Kissing Jenna (Big Sky 2)

Prologue

~Christian~

“DO YOU HAVE YOUR shit figured out?”

Luke Williams is sitting across from me in a restaurant in downtown Seattle, where he summoned me a week ago. I just flew in this morning, on his private jet, to meet with him. I cleared my full schedule for this.

No one in Hollywood says no to Luke Williams. Not if you want to succeed, that is. It seems Luke has the Midas touch when it comes to blockbuster movies, and I admit that I want to work with him. I’ve admired him for the better part of my life. Taking this meeting was a no-brainer.

“What shit would that be?” I sit back, my sunglasses still on my face, and take a sip of my room-temperature water with a squeeze of lemon. His blue eyes narrow as he watches me intently.

“I live in Seattle, not on Mars, Christian. People talk in our little world. I know you’ve had some challenges in the past few years.”

Try since I was six.

Being a child-actor-turned-adult-super-celebrity isn’t without its challenges. I’ve been smart enough to stay far away from the drugs, and most of the women. Hell, I’ve been Hollywood’s clean-cut movie star for the majority of my life, and the image has done well for me. But being in this world means that you choose distance. Loneliness. And it suddenly occurs to me that Luke might be one of the only people in the world who would understand that.

He starred in some of the most successful movies ever made about a decade ago, and despite the mega-stardom, came out of it with a happy marriage and a career that the rest of us envy.

“I’m doing all right. I won an Oscar last year.”

“Congratulations on that, by the way. You also got yourself a DUI and had a very public breakup with your girlfriend.”

He’s not smirking, he’s just watching me while stating facts that anyone who reads a tabloid would know.

“I’m doing fine,” I repeat and take off my glasses, tossing them onto the table, then pinch the bridge of my nose. “And I’m curious as to why you brought me all the way to Seattle, just to have lunch. So you could grill me about my very public private life? You could have just called.”

I expect him to smirk, but he doesn’t. He rubs his fingers over his lips before sitting forward. “You know, Christian, if you ever want to talk about anything, any of it, I’m here. I know you don’t know me well, but you can trust me.”

I believe him. Luke is fiercely private, and I trust that anything I were to say to him would remain between us. I could let my walls down with him, but I’m not sure that we’re there yet.

“Thanks for the offer,” I reply sincerely and push my hand through my hair. “I’m figuring things out.”

He’s quiet for a moment, then nods once.

“There’s a movie that I’m producing. It’s big-budget, and I think it could snag you another Oscar.”

“You could have just called my agent.”

“I could,” he replies with a shrug. “But, I wanted to talk to you in person. This isn’t an action movie like the ones I’ve been making the past few years.”

I tilt my head, my interest piqued.

“This one is based on a true story. It’s about a skier.”

“Is there a book for me to read?”

His lips twitch now. “Of course, there’s a book.”

“I don’t know how to ski,” I warn him, but he just shrugs.

“That’s fine. In fact, it might be good for you to get out of town for a while and prepare for the role, learn to ski, enjoy a change of scenery.”

“I haven’t taken the role yet.”

“I hope you will,” he says with a smile. He spends the next ten minutes selling me on the film, and when he’s finished, he writes down a figure that makes even me swallow hard.

“That’s a lot of money.”

“This is a big deal,” he replies and rests his hands on the table. “I know you need to talk to your agent and your attorney, but frankly, you’re the only actor that I’m considering for this. I want you.”

“Why?”

“You’re talented. And I think you’ll bring some grit to this role, an edge that it needs.”

“I am gritty these days,” I reply with a laugh.

“Which is better than the pretty boy you were as a teenager,” Luke adds, making me narrow my eyes. “It’s not easy to transition from a child actor to an adult one. I know that. But you’re doing it, despite the bumps in the road.”

“Thank you. I think.” He smiles, and I find myself smiling back at him. “I guess I’d better start looking for a ski resort so I can get some lessons in.”

“Excellent,” Luke replies. “Just don’t break a leg. I don’t want to have to postpone filming.”