“It’s just me.” He gave her a smile that made it hard for her to stay mad at him about the fishing disaster.
She relaxed. “Come in.”
He followed her inside. “You’re still wearing your mic. I told the sound guy that I’d come get it from you.”
“Oh.” She felt for the little box hidden on the back of her dress. Carla had told her she’d forget about the cameras and the microphones, and Meg hadn’t believed her. “It must be pretty important if the producer came to get it,” she joked.
“This job has its perks,” he said with a glint in his eye.
She bit her lip to keep from smiling. The flirting and making Meg comfortable around him was probably part of his role as a producer. Unfortunately, he was good at it. Too good. He never failed to make her stomach turn flips, even when she knew better.
“I also wanted to check in after our talk.” Elliot frowned. “I need you to believe me. I didn’t know Peter got motion sickness.”
Maybe he really didn’t do it on purpose, and it was unfair of her to assume it. “Well,” she said, “I’m just thankful he wasn’t allergic to shellfish or anything.”
His eyes widened. “We’re not going to send someone into anaphylactic shock on camera.”
Maybe not, but even if he didn’t cause the extra drama, she wasn’t convinced he wasn’t happy it happened. “I know. I shouldn’t have accused you. Too much sun. Too much salty air. Too much drama with the guys.”
His jaw tensed. “So, how do you think the date went?”
She was sure he’d been watching the entire thing from somewhere, which felt bizarre. “How do you think it went?”
He was silent for a moment. “I’m sure it took a lot of courage for Peter to put himself out there. He must really like you to do that.”
Meg wasn’t so sure. “I think Peter was doing what he thought he was supposed to do, not what he would have done if we were on a normal date.”
Elliot pushed his hand through his dark hair and let out a flustered breath. “But that’s why the show works. You’re out of the routine of everyday life.” He cocked his head, his gaze fixed on hers. “So feelings tend to develop faster and stronger than they might normally.”
Her stomach fluttered at the intense look in his eyes. Maybe that’s why she had these crazy feelings for Elliot. It was a summer fling, like one of the camp crushes she used to get in junior high. A powerful mixture of the beautiful surroundings and being away from everything and everyone she knew. It had nothing to do with the way his eyes crinkled when she argued with him. Or the way that he looked at her and made her feel like the most important woman in the world. “Maybe it was just the moonlight or the ocean,” she said softly.
He stepped closer toward her. “Or maybe it’s something more.”
They weren’t talking about Peter or the show anymore. It was only Meg and Elliot.
What was she doing? She couldn’t have feelings for the producer. Her emotions were playing tricks on her. She blinked, breaking herself out of the trance she was in. “I guess I should give you this.” She unclipped the microphone from the thin strap of her dress, avoiding his gaze.
She handed the tiny microphone and battery box to him, and he took her hand. “You deserve someone who knows how incredible you are. Someone who will never get tired of reminding you.”
With that, he turned to leave, and Meg was left standing breathless in her hotel room.
****
Elliot stepped out of Meg’s villa and quietly closed the door behind him. He’d said too much, but Peter didn’t have a clue about what would make Meg happy. Of course, Elliot hadn’t had much luck with love himself—especially not after his last girlfriend had run when things had gotten tough.
“There you are.”
His heart leapt in his chest at the sound of Carla’s voice.
He turned around to find her standing under a palm tree on the path with her arms crossed.
“Geez, Carla. You almost gave me a heart attack. What are you doing hiding in the shadows like that?”
She shook her head, looking disappointed. “I’ve been looking for you, Elliot?”
He did his best to seem casual. “You were?”
Carla tipped her head toward the door. “Took you a while in there. What were you doing?”
He held up the microphone. “Just getting this. No big deal.” The way Meg had looked at him, the way he was falling for her—it was big—huge, even. But he wouldn’t dare let Carla figure that out.
Uncrossing her arms, Carla stood up straight. “I’m not stupid, Elliot. I see what’s going on here, and it’s risky, too risky. You’re supposed to be focused on the show. Especially this season. We need you to be fully invested in this.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Pointing her finger at him, Carla stepped closer. “I knew you liked her, but I thought you were smart enough to keep it under control. I should have talked you out of bringing her here.”
She was right. Having feelings for Meg could ruin the season. He was supposed to be nudging her toward one of the guys, not falling for her. If Meg returned Elliot’s feelings, it would make the chances of a season the network would love even slimmer. “We’re friends,” and he’d put the brakes on the other stuff.
Her eyebrow lifted. “Just friends?”
“I’m trying to guide her through this. You said yourself she didn’t know what she was getting herself into. I talked her into coming onto the show, and I didn’t want to hang her out to dry.”
Carla nodded. “Don’t get distracted. We’re here to make a good show.”
That had been his focus for two years, but he was burning out. “I promise.” Carla and the rest of the staff were depending on him. No more late night visits in Meg’s hotel room. From now on, he’d keep his feelings in check.
The hotel room door opened. Meg stopped and narrowed her eyes. “What are you guys doing here?”
Afraid he would give himself away if he continued looking at Meg, he turned his attention to Carla.
She smiled. “Just chatting about tomorrow’s filming. How about you?”
Meg held up the ice bucket. “Grabbing some ice.”
“I just came from Peter’s interview,” Carla said. “He’s crazy about you.”
Her lips parted, and her gaze darted to Elliot and back to Carla. “That’s nice. I’m flattered. He’s a good guy.”
They were all silent for a moment.
“Well, I better get my ice and then get to bed,” Meg said. “I hear we have a big day tomorrow.”
When they’d headed in the opposite direction as Meg, he cleared his throat. “So what did he say?” he asked Carla.
“Huh? What did who say?”
“You just told Meg that you’d talked to Peter, and he was crazy about her.” He fought to keep the jealousy he was feeling out of his voice.
She rolled her eyes. “Well, I haven’t actually talked to him yet. I’m just trying to get her excited about him.” She nudged him with her elbow. “Something my co-producer taught me.”
He swallowed hard. “I never taught you to lie.”
“Don’t look at me like that. You said yourself that we need to get her to pick someone no matter what…unless I’m right about you having a crush on her.”
If only it were that simple. “It’s not a crush.” At least that was true. It was more than that. He was falling for Meg.
Chapter Eight
Toes in the sand, Meg stood on the beach where crew members were busy setting up to film the last scene of the evening. Last time she’d done this, she sent seven men home. Tonight, she would only need to hand this silly fake plane ticket to one of the guys. She’d thought sending home a single man would be easier, but now that she was getting to know them, it was getting harder. Not because she was falling in love with any of them, but she didn’t want to hurt them or damage the delicate egos they all seemed so intent on protecting.
> Yesterday, Peter had kissed her on the beach, and then Elliot had shown up and stirred up all kinds of feelings. She’d thought she could keep her emotions out of the show and simply get through it for the theater. That was proving to be impossible with Elliot in the picture. At least no one knew about her feelings for him. The kiss with Peter had felt awkward and forced, but her moments with Elliot seemed real. Could she even trust her own instincts right now?
Carla approached. “You ready? We need to finish filming before sunset. You’re going to invite two of the men to return to Oklahoma with you. One will get a ticket home. You’ll announce the man you’re eliminating last. You’ve made your decision, right?”
Had she? Did it really matter? “Sure.” They were all nice enough, but she wasn’t going to marry any of these men. Meg glanced over to the guys, who were hovering around the catering tent near the pool. She’d been told to keep her distance from them until the cameras were rolling.
“May I ask who it is? It isn’t A.J., is it? Or Peter.” Carla wiggled her eyebrows. “I have a feeling you’re leaning toward Gabe,” she said, giving her a look that indicated Gabe was the right person.
Meg forced a smile. “How did you know? You’re good.”
Carla’s chin rose, obviously proud of herself. “I’ve been around a time or two.”
It was easier to give Carla her way. Then again, if she kept Peter, might she be setting herself up to dodge another kiss? How would that look on camera? It didn’t matter. This time she’d be prepared.
Carla shook her head. “I know it’s a tough decision, but you’re doing the right thing.”
“Are we starting soon?” Not that getting this finished would make her flight move up or get her to Oklahoma any faster, but she was so antsy to get back she could hardly stand still. She wanted to make sure her dad was doing okay and that everything was running smoothly at the theater. She’d barely had a chance to talk to anyone back home.
“The camera team is almost ready. You’re doing great.” Carla gave her a thumbs-up as she walked off.
Elliot approached, looking handsome in shorts and a button up. “What was that about?”
She straightened at the sight of him. Why couldn’t she like one of the guys she was supposed to like? That would make this entire thing a lot easier. She shrugged. “Girl talk,” she said, not wanting to have to discuss the men she was supposed to be dating with him.
“Sorry I missed it,” he said with a sly smile. “After you’re done with this, I’ll walk you back to your room. There’s something I want to talk to you about.”
“Sure,” she said, doing her best to stay casual.
An hour later, they’d wrapped the filming. Who knew these things took so long? Gabe didn’t take it well. He kicked sand toward her and told her she wouldn’t know love if it stung her on the foot. Maybe he was right, and maybe she should have been hurt by his words, but she only felt sorry for him. It had been clear since the first day that his main goal was coming off looking good on camera, and he’d cracked under pressure in his final moment.
She walked off the beach onto the path where Elliot was waiting for her. “Well,” he said, “that was…interesting.”
“Are you sure you don’t need to go deal with that?” Meg motioned to where Carla stood by the pool, trying to calm Gabe down.
“Nah, Carla lives for this stuff. She’s an expert at getting the last interviews from the guys. I bet he’s in tears by the end of it.”
“And that’s a good thing?” Would Carla try to drive her to tears?
“It’s like therapy. He’ll get it all off his chest. He’s not mad at you, you know?”
She nodded. “I know.” It was all about the show. Even for Elliot, and it would benefit her to remember that.
When they reached her room, she used her key card to unlock the door. Inside, Elliot cleared his throat, seeming uncharacteristically nervous.
“What did you want to talk to me about?”
He took a deep breath.
A red light on the phone on the desk caught her attention. Contestants weren’t allowed to use their mobile phones during filming. She wasn’t sure what they thought she’d do. Google the guys? Book a flight home? Maybe people checking their Facebook pages made for bad TV. “Do you mind if I listen to that?”
“Go right ahead.”
She pressed the button, and a robotic voice told her she had seven new messages. Her heart thudded. Why on earth would she have so many? Had something happened? Was it her dad? Her brother?
When she heard Lily’s voice, she sighed in relief. It was the director of their production of Annie. Maybe it was just a problem with the play.
“Everything okay?” Elliot asked.
She dialed the number. “I’m not sure.”
Lily answered on the first ring.
“Lily, what’s going on?”
“Meg,” Lily said in a breathless voice. “I’ve been trying to reach you. There was a fire at the theater.”
She covered her mouth with her hand. “Is everyone okay?”
Elliot stood by her side.
“Raymond was inside,” Lily said. “He’s in the hospital in Oklahoma City for smoke inhalation, but he’s recovering.”
A lump formed in Meg’s throat. “Is anyone else hurt?”
“Just worried about Raymond and disappointed about the show. There’s quite a bit of damage to the theater. The auditorium, stage, and lobby are fine. We would still be able to have the show if all our sets hadn’t been destroyed.”
After getting a few more details, she hung up. The exhaustion of filming and the force of everything she was missing back home hit her all at once.
Elliot put a hand on her arm. “What’s wrong?”
“There was a fire at the theater, and Raymond is in the hospital.”
His eyes widened. “Is he okay?”
She nodded. “I think so. I feel awful. He doesn’t have anyone there to be with him.”
He squeezed her arm tighter. “Yes, he does,” he said softly. “He has all the people at the theater. You created something great there. All of those people will take care of him…because of you.” He reached out and wrapped her in a hug.
She let herself lean into him.
“It’s going to be okay,” he said, stroking the back of her hair. “We’ll figure this out.”
She buried her face in his chest. All of a sudden, with his arms around her, she felt like she could exhale. As if she’d been holding her breath all week and could finally let it go.
She straightened and stepped back. “I’m sorry. I got makeup on your shirt.” She rubbed her hand across his shoulder. “I’m not used to wearing this much.”
He tipped her chin up with his finger. “That’s because you don’t need it.”
Warmth spread through her. As much as she tried to convince herself Elliot only cared about the show, she couldn’t help but wonder if he was different than she’d originally thought.
“Don’t worry, Meg. After tomorrow, you’ll get to go home.”
Home. That’s exactly what she needed. A few days to figure out how to fix this mess. The kids had been working so hard. They would be crushed if the theater canceled the production of Annie, and a few of them really needed something good in their lives. But it wouldn’t be business as usual when she got back to Alna, because she wasn’t going home alone. Elliot, the two contestants, Carla, and an entire television crew would be there too.
****
Elliot should have told Meg the truth when he’d had the chance. He’d planned to tell her that he’d been feeding Peter lines during their date. Part of him wanted her to know those were his words. But it was so deceitful. He wished he’d never done it.
Now she’d gotten bad news, and Elliot wanted to fix it. He wanted to take away everything that burdened Meg.
She paced the room. “What am I going to do about the Annie sets? They’re all ruined, and we can’t rebuild them without Raymond.”
She stopped and blinked up at him. “Help me? How?”
Elliot stepped closer to look in her eyes. “I have some connections. I could call one of the set designers I’ve worked with.”
She gave a half-hearted smile. “That’s nice of you, but the theater couldn’t afford materials, much less the money to hire professionals.”
“I’d pay the set designer, and maybe we could ask for donations during filming and request volunteers.” An invitation to be on television usually convinced people to show up.
“I love that idea.”
“You do?”
She nodded, her smile broadening. “I really do. Could we do something with the kids in the after-school program? They would love it.”
If it made her smile like that? “Sure.”
“That would be amazing.” She wrapped her arms around him, almost knocking him over. “Thank you so much.”
He hugged her back. “You’re welcome, but it’s really nothing.”
She stepped back. “It’s not nothing. If it weren’t for you, the theater would definitely have to shut down. Why are you doing this for me?”
He loved seeing her excited. “I respect your passion for the place. Raymond seems like a nice guy. It’s the right thing to do.”
She hugged him again. And this time he wrapped his arms around her and took in the feeling of the way she fit into his chest. He could get used to this.
Meg leaned back and stared up at him with such warmth in her eyes. It was almost more than he could handle. “What would I do without you?”
His throat tight, he swallowed. “It’s no big deal. Anyone would do it.” He tried to pull away before he did something stupid, like tell her how beautiful she was.
“That’s not true,” she said. “I’ve been begging people to help the theater, trying to show them how important it is to the community, and no one would listen. But now you’re going to do this when you don’t know any of them.”
How could anyone not be utterly convinced by anything Meg said? He’d give her every penny in his bank account if she needed it. “I know you, and I know it wouldn’t matter this much to you unless it was really important.”
Meg (Beach Brides Book 1) Page 6