Page 5 of The Grumpy Actor

If I’d known this was going to happen, I wouldn’t have taken the bait of that pesky journalist and just stayed back in LA. I mean, fine, I’m an actor who’s perfect for roles in mystery, thriller, crime, horror, and action movies, but has never acted in rom-coms.

But I’m good at what I do, and I’m well-paid and awarded for it.

Why on earth did I suddenly get the urge to prove a journalist wrong because she said I can’t play a rom-com lead?

Now I’m stuck in this small town for the next three months…the same town my ex-girlfriend happens to live in.

Things might get out of hand. If the media catches wind of the fact that I used to date Sophie, it would be a huge scandal.

Sure, I get into scandals with different women almost every other day, but those cases are different. Most are just casual flings, but Sophie…she’s different.

Pretending not to know her is the best thing I can do for both her and myself. If I’m lucky, I can get through the next three months without ever running into her again. It shouldn’t be too hard. After all, I’ll be too busy shooting to have time to explore the town.

I let out a heavy sigh, rubbing the back of my neck as I stretch out on the couch.

“This is the hundredth time you’ve sighed in the last five minutes.”

I sit up, jerking my head sideways. I gape at Julian. “When did you get here?”

Julian’s brows knit together as he strolls toward me and folds his arms across his chest. “Liam, I’ve been in your suite for the past five minutes. Are you saying you didn’t hear me come in and drop those scripts?”

I glance at the bundle of scripts on the coffee table and clear my throat. “I was sleeping.”

“With your eyes wide open?”

“Meditating, Julian.”

“Since when do you meditate?” He tilts his head to the side. “I’ve known you all my life, Liam. Even if we did spend our college years on different sides of the country, we’ve barely been apart these past seven years, and not once have I ever seen you meditate.”

I scoff. “You don’t know everything about me.”

“I do. I’m your best friend. Actually, I’m the only friend you have, you grumpy jerk.” He slides onto the other couch. “Which is why I’m stuck being your manager. No one else can put up with you.”

I chuckle as I pick up one of the scripts. “I thought you enjoyed managing talent. Isn’t that why you created your company? The one you practically begged me to join?”

“That was after your last manager dropped you because you made her life unbearable,” he retorts. “Wait, why am I arguing over this? You’ve successfully derailed me from what I actually want to talk about. Why were you so lost in thought?”

“Nothing,” I reply flatly. Under no circumstances will I tell him that the ex I had to let go of is in this town. “I haven’t seen the temp assistant all day. Are you sure you hired me one?”

“Oh, about that—”

“Don’t tell me this is a case of another runaway temp.”

“If you weren’t so impossible to work with, maybe they wouldn’t quit. They expect it to be fun to assist Liam Ryder, and then they meet the cold, rude, grumpy version, and run for the hills.”

That isn’t news to me, since I’ve heard it from so many people. Well, they don’t exactly say it to my face, but I’ve overheard a few conversations.

Frankly, I don’t care. It’s exhausting pretending to enjoy being around people unless I’m on set and acting. When I’m acting, I’m basically embodying another person’s life, but outside that, I just really want to be left alone.

“That doesn’t even make sense. I haven’t met this temp. Why would she accept the job only to drop it at the last minute?”

Julian chuckles, stretching his arms behind his neck. “Well, I guess she heard stories from the last temp and figured out she’s better off not showing up at all.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Can’t you just ask someone from production to fill in until this shoot is over?”

“That’s a bit tricky, since no one wants to deal with your grumpiness,” Julian says. “But you’re in luck. I found someone from the town to fill in for the next three months. She’ll be coming in tomorrow.”

“Just like that. You won’t even be interviewing her?”

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