Page 5 of One Pucking Chance

“Ew!” She drops the clothes with a dramatic flair, causing me to laugh. “In all seriousness, Anna. You can’t file a complaint against him. You know how these things go. You’ll be labeled a bitchy actress who’s difficult to work with, and it will make it harder for you to get jobs. Simon’s an idiot, but he’s harmless. Just get through this movie, and you won’t have to think about him again.”

“Fine. You’re right, but I really just can’t stand him.” I finish pulling the rest of the pins out of my hair.

“I get it, but you’re lucky because he’s so damn selfish that he refuses to do the charity event tonight. So at least you get the night off from him.” Miranda retrieves a freshly laundered bath towel from the linen closet and tosses it to me.

Opening the bathroom door, I step in. “Well, there’s another reason I’m excited to go to this event,” I say over my shoulder before closing the door.

“There you go! Now we’re being positive!” Miranda shouts.

“Just finding the joy, my friend,” I say loud enough for her to hear me through the door before I step into the shower to wash away the stress of the day.

CHAPTER

THREE

JADEN

“This is it?” I peer out the car window toward a rectangular metal building. The structure resembles a massive pole barn.

“Yep,” Max answers from the driver’s seat.

“It’s a studio,” Finn states from the back seat.

Looking over my shoulder to the rookie transfer with his floppy blond hair, I raise a brow. “A studio?”

Finn’s counterpart, our other rookie transfer, Miles, clarifies, “A movie studio. There’s a movie being filmed here.”

I return my attention to the building as Max drives us around, looking for a parking spot. “Movies are filmed in Detroit?” I question.

Miles responds, “Yeah, a bunch. There’s some tax credit given for producing movies in Michigan. I grew up about twenty minutes from here. My dad is a big film buff, and he would bring me down to watch whenever there were open sets. It was pretty cool.TransformersandBatman v. Supermanare two of the cooler movies I remember being filmed here.”

“I still don’t get what Penny was talking about, though. I like movies as well as the next person, but I’m not some movie freak or something. If anything, it sounds like this event is more catered to Hollywood.” I hitch my thumb toward Miles.

“It is pretty sweet,” Miles agrees.

Once the car is parked, I grab my water bottle from the center cup holder and step out.

“Alright, well, let’s get this over with so we can get back.” Max yawns. “I need sleep, man.”

“We’re not going to The Station tonight?” Finn asks of our favorite local bar as he smacks the car door closed.

Max pulls at the bottom of his shirt, straightening it. “I’m not.”

“Me either,” I agree.

“That’s not like you.” Miles shakes his head with a chuckle.

I look at Max. “You know what? It’s not. Are we getting old or something? What the fuck?”

Max laughs. “We’re not getting older. Just smarter. After the month we’ve had, it’s wise to rest up. We have our season opener in three days. Coach isn’t messing around this year. He wants that repeat. I barely held my starting position after the exhibition games. The last thing I’m going to do is mess up and have my spot given to Sean or one of the rookies.”

“I’ll be glad to take it off your hands.” Finn slaps Max on the shoulder, and Max shoots him a glare.

The rest of the team piles out of their vehicles and heads across the parking lot toward the studio.

Miles starts pointing out parts of the building unique to a movie studio.

Finn cuts into the informative demonstration. “I’m sorry, but who’s Sean?”

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