"Right. Come on." I nudged her shoulder. "Let me buy you a doughnut."
"They're free," she said, as if it were her sworn duty to tell the truth and always tell the truth.
I could see why Lo got along with her.
We headed to craft services, and I was waited on by a striking woman with long brown hair.
"Would you like some help?" she asked, leaning over just enough so I could look down her shirt.
"No, thanks," I said reflexively, not looking up at her—or down her shirt.
"I saw you on XYZ last night. I loved your shirt."
I wasn't looking at her face, but I was pretty sure she was batting her eyes at me. I finally looked up—all the way up, totally skipping her chest. "My girlfriend picked it out. She has excellent taste."
"I'll say," the girl said, tossing her hair and flashing her blinding teeth at me.
I nodded tightly and retreated with my doughnut. I knew Ellie was watching me, but that wasn't why I was behaving. I was tired of feeling like a piece of meat. Being with Lo had been a huge relief for me. I didn't even realize how meaty I'd been feeling until I was with someone who was an apparent vegetarian.
I finally felt as though I could breathe. But that would come to an end as soon as I got inside Lo's trailer—I had to call my father. I felt a pit form in my stomach.
I handed Ellie her doughnut. "Eat it," I said, my tone a warning. "Lo wanted you to."
She chewed on it listlessly as she took me to the trailer. "I hope she doesn't get fired."
"I hope they don't tell her to go on another freaking diet," I said.
Ellie stuffed another bite of doughnut into her mouth and talked through it. "It's ridiculous. She's the most beautiful person I've ever met. Inside and out."
"Aww, Ellie, that's sweet. No wonder why she says the nicest things about you."
"She does?" Ellie asked, hopeful and eager.
"Of course she does," I said, even though Lo had said nothing about her on-set assistant.
"This is hers." She motioned to the trailer. "It was nice to meet you, Kyle. I thought you wouldn't be nice, but you are."
"Why'd you think that?" I asked, baffled.
"I saw you on XYZ last night too. I thought you were too handsome to be nice."
"You've already been in the business too long," I called.
She hustled off, dusting the doughnut crumbs from her blouse before she put her headset back on. "I'm aware of that."
I went into the trailer and collapsed on the couch, grateful for the privacy and quiet. Lo's trailer was simple and spare, with nothing on the table but a bunch of tulips and only bottled water in the mini-fridge. I ate my second doughnut, wondering how Lowell was faring with the crocodiles who paid her millions of dollars then asked her to spend none of that money on food so that she could starve herself.
I felt a headache coming on, and I knew why. Thinking about Lowell wasn't going to make the why go away.
I had to call my father, and it was the last thing I wanted to do.
I finished chewing my doughnut and, desperately wishing it was a beer instead, picked up my phone.
* * *
"You have got to be fucking kidding me," he thundered as soon as his secretary got him on the line. "Lowell-fucking-Barton?"
"It's not what you think," I said. It's worse.