Page 32 of Broken Rules

My father, on the other hand, possessed no such understanding.“And if a movie doesn’t do well, what happens to all these people with their jobs on the line?”he asked as we entered the dark, cool soundstage where I’d be working today.

“Now you’re asking me to reveal special, insider knowledge,” Lex joked.Mom laughed, and so did I, but it was strained and false.“Trust me.We’ve had more than our share of flops over the years, just like any other studio.We are a well-oiled machine, I assure you.”

Something about the way he said it made me stop short, looking up at him.For some reason, I had the feeling that it was the first lie he hadtold since introducing himself.

“I have an idea.”Lex pointed to an area near the craft service tables, where chairs sat.“Why don’t we head over there while Summer gets everything ready?I’d be happy to answer any questions you have about anything you see or hear.Making movies is my favorite subject.”

Not even my father was capable of breaking through that wall of charm.He followed Mom and Lex over to the coffee station, where Mom burst out laughing and swatted at Lex over something he said.She actually swatted playfully at him.

“I know I’m imagining this.”Claudia’s sudden appearance at my side startled me, but she was too busy gaping to apologize.“Is your mom literally swooning over Lex Landry right now?”

That wasn’t what kept me staring after them.

He didn’t have to do this.He probably had six more important things to take care of.

Instead, he was taking care of me by taking care of them.

If I wasn’t careful, I might end up falling in love.

13

LEX

“All in all, it wasn’t too bad, spending most of today with them.It was a hell of a lot more interesting than sitting behind my desk all day,” I concluded, finishing my scotch.

Travis smirked at Clay, then turned that smirk on me.“Look at you.Busting your ass to impress Mom and Dad.”

“Fuck off,” I growled out.Why did I bother opening up?Busting balls was one thing I had always enjoyed, but there were times when it wasn’t called for.

“Lay off him.”Spencer laughed.“He had a long day appeasing the hippies… I mean, artists.”

“You can fuck off too,” I invited, giving him a dirty look that got everyone laughing again.

“How’s Danica?”Clay asked me, grinning.

“Wow.I’m surprised you remember her name,” I replied.It wasn’t bad, giving back a little of the shit I had just received.

“Some women are worth remembering, especially extremely flexible women with D-cup tits and no gag reflex.”His gaze went soft and kind of hazy like he was letting himself indulge in memories.

It didn’t help that he mentioned the word flexible since that word described Summer well.It took nothing to get me thinking about her, missing her body.She had sunk her claws into my mind and refused to let go.Or was it my balls?Either way, I couldn’t stop wanting her.

That very minute, sitting with my friends in a familiar bar, I wondered how she was doing.She and Claudia were supposed to have dinner with the Strawbridges tonight.Did her parents have any questions about me after the hours I spent with them?

No one asked me to.No one had to.Frankly, I hadn’t planned on it.Once shooting started, I was gripped, fascinated by what went on behind and in front of the camera.

And I wasn’t alone.Even that irritating, self-important father of hers had managed to shut the hell up during the scene where Danica had it out with her ex, the older brother of her best friend, who at that point in the movie was hospitalized after an accident during a race.His character was scared for his sister and furious with the woman he loved but also worried for her, seeing in full color how dangerous their world could be.

Meanwhile, Danica’s character helped me understand why the script meant as much as it did to Summer.They might as well have been the same person at that point in the film, where she struggled to find a balance between her passion and the life she lived around it.As much as she cared for the people who mattered, she was almost fanatically devoted to her passion for racing.

Substitute filmmaking for racing, and I could have been describing Summer herself—single-minded and laser-focused, even if it meant driving people away.

“I assume we all have tickets to the premier,” Travis called out to me.

Nodding, I replied, “Oh, sure.I’d love to have you guys there, you know that.But there’s still time between now and then to get that shit settled.”

“Not much time,” Spencer reminded me.For some reason, he thought I’d forgotten or had lost track of the days.“It’ll be here before you know it.What do you think happens after that?”

“Oh, fuck me,” I groaned out.“Let me get through this first, I beg you.”

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