1
Klara
I stand in the middle of a bustling film studio thoroughfare and look around for a long moment.
Nothing looks familiar. I go through the directions my dad emailed me earlier in the day again, but there’s nothing helpful there. He mentioned the big red greenish floating sign thing but I’m pretty sure that doesn’t exist. And I don’t see that really obvious, like, glass window thing either, so I’m pretty sure he wrote this high.
Which means I’m lost.
“Oh, god damn it,” I say to myself.
Of course I’m lost. I’m supposed to be in a meeting with a studio executive today to go over the next season of Divas in Space, my father’s smash hit reality TV show about beautiful women training to become astronauts. This year we’re allegedly going to be allowed to send one of them along on a real NASA mission, which sounds insane, but will get great ratings. So my father is all about that.
I push ahead anyway, walking around and feeling stupid. I’m looking for the offices but all I find are more sound stages, more random guys zipping around on gold carts, and more people shooting me dirty looks. Sometimes I hate working in this industry.
Well, mostly I do. Especially working for my dad.
I try calling him, but no luck. I try his phone seven times until I decide to leave him a message.
“Hi, Dad, it’s your daughter. I’m lost because your directions are really, really bad. So I’m wandering around this studio like an idiot, and I swear you better be in that meeting right now, because if we lose this—”
I don’t get to finish. Just as I turn a corner, I smash face-first into a brick wall.
Well, that’s how it feels at least. I stumble backwards, my hand flying up to my nose. “Oh, shit!” I hiss. My phone clatters to the ground.
“Shit, are you okay?”
I stagger back and open my mouth to tell whoever just ran into me to go sit on a flagpole and twirl, but the words die in my mouth.
The man staring at me with real concern in his eyes is gorgeous. I don’t know how else to put it. He’s tall and broad and muscular, with hints of tattoos peeking up at the edges of his crisp, perfectly tailored business suit. His hair is cut short on the sides and pushed back in an effortless, stylish part. He tilts his head and his deep green eyes stare at me like he can’t stop looking and oh, god, I don’t want him to stop.
“I’m…”
“I’m sorry,” he says. “I wasn’t paying attention.” He bends over and grabs my phone. He’s at least a foot taller than me, well into six feet. “Here.”
I take it from him. Fortunately, the call hung up. Either that or I filled up my father’s voicemail inbox with that really embarrassing exchange.
“Uhhh, thanks,” I manage to say.
He smiles at me. Holy shit, he looks even better when he smiles.
“I think that was my fault,” he says. “These studios always get me turned around. I’m like an hour late for a meeting right now.”
I laugh. “I am too. Seriously, I’m so lost.”
“Really? Well, we’re just meant to be together, then. I’m Shaun.”
“Klara.”
“Pretty name.” He tilts his head and his eyes roam down my body. He does it so brazenly, so openly, that I swear he must not give a damn about anything.
It drives me absolutely wild with desire.
“Thanks. My mom picked it.”
“Smart woman. So where are you headed to?”
“Office B-34,” I say. “Wherever that is.”
He frowns. “No kidding?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“That’s where I’m going.” He clears his throat. “I’m looking for B-44 though. What meeting are you going in for?”
“Uh, my father’s production company has this show called Divas in Space, we’re heading in to talk about the second season.”
He barks a laugh, delighted. “I know that show. It’s really good.”
“How about you?”
“Oh, the usual. Looking to option some rights these assholes are hoarding.”
I snort. “Really? Good luck with that.”
“Ah, well, it’s not happening now.” He checks his watch and I can’t help but notice that it’s expensive. In fact, his whole outfit is fashionable and expensive. It’s the sort of suit my father wishes he could afford, let alone pull off like this guy can. “Listen, I’m not finding this place and I’m about to give up. How about you give up with me?”
I arch an eyebrow. “What are you suggesting?”
“Let’s go get lunch. There’s this lunch truck nearby, it’s amazing if you’re into Mexican. We can sit on the beach and pretend like we were productive.”
I laugh a little and stare into his eyes. I know I should find this meeting and sit in on it, make sure my dad isn’t doing something really stupid… but I can’t help myself. I haven’t been asked out on a date by a guy in a really long time, let alone by a guy that looks like him.