental car.
She nodded and hopped up, nearly forgetting her bag. Then she almost bumped into Adrian, who somehow hadn’t moved a muscle yet.
“Sorry,” she muttered.
He tore his eyes from the trees. “What’s that?”
“Nothing,” she smiled. “Let’s go.”
It was weird that he was staring into the woods like that. Lucy wondered if he’d seen something out there that she’d missed. As far she knew, there weren’t really any dangerous animals in the woods of South Carolina.
She glanced back, but all she saw were trees swaying slightly in the breeze.
Adrian was already headed down to the car, so she trotted after him.
“Here we go,” he said, opening the trunk.
They swung their work bags inside.
Ever the gentleman, he opened her car door for her.
Lucy tried not to notice the scent of his aftershave or the shiver of awareness she got from being so close. If she’d thought one night sharing a bed would steel her to his nearness, she’d thought wrong. After only a few minutes apart, it was as if they’d never shared personal space before.
He got in and she looked out the window, waiting for him to start a conversation.
Instead, he started the car without a word and they left the parking lot.
“Do you think we’ll get a different performance out of them in a new setting?” Lucy grasped at straws for something to break the tension of the drive.
“Hopefully not too different,” he replied.
“Seems like an awful lot of money to spend,” Lucy observed, not for the first time. “Flying us and all the actors out here.”
Adrian nodded and didn’t reply.
Damn it. He’d gone into one of his moods again. She was getting emotional whiplash.
Lucy slid her phone out of her pocket, desperate for distraction.
Two texts awaited her.
* * *
Jeremy Hall:
Had fun last night! ;)
* * *
Wow, he was super friendly.
Unsure how to respond, Lucy went on to the next message. It was from her best friend.
* * *
Clover Plainfield:
Heyyyy, grl!
* * *
She fired off a response.
* * *
Lucy Wren:
Hi, Clover. How’s it going?
* * *
Clover Plainfield:
Are you kidding??? How’s lovrboy?
* * *
Lucy cradled the phone closer. There was no way Adrian was reading over her shoulder while he drove, but still…
* * *
Lucy Wren:
Cute, Clover. He’s fine.
* * *
Clover Plainfield:
Really though, are you kids having fun?
* * *
Lucy Wren:
Um. Yeah. No. He’s in a bad mood again.
* * *
Clover Plainfield:
His time of the month, huh?
* * *
Lucy barely suppressed a giggle.
* * *
Lucy Wren:
That’s not how I would have put it, but, yeah.
* * *
Clover Plainfield:
At least you can hole up in your room. Is it nice?
* * *
Lucy Wren:
No holing up for me. A freaking tree fell on my cabin. So we’re sharing a room.
* * *
Clover Plainfield:
… … …
* * *
Lucy watched as Clover wrote and deleted a couple of replies, then finally settled on a single word answer.
* * *
Clover Plainfield:
Epic.
* * *
Lucy Wren:
No, it’s torture, plain and simple. I must have done something really bad in a past life.
* * *
Clover Plainfield:
You’re looking at it all wrong. This should be torture for HIM.
* * *
Lucy smiled and looked out the window.
Clover persisted.
* * *
Clover Plainfield:
Seriously, wear some sexy lingerie. He deserves to be messed with.
* * *
Lucy Wren:
I’ll keep your advice in mind. We’re almost at work. Xox
* * *
Clover Plainfield:
Whatever loser. Wear the lingerie. xx
8
Adrian
Adrian tried not to distract himself with the idea that Lucy had been texting someone all the way to the studio. It was none of his business who she texted, even if whatever they were saying made her smile and gaze fondly out the window.
Of course the panther inside him was pacing with inchoate fury. The damned animal had no sense of decorum.
“Hey, Mr. Harkness.” The voice of one of their stable of regulars distracted him from his mood.
“Hi, Emilia.” He smiled down at her.
The perky blonde smiled back. She was a little flirtatious, but most of the actresses were. It was a job hazard for them, they were so anxious for work that they used any tools they had to secure it.
Lucy turned swiftly on her heel and went to greet another actor. Adrian wondered briefly at her behavior, then returned to the task at hand.
“Are you ready?” Adrian asked Emilia. He didn’t have to ask. Emilia was a pro. But it was pleasant to chat and easier than dealing with Rod Bilworth, who was sitting next to her and clearly dying to ask him a bunch of useless questions.
“Sure,” Emilia said. “I like this piece. They did a good job with the dialogue. It’s going to be a great commercial.”
Nice.
“Mr. Harkness,” Rod cut in anxiously. “I have a question.”
Rod always had questions. It was a thorn in Adrian’s side, but the kid was also a good
actor. The camera loved his earnest eyes.
“Can I help, Rod?” Lucy’s voice was patient, calming.
“The script says the brother is ‘annoying’ - yet his lines are pretty supportive,” Rod puzzled, turning to Lucy. “How do you envision that working?”
“Don’t worry about that,” Lucy assured him. “Just play it straight, like before.”
Adrian tried to hide his smile.
“You did great in the first round, Rod,” Lucy continued. “That’s why you’re here.”
Rod smiled broadly and Lucy winked and headed for the inner door before the kid could think of another question, or put together that Lucy felt he was naturally annoying.
“Break a leg, guys,” Adrian said to the room, and followed after her.
The inner studio was nice - soft white carpet, view out into a courtyard with exotic looking plantings.
Jeremy was already there, sitting at a desk, smirking at the crew setting up the cameras and microphones.
“You guys need a hand?” Lucy strode right over.
“We’re good, Miss Wren,” the PA grinned at her. He was young and muscular, with a forelock of auburn hair hanging over his right eye.
Adrian’s panther roared inside him and he silenced it by concentrating on unpacking his laptop and seating himself at the table.
“How’s it going, Lucy?” Jeremy’s voice was a note deeper than usual.
“Fine, thanks,” Lucy replied, seating herself between the two men.
“My grandfather can’t make it today,” Jeremy confided. “But I can definitely help to narrow things down for him.”