Page 45 of Isabelle and the Beast

“You didn’t.”

“Oh, I did. I told him I wouldn’t do the movie with him, tried to leave, and realized I was snowed in. So that was a little awkward.”

Jen giggles. “I bet.”

“But he put me up in his sister’s room, and the staff here has been super sweet and welcoming. Then he gave me the cold shoulder for a few days—I still don’t know why—and then I snuck into his office and he got mad so I ran outside in the snow, but he rescued me and?—”

“What in the world?” Jen interrupts. “Is this real life?”

“I’m not totally sure,” I admit. “It feels like a fairy tale.Anyway, I hadn’t been sleeping. You know my thing about watching movies before bed. And with no reception or Internet, I couldn’t turn my mind off. Well, it turns out he has this incredible in-home theater, and a huge collection of movie musicals. So I’ve been hanging out and sleeping in there the last few days.”

“And Adam? Is he…still rude?”

I hesitate. Because yes, he is still rude…sort of. A little gruff and closed-off, like he’s worried that I’m going to see too far past his exterior. But I’ve seen sides of him that are making me fall.

Hard.

“I’m not sure how to describe it,” I say softly. “But I feel like there’s something there.”

“Something?”

“I can’t explain it.” I sigh. “So I’m not sure about the movie anymore. I feel like we’re starting to understand each other.” I smile to myself. “He’s even been asking the staff to leave bowls of popcorn for me in the theater.”

“Oh, how scandalous,” Jen says with a silly voice.

“Hush, you.”

“I’m teasing. It’s actually adorable.”

I shake my head, wanting to move away from this conversation. “Anyway, I have exciting news. I have an interview tomorrow morning.”

“No way! Who is it with?”

I put the phone on speaker and check the text from my dad. “Inside Scoop. My dad just sent me a zoom link for tomorrow at nine-thirty.”

Jen hums, and I know her well enough to know she’s thinking something but not saying it. “What?”

“Don’t get your feelings hurt,” she says. “But why are they interviewing you? You’ve done a few commercials and that rolewith one line inWhispers of Deception, but I didn’t think that was interesting enough for an interview with Inside Scoop.”

Ouch. I mean, she’s right. But I was so excited about the prospect of being interviewed that I didn’t consider that part of it.

“I’m sure you’ll do great,” she says quickly, filling my silence. “Forget I said anything. What do I know about Hollywood?”

“You know everything I tell you,” I say.

“Exactly. Nothing of my own. So if you didn’t think anything of it, then it’s going to be awesome.”

“Adam offered to coach me.”

“See!” She laughs. “Although I’m not sure his style of interviewing will work for you. The silent, brooding, grumpy-face memes won’t serve you as well as they do him.”

“True, true,” I laugh. “I’ll take his advice with a grain of salt.”

She laughs again and sighs. “Oh, I miss you. I can’t wait until you come home. Do you think it’ll be soon?”

“I’m not sure.” I glance outside again. “The snow is still piled high, and it’s pretty cold. But if the storm stays away, it’ll probably be just a few more days.”

“Keep me updated. We’ll get dinner and you can tell me all about the castle and Adam. I have a feeling…never mind.”

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