Page 13 of Broken Rules

“It’s not a big deal,” I muttered, slinging the bag over my shoulderandlooking at the floor.I still couldn’t look at him.“But I really have to go, anyway.”

“What about?—”

“We’ll work it all out.”I practically ran from the kitchen like it was on fire, my head down, my face burning with humiliation.“Can your driver take me home, please?”

“Of course.Summer, please,” he insisted as he followed me.“Can we at least try to reach an understanding?”

“It’s a waste of time,” I replied, stopping at the front door and turning to find him looking apologetic, maybe even remorseful.“We’re not going to see eye-to-eye.You know how much this movie means to me.I know how much it means to you.Let’s keep that in mind, all right?”

“All right.”He held up his hands, surrendering.“You have the cast list.Rehearsals start next week.”

Dammit.He had me trapped now.I was too desperate to get the hell out of there and avoid further humiliation to hang around and argue about a rushed rehearsal schedule.I had to accept itsince nothing mattered more at the moment than getting far away from him.

What a shame his driver couldn’t take me to the other side of the planet since nothing short of that would ease my disappointment as I hurried out of the house, almost blinded by tears.

I’d never get what I wanted, how I wanted it.

At the moment, it seemed Lex Landry was part of that.

5

LEX

By Friday morning, the end of our first week, it was time to check in with the old men who kept the studio’s wheels greased with the money they threw our way.

“Everything is going according to plan.”If I didn’t stop forcing a smile, my face would freeze this way.It was starting to look more like a pained grimace.“We’re due to start rehearsals Monday.It will be a little rushed,” I admitted as lightly as possible.“But I have nothing but faith in the talent we’ve managed to round up.”

One of the studio’s longtime investors offered an indulgent laugh.“Your father sure has a keen eye for picking the right people for a role.”

My teeth ground as my smile hardened.I was looking at a screen full of old faces, sagging jowls, permanent scowls, andmore than a little confusion when it came to the finer points of navigating a Zoom call.We were running ten minutes behind, thanks to so-called technical difficulties.Really, the five men on the call didn’t have the first clue how to do much of anything without their wives or assistants handling it for them.

“Yes, Dad pitched in,” I gritted out, silently seething.“I know by now it’s a bad idea to ignore his instinct.”

Those smug bastards.Sitting back in their offices or on their back patios beneath umbrellas, all they had to do was wait around and collect on their investment.They’d complain like hell if they lost money and act like kings of the world if the film was a success, as if they had anything to do with it beyond writing a check.

“It does look like a very ambitious timeline.”Pierce Williams, the oldest and most sour of the group, narrowed his faded eyes and leaned in until his face filled his screen.“Are you sure all of this can be done in such a short amount of time?”

It was a normal question.Hold it together.“I have nothing but confidence in our team,” I assured him.

“Even that little hellcat you’ve got directing for you?”Pierce chuckled, setting off a chain reaction until all of the men staring at me through their respective machines did the same.Now I understood something I never had before.There was a difference between people laughing because something was funny and the nasty, knowing laughter that now grated my nerves.

“Miss Strawbridge has been nothing but a solid, responsible, and energetic partner in all of this.”A partner I hadn’t spoken to for several days, not since the disastrous dinner at my house on Tuesday night.We had exchanged a few texts and emails, none of which contained anything personal.She reported back to me after meeting the actors.I confirmed filming permits, which had been fast-tracked and approved.

At least I knew I hadn’t scared her away from the project—an idea that had kept me up half the night after she left.What if she decided to quit?

“So long as you don’t let her walk all over you,” Pierce advised.“You know how it is nowadays.You look at a woman the wrong way for more than half a second, and all of a sudden, she’s screaming assault.”

I was going to need a shower after this call was finished.My skin was crawling, and the memory of Summer’s story about what happened with Clyde didn’t help things.I believed her.I had from the start.But would they if they were in my place?

Why did it matter?They were the money, nothing more.I needed to get out of my head.There were still plenty of calls and follow-ups to handle today, all in preparation for our short rehearsal period next week.

Thanking the men for their time, I gratefully ended the call and leaned back in my chair, blowing out a heavy sigh.I was a sponge that had been wrung out, completely dry, but it was over for now.I had convinced our backers that everything was moving along according to schedule.So long as I kept them happy and quiet, we’d be all right.I needed to believe that.Otherwise, I couldn’t shake the sense of being at the broken controls of a runaway train.

After taking a few laps in the pool, I showered off and fixed myself a little lunch based on what the cook left in the refrigerator before taking her day off today.There was pasta salad and a platter of grilled chicken, so I combined some of both before strolling into the living room and turning on the television.

It had been a long time since I kicked back like this, with my bare feet on the coffee table, looking for something mindless to distract me from what had been bouncing around in my head for days.I paused on a news show, setting the remote aside to eat a few mouthfuls of the delicious salad Lisette had put together for me.She knew I liked to have things lying around that I might grab easily, and this was one of my favorite dishes.

What a shame the taste soured in my mouth when the entertainment news queued up, and the bleached blonde on the screen chirped, “There’s a new name at Sunrise Pictures.Eric Danvers, director of Cannes darlingRoad to Glory, has inked a three-picture deal with the prominent studio.”

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