But Beth didn’t fuss at all, merely relaxed into his arms, staring up at him while he looked down at her, a smile on his face.
He looked…perfect. There’s no other word for it. His strong arms cradling such a little baby, the goofy smile on his face as he looked at her. Even the way his forearms were peeking out of his pushed up sweater sleeves as he held the bottle—
I tore my eyes away, desperate for something, anything, to keep me from falling head over heels right there. Of course Maria was staring at me, a knowing look on her face. Carla, on her other side, wore a similar look, though hers was more sympathetic.
Okay, so apparently, allowing a man you have a major crush on to feed your newborn baby is a really, really bad idea.
After dessert, we all moved to the living room, and Jackson watched some soccer with my dad, uncles, and cousins. A much safer activity, in my opinion. I joined the girls in the kitchen to help clean up, handing Beth to my Aunt Sofia, who was still recovering from her aneurism the previous year and was always trying to do too much. “Sit down, Tia. Hold the baby a while.”
“How can I argue with that?” she asked, smiling down at my daughter as I moved to the sink to help Laura with dishes.
“I am so jealous, Sof,” she sighed. “You get to work with him everyday.”
“I know. But I don’t know if I’d be jealous.”
“Are you insane?” she cried, flinging soapy water at me in her incredulity. “He’s gorgeous.”
“Shh,” I hissed, looking over my shoulder. “I know he’s hot. That’s the problem.”
“How is it a problem? A hot man is never a problem.”
“It is when you have to keep your hands to yourself and act professionally.”
That stopped her short. “Oh. Good point.” She winked at me. “I’m not sure I could help myself, to be honest.”
“Excuse me,” her husband Frank called from the table, where he was feeding their one-year-old daughter, Maia. “I’m right here.”
“I know you are, pumpkin.”
I snorted. “Poor Frank.”
“Oh, like I didn’t see the way he was drooling after that Lola Fischer when she was here.”
“Is he dating Lola, Sofie?” Carla asked. “I thought I read that.”
I frowned into the dishwater. “I don’t think so. I think they’re just friends.”
“Then she’s crazy,” Carla said. “How in the hell can you just be friends with a guy like that?”
I chose that moment to look up. My mother was standing at the counter, wrapping up leftovers, but the look on her face was clear. This is what I’ve been warning you about.
I turned back to the dishes, trying to bury the worry. Seeing Jackson with Beth had me all fluttery. Hearing all the girls swoon over him wasn’t helping matters much. I had to be at work with him early the next morning. This was no time to be letting my hormones run wild.
I felt a mixture of relief and disappointment when Jackson popped his head in a few minutes later to let us know he needed to get going. “It’s a pretty early start tomorrow,” he said, smiling apologetically. “I really should get some rest.”
There was a chorus of disappointed murmurs from everyone in the kitchen. “I really mustn’t,” he argued when my Aunt Lucia tried to shove an extra plate of pie in his face.
“Leave him be, Tia,” I said, drying my hands on a towel. “I’ll walk you out.”
He made his way around the room, saying goodbye to everyone, offering kisses on the cheek and pats on the arm. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to turn my entire family into a shrieking mob of fangirls.
When he was done, I walked him out to the porch. “It’s freezing out here, Sofie,” he said. “You should get back inside.”
“The fresh air is nice,” I argued. “And the quiet.”
He laughed. “I like their noise.”
“Yeah, well, you don’t have to live with it twenty-four seven.”
His face tightened ever so slightly. “You’re right.”
Not wanting to remind him that he was heading back to an empty condo, I smiled. “So. Tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow.”
“Are you nervous?”
He shrugged. “I always get a bit nervous before I start a new role.”
“Well, if it’s any consolation, I think you’ll be fantastic.”
He beamed at me and, before I could react, leaned forward to kiss my forehead. There was a flash of heat on my skin where his lips made contact, and then he was pulling away, walking backward to the stairs. “Thank you for dinner, Sofie.”
“Thanks for coming,” I said, trying to fight the breathlessness.
“I’ll see you in the morning?”
“Bright and early.”
He shot me one last grin before turning and jogging down the steps and the walkway to his car. I watched until he pulled away, no longer cold at all.
***
I was at the condo to meet Jackson at seven a.m. the next morning. To say that I was nervous would be a massive understatement. I hoped seeing him would help calm me down. He generally exuded an air of complete confidence that I figured would set me at ease.
But Jackson seemed nearly as nervous as I was. Much more than the bit of nerves he had predicted the night before. We sat in the back of the Explorer behind Bill and Hector, Jackson fidgeting the entire drive, pulling his phone out again and again, though nothing he found there seemed to keep his attention.
“You okay?” I finally asked, reaching over to touch his arm.
He gave me a weak smile. “Oh, sure. Fine. Just…preparing.”
I didn’t speak again, not wanting to distract him from whatever preparation was taking place in his head. But when we reached the parking lot where the shoot was taking place, he reached out and grabbed my hand before I could open the door. He held it, tight, for a full thirty seconds without saying a word. Finally, he dropped it and jumped out of the car without so much as a look at me.
What in the hell was that about? I wondered, following him out of the car. But there was no time to give it much thought. A guy about my age, dressed in jeans and a fleece pullover, approached us. “Mr. Coles, it’s so wonderful to have you here,” he said, holding out a hand to shake Jackson’s. “I’m Tony, Mr. Collin’s assistant. I’m here to help you get settled.”
“Nice to meet you, Tony,” Jackson said. He turned to me. “This is my PA, Sofia.”
Tony shook my hand, as well, but I was preoccupied by Jackson’s face. He no longer looked nervous. In fact, he no longer looked like Jackson. At least, not the one I had been getting used to. His face was smoother, and though he was smiling, there was almost a blank feel to it. Had I just witnessed him turning into Jackson the movie star? It made me feel unsettled.
But again, there was little time to dwell on it. Tony was leading us over to a bay of cameras, other men in fleece pullovers and dark jackets huddled in a circle. “Mr. Collins,” Tony called as we approached. “You wanted me to let you know when Mr. Coles arrived.”
And there was Jenner Collins, turning to see Jackson, his face lighting up. Jenner was about as big of a movie star as you could find. I’d been watching his action films since I was kid. He was one of my very first crushes, if I’m honest about it, and now here he was, right in front of me. Granted, he had also been at Lizzie’s engagement party and her wedding, so it wasn’t like I’d never been in the same room with him before. But this felt different. We were on a movie set. I was going to see him direct a film.
Jenner embraced Jackson and took him around the circle, introducing him to cinematographers, producers, assistant directors, and heaven knew who else. I had already lost track of all the important-sounding titles, and I hoped I wouldn’t have to remember any of their names anytime soon.
“Did you want to get settled into your trailer?” Jenner was asking. “Or would you rather meet the rest of the crew?”
“Crew would be great,” Jackson said smoothly, already walking awa
y. I had no idea if I should follow.
“You can come with me,” Tony said, walking in the opposite direction at a brisk pace I tried and failed to match. “You’ll be wanting to coordinate with craft services and makeup, I’m sure.”
“Uh…yes, that’s right.” I struggled to remember the things Sonja had told me I would need to do the first day on set. Tony must have read the panic in my eyes, because he slowed.
“Everything okay?”
“It’s my first day,” I admitted.
He smiled, and it looked much different from the one he had given Jackson. I guessed that was something I was going to have to remember about the movie industry—everyone seemed to be faking something at least part of the time.
“Don’t worry,” Tony told me. “I’ll make sure you’re settled.”
He led me over to the director of craft services who, I learned, was in charge of all the food. I said a silent prayer of thanks to Sonja and pulled the directions she had prepared out of my portfolio. “These guidelines are the same as the ones we sent over last week,” I told the woman. “I just wanted to confirm there were no problems.”
She took the paper and read through it quickly. “Everything looks fine,” she said, her voice short, before nodding at Tony and hurrying off in the other direction. Another thing to remember—everyone was in a really big hurry.
I met with the hair and makeup director next, and she brought me into a trailer to meet Jackson’s personal stylist and go over the products they would be using. Apparently, Jackson had very strict guidelines on what he put in his hair and on his face. I assured the stylist everything looked good, and Tony swept me off again, this time to Jackson’s trailer.
“If you find anything missing or not to your liking,” he said, “you can just let me know, and we’ll get it taken care of.”
“Um.” I did my best not to squeak. This was a trailer? I had been picturing something like what my Uncle Carlos went camping in occasionally. This was…pretty amazing. “Okay,” I said, pulling myself together. “I will.”
Tony looked down at his phone and rolled his eyes. “Jacobs is here,” he muttered, not bothering to hide his grimace. “I better go and fetch her. You okay here?”
“Um, sure.” I didn’t want to ask him if there was something I was supposed to be doing.
Tony smiled. “I’m sure Mr. Collins will want to introduce the two of them.”
“She wasn’t at dinner the other night?”
Again the grimace. “She’s been shooting in Vancouver all weekend. Which I’m sure you’ll hear her say approximately thirty times before the day is over. It’s very important to her that everyone knows exactly how hard she works.”
I giggled. “I’ll keep it in mind.”
“Once you’re set with everything here, you can come out and have a look around. Just don’t get in the way of the props. Or the cameras. Or the lighting guys.”
“Okay.”
I had a million questions for him, but he was already rushing down the steps. I had probably already taken much more of his time than he could afford.
I looked around the trailer. There were comfortable places to sit, a mini kitchen, a full bath, and a bedroom in the back with a queen-sized bed. Everything was shiny and high-end, much nicer than anywhere I had lived. Feeling overwhelmed, I decided the best thing to do would be to get to work so I at least could feel productive. I started to take an inventory of the items that were here, from the contents of the fridge to the DVDs and video games to the blankets and pillows.
“I thought indie movies were supposed to be low budget,” I muttered.
“Oh, they are,” a voice at the door said, making me jump. Jackson was at the entrance, smiling. “You should see the trailer I have for Darkness.”
“You scared me,” I told him, setting my portfolio down. “How’s it going?”
“Good, good. I was just going to head over to hair and makeup, and I thought I’d see if you wanted to come with.”
I crossed my arms. “Jackson. If Sonja were here, would you be asking her if she wanted to come?”
He shook his head. “I guess not.”
“I know that we’re, uh, friends”—for some reason the word felt strange—“but you’re going to have to start treating me like an employee. Okay?”
“Fine.” He straightened, his face darkening. “What are you lollygagging for? I have to be in hair and makeup!” His face relaxed. “Like that?”
I laughed. “Are you ever not being an actor?”
He sighed heavily. “It’s a way of life, Sofie.”
I followed him out of the trailer and back toward hair and makeup. He was surrounded the moment we set foot in the trailer. Apparently, he had worked with several of these people before, if the cheek-kissing and hugs were any indication. I stood to the side, not really sure if I was in the way. Then they had him in the chair, tousling his hair, applying some product to his face. Everyone was talking rapidly, laughing and squealing. It was like teenagers coming back to school after summer vacation. I took a seat where I wouldn’t be in the way and pulled out my tablet to do some work.
“Hey,” Jackson said after a few minutes. “How are you over there?”
I looked up to see him watching me in the mirror. I smiled. “I’m fine. How are you?”
“Well, Reagan here is massaging my scalp right now, so I’d say I’m doing pretty damn well.”
Reagan giggled, and Jackson looked up at her. “Have you all met Sofie? She’s my new PA.”
There was a chorus of hellos, and Jackson winked at me. “She’s quite starstruck, being on a movie set, so we all have to be very nice to her.”
I stuck my tongue out at him, and he laughed, earning a reprimand from a woman who was applying some kind of powder to his face.
I watched as they worked on him. I was surprised by how much there was to do. He was playing a modern-day, inner-city detective in this film. How much makeup did he need?
After twenty minutes, there was a flurry of activity at the door to the trailer. “Jane,” one of the artists said, swooping over to kiss the newcomer’s cheek. “How are you? You look fantastic!”
“Oh, please,” the woman said in a strangely smooth and rich voice. “I’ve been working in Vancouver all weekend.”
Ah. So this must be Jane Jacobs, the co-star Tony had been talking about. I stifled my smile at the mention of her work in Vancouver.
“Jackson,” she said, laughing a little as she took the seat next to him. I could tell already that this woman had the hots for him. Not that I blamed her. But I did kind of want to smack her.
It’s none of your business, I reminded myself. None of your business at all.
Jackson did not introduce her to me, I noticed. But then again, she didn’t give him much choice. She kept up a steady stream of conversation from the moment she sat down to the time they declared Jackson finished.
“I’ll see you out there,” she called after him as he made his way outside. I followed.
“My ears are ringing,” he muttered, and I laughed. “Have you ever heard someone go on like that?”
“I don’t think so,” I said. “Though I suppose my sister could give her a run for her money.”
“At least your sister isn’t ridiculously pretentious.” He winked at me. “Unfortunately, Jane has a right to be. She’s fantastic.”
I shrugged. “Never heard of her.”
He sniggered at my minor diss. “Well, she mostly does indie stuff.”
I wrinkled my nose, and his laugh deepened. “Hey. I’m doing indie stuff now, you know. Are you going to wrinkle your nose at this?”
I shrugged again. “Guess that depends on how boring it is.”
Tony approached, waving us over. “They’re ready for you, Mr. Coles.”
“Do I have to start calling you that?” I asked in an undertone, and Jackson rolled his eyes.
“Such little respect.”
We followed Tony over to the set. It lo
oked like a confusing blur of people to me, everyone darting around, carrying things, adjusting lights and sound equipment. “You can sit here, Sofie,” Tony told me, pointing to a seat a few rows back from what I assumed was Jenner’s director chair. I gave Jackson a thumbs up and watched as he walked out onto the set to meet Jenner.
They conversed for several minutes, and then Jackson stood in place while he was again attacked by makeup artists and lighting crew, who held instruments to his face and shouted back and forth to a man watching in a monitor.
It seemed to take forever before they actually shot anything. And when Jackson started reading his lines with the shorter co-star at his side, I couldn’t follow at all. I had expected them to start at the beginning of the movie, which I soon realized was pretty naive. They seemed to jump around quite a bit, even within the scene they were working on.
After an hour or so, Jane joined them, and they went through most of the same procedure getting the set ready for her. They worked in the same spot for another thirty minutes before Jenner called cut and they started to move everything to a totally different section of the parking lot.
“What do you think?” Jackson asked, appearing at my side.
“Well, I have absolutely no idea what’s happening,” I told him. “But that was really cool.”
He laughed. “We’ll do a few more shots like this and then break for lunch. This afternoon I get to do some running shots.”
“Wow. That sounds…tiring.”
At that moment, my phone buzzed. “Your new one should be in this afternoon,” he said, pointing at the device before waving at me and moving over to the little circle surrounding Jenner.
I looked down at the phone, and Erin’s name flashed up at me. “Hello?”
“Hi, Sofie,” she said, her chopped, brisk voice filling the line. “How’s it going?”
“It’s going well,” I told her, even though I had no real idea if it was. “Jackson is settled into his trailer, and they’ve already shot a few things.”
“Good, good. And the move went smoothly?”
I had spoken with her at least three times during the move. She really didn’t seem to trust me that much yet.
“It went fine. I think he’s comfortable there.”
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