Love on Location

by September Roberts

  “Two now and two for later, okay?” Alex pulled out two pumpkin treats and put them in the dog bed. Before going back inside, she ruffled Koko’s ears and said, “I’m going shopping. Behave yourself.”

  Koko ignored her completely and set to work on one of the treats.

  Alex hummed along with the music playing on the overhead speaker and took her time shopping, walking every aisle. Before she left, she bought a dozen muffins: blueberry for Maggie, poppy seed for her. With a cart full of groceries, she made her way to Koko. The rain had picked up again so she tugged her hat back onto her head. Someone in a rain jacket squatted next to Koko, rubbing her favorite spot on her shoulder.

  Koko loved people and always had a happy face to offer visitors, which meant she had them often.

  “She’s a good girl,” Alex shouted to the stranger over the thrumming rain.

  “Yes, she is.” The man stood to face Alex and smiled that stupid, sexy smile. “Is she yours?”

  The smile fell from her face. Even here, at her store, with her dog, in her town, she couldn’t escape Blaze. “Yeah.”

  “What kind of dog is she?” he asked.

  “The brown kind.” Alex shrugged. “She’s a mutt.”

  “How old is she? Is she still a puppy?”

  “She’s one,” Alex replied keeping her answers as short and brisk as possible.

  “I thought so,” he replied, in a sweet singsong voice. Crouched in front of Koko again, he said, “You’re just a baby, aren’t you? You like that, huh?” He dug his fingers into the thick fur around her neck and massaged her skin. Koko tilted her head up and closed her eyes.

  Alex’s grip on her shopping cart tightened. “We should probably be going.”

  “I’ll help you,” he offered, motioning to the bags of groceries as he untied Koko’s leash.

  When he started walking out into the parking lot, she couldn’t protest.

  “Which one is yours?”

  Alex took a deep breath then jogged her cart over to her car so she could unlock the passenger door for Koko. Blaze placed the dog’s leash inside and then used the towel covering the seat to dry her fur. Alex frowned as she watched his careful hands move across Koko’s face and ears.

  “Your groceries are getting wet,” he said, snapping her out of her haze.

  “Yeah.” Once she opened the hatchback, he squeezed next to her, his wet shoulder brushing hers. Frozen, she watched him lift bag after bag. Why was he being so nice? What was going on?

  The box of muffins had suffered worse than the rest, the lid soggy and limp. But when she peeled the lid away so the muffins inside wouldn’t get wet, too, she sighed. They were still perfect.

  “Are those lemon poppy seed? Mm,” he hummed.

  “Yeah. I know it’s just a grocery store, but they have the best bakery. Lemon poppy seed is my favorite. The blueberry muffins are for Maggie.”

  “Maggie? Your dog?”

  Alex laughed. “No. Maggie my friend. That’s Koko and she doesn’t get people muffins. She gets her own pup treats.” The crumpled bag was still wedged in her jacket pocket, so she pulled it out to show him. “Pumpkin.”

  His smile made her melt.

  “I’ll take it back for you,” he said as he started pushing the empty cart.

  “Do you…need a ride somewhere?” she asked, regretting her words as soon as they left her mouth.

  “No. I was just out for a walk,” he said as he looked over his shoulder at the ugly hotel looming over half the town. “I’m tired of being cooped up in there. I want to be like everyone else, you know?”

  “No one else is taking a stroll in the rain.”

  His deep, warm laugh took the chill out of the air around them. “I guess that’s true.”

  “Thanks for helping me,” she said, smiling a little. It was hard to hate him when he laughed like that.

  ****

  Blaze blinked and then stared at her, struggling to find the words to apologize now that he finally had a chance.

  It was her smile that threw him off. It would’ve been easier if she had told him to fuck off. But she didn’t and it only made it that much harder to figure her out.

  “I wanted to apologize for being such a dick,” he blurted out.

  A frown creased her perfect forehead. “Which time?”

  “Fair enough.” Maybe he shouldn’t have said anything because now she wasn’t smiling, and he didn’t like that. A water drop made its way down Alex’s face and lingered on her jaw, so he swiped at it with his thumb. “Your face is wet,” he mumbled. It was the first time he had touched her, and he wanted to do it again. He also wanted to kiss her.

  “It’s raining.”

  “Rain,” he repeated stupidly.

  “Are you sure you don’t need a ride somewhere?”

  Why was she being so nice? Did she forgive him? “I spaced out for a second. I really am sorry.”

  The frown on her face deepened as she nodded but didn’t say anything. It was obvious he had blown it again. Even his apology came out wrong.

  “See you tomorrow.” What had he expected? That she would accept his apology? “I’m so stupid,” he muttered to himself as he steered the cart away from her car.

  ****

  “See you tomorrow,” Alex mumbled. Blaze didn’t hurry across the parking lot; he meandered toward the cart return and then continued on his way to the deserted sidewalk.

  After she closed the trunk and got behind the wheel, she sighed. Koko wagged and leaned across the cup holder separating their seats, sticking her nose in Alex’s treat pocket. “Those are for later.” Koko sat upright and tilted her head when Alex went on, “What just happened? He was so…nice.”

  Koko’s mouth hung open in a happy doggie smile as if she agreed.

  Alex made two more stops and chided herself for trying to find Blaze roaming the streets—rain jacket drawn tight around his handsome face and tight sweatpants damp and clinging to his powerful legs. Just what she needed. One nice encounter and she was obsessed. Great.

  Their interaction filled her head the rest of the day and even managed to infiltrate her dreams once more. They were in the parking lot again, but the rain was warmer and he wasn’t wearing a shirt. Summer rain trickled down his chest and soaked the waistband of his jeans.

  Smiling that smile, he didn’t say a word before he kissed her. Pressed against the back of her car, his tongue thrust into her mouth while his hands tugged up the hem of her shirt. When he kissed down the side of her neck and trailed his fingers up her ribs, her head swam and delicious tingles spread through her body.

  “Yes,” she murmured as she responded to his touch. He ran his thumbs across her nipples, making her gasp for air and then he kissed her breasts with his perfect lips.

  She woke with a start, her sheets wrapped around her legs, an echo of orgasmic bliss still pulsing through her.

  Koko observed her from the doorway, tilting her head from side to side.

  Alex buried her face in her pillow. “I’m in trouble.”

  ****

  Before leaving the hotel for the day, Blaze pulled a lily out of the flower arrangement in the lobby, holding the delicate stem carefully as he boarded a van.

  “Is that for Caitlin?” Nate asked.

  Blaze smiled. “No.”

  “You’re such a player.”

  Blaze didn’t argue. Everyone expected him to be a certain way and who was he to disagree? Hollywood had put him in a role he had to play no matter what.

  He had no idea if Alex liked lilies, but if it redeemed his stupid, bumbling apology then it was worth it. Even though he stared out the window and showed no interest, Nate still went through Blaze’s schedule for the day, making comments about what he would do if he were Blaze, but he didn’t fill the entire ride with small talk. And for that, Blaze was grateful.

  When they got off the van, Blaze made his way to the costume and makeup trailers and then he went straight to the set. By the time he found Alex in t
he sea of faces, he lost his nerve. What if she thought he was stupid? What if she hadn’t forgiven him?

  “Blaze,” Jennifer called out.

  It had been a dumb idea. The gnawing feeling in his stomach should’ve tipped him off. Why did Alex unnerve him?

  “Is that for me?” Jennifer asked, smiling widely.

  “Of course it is,” he replied.

  ****

  When Alex left for work, she tucked not one but two lemon poppy seed muffins in her jacket pocket. After his help yesterday, she needed to thank Blaze properly and to acknowledge she appreciated his apology, even if she wasn’t sure what he was apologizing for. When she stopped to think about it, she frowned. Giving him a muffin wasn’t much compared to what he’d done, besides he could probably get every flavor from the food truck. They probably weren’t as good as the ones in her pocket, though. The decision to share with him went back and forth in her mind. Should she? Shouldn’t she? When she arrived at the overflow parking lot, she found Steve and discussed the details for the day’s shoot. It was going to be a good day because it would be easy to be nice to Blaze.

  Already in position outside the saloon, all she had to do was wait. Extras filled the set around her, and then the main actors appeared. The lead actress, Jennifer something-or-other, stood waving at her pretty face with a white lacy fan. A few moments later, Blaze sauntered onto the set holding a single flower. It looked like he was going to talk to Alex, but that changed when Jennifer said something to him.

  Alex almost waved at him but didn’t. Thankfully. Unable to look away, she watched him leap up the saloon stairs and offer the flower to his leading lady. Like a train wreck unfolding, Jennifer blushed all over, and there was plenty of skin to see.

  “Little missy,” he said, bowing deeply.

  “Blaze, you shouldn’t have.” With one quick movement, she snatched the flower out of his hands, snapped the stem, and tucked it into the folds of her elaborate hairdo.

  “Please, call me Buck. And might I add, you’re looking as lovely as a flower,” he drawled while he kissed the back of her hand.

  When she dipped her shoulders, she gave him and everyone else a better view down her neckline. “Thank you, Buck.”

  Alex wanted to scream, or throw something, anything to make them stop. How could she have been so stupid? Their encounter in town had been an act. Everything was with him. The sooner she realized that the better off she would be.

  The day went downhill from there.

  ****

  Determined to keep on the good side of Mr. Reid, Blaze focused on work. Everything was perfect. He smiled, recited his lines, and stood on his mark. Between takes, he tried to work up the courage to talk to Alex.

  The first time, he turned away before he got too close because she looked furious. Maybe someone had said something that pissed her off, and she needed time to cool down.

  Once he figured the coast was clear, he stepped up behind her and said, “Hey.”

  She exhaled loudly and turned to face him. “What do you want?”

  Uh-oh. He hadn’t given her enough time. “Nothing,” he said. “I should probably get back to work.”

  “Good idea,” she said.

  Too sick to move, he stood awkwardly for a minute.

  “Alex, we need you by the costume trailer, pronto,” a voice squawked through her walkie-talkie.

  “Copy that,” Alex responded and then bolted up the trail toward the overflow parking lot.

  “Fuck,” Blaze said. It was clear from her response that her anger was directed at him for some reason.

  Chapter Eight

  Alex filed the first injury report before lunch, an extra with a twisted ankle. Just what she needed. While she was in her office finishing the paperwork, her desk phone rang. When she answered it, she wished she hadn’t.

  “What are you doing in your office?” Mr. Howard barked.

  “I um…I’m doing some paperwork. Injury report,” she added and then squeezed her eyes shut. She shouldn’t have told him about that.

  “What’s going on out there?” he asked.

  “It was a costume malfunction,” she said. The shoes the actresses had to wear weren’t designed for rugged terrain. “Can I help you with anything?” she asked in an attempt to keep the conversation on point before she admitted how rocky things were with Blaze.

  “I’m calling to check in. I thought I’d be leaving a message since you should be occupied during the day. You’re on their clock.”

  “I understand, sir. I needed to submit this report. The medic on staff is helping her. Everything is fine,” she said trying to reassure herself more than him. “I’m meeting with the wranglers today. It’s all coming along nicely.”

  “Hmm. Well, I’ll be in touch,” he grumbled before hanging up.

  If she had learned anything in the last few minutes it was that she wouldn’t answer her phone at work for the remainder of filming. She sighed and slumped into her chair for a minute before returning to her position on the set. Long after her shift should’ve ended, she waited for the horse wrangler. Mercifully, Joe, a seasoned professional, knew all about collecting the manure to prevent the spread of invasive plants. Even still, they discussed the minutiae of horse digestion and seed dispersal for close to an hour.

  By the time she got home, she barely had enough energy to eat. She unloaded both muffins from her pocket, squished and stuck to the wax paper she had wrapped them in. The urge to scream and then eat them both was stronger than she could resist.

  While she had fought the temptation to research Blaze before, Alex couldn’t any longer. After entering his name into her Internet browser, she read headline after headline:

  BLAZE AND RUBY, THE NEW POWER COUPLE?

  BLAZE SAYS MODEL’S SEX AND PREGNANCY CLAIMS ARE LIES

  LIFE OF THE PARTY BLAZE JOHNSON BRINGS IN THE NEW YEAR

  The image search was worse; a thousand thumbnail pictures filled her screen. Each one featured Blaze standing with a different woman, sometimes multiple women. He seemed to love the camera almost as much as it loved him.

  It was obvious by the constantly rotating girlfriend pictures he didn’t care about anyone but himself, probably not even Jennifer. Nothing personal, just typical dickish behavior.

  She transferred Maggie’s blueberry muffins to a plate, added Koko and Pelli’s pumpkin treats, grabbed the to-go boxes from the restaurants she had visited, and walked with her dog the short distance to her friend’s house.

  Tiny cries came from inside, so she figured it was probably safe to knock. Jim answered a few seconds later.

  “Hey, Henry is grumpy about something. Must be a Thursday,” he joked. “Did you come over for movie night? Can I get you a beer?”

  “That would be awesome,” she replied. When she saw Maggie she smiled and held up the plate and boxes. “No movie, but I brought you guys dinner.”

  Maggie grinned around the fussing baby. “You’re an angel. I’ve been craving blueberry muffins. I’m so hungry I could eat all of them.”

  “You’re eating for two, so I think that’s probably okay.” Alex thanked Jim for the beer, handed him the packaged meals, and pulled up a chair near where Maggie sat.

  “I have to warn you,” Maggie started, her face dead serious. “I need to nurse Henry again. I’m like a sprinkler. If I spray you with milk, I’m really sorry.”

  Alex smiled. “I can go if you want me to.”

  “No, I’d like you to stay, I just can’t guarantee I can feed him discreetly yet.”

  “I don’t care. Go on, feed that little fella.” Alex wasn’t fazed by a little milk. Her aunt had nursed all three of her children well into their toddler years very openly at all their family parties. While Maggie got the baby situated, she and Jim talked about the weather, yard work, and the dogs. Anything but the movie.

  “This is delicious,” Alex said, holding up the bottle to Jim. She glanced at her friend and hung her head. “Sorry, I’m not trying to rub it in.”


  “It’s summer ale. Do you want to take the last few bottles home? My palate has moved on and it won’t keep long enough for Mags.” He turned to his wife. “Don’t worry, honey, I’ll make another batch next summer.”

  “You’re so kind.” Maggie pouted.

  “Hey, I appreciate your sacrifice, and so does he,” Jim said, pointing to their baby.

  “I know.” She put her thumb in Henry’s tiny palm and he wrapped his fingers around hers.

  “Now that he’s content, I’ll let you two catch up and go check emails and that sort of thing.” Jim kissed Maggie on the forehead and ducked out of the room.

  “Sorry I didn’t come over yesterday,” Maggie said. “I told you we would talk more, and then I tried to bathe Henry. It was a disaster.”

  “Don’t worry about it. The movie crew didn’t come yesterday, so I spent the day in town, which is where I got these,” she said, holding the muffins toward her. Koko and Pelli waited patiently at her feet for their treats, eating one and then the other before snuggling together.

  “You seem like you needed the break.”

  Alex frowned. “I didn’t really get a break from work.”

  “What do you mean?” Maggie mumbled around a mouthful of blueberry muffin.

  “Blaze was there. At the grocery store.”

  “Ugh. I’m sorry. I know that must’ve been awful.”

  “It wasn’t.” Trying to explain what happened was difficult since it seemed so surreal. “He was nice and helpful. I don’t understand.”

  “See?” Maggie beamed. “I told you he likes you.”

  “He doesn’t. I thought he did, and then he was flirting with what’s her face, the blond with the big boobs. If he liked me he wouldn’t do that, would he? Everything is an act with him.”

  “I’m sorry.” Maggie reached toward Alex, bumping her nearly sleeping infant, making him stir.

  “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, I can wallow later.”

  “Is there anything I can do?”