by Box Set
“Have you been together long?”
“We only just met.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t have guessed that. Did he book the cottage too? Are we a triple booking?”
His lips quirk upwards at their edges. “Hardly, you were due last weekend, remember.” Nice barb he jabs me with. “And no, we came together.”
Came, not arrived. I note the word choice, and chalk it up as another means of him staking his claim over Jasper, just in case I get any funny ideas. The thing is, if I was going to jump one of them, Lorne would absolutely be my first choice. Why? Because he doesn’t look at me and see a woman who doesn’t exist. To him, I’m me, not somebody else, whereas Jasper’s mind locked in squee mode the moment his fantasy girlfriend became reality. I’ve made the mistake of going out for dates with too many fanboys. They take Lana Bow to bed with them, and then wonder what the heck happened when they wake up with plain old Mikayla Ashton.
I never asked to become an icon. Edward has a fuck of a lot to answer for.
“I brought the scripts.” Jasper enters the lounge brandishing a sheaf of papers. He stops and takes in both mine and Lorne’s positions before the fireplace before trotting over to join us. He squeezes into the space between us. The moment my gaze fastens upon the script, he seizes the opportunity to elaborate.
“I guess Lorne didn’t tell you. We’re actors. We’re here to do some pre-shooting rehearsals. Got to get familiar with one another beforehand as we’ve some pretty intense scenes together. I’m Jasper, by the way.” He offers me his hand to shake.
Lorne rolls his eyes.
Um, I’m pretty sure we already did introductions, but whatever.
“I’m Mikayla… Mikayla Ashton. I answer to Mikayla or Mika, but not Kayla or Kay, and definitely not Lana.”
“But you are Lana Bow,” Jasper insists.
I shake my head. “I’m really not. Just like he’s not Budgie. I’ve just dressed up as her once or twice.” Yes, bingo! I finally know who and where I’ve seen Lorne before. I extend my hand to him, hoping he’ll take it. “You’re Lorne Everett.”
His eyes fractionally narrow, and the hint of a smile plays upon his all too kissably perfect lips. “Thanks for noticing.”
I think I just scored a point.
“Budgie?” Jasper clumsily shoves his way back into the conversation.
“In Sunsetters, he spent the whole film wearing nothing but a pair of them.”
“Budgie smugglers,” Lorne clarifies. “It’s a fact that haunts me.”
Truth be told, I can’t think of a single thing he’s done since. No matter, my attention is snagged by the supreme-blueness of his eyes.
Jasper blathers on beside us, but I don’t process a word of it.
“What’s that?”
“I was just saying how amazing it is to meet you in person. It’s like totally out there…mind fuck unreal.”
Jasper can’t disassociate the actor from the character with quite the same degree of mental agility Lorne manages.
“How amazing is it that I get to spend the weekend with the Lana Bow? And not any old weekend, but launch weekend for HBD4.”
Okay, I don’t deal well with gushy, and he’s getting gushy. In a minute, I’m going to get crushed inside an uninvited bear hug.
“So, you’re actors?” I direct the question at Lorne, who gives a slow nod in response. He’s watching Jasper and me with a deepening frown etching lines across his forehead.
No—I don’t want to make him frown.
“We are.” He catches a tooth against his lower lip.
“When you came through a few minutes ago, we were rehearsing.” Jasper wrings his hands, as if by performing the action he can somehow convince me that’s what they were doing, and I didn’t walk in on Lorne sucking him off.
Even if I hadn’t seen that, I’m not sure I’d buy the story. The fire between them is real. It’s smouldering away even now, while Jasper’s going out of his way to hide it. I swear they’re generating as much heat as the coals burning in the grate.
“Well, you had me fooled!” I raise my hands and shrug my shoulders, while praying the announcement will clear the air a little. It’s feeling rather weighty. “I totally thought I’d walked in on something.”
That would be because I did. I totally, totally did.
“Good to know that I was mistaken and nothing private was happening.”
It so was.
Lorne’s mouth was definitely wrapped around something big and hard. I’m one hundred percent positive about that. In any case, Lorne’s expression gives the game away. While he can wrestle his features into neutrality, his eyes act like windows to what’s underneath. Pain flashes through them every time Jasper downgrades their connection. I’m genuinely sorry I’ve screwed things up for him. Maybe there’s a way I can help, or if not, at least help soothe away the irritation. Assuming he has any interest in the opposite sex.
“I don’t want to get in your way…If you want to carry on rehearsing or whatever, then please do. I can hang out in another room or watch and offer suggestions or something.”
I was doing well until I added that last bit. Didn’t really mean to suggest I could watch them make-out. Okay, I totally do love the idea of watching them, they’re both so pretty, but I get that it’s tactless and that I probably shouldn’t have said it. I still sometimes regret not doing my thesis on human sexual behaviour. Plants are great, but watching pollination isn’t exactly riveting stuff. Not in comparison to watching human males humping.
“You want to watch us practice?” Jasper swallows hard. He raises a hand to cover his mouth. “I’m not sure…that is, I’m not sure we’re ready to be watched.”
“I don’t have a problem with her watching.”
I’d like to kiss Lorne. Not sure Jasper feels the same way.
“You don’t?” he blusters and makes another gulping sound. He stares wide-eyed at Lorne, who is apparently so at ease with the idea, he’s smiling.
“It could be useful to have somebody watch and give us some feedback on how it’s coming across, let us know if it seems genuine, or if we’re both too stiff.”
“Stiff could be a good thing.”
Jasper licks his lips and pretends not to hear me. “Well yes, obviously it would be useful to know those things, but we shouldn’t impose. Lana might not want to watch us playing off one another and sucking faces.”
Um, actually I volunteered.
“You’ve better things to be concentrating on, right? Like researching your next expedition.”
I’m not planning any expeditions. My last trek through the Amazon basin is too fresh in my memory. I’m keen to spend the next six months or more free of insect bites. In any case, I need to secure some basic funding before I start dreaming big again. Hang on, he’s not talking about my actual research, which he’s entirely unaware of. He’s imagining me planning some relic hunting mission in Mongolia. Christ, is it really that difficult to clock the fact that I’m not Lana Bow?
“Jas, she offered.”
“I did,” I say, backing up Lorne, and moving closer to him. “And while my research is important to me, I don’t mind taking time out to help a couple of new friends for the evening. It’s the least I can do in exchange for your hospitality.”
“Oh yeah, that’s what we were going to discuss.” Jasper claps his hands against his temples. “We were going to figure out arrangements, what with there unexpectedly being three of us and only one bed. What do you think, Lorne? How are we going to sort it?”
“Sort what?”
“The sleeping arrangements now Lana’s here.”
“Mikayla,” I correct him again.
“That’s right, Mikayla.” He shoots a smile straight at me. It doesn’t make up for him getting my name wrong.
Lorne’s attention remains on the fireplace. “The bed’s plenty big enough for three.”
Oh, hell yeah! I clap a hand across my mouth and endeavour not to grin like a lunati
c. Did he casually suggest sharing a bed? He most certainly did, and um, yes please. My toes curl in excruciated excitement.
“You’re proposing we all sleep together?” Jasper’s voice trembles. His expression is priceless. Poor sod, this on top of a make-out rehearsal in front of me. It’s too much for him. He could use a sit down.
“Unless you’re desperate to take the floor?” Lorne says.
Jasper blinks rapidly. “No…no. I’m fine with us all sharing. It’s no big deal. It’s just a place to rest our heads, and we’re all adults, right? What I mean is, if Lana-Mikayla’s fine with it.”
“It’s just Mikayla.”
“Yes, whatever you’re comfortable with.”
“Guess that’s sorted then. Shall we find something to eat?”
I love how Lorne’s so business-like and swiftly moves things along like it’s totally no big deal for three strangers to agree to cosy up together. He turns and heads towards the kitchen.
“Wait! Lorne, wait up.” Jasper catches hold of the back of Lorne’s shirt, tugging on the fabric until Lorne comes to a halt. “Are you sure about this?”
“What’s the problem?”
“Nothing…nothing. Look, you did just mean we’d be sleeping together, right? Not sleeping together?”
“I’m easy,” Lorne drawls, and I’m forced to shove my fist into my mouth to stop myself fly-catching. Jasper’s jaw definitely hits the floor.
“Stop mucking about. You’re not serious. Are you interested in her like that?”
“Is there a threesome scene you need to rehearse?” I ask. The bad girl in me just refuses to keep quiet.
Lorne doesn’t say a word. To be fair, I’m not sure there’s a whole lot of space for him to speak, ‘cause Jasper starts rambling about things being inappropriate and us all having just met, while cagily dropping hints that if I was actually up for it, he totally wouldn’t say no to the idea. Not that he’s pushing or angling for anything to happen between us, and obviously I’d be the one sleeping in the middle. I’m suddenly afraid that any minute he’s going to descend into ultimate squee mode, and then a night shivering in the empty bathtub is going to look more appealing than being cosied up under a duvet with the best-known towel model in the universe and the clueless Lana Bow fanboy he’s desperate to hump.
“Tell you what,” Lorne suggests. “Why don’t the pair of you figure it out while I cook?” He shuts the door behind him as he exits.
“Yeah, we can do that. We can, can’t we, L-Mikayla?”
“I think I should go and help stir,” I say. “I’m sure we can figure out the sleeping arrangements later when we actually need to.” Situations can change a lot in a few hours.
Chapter Seven
Mikayla Ashton
The food is surprisingly, mouth-wateringly good. Not sure why it should be such a surprise that Lorne can cook, but what he produces is damned impressive. I don’t think I’ve sat down to a meal this amazing since the last time my family spent Christmas together, and that was so long ago, I was still thrilled by the prospect of receiving a doll. It’s not that we haven’t all been present in the same room at that time of year since then, it’s just almost guaranteed that someone or other isn’t quite who we’d like them to be. More recently, I’ve been travelling for work, or Joel’s had a gig with his band. It’s for the best to be honest. Life’s way too confusing occupying that space. Too much past trauma overshadowing things, none of which is mine, and none of which is ever likely to go away.
We eat at the little table in the living room. It’s barely big enough for two, let alone three, and we have to bring in an extra chair from under the umbrello, but the cosiness adds something. It certainly erodes a few barriers, sitting so that our knees are all jammed together. After time to mull it over, I’m not sure how serious Lorne was about the actual sleeping arrangements. I don’t think he’s exactly thrilled to have me here, so I can’t imagine why he’d suddenly want me in bed with him and Jasper, when it could be his chance to make another move and erode a few more barriers between them. I’ve established that they’re not an item, and they are genuinely actors here to put in some additional time on the script before shooting, but it’s painfully obvious they’re seriously hot for one another too. Leastways, it’s obvious that Lorne wants into Jasper’s pants. Jasper’s in denial, and unfortunately for me, his obsession with Lana Bow provides the perfect mask to hide behind.
Seriously, my ears are going to bleed if he mentions her or the blasted Here Be Dragons games one more time. He’s been reliving favourite moments. Talking to me about them like they’re experiences we’ve shared. I haven’t quite managed to bring myself to explain that I haven’t the first damned clue what he’s talking about, as I’ve never actually played any of the games, couldn’t give a fig about their combat engine or the killer graphics, and have no intention of ever doing so. Science geek—I own that label. Gamer geek, I’m so totally not, despite my iconic status.
I think Lorne is a closet British literature nerd.
If I had a bigger head, maybe I’d revel in my notoriety. As it is, I just want to stab my digital nemesis with the twin blades she’s apparently so proficient with, or I could just stab Jasper with a fork. Wonder if that’d kill his enthusiasm for me or if it’d just cause him to gush even more over having secured a unique trophy: The Time Lana Bow Stabbed Me, definitely sounds like it could be an in-game reward.
“And the panoramic view of the jungle when you emerge onto the top of the Aztec pyramid…totally amazing.”
“Agreed. Hang on, which pyramid? What jungle?” For a moment there, I thought we’d moved on to actual physical locations, not digitally created ones. I have climbed a couple of actual pyramids on my travels.
Jasper gawps at me like I’ve grown a second head. Lorne laughs and pushes his cleaned plate away from him so that it bumps against all the other paraphernalia on the teeny table.
“Put a sock in it, Jasper. The lady’s here to chill for the weekend, not to talk shop. We’re the ones here to work, not her.”
Not technically true. The proposal I was writing and the data printouts I need to make sense of are still lying around somewhere. Um, I might have left them in the bathroom. I’m sure they’ll be safe. I’m not about to mount an expedition to get them.
Gleefully, I clap my hands. “So, does that make it time for the performance?” I scrape my chair back from the table and top up my wine glass to fill the gap while I wait for a response. “That’s assuming you boys aren’t squeamish about getting hands-on in front of a woman.”
“We’re not squeamish.”
I agree that Lorne isn’t. Everyone knows he’s Dare Wilde’s best mate, and if the constant media stories are to be believed, that man lives up to his name. I bet the pair of them have done all manner of wacky and wicked things. No wonder the idea of lovemaking before an audience doesn’t faze him, even when factoring in his genuine desire for Jasper. Jas, on the other hand, falls worryingly silent, and a livid pink blush spreads up his throat under all his lazy fuzz and skids along the ridges of his cheekbones.
“Shouldn’t we wash up first?”
Ah, he’s so sweet and domesticated. Actually, he does have a stellar smile and a cute way of scrunching his nose.
I head over to the fireplace and claim one of the two armchairs. It’s a squishy leather affair, well-worn, classically designed, and wide enough to comfortably occupy with my legs curled up beside me. Lorne follows and claims the second chair, leaving Jasper alone at the table.
“So, we’re not washing up?”
“It’ll wait,” Lorne replies.
“Oh, okay.”
“Get your butt over here, and let’s choose a scene to work on.”
“Right, sure.” Jasper shuffles over to stand between us, the LED lights on his Christmas Tree jumper blinking away merrily.
Lorne kicks the footstool towards him to use as a chair.
“Aren’t you starting from the beginning?” I ask.
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“It wouldn’t make sense to. We film out of sequence, and the purpose of getting together this weekend is to concentrate on the scenes specifically between our characters. Page 56?”
“Why there?”
“It’s the start of a scene and a big tussle between them. We’re both posturing and trying to get our own way.”
“Is it before or after the shag in the alleyway?” Jasper asks.
“It builds up to that scene and the showdown with Vane.”
“Okay.” Jasper flicks through the proposed pages. “All right, found it. Let’s do it.”
“Am I going to like this?” I look from one to the other, surprised by the fact they’ve both risen to their feet.
“If you do, I hope you’re going to tune in for the real thing once it’s broadcast,” Jasper says.
“Hm, to be honest, I’m not much for TV. Even when I record stuff, I hardly ever get around to watching it.”
“Too busy adventuring?” Lorne pushes his tongue into his cheek.
I wag a finger at him.
“I have a tendency to get sucked into my work, and then I forget about everything else.”
“Is that why you ended up here on the wrong weekend?” Jasper asks.
I guess it probably is, and maybe it should be a lesson to learn about sticking my head up more often to take a proper look at the world around me. Not that I’m chalking the entirety of my inattentiveness down to my research. I had my head down hiding from Edward too, praying that if I avoided all his calls and emails, he’d eventually get the message regarding the launch and my continuing irritation over being propelled into the spotlight for having done him a favour.
I only let him sketch me when he was originally putting together the designs for Here Be Dragons because it involved no effort on my part. I got to sit in the library working while he sketched. And the original mo-cap thing; I needed the money, and he didn’t have enough to pay a pro.
“What research is it you do?” Jasper’s delivery is curiously subdued. I just know he’s biting his tongue, expecting it to be some archaeological endeavour to locate the mythical Lost Vessel of Tomahoma or something.”