I felt a little silly but agreed. “I can do that going forward.”
“Ben is a really nice guy, Kate. I know it’s a little tough when you’re not used to him, and he can get quite mouthy and defensive, but he’s the kind of guy who will go to bat for you, and he has the respect of everyone on this set, including me, even though there are days I want to strangle him.”
“I’m sorry.” I had no idea how close-knit these people were. And I must have looked like some kind of outsider coming in to make problems. I was embarrassed, especially after what happened with Jake.
“Don’t sweat it. But I thought I should let you know how we’ll do this going forward.”
“Thanks, Ally. I think that’s a good idea. The last thing I want to do is waste anyone’s time, especially Jake and Ben’s.”
“Awesome,” she said. “Now, I’ll drive us over to the prop shop, and you can show me those plants. Ben is going to give the set one hour to make the changes, and then it’s lights, camera, action.”
“I’ll try to stay out of his way,” I said, earning a look from the woman. “I mean, I will stay out of his way.”
She chuckled. “Much better. Because if he has to pay for more studio time, he’s taking it out of your salary.”
“Noted.” I was sure that the studio cost a fortune, so I had to make sure I didn’t mess things up. Hopefully, sleeping with Jake wasn’t going to cause even more problems.
Chapter Eleven
Jake
After I’d slept with Kate, I realized that I had to focus on work and let things cool down. The way she left without saying a word was enough for me to get the picture. Things had changed in the past ten years, and we weren’t the same as we were back then.
As quickly as she dressed and left, she had moved on from me, and the sex was a slip in judgment for her, a heat of the moment decision that she probably wished she could take back.
Why did she have to be so hard to read? The frustration was gumming up my brain and making it impossible.
Believing that the sex was just a way to get her out of my system was the only way I was able to go on with my scenes and put all of my energy into them. Too bad it was easier said than done.
So the next day, while I paced my small trailer, I avoided the bedroom while studying my lines and waiting for the next scene. “Stop, Angela!” I shouted, “Grab hold of me! I won’t let you go.” I squatted down, doing the motions, but I just wasn’t feeling it. Who was I kidding? If this were a real situation, Angela was going to die.
What was wrong with me? Why couldn’t I get through this? Logan Reed wasn’t the most complex character in the world, and I had done far more challenging roles in acting class.
I threw my script at the wall out of frustration, and the trailer door opened, and Austin stepped in. “Whoa, partner. If I get a paper cut, I’m going to have to file a workman’s comp.”
“Funny,” I said, trying to control my mood with a deep breath.
Austin shut the door and walked over to where I had plopped down on the couch. He took the chair across from me. “What’s got you riled up?”
I didn’t think he had all day. “It’s just this script and the character. I guess I’m just not feeling it.”
“Do you want me to run lines with you like the old days?”
I considered how in the old days, we’d barely get anything done. He would not pay attention to what he was doing and grew bored two minutes in. “No, it’s okay. Really, I’m good.”
“Thank God. I don’t know how to read.” Austin kicked his feet up on the bench across from him. He was the only person who used it for a footstool every time he came into my trailer.
“That would explain a lot actually. I was just thinking about the last time you offered.” We had ended up in a big fight that day, and I’d ended up leaving. When I got back to the apartment, he was still sulking.
“That was horrible. And in my defense, I hadn’t offered. You insisted, and I was hungover.”
“Fine, I’ll take the blame, but you realize you’re not doing anything to help my mood, right?”
“Well, that’s not my plan. I didn’t come here to ruin your day. I just wanted to remind you about the party at Tony Troy’s place in the Hills.”
“Dammit. I’d forgotten all about that.”
“Well, that’s why you have a best friend like me to remind you. And I should also remind you that you can’t skip it. You have to come. Ben said that Tony is putting out an extra-large chunk of money for the budget, and he expects his stars there to entertain his guests.”