Page 15 of (Not So) Famous in Paradise

He eyes me carefully, and I can almost see what he’s thinking:fame has changed her.But then his lips curve into a crooked smile.

“Got it,” he nods.

“Perfect!” Ike calls. “Hold tight while we set up the next shot.”

As soon as Nick puts the camera down, Zach saunters over. “What are you doing, Seb?” He asks with more than a little suspicion. “We won’t need any electrical for at least another month.”

Seb’s always been a sucker for the spotlight.

“Just came to say hi to Georgia and my little sister.” He moves sideways to throw his arm around Stella’s shoulders. “Has she caused any trouble yet?”

Stella rolls her eyes. “I’m not the one who just messed up the shoot.”

“Not yet, anyway. There’s still time.” He nudges his sister’s shoulder with his own. They have the same dark eyes and hair; their mom’s Italian genes have overpowered every bit of their dad’s Scandinavian DNA.

“We’re ready to roll,” Ike calls from the other side of the yard. “We need shots of Georgia looking around the outside of the house. Everyone else needs to get out of the way.”

“They’re just filming you walking around?” Seb asks. “That’s boring. You probably need me in those shots.”

Now it’s my turn for a Seb-induced roll of my eyes. “You’ll get your chance when we’re ready for electrical. And I have a script, so it’s not like I’m making things up off the top of my head.”

I glance at the teleprompter set up to remind me of my lines. An idea forms at the back of my brain, wrapped around the memory of what happened when Evie got Adam on camera. Her account exploded.

“You’re right, though,” I say. “Idoneed someone to talk to.”

But not Seb.

Someone in the real estate business. Someone who’ll be selling the properties eventually and understands their value. Someone who may say he doesn’t want to be on camera but will kill it when he is.

“Come on, Zach.” I grab his hand and tug him in Ike’s direction. “You’re the man for the job.”

“Whoa, what are you talking about? I don’t want to be on camera.”

“Sure you do. It’ll be great.” I stop us in front of Ike. “I’ve got a good idea. I need someone to banter with on camera, and Zach’s perfect because he’s already signed all the production company release forms and knows the property. Plus, who wouldn’t want to look at this beautiful face? Good idea, right?”

Ike assesses Zach like a prize steer at the fair, then asks me. “Is he going to wear a shirt and tie every day?”

“It’s what I always wear.” Zach smooths his tie.

Ike nods. “I like it. Very Jonathon Scott.” He considers the idea for a few more seconds, looks at Zach’s face, and nods again. “Good idea. I’ll tell Teri to add some lines for him in the script. And you take him to Amber. Even beautiful people need makeup on-camera. And hurry. We’re behind schedule already.”

He heads toward the trailer, where Teri is already at work on her laptop.

“You heard the man. Time for makeup!” I pull Zach toward the trailer too, even though I don’t see Amber or her stool there anymore.

Zach stops me after a few steps. “I can’t do this, Georgia.”

“Yes, you can. It’ll be fun!” I tug his hand, but that pesky Newton’s first law comes into play again. I am not force enough to move Zach.

He shakes his head, but not in the slow, casual way he has. This is tight and rapid. Afraid.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Nick re-shoulder his camera and test a few angles. I squeeze Zach’s hand and step close enough that no one will hear us. “What are you nervous about? Just be yourself. People will love you on camera as much as they do in person.”

His gaze drifts toward the teleprompter, and he lowers his voice. “I won’t be able to read the words. I’ll mess everything up.”

I follow his eyes, and my stomach sinks. I’d forgotten about his dyslexia. He never read out loud in school if he could help it, and when he did, he could barely get through it. It’s literally the only time I’ve ever seen his confidence waver.

And now I’m trying to force him to read in front of millions of strangers. Or a few hundred thousand, at least.

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